Your Body Always Remembers

Learn how to self-regulate your nervous system.

We’ve often talked about how the body can remember trauma that the conscious mind has forgotten, and how those memories embedded in our cellular structure can affect the way we live our daily lives.

This truth struck me to the core. As an immigrant (that escaped war, no less), my body was, and might still be, holding on to trauma that I couldn’t remember. And for that reason, I approached life from a very fear-based point of view.

Part of my heightened sensitivity is credited to that fact. It was a survival technique that I learned young—notice every detail of every situation to be able to perceive any potential threats. With this type of lifestyle, danger always feels imminent.

That’s no way to live.

I was recently introduced to Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Ph.D. This theory is essentially a collection of evolutionary, neuroscientific and psychological claims pertaining to the role of the vagus nerve in emotion regulation, social connection and fear response.

PVT identifies a third type of nervous system response that Porges calls the social engagement system, a playful mixture of activation and calming that operates out of unique nerve influence. The social engagement system helps us navigate relationships.

If your brain is melting, I totally get it. Reading about PVT can give you a headache, however, the information is so interesting. Luckily, I was given a video that helps break down PVT in a way that’s digestable.

Take some time to check out the video and see if any of the information resonates. There are also suggestions on how to help regulate your nervous system, so you’re not always in a state of fight or flight.

And how wonderful would that be?