Hello and welcome to this anchor meditation for nervous system regulation.
I'm so glad we're practicing together today.
This anchor practice is inspired by Stephen Porges who developed polyvagal theory and Deb Dana who formulated the specifics of this practice.
Polyvagal theory posits that we have three different pathways of protection and presence.
The most primitive dorsal vagal state of our freeze response,
Our sympathetic nervous system which mobilizes our fight and flight systems,
And our most recently evolved ventral vagal state of social connection and safety amongst those in our group.
Due to our histories of trauma,
Both personal and global,
Along with a social oppression coming through our culture and power structures,
We often find ourselves stuck in fight,
Flight,
Or freeze modes.
This can be very exhausting.
This four-step ventral vagal anchor practice can help us shift out of the stronger survival states of fight,
Flight,
And freeze,
Settling us back into our more resilient ventral vagal safe and social state.
So let's begin.
You can do this practice sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down with eyes open or closed.
The first step is who.
Bring to mind a person or animal,
Alive or not,
Who makes you feel relaxed and at ease when you think of them.
Imagine them with you through the remembered visual picture of them or the felt sense of their presence.
You may sense a smile coming on your face or a warmth in your heart as you imagine being together.
You may have other sensations that you notice as well.
Stay with this sense of safe connection with this person or animal.
Stretch out the goodness of these body sensations.
In this next second step,
I'd like you to think of what activities you do that bring you a sense of peace,
Calm,
Or contentment.
I feel peaceful when I knit or walk in nature.
Bring to mind an activity that you enjoy doing and imagine that you're doing it now.
It can be anything.
Something simple as drinking tea,
Cooking,
Being in your garden,
Doing yoga,
Walking with a friend,
Noticing the sky.
Flesh out the details.
Where are you?
How are you moving or resting?
What is the time of day?
And bring in any other qualities that this experience engenders.
As you re-experience this activity in this present moment in your imagination,
What are you noticing in your body?
Do you feel a hint of the goodness inside?
The third step is remembering where you feel the most calm and relaxed.
Perhaps your favorite environment is lying on the earth by a babbling creek,
Sitting in a pew in a cathedral,
Or resting in your favorite chair.
Again,
Flesh out the sensory details of this environment so that you can really feel like you're there.
What happens in your body as you feel this beautiful environment that you're remembering?
Are you noticing any shift in your emotions or your thought patterns?
Lastly,
Remember a specific event when you felt connected,
Present,
And balanced.
Perhaps it was a family gathering that felt nourishing or a vacation in your favorite locale.
Perhaps it was meeting with a friend or mentor for a walk.
Recall the specific event that holds these wonderful ventral vagal qualities.
Again,
Flesh out the sensory details,
Where you were,
Who you were with,
The quality of the light,
Anything that makes it come alive.
Again,
Notice what happens in your body as you re-experience this event.
You can look for shifts in your breathing,
Tension or relaxation in your muscles,
Or you might notice your internal speed shifting and slowing down.
These remembrings are meant to stimulate neural activity in your parasympathetic rest and digest nervous system,
Specifically your ventral vagus nerve,
Which increases your sense of safety and connection,
Also helping to regulate your body functions,
Your mind and emotions.
The more you practice focusing on one or all four of these anchors,
Who,
What,
Where,
And when,
The easier and quicker you can access your resilient ventral vagal safe and social state.
And when you actually experience one of these moments in real time,
Remember to take in the deep and nourishing sensory qualities of the goodness of these experiences.
It can continue to be resources for resilience in the months and years ahead.
I'm glad we could connect in our ventral vagal systems together today.
Thanks for practicing with me.
