Safe and Sound
A Polyvagal Approach for Connection, Change, and Healing
by Stephen W. Porges, PhD, and Karen Onderko
The Internal Family Systems Workbook
A Guide to Discover Your Self and Heal Your Parts
by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD
On this page, you’ll find audio practices guided by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz that accompany The Internal Family Systems Workbook. Join Dr. Schwartz in these meditations to deepen your understanding of your parts, your Self, and how to work with them. The full text for each meditation is available in the workbook.
At the core of many mental and physical challenges is a nervous system stuck in a state of threat. Although being defensive has many adaptive functions—it’s helped us survive until now—living this way can make it difficult to connect with others or to live with peace and ease.
To support nervous system balance and flexibility, we’ve included activities and exercises here that you can do on your own or with others to increase the balance and flexibility of your nervous system. Additionally, we offer bonus materials featuring insights from Dr. Stephen Porges and conversations about the book.
Video Demonstrations for Strengthening Autonomic Resilience
In any moment, we are our autonomic state because our state is the platform for all of our sensations, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Understanding the organization and tendencies of our individual nervous system is the first step to strengthening autonomic resilience. By recognizing the bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated with each of our physiological states, we become more attuned to our nervous system. As this awareness grows, we can actively engage in co-regulation and participate in regulating exercises and activities, fostering autonomic flexibility and resilience.
Repeated experiences of nervous system disruptions and subsequent repairs, whether through co-regulation or self-regulation, contribute to building autonomic resilience. With practice, we can guide our ANS toward safety and connection and relearn autonomic balance.
The following practices have been contributed by colleagues and friends in the polyvagal community to help us gradually retune our autonomic responses, enhancing both fluidity and resilience.
Glimmers are micro-moments of regulation that foster feelings of well-being. When we notice and name glimmers, we shape our system toward regulation. This practice helps you to see, stop, and appreciate glimmers as a way of shaping your nervous system toward regulation.
Engage your vagus nerve naturally by exercising your eye muscles with Stanley Rosenberg’s Basic Exercise. In his book The Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve, Rosenberg describes how moving your eyes can relax the occipital muscles, increasing blood flow to the brainstem and vagus nerve. Try eye exercises and neck stretches to experience these benefits firsthand.
Two practices will be demonstrated. The Humanual Polyvagal Smile is an experiential exploration integrating the ventral vagal system with muscular, respiratory, and fascial systems, inviting awareness, discovery, and movement. The Exploration of Support considers the universal forces of gravity and antigravity and helps you connect to the ground and expand into your environment.
The Felt Sense Polyvagal Grounding Practice is the foundational embodiment practice used in the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model. The practice teaches the two main embodied processes of interoception (felt sense) and neuroception (PVT).
Jill demonstrates three zones to stimulate the vagus nerve and access areas of the body to aid in increased downregulation through breath and myofascial self-massage.
Co-regulation is evident in many human-animal interactions. Self-regulation and slowing down are essential to connection, yet they often require practice and the courage to connect. Horses are particularly aware of subtle communications of safety and bids for connection. In this brief video, you will see the communication in action between horse and human. The background music is from Hour 1 of SSP Connect: Classical Flow.
The Yielding to Rise moving practice is an invitation to experience the dynamic range of neuro-physiological states—the literal dance of our vagal circuitry. Incorporating contemplative movement, somatic awareness, and more dynamic movement, this tiered practice will be shared in a way that is inclusive of all bodies and movement abilities.
Breathing techniques and movement help shift both physiological and psychological states. This approach combines education and experiential learning based on Polyvagal Theory and is currently being researched at University of Florida Health.
Four simple tools for helping children calm their nervous system and emotions will be demonstrated. Two of these tools are featured in Howling with Huskies along with other resources. These techniques are easy to use on the go and work for people of all ages.
Note: As with any holistic practice, it’s advisable to consult with healthcare professionals and use these regulating activities as complementary rather than alternative approaches to conventional medical care.
Audiobook Supplemental PDF
- Figures and Diagrams
- Appendices
- Glossary
- An Academic Love letter from Dr. Porges
Book Supplemental PDF
How the SSP Came to Be:
An Academic Love Letter from Dr. Porges
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