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  • Life Never Gives Up On You

    Life Never Gives Up On You

    Life Never Gives Up On Hearing Our Yearning
    What would it take for you to believe in magic again?Late last year I had an experience whilst travelling interstate for a very brief time, where I met someone, it was an unusual experience, one that shocked both of us throughout the day we spent together, as we realised the person standing in front of us was all we had asked for. I had a list!! You see, I had had this deep yearning for a long time to be met in a way that deeply nourished the person I am. It was a moment of seeing oneself in another, beyond the minds list, or an idea of how it should look like or plans for the future. 
    We laughed, had incredible adventures, shared stories, ate great food, swam naked in rivers and the sea, snuggled and read by the fire, danced until we couldn’t, walked in rainforests, along sea cliffs, in heathlands and talked, asked deeply personal questions of the other and made love……

    Yet what astonished me the most was that my deepest yearning had been heard!
    Even if I felt I had given up on believing, life never did.

    It was a big wake up call for me as to how much I had given up on believing in the magic and what I need to do to nourish hope in my life again.

    It has been a very rough road, like many of you have experienced, over the last couple of years and part of me had lost hope, lost my vision, lost my dreaming.

    I was reminded that life never gives up hearing our hearts yearning.

    Another example of this is, a couple of days after Christmas, I met a very distressed young man on the streets asking me to buy cigarettes for him as he was too young. He needed more than cigarettes. I stopped to really see this man who was sleeping on the streets and acknowledged it looked like he needed more than cigarettes, that he needed a hug to start with, he agreed. After a huge hug, tears and his shaking subsiding a little, I took him home to have breakfast together and hang out with my family for the day. He beat my son at chess and us all at pool!
    Throughout the day I would simply sit and talk with him to find out more about him, no agenda, no hurry, just curious. I just wanted him to feel safe again. At the end of the day we drove him to his friends to sleep for the night, checked in with his mum so she knew where he was. Subsequently he has resolved things with his mum and living back at home.What I was deeply reminded of was my own struggle as a mum and my son’s struggle in this young man. I could see my own life in his situation and I believed that the situation could change, as I had been there and knew given support this too shall pass. I could be his little bit of magic for that day. 

    We are all simply walking each other home in some way.
    How can we begin to really see another in ourself and each other, to feel what is needed? What would it take us to feel deep empathy towards each other and take action? 

    Therefore my goal for 2022 is to nourish dreaming again, love, passion, poetry, art, spontaneity, hope for living, to reclaim the magic from the heart.

    What would it take to believe in your dreams again, to give them room, to nurture them, know they are heard and trust the rest will take care of itself? 

     

  • Mental Health in a time of Covid (and the Polyvagal Ladder) Podcast

    Mental Health in a time of Covid (and the Polyvagal Ladder) Podcast

    Mental health has become a major casualty of the Covid pandemic that has swept across the globe and been responsible for rolling lockdowns throughout Australia restricting personal freedoms, social contact and the ability to prosper financially. No one is exempt from this unprecedented event and the anxiety, depression and anguish wrought is having a major effect on the mental health and wellbeing of our communities.

    Dr Luke Crantock has a conversation with therapist, Brenda Sutherland founder and director of The Awakening Group to discuss the indicators that a patient or friend may be experiencing, the evolving mental health difficulties and learning methods for shifting patients holistically out of collapse.Brenda teaches us about the polyvagal ladder and how to use an understanding of this insight to instructively and empathically assist our most vulnerable patients.

    Brenda’s extensive knowledge of the human mental state in distress and happiness and her work with Bessel van de Kolk, Dr Stan Tatkin and Byron Katie have placed her in an outstanding position to guide us on this subject.

    Please enjoy the conversation.

     

    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

     

     

     

     

     

    Dr Luke Crantock MBBS, FRACP, is a gastroenterologist in practice for over 25 years. He is the founder of The Centre for GI Health, based in Melbourne Australia and is passionate about educating General Practitioners and patients on disease prevention and how to manage and improve their digestive health.

    References:

    http://student-awakening.theteamserver.com/lms/2021/08/24/ventral-vibes-project/

    Mental health services in Australia, COVID-19 impact on mental health

    Weekend Australian – Aug 28-29 pages 1&6

     

     

  • Ventral Vibes Project

    Ventral Vibes Project

    Ventral Vibes Project

    Due to the enormous challenges and changes we are currently facing on a daily basis, our nervous system is overwhelmed, as we move from brain automation of daily tasks to refocusing on adjusting to new changes  in our everyday lives. One day we are free to go to work and get that coffee on the way, whilst saying chatting to people we see each morning to the next day we are in lockdown, and a sense of disconnection, disappointment and discombobulation. The constant changes and restrictions mean that our nervous system tries to find ways to adjust and survive, adaptions that are not always supportive.

    Stephen Porges’s ‘Polyvagal theory’ outlined survival states our autonomic nervous system moves within; Social Engagement (Ventral Vagal new vagus nerve: branch of the Parasympathetic vagus nerve), Sympathetic (fight/flight) and Dorsal Vagal (collapse/freeze/stuck on off). These states are all in service to our survival. It is essential that we befriend, listen to and understand our nervous system yet we often feel overwhelmed with what is happening within us, so much so we become stuck and difficult to move freely out of certain states. The majority of the time we are in resistance to our nervous system which creates an enormous about of inner turmoil.

    Deb Dana developed ‘The Polyvagal Ladder’ to help identify where we are in our nervous system response, what the experience is of being in that zone and understand how to move in and out of states. In other words we are educating our nervous system as to its responses, making friends with it so we don’t get stuck in particular states, and demonstrating how it can fluidly change emotional states. In this sense we become masters of our nervous systems rather than a slave.

    “The great thing then, in all education, is to make our nervous system our ally as opposed to our enemy.” William James (1914, Habit)

     

    A Little Science: The Autonomic Nervous System

    Simply the autonomic nervous system includes two branches:

     

    1. The Parasympathetic Branch The Vagus Nerve, the “wanderer” has two branches: Ventral Vagus (new vagus) and the Dorsal Vagus (old vagus).
      • This part of the nervous system travels from the brain stem at the base of the head, and travels down through the lungs, heart, diaphragm, and stomach and upward connecting with nerves in the neck, throat, eyes, and ears, to form the “face-heart” connection – “the compassion nerve”.
      • Ventral Vagal (new vagus) is a state of receptivity, social engagement, self and co-regulation, connected, in the flow and a sense of vitality. We feel safe, connected and alive is this state.
      • Dorsal Vagal (old vagus) is a Freeze response whereby we collapse, faint, or fawn death for survival. Often when a situation becomes too overwhelming to fight or flee we collapse. Animals freeze when captured to fain death from a predator to ensure they do not feel pain, and in many cases survive when the predator lets go, thinking their prey is dead. This state can be experienced in a number of ways including feeling numb, immobilised, helpless, lifeless, a sense of hopelessness, lack of motivation, depression, and giving up. We are stuck on off. This maybe a very familiar experience at the moment considering the overwhelming circumstances many people are experiencing.

    2. The Sympathetic Nervous System is mobilised in response to threat, involving the Fight or Flight responses, which could be further heightened for those who have a background of trauma in their lives.

    2019 DDP International Conference www.DDPNetwork.org

    ‘Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation A Polyvagal Theory Guide to Safety and Connection’ by Deb Dana, LCSW, DDP International Conference September 9, 2019  debdanalcsw.com, rhythmofregulation.com

    Scoping the Internal Landscape

    Firstly, Take a moment and think back to a time in your life when you felt the most happiest, alive, engaged, connected with others, life and yourself. Write down the feelings, sensations in your body you experienced when in this state. Give it a word that summarises this state for you.

    Furthermore when in this state (finish these statements):

    • I am ……
    • The world is……

    For example: flow, connected, warm, open-hearted, curious, engaged, capable, confident, organised, motivated, passionate, at ease.

    Key word: Flow

    I am…. safe

    The World is…welcoming, filled with possibilities

    This now becomes the top of the Polyvagal ladder and your ‘Ventral Vagal Anchor’ that you can come back to anytime you like.

    Secondly, the next step down the ladder is the Sympathetic Mobilised zone. Take a moment and think back to a time in your life when you felt frightened, anxious to the point your nervous system went into fight or flight. Repeat the above process, writing the sensations, feelings and body experiences and key word down. This becomes the second rung down on the polyvagal ladder.

    For example: out of control, raging, too much, confusing, discombobulated, overwhelming, angry, confrontational, ready to run

    Key word: Chaos

    I am crazy, dangerous, toxic

    The World is…scary, unfriendly, exploding

     

    Thirdly, go a step further down the ladder to the Dorsal Vagal Collapse. Again take a moment and think back to a time in your life when you experienced a sense of collapse, overwhelmed to the point of numb. This becomes the bottom rung down on the polyvagal ladder.

    For example: dark foggy, stuck, silent, disorganised, out of focus, cold, numb, hopeless, helpless, shut down, disconnected.

    Key word: Darkness

    I am unloveable, invisible, lost and alone

    The World is…cold, empty and uninhabitable.

     

    Fourthly, take each state from above and draw an art piece. Deb Dana coined it ‘The Art Map’. This assists in cementing a somatic awareness of the states and creates the ability to be engaged with a state not engaged by a state.

     


    art map polyvagal

    Art Map By David Keevil from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-SVdQ-CHkA

     

    The Four R’s:

    Here’s a few steps to help.

    • Recognize the autonomic state,
    • Respect the adaptive survival response,
    • Regulate/co-regulate into a Ventral Vagal state
    • Re-story.

    When you find yourself experiencing challenging situations:

    1. Notice where you are on the Polyvagal ladder; Ventral Zone, Fight/Flight or Dorsal Vagal Collapse.
    2. Name it
    3. Befriend the state, by turning towards it – Claim it
    4. Bring curiosity
    5. Listen for a moment to the story from the Ventral Zone, of the state – Tame it

     

    Moving Into The Ventral Zone

    “Earth will be safe when we feel in us enough safety.” Thich Nhat Hanh

    It is not that we are continually in the ventral zone, as there are times where we will move into the other states. It is the ability to easily move back into the ventral zone. In developing our own autonomic intimacy we need a repertoire of activities, games, exercises, somatic experiences, and visual and auditory aids to utilise to assist returning in the ventral vibes zone in challenging times.

    Activation of the ventral vagus nerve is associated with:

    • feelings of care taking
    • ethical intuition that humans from different social groups (even adversarial ones) share a common humanity
    • feeling emotions that promote altruism – compassion, gratitude, love, and happiness

    What are some activities that bring you back to the Ventral Vibes Zone? Write them down. Find activities that work for you…and if you like, add to the below list.

    • dancing or movement ie hip hop,
    • music making together, collaborative art making that sync our nervous systems
    • play and imagine, dress ups, game making
    • team sports that bring us into resonance with others,
    • connection with nature,
    • eye gazing, sex/lovemaking, connecting with others helping a friend. Co-regulating games using eyes, ears/sounds, voice, and facial movements. We are wired to connect!
    • breathing exercises ie Pranayama breathing
    • touch using Betty Martin’s 3 minute game, proximity seeking exercises,
    • vocal bursts..ahhhhh, ohhhhh, hmmmm etc
    • Develop a gratitude diary

    Benefits of Autonomic Flexibility

    We are continually reshaping the autonomic nervous system and the above exercises will help. By mastering staying in the Ventral Vagal Zone we

    • Reduced inflammation and regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines
    • Control our immune response
    • Able to Emotionally regulate our own nervous systems and others around us
    • Ability to inhibit distractions
    • Develop stress resilience

    “Reshaping practices remind the autonomic nervous system that it has an inherent knowing about how to flexibly navigate the autonomic hierarchy”. Deb Dana

    Putting it to the Test

    Now that you have mapped out your own personal Polyvagal ladder, drawn an Art Map, and selected exercises, games, connection activities that help you move freely into the Ventral Vagal state lets put it to the test. Go back to the situation you remembered that caused collapse or the Fight/Flight response and use the somatic awareness when drawing and bringing awareness to each state to move out of that state by Naming it, Claiming it through befriending it, and Taming it, that is moving back into Ventral Vagal.

    How did you go? Are there any adjustments needed? Now try another state and repeat the process.

    This is your autonomic intimacy at work and can be engaged in anytime in distress, stuck on off, or your nervous system is mobilised.

    You’ve got this!

    Please share your Ventral Vibes below.

     

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    Bibliography

    Armitage, Hanae, ‘Sound research: Scientific Innovation harness noise and acoustics for healing’. Stanford University.

    Dana, Deb, Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation A Polyvagal Theory Guide to Safety and Connection, (September 9, 2019) DDP International Conference

    Hip Hop Therapy Studio (June 29, 2021) Trauma Research Foundation