Page 17 - EMERGE MANUAL 2024

POLYVAGAL THEROY

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) has three states, Ventral

Vagal, Sympathetic, and Dorsal Vagal. It can be helpful to think of a VENTRAL VAGAL
stop light with Green being Ventral, Yellow being Sympathetic, and
Red being Dorsal.

In Ventral (Green) we are able to move through the world in a safe

and connected way. We feel calm, curious, creative, our digestion
works well, we embody slow full breathing, and we feel safe, SYMPATHETIC
social, present, and engaged with life and others.

In Sympathetic (Yellow) we find ourselves mobilized and in a state

of hyper-arousal. This is the place where we enter into fight or
flight and can feel anxiety, shortness of breath, and an urgency to
act but often are too overwhelmed. We feel prepared for disaster, DORSAL VAGAL
reactive, our breath becomes short and quick, our stress rises, fear
and panic are elevated, and disassociation can occur.

In Dorsal (Red) we find ourselves shutting down, in a state of collapse, and
becoming withdrawn. This is the place where we enter into freeze and fawn and feel
numb, disconnected, depressed, hopeless, and extremely disassociated. We

experience a felt sense of no control, feelings of being trapped, our hearing becomes
muffled, our survival mechanisms kick in and our bodies, minds, and souls go into a
state of survival and self-preservation.

Our ANS is always trying to protect us and will respond based on past conditioning

of both real and perceived threats. Neuroception is the way our nervous systems
take in information and then alters our state in a way that engages our survival
response.

“Healing trauma is not about focusing on the symptoms. It’s about
building a relationship with the nervous system and learning how to
shift between states.“

-DR. ARIELLE SCHWARTZ.

EMERGE 2024