Interoception…the Foundation of Our Development

Interoception is basically our ability to recognize stimulus originating inside the body.  When we are disconnected from the vast information and knowledge in our own three-dimensional bodies we are disconnected from the very core of our healthy development.  Dr. Stephen Porges notes that “Interoception becomes the foundation of physical, psychological, and social development.” (Polyvagal Theory, […]

Navigating the Inner Realms

We spend lots of time learning how to navigate people, things, situations, environments and any other external influence we can think of.  But it is the inner navigation, called interoception, that can be pivotal in our ability to heal and be compassionate in the world.  The quiet information and stories our nervous systems tell us […]

Stress will Degrade our Social Structure

We know that the limbic brain is our body’s fight-flee-freeze center.  It engages this way during perceived moments of threat, danger or fear.  Dr. Stephen Porges notes in his book The Polyvagal Theory that “In most individuals the nervous system evaluates risk and matches neurophysiological state with the actual risk of the environment.  When the […]

Raising Your Sword to Battle an Illusion

Our nervous system is a miraculous and complex network of information and control mechanisms.  Our SNS (sympathetic nervous system) readies us for action, to mobilize, to activate, charge, fight or flea..among many other things.  Our PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) calms us down, soothes, relaxes, and regulates…also among many other things.  So when we get stressed, […]

Oxytocin…it isn’t all good!

In Dr. Stephen Porges’ profound book The Polyvagal Theory, he notes the “neuroendocrine and autonomic systems that permit high levels of social behavior and social bonds regulate the management of stressful experiences and the capacity of the mammalian body to heal itself….In the context of safety or comparatively mild or acute stressors, the release of oxytocin […]