#368: Polyvagal Path: Healing Your Nervous System & Your Life with Dr. Stephen Porges

The Mark Groves Podcast

Mark Groves

Relationships, Society & Culture

4.9 • 5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2024

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Stephen Porges, the originator of the Polyvagal Theory, to the podcast. Dr. Porges discusses the impact of trauma histories on our relationships and behaviors – sharing Polyvagal Theory's role in our physiological responses. We also discuss post-pandemic societal shifts, navigating the challenges of societal evaluation, the impact of social media, and ethical considerations surrounding digital interactions. Dr. Porges explores alternative modalities for self-regulation – emphasizing the importance of co-regulation, and shares somatic therapies for trauma healing. Listen in to this conversation that reminds us of the transformative power of connection for promoting healing and well-being. Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland. He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He is the originator of the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral, mental, and health problems related to traumatic experiences. He is the creator of a music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol ™ , which currently is used by approximately 3,000 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, and to improve language processing, state regulation, and spontaneous social engagement. Dr. Porges is a founder of the Polyvagal Institute. —Stephen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polyvagalinstitute —Stephen’s Website: https://www.stephenporges.com/ —Stephen’s Website: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/ —Stephen’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/polyvagalinstitute —Stephen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-w-porges-6514877b/ —Stephen’s Books: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/bookstore If you want to dive deeper into Mark’s content, search through every episode, find specific topics we’ve covered, and ask him questions, go to his Dexa page: https://dexa.ai/markgroves Themes: Relationships, Boundaries, Self-Worth, Self-Love, Health, Transformation, Grief, Trauma, Polyvagal Theory, Neuroception, Physiological Responses, Social Media, Self-Regulation, Co-Regulation, Nervous System Regulation, Nervous System, Somatic Therapy, Dysregulation This episode is sponsored by BON CHARGE: Use code MARKGROVES to save 15% at http://boncharge.com/MARKGROVES Contact us at podcast@markgroves.com for sponsor product support, questions, comments, or just to say hello!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Transcript

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0:00.0	What do people who have trauma histories do?
0:02.5	They keep active without any deep relationships.
0:05.3	And if you talk to people who have had adversity,
0:08.8	it's not that they don't want relationships,
0:11.0	they don't want deep relationships.
0:12.5	They will tell you their body doesn't allow them to have them.
0:15.5	But if they get close, they're going to bolt out that room.
0:19.0	So the paradox to those who have trauma histories is accessibility is translated in their
0:25.8	nerve system as vulnerability.
0:28.1	They're telling you what it is that's most important in life.
0:31.5	Most important in life is to be accessible that enables you to connect.
0:35.7	If you have a trauma history, you still have that intention.
0:38.8	You have the desire.
0:39.6	But those lower brain stem areas say, not in this body.
0:44.0	And we'll do whatever it can to, in sense, navigate and negotiate to get the body out of the opportunity or give the body permission to be safe in the arms of another.
1:00.0	Hello and welcome to another episode of the Mark Groves podcast. Today I'm joined by Dr. Stephen
1:05.9	Porges. This is such an honor. You are a literal forefather in this space of relating, but in the area of the nervous system. You invented polyvegal theory? Like this feels like, anyways, pinch me. I'm excited. Thanks for coming on the show. Well, thank you, Mark. Yes, I did invent it. I made the word up. I didn't make the theory up. I made the word up.
1:29.4	That's amazing. Well, maybe for people listening, we could give them a little idea of what is polyvagal theory.
1:35.8	Okay. We'll actually just cut to the real under point or major point, and that is our physiological state, the way our body feels, influence how we interact with the world.
1:46.4	So when our bodies come, we're much more accessible, accepting, flexible, compassionate, all the good stuff.
1:52.3	And when our body shifts into a state of defense, we're reactive, defensive, critical, and often we're upset with ourselves.
2:00.0	So the part is if we have this system that is literally wired into us to be accessible and save,
	...

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