This is the 10% Happier Podcast.

I'm Dan Harris.

Greetings, salutations, my fellow suffering beings.

We don't often think about it this way, but as we move through the day, the various moods

we inhabit, excitement, engagement, aggression, fear, dejection, depression, they are all

dictated by or correlated with our nervous system or to be specific, our autonomic nervous

system.

The cool thing is, as you're about to hear, you can become an active operator of your

nervous system.

My guest today is Deb Dana.

She's a clinician and consultant who specializes in working with complex trauma, although to

be clear, the advice you're going to hear her give today is not specific to people dealing

with trauma.

Deb is the author of a book called Anchored How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using

Polyvagal Theory.

In this conversation, we talk about what polyvagal theory actually is.

The case for understanding your nervous system, practical tools and exercises for changing

your nervous system and learning to become more regulated.

Generally, the fact that your nervous system isn't simply isolated and self-contained

that your nervous system, all of our nervous systems, are actually what she calls social

structures.

She's going to talk about how you can take responsibility for your own nervous system

...