The polyvagal theory was developed by Stephen Porges, based on research on the vagus nerve, a nerve with several branches that wanders from the brain to the internal organs below the diaphragm and up into the face.

The Polyvagal Ladder is based on the fact that our Vagus Nerve regulates both our trauma threat responses and the system of our body and brain that calms us down and helps us return to a relaxed state where we can be “safe and social.” The polyvagal ladder exercise involves us imagining our nervous system as a ladder, with ventral vagal at the top, sympathetic in the middle, and dorsal vagal at the bottom.

The Polyvagal Ladder explains that when we are immobilized, we can’t get back into the safe and social zone until we go through the sympathetic activation because part of what brings us out of that immobilized state is getting more sympathetic activation.

This mini bundle includes 5 infographic handouts.