Deb Dana on Befriending Our Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

If you are a regular listener of this show, you will be familiar with Polyvagal Theory, as it’s coming up in multiple interviews. But this episode is the first one dedicated solely to exploring this powerful theory. And to explore it with us, I’m thrilled to be talking with Deb Dana, a clinician, consultant, and author who is known for being a translator of Polyvagal Theory, which was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in the mid-1990s.

In this episode, Deb Dana gives us a primer of the key points of Polyvagal Theory, and in doing so, explains the ways in which it can support the way we parent our differently-wired kids. Deb explains the nervous system pathways, why co-regulation is essential to our survival, what befriending and listening to our autonomic nervous system looks like in practice, and the benefits of having a breathing practice. We also talk about why these concepts can change our relationships to our daily life even if our circumstances stay the same. 

Chapters

• 4:26 Deb Dana introduces herself and shares her personal why for the work she does
• 6:18 Deb explains what her goals were in writing her book Anchored: Befriending Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory
• 9:14 Deb explains the nervous sytem pathways
• 14:08 Are our kids' nervous systems hardwired (nature) or are they result of their environment / upbringing (nurture)?
• 18:02 What Deb means when she says that co-regulation is essential to our survival
• 21:22 Is co-regulating with other people something that we and our kids are always doing?
• 25:08 What does learning to listen to our nervous system mean / look like?
• 29:23 Why the big goal isn't to always be regulated but to rather have a flexible, adaptable nervous system
• 32:00 Is it possible to frontload our nervous sytems to be more adaptable by doing a regular breath or movement practice?
• 39:10 How to connect with Deb Dana and tap into her other resources on Polyvagal