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“Everyone who is engaging with humans—as a teacher, a psychotherapist, as a bodyworker—should be aware of the state of the other,” Porges explained. 

It’s not dismissive to say this. It’s foundational. Take a moment to consider how often you truly do this in your work. I’m not talking about structural or postural assessment, at least not in the way that many manual therapists typically do. I’m talking about sensing and feeling the level of autonomic reactivity your client [and you!] experience.

When you become polyvagal-informed, you’re evaluating your client’s autonomic state through observation: their muscle tone, their breathing patterns, the quality of their voice, how they hold themselves in space. You’re noticing who’s tightly wrapped and who’s more accessible, and these cues are often quite subtle. 

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