In this episode:
Gregory takes you on a gentle, practical tour of the vagus nerve—the body’s wandering calm-button—and shows how complex trauma can keep your nervous system stuck in high alert. Discover how everyday micro-practices—humming, rocking, cold splashes, sensory rituals, food tweaks, and laughter—can retrain the body toward safety. Listener stories ground the science, while easy practices turn daily routines into real healing. Whether you’re new to somatic work or refining your recovery, you’ll walk away with hope, humor, and a toolkit for steadier days.
Key Takeaways
• Vagal tone strengthens through small, repeatable acts of safety
• Breath, sound, and gentle cold subtly massage cranial nerve ten
• Gut health and posture quietly dampen anxiety at its source
• Co-regulation and self-kindness amplify nervous-system calm
• Tracking progress lightly cements change without perfectionism
What You’ll Discover
• How humming, gargling, and laughter reset your heart and breath
• Gut-friendly foods and omega-threes that soothe anxiety
• Sensory cues—scent, horizon gazing, weighted touch—that signal safety
• Phone settings and tech tricks that protect your boundaries
• A personal “save point” ritual for future overwhelm
Resources Mentioned
• Porges S. The Polyvagal Theory
• Frontiers in Psychiatry (2017 diaphragmatic-breath study)
• Kross E. Chatter: The Voice in Our Head
• Elite HRV and MyLife Insight biofeedback apps
Next Episode Preview
Next time: Emotional Resilience with CPTSD—building flexible thinking and humor into sturdy safety nets.
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