Polyvagal exercises for safety and connection : 50 client-centered practices / Deb Dana ; foreword by Stephen W. Porges.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

SECTION I. THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM: PATTERNS AND PATHWAYS : -- 1. The Autonomic Hierarchy -- 2. Neuroception -- 3. Co-Regulation -- SECTION II. NAVIGATING AUTONOMIC PATHWAYS: THE BASIC APPROACH : -- 4. Befriending the Autonomic Nervous System -- Accurate Autonomic Awareness -- Exercise: Autonomic Landmarks -- Exercise: Ventral Vagal Anchors -- The Art of Befriending -- Exercise: Befriending the Hierarchy -- Exercise: Autonomic Trees -- The Practice of Reconnecting -- Exercise: Body Language -- Exercise: The Continuum Between Survival and Social Engagement -- Exercise: The Social Engagement Scale -- Exercise: A Neuroception Notebook -- 5. Attending to Autonomic States -- Attending to The Nervous System -- Exercise: Autonomic Alphabets -- Exercise: Autonomic Names -- Exercise: Autonomic Short Stories -- Exercise: Attending Over Time -- Attending to Autonomic Pathways -- Exercise: Daily Pie Charts -- Exercise: Daily Tracker -- Three Different Things -- Exercise: The Autonomic Request for Connection -- Playfulness -- Exercise: Pathways to Playfulness -- Exercise: Playful Moments -- Rethinking Solitude -- Exercise: Personal Preferences Around Solitude -- Exercise: Attending to Stillness -- Moments to Savor -- Exercise: Savoring Snapshots -- Expanding Outward -- Exercise: Attending Through Art -- Exercise: Attending in Nature -- 6. Shaping the Autonomic Nervous System -- The Right Degree of Challenge -- Exercise: Energy and Actions Map -- Glimmers and Glows -- Exercise: Finding Glimmers -- Exercise: From Glimmer to Glow -- Shaping Your Story Through Sound -- Exercise: The Sound of Your Voice -- Exercise: The Music in Your Life -- Shaping Through Movement -- Exercise: Moments of Movement -- Exercise: Imagined Action -- Exercise: Labyrinth Walking -- Shaping Through Breathing -- Exercise: Find Your Breath -- Exercise: Understand Your Breath -- Exercise: Follow Your Breath -- Shaping Through the Environment -- Exercise: Green, Blue, And Flowering -- Exercise: A Ventral Vagal Space of Your Own -- Shaping Through Reflection -- Exercise: Writing Your Reflections -- Exercise: Reflecting with Compassion -- 7. Integrating New Autonomic Rhythms -- A New Rhythm of Regulation -- Exercise: Recognize -- Exercise: Reflect -- Exercise: Regulate -- Exercise: Create "If-Then" Statements -- Exercise: Re-Story -- Resilience -- Exercise: Exercise The Vagal Brake -- Exercise: Resilience Routines -- 8. Connecting to Others -- Belonging -- Exercise: Rules of Reciprocity -- Exercise: Personal Connection Plan -- Exercise: Clusters of Connection -- Connection to Something Greater Than Self -- Exercise: With Gratitude -- Exercise: Compassionate Connections -- Exercise: Awe Inspiring.

"A practical guide to working with the principles of polyvagal theory beyond the therapy session. Deb Dana is the foremost translator of polyvagal theory into clinical practice. Here, in her third book on this groundbreaking theory, she provides therapists with a grab- bag of polyvagal- informed exercises for their clients, to use both within and between sessions. These exercises offer readily understandable explanations of the ways the autonomic nervous system directs daily living. They use the principles of polyvagal theory to guide clients to safely connect to their autonomic responses and navigate daily experiences in new ways. The exercises are designed to be introduced over time in a variety of clinical sessions with accompanying exercises appropriate for use by clients between sessions to enhance the therapeutic change process. Essential reading for any therapist who wants to take their polyvagal knowledge to the next level and is looking for easy ways to deliver polyvagal solutions with their clients"-- Provided by publisher.