Includes a simple objective ventral vagal function test to measure the deep success of any and every holistic method and therapy.
I believe this is particularly relevant to Cranio Sacral and Brain Integration (BIT) practs. Stanley was the first cranio-sacral therapist in the world to apply cranio-sacral therapy as well as his other body therapy skills to improve the function of the five cranial nerves whose proper function is necessary to bring the client to the desired state of social engagement. Unfortunately BIT and LEAP, similar methods for accessing and correcting cranial nerve disturbance, are apparently unknown to Stanley.
Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve (2017) is a best-selling guide to understanding the role the cranial nerves; including vagus nerve, play in our physical and psychological well-being. In language suitable for both beginners and experienced professionals, Rosenberg:
– explains function of each cranial nerve,
– offers simple self-care techniques for treating common medical symptoms without pharmacological or surgical intervention, and
– offers a simple (30 second) way to check if your clients is in healthy ventral vagal mode at beginning and end of your treatment session.
This is a practical guide to understanding the at-the-root (radical) contribution our cranial nerves make to our psychological and physical wellbeing. It builds on one of the biggest recent developments in human neurobiology, the polyvagal theory of Stephen Porges.
Stanley Rosenberg explains in easy-to-understand terms how the vagus nerve, in particular, has a strong role in determining our psychological and emotional state, especially when it comes to how we relate and react to other people. By understanding the physiology of the autonomic nervous system and practicing simple exercises to restore proper vagal functioning, we can learn how to improve our emotional state within minutes.
Those suffering from anxiety, depression, panic, and trauma will find much useful detail here, as well as those with physical ailments such as chronic pain and digestive problems. Additionally, because the vagus nerve is a key regulator of social interaction, therapy for proper vagal functioning has great potential for helping those with autism spectrum disorders.
Following a detailed explanation of the cranial nerves, the polyvagal theory, and how craniosacral therapy can assist with restoring proper neuroception, Rosenberg provides self-help exercises to test ventral vagal function and to improve the function of the cranial nerves.
A separate chapter addresses how we might rethink common psychological problems via vagal theory, including anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as autism, ADHD, and more. Rosenberg also includes case studies throughout from his twenty years of experience as a craniosacral therapist.
One pattern of dysfunction is discussed thruout the book. This is the pattern of clients stuck in dorsal vagal activation. Ventral vagal, our non-stressed, social engagement mode, is switched off. Switching on ventral vagal automatically switches off dorsal vagal. So considerable attention is given to how to test for and re-activate ventral vagal mode if dorsal mode takes over again Home exercises for this are given with illustrations. “The way to move people out of both states—stress with accompanying fight-or-flight behaviors (mobilization with fear) and depressive feelings behaviors with shutdown (immobilization with fear)—is to activate the ventral branch of their vagus nerve.”
Author’s credentials
Author, Stanley Rosenberg is a craniosacral therapist. for the last three decades, he operated a clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has helped thousands of clients with a wide variety of physical and psychological conditions, including respiratory problems, COPD, migraines, bipolar disorder, and autism.
Stanley Rosenberg is of US origin and lives in Denmark. He started his studies with the Upledger Institute. He began teaching shortly after. Stanley was the first therapist in Denmark trained as a Rolfer©, finishing his training in 1983. Rolfing© was the first major form of body therapy working in the fascia (connective tissue) to improve the movement, posture and balance. To supplement his basic education, he has taken several seminars with Tom Myers in Anatomy Trains and he has co-taught seminars with Robert Schleip. In 1987 together with Trine, he was the first cranio-sacral therapist in Denmark. He arranged the first course in Biodynamic Cranio-Sacral Therapy with Benjamin Shield (USA).
For the last twenty-five years, Stanley has studied with his main teacher, the French osteopath, Alain Gehin covering various disciplines in the field of osteopathy. These studies include Organ massage (visceral massage), Joint Mobilization, Perineural massage (release of the nerve tissue of the peripheral nervous system) and Tensegrity.
His work with Stephen Porges around the polyvagal nerve started in 2001. Stanley has co-taught in four seminars along with him in the USA and Denmark.
SIDEBAR ~ Vagus Nerve 101, Polyvagal 101
“Healthy vagal tone can be thought of as an optimal balance of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system actions allow you to respond with resilience to the ups and downs of life” ~ Dr. Arielle Schwartz
The vagus nerve is, without question, one of the most powerful and influential forces in our life. It affects our mood, how we engage with others, our anxiety level, digestion, sleep, and how well we recover from illness, accident, stroke, and brain injury. Strong “vagal tone,” can improve overall health, physical stability, emotional balance, flexibility and adaptability, recovery and regeneration after shock and trauma, and our ability to connect and engage with others.
The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and the longest nerve in the body. It’s the only cranial nerve extending beyond the head and neck area, reaching all the way to the gut. The word vagus is Latin for “wandering,” which is an apt description. The vagus nerve is actually a pair of nerves emerging from the top of the brain stem and, after leaving the skull, enter the upper neck area behind the ears. It then passes down through the neck to the throat and vocal chords to the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidney, spleen, gallbladder, and pancreas, and finally to the small intestine and part of the large intestine. As it travels through the body, the vagus nerve regulates swallowing, vocalization, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, immune responses, and the microbiome of our intestines.
The vagus nerve is our direct link between the body and the brain, a two-way communication system: 80% of neural signals go from the body to the brain to tell the brain what is going on inside the body. 20% go from the brain to the body to regulate the organs, blood flow, and muscles.
Our vagus nerve continuously receives and sends signals it picks up from inside the body, outside the body (our environment), and between people. When projected outwardly, we can perceive on the energy of another person’s nervous system. Our neurology is like an antenna running the length of the body that is always “on” and listening for signals indicating danger or safety. The vagus nerve, working in conjunction with the autonomic nervous system, initiates our response to these ‘fight or flight’ signals. Do we go into a protective, withdrawn, shut down mode or an open, receptive, connecting mode? We function best when we can move easily between these two systems – being cautious while scanning our environment yet having easy access to a relaxed, flexible state.
Speech & Vocalization
The vagus nerve connects to areas of the throat influencing speech, vocalization (any sound we make), and the pitch of our voice. It delivers motor signals to the muscles that control swallowing and the opening and closing of the upper airway necessary for speech. From here the vagus nerve continues downward to the larynx, our “voice box,” controlling muscles above and below the vocal cords. The vagus nerve then travels down to the lungs where it controls the opening and closing of the bronchi – the two large tube-like structures that carry air from the throat to the lungs. Vagus nerve fibers extend into the lungs to open and close the bronchi as we breathe. It’s important to note that we use the air from our lungs in coordination with the vocal cords for all sounds we make.
In addition, the neural circuits of the vagus nerve regulate the internal organs of the chest and abdomen are linked to the nerves regulating and toning the middle ear structures (see Integrated Listening Systems,1). When the vagus nerve is toned and active, we are able to process auditory input more easily and we can hear better – our own speech and the words of others.
Using a variety of techniques to tone the vagus nerve in the throat, vocal cords, and chest during the rehabilitation process has proven helpful for some people who struggle with speech after a stroke.
Polyvagal Theory
The Polyvagal Theory was introduced in 1994 by Dr. Stephen Porges, Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University. It explains the inter-relationship of the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system; how this collection of nerve pathways work together to respond to our environment; and why it underlies all of our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. The vagus nerve has two branches which communicate with the autonomic nervous system, which has three branches: the sympathetic (flight/flight), parasympathetic (rest/restore), and enteric (digestion/elimination). It’s possible to use polyvagal theory as a lens to understand the vagus nerve in relation to physical stability and balance, emotional equilibrium, speech and vocalization, recovery from stroke and brain injury, coordination, anxiety, and post traumatic stress symptoms.
Recent learning about the vagus nerve and its association with the autonomic nervous system is revolutionary. It is providing us with a new understanding of emotional dysfunction, physical ailments, and mental confusion. As we look more deeply into the relationship of the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system, new possibilities develop for approaches for issues such as depression, anxiety, speech impairment, hearing issues, brain injury, and physical balance and stability. As physicians, counselors, therapists, body-workers, and energy healers begin to incorporate this knowledge into their practices, the future looks bright for many who suffer from chronic, difficult to diagnose, or obscure ailments.
References
https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/accessing-the-healing-power-of-the-vagus-nerve-en
Holistic Brain Balance 