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Smiling Mind

  Posted on by Toni Jackson :: Psychotherapist & Counsellor

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Are you familiar with Smiling Mind?  They are a non-profit organisation who teach and advocate the benefits of mindfulness for children, adolescents and adults.  They run programs in schools and workplaces around Australia and internationally.  Smiling Mind also has a…

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 Category: mindfulness, Stress and Anxiety      Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Is Your Self Harm Trying To Tell You?

  Posted on by Toni Jackson :: Psychotherapist & Counsellor

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This Saturday, October 10, is World Mental Health Day.  This day is dedicated to world wide mental health awareness, education and advocacy; with a focus on seeking help, reducing stigma and encouraging connectedness.  I’ve chosen to write about self harm. …

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 Category: Self Harm, Tabs      Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Relax: Kids and Anxiety, Stress and Anger

  Posted on by Toni Jackson :: Psychotherapist & Counsellor

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Do you have a child who struggles with anxiety, stress or anger? It can be particularly difficult for some children (and some adults) to regulate their emotions. I thought I’d share some of the activities I’ve found useful in my…

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 Category: Stress and Anxiety      Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Great, simple visual of the Polyvagal theory from @brbmassage ・・・ All of your nerves (31 spinal and 12 cranial) are spoken of in singular terms but they actually come in pairs—the main nerve splits into two sides. One half of the nerve goes to the right side of your body and one goes to the left side. Each side has a dorsal and ventral root. Polyvagal theory seeks to explain the structure and function of each of the two branches of Cranial Nerve X, the vagus nerve. Each is associated with a different type of parasympathetic behavioral adaptation, meaning it calms you, but both in different ways. The dorsal branch of the vagus is associated with the more primal survival strategy of “freezing” or shut down when placed under great stress. It can shut down your digestive and urinary systems which is why someone might urinate or defecate on themselves when they are terrified. It can even completely stop your heart and send you into cardiac arrest. The ventral branch is more sophisticated. It is called the “smart vagus” because it has evolved to effectively counteract the sympathetic behavior of fight or flight without going overboard into “freeze mode.” The ventral vagus carefully down-regulates your heart rate, slows your breathing and opens you up for social communication and self-soothing behaviors. Vagal tone is basically a measurement of how well you can adapt to stress. We measure vagal tone through heart rate variability, something I touched on briefly already. High vagal tone is good—it means you can more easily access your parasympathetic state. Low vagal tone means your body is quicker to enter a sympathetic fight or flight state or shut down completely. Polyvagal theory has provided us with a deeper understanding of the biological response to safety and danger. It has opened up new approaches to healing that focus on strengthening the body’s system for regulating arousal. If you can regulate your own level of arousal, you can heal your own body. #polyvagaltheory #vagusnerve #parasympathetic #nervoussystem #neuroscience #meditation #deepbreathing #massagetherapy #usmilitary #usarmy #sof #dol #greenberet #rltw #82ndairborne #combatvet #ptsd #tbi #tldr