There are three things each of us needs to know to survive long enough in the world: what is too much, what is too little, and what is exactly what we need
(Swahili proverb)
In this time of crisis, the discovery of S. Porges’ polyvagal theory has been an invaluable source of inspiration for me. One of the basic assumptions of DMT is that the ‘influence of body and mind is mutual. Movements are influenced by thoughts, images, emotions which in turn are influenced by the rhythm, form and quality of movements.
Polyvagal theory explores the bidirectional neurobiological link between the body and psychological processes, providing a scientific substrate for understanding phenomena that we DMT had observed empirically.
I will present my research, still in progress, of a model of polyvagally informed DMT. There is a direct assonance between this theory and the Laban/Kestenberg system of movement analysis used in DMT. In support of this integrated model I will present a clinical example.
Dancing between the different energies of polyvagal states can help develop a sense of embodied well-being.