Deb Dana explains the three states of the nervous system. Dorsal vagal (drained, frozen, hopeless, shut down) developed in humans over five hundred million years ago, sympathetic (activated for fight and flight, angry, anxious, frustrated) over four hundred million years ago, and ventral vagal (ability to communicate and connect, experience flow, meet daily demands) over two hundred million years ago.

AN EXERCISE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND NAME OUR STATE:

The world is _____ and I am _____ .

The world is dark and I am untethered, for example, when we collapse, have no way out, and are trapped.

The world is scary and I am in danger, for example, when we have never-ending challenges that overwhelm us.

The world is beautiful and I am effective, for example, when we have the capacity to manage our lives alone or with others and we choose a path of health and well-being.