The Healing Path of Gratitude
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is our very own personal security system. It’s comprised of the vagus nerve, originating in the brain stem and wandering throughout the body, connecting with multiple organs, as well as the sympathetic nerve, which originates in the spinal cord. These nerves work together to keep us alive. All of this surveillance happens without any effort from us. It’s an automatic/unconscious process.
Polyvagal Theorist Stephen Porges, Ph.D., coined the term neuroception to describe the process of recognizing what is happening in the ANS. While perception is a conscious process of using the senses to build awareness, neuroception is the unconscious equivalent of perception, where the ANS detects signals and cues of safety at all times. When we tap into these cues, anything from breath patterns to body sensations, we give ourselves a moment of pause before the ANS fight or flight response kicks in. Over time, we can reshape these automatic reactions by identifying patterns that help and hurt.
Thanksgiving is almost here, and it begs the question, what am I grateful for? Despite the isolated holiday experience many of us are facing, we can find gratitude. In fact, a gratitude practice is a powerful tool to use in reshaping nervous system patterns. Here are a few reasons why:
Gratitude is a self-transcendent emotion
It’s universal
It enhances your experiences by bringing you into the present moment
With practice, it is associated with improved physiological and psychological health
It feeds itself. Practice gratitude and you will find more things for which you are grateful
Here are a few ways to bring a gratitude practice into your life:
Keep a list of things you notice that you might have otherwise taken for granted.
Find ways to express gratitude by saying thank you and returning a favor.
Tie gratitude to your breath. Breathe in a word that symbolizes a moment for which you are grateful, and breathe out a word that expresses your gratitude.
Explore nature, look up at the sky, stop and watch an animal doing what it does, and marvel at the joy and awe inspired by these moments.
Exploring gratitude gives your nervous system an experience of safety and connection. When you build up these experiences over time, your nervous system will be less reactive to cues of danger and more capable of shifting from a state of fear to a state of calm and connection. I promise you this works! Give it a try!
Dacher Keltner Vagus Nerve Talk
Stephen Porges Polyvagal Theory Summary Video
Source: Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection by Deb Dana
