Integrating Polyvagal Theory & Yoga Therapy: Rewriting the Body’s Story
Our bodies carry the stories of our lives—stress, trauma, safety, emotional memory—and those stories often show up in our nervous system long before we’re consciously aware of them.
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, gives us a powerful framework for understanding how our bodies respond to stress. When paired with yoga therapy, it becomes a deeply effective pathway for healing, regulation, and reconnecting with the self.
Understanding the Polyvagal System
At the heart of Polyvagal Theory is the vagus nerve, a major communication highway between body and brain. In fact, 80% of the information travels from the body to the brain, which explains why physical practices—like breathing, movement, and yoga—can shift emotional and mental states so effectively.
The vagus nerve influences three primary states:
1. Ventral Vagal — “I feel safe”
This is the social engagement system.
Here, the heart is steady, breath is calm, and connection feels possible.
2. Sympathetic — “Fight or Flight”
In this activation state, you may feel anxious, tense, or on high alert.
Heart rate increases and worrying becomes more frequent.
3. Dorsal Vagal — “Shutdown”
This is the collapse or freeze response.
You might feel numb, heavy, fatigued, or disconnected.
Understanding these states allows us to work with the nervous system—not against it.
How Yoga Therapy Supports Nervous System Regulation
“If the body holds the story, yoga is used to rewrite it.”
Yoga therapy uses breathwork, movement, and mindfulness to gently shift the nervous system toward safety and regulation. Because the vagus nerve is activated through breathing, humming, chanting, slow movement, and eye contact, yoga becomes a natural companion to polyvagal work.
Below are ways different practices support each state:
Ventral Vagal Practices (Safety & Connection)
Grounding yoga asanas
Partnered exercises
Chanting and vocal toning
Meditation practices that cultivate presence and connection
These help reestablish a sense of safety and belonging.
Sympathetic Practices (Activation & Release)
Strong, dynamic movement
Faster sequences that help “use up” anxious energy
Breath techniques that support focus and grounding
These are helpful when the body feels restless, overwhelmed, or stuck in fight-or-flight.
Dorsal Vagal Practices (Gentle Reawakening)
Restful, supportive poses
Slow, mindful movement
Gentle breathwork
These practices help bring the system back online without overwhelming it.
Breathing Practices to Support Regulation
Breathwork is one of the most effective ways to communicate safety to the nervous system. A few supportive options include:
Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Balances the left and right sides of the body and brain, encouraging calm and clarity.
Ujjayi Breathing
A soft “ocean-sounding” breath that creates a soothing vibration in the throat to activate the vagus nerve.
Bellow Breath
Raise arms on the exhale
Pull arms down on the inhale
A quick way to energize and focus the mind.
Arm Movements
One arm moving clockwise, the other counterclockwise—then together.
These cross-body movements activate neural pathways and improve regulation.
Palming
Rub the palms together and place them over the eyes to soothe the nervous system and soften visual stimulation.
Body Bend
Exhale as you fold forward; inhale as you rise.
This simple movement links breath and body to reset the system.
MOVERS: A Holistic Framework for Nervous System Wellness
The MOVERS acronym offers a simple, accessible structure for daily practices that support regulation, healing, and overall wellbeing. Each element targets the nervous system in a different—but complementary—way, helping shift the body toward safety, balance, and integration.
Below is a detailed breakdown of what each component stands for and why it matters.
M — Meditation: Calming the Mind & Settling the System
What it is:
Meditation includes any practice that trains mindful awareness—such as breath awareness, body scanning, guided visualization, or sitting in stillness.
Why it matters:
Meditation helps deactivate sympathetic arousal (fight-or-flight) and gently supports a shift into the ventral vagal state—where safety, presence, and social engagement live.
Benefits include:
Lowered heart rate
Increased vagal tone
Improved emotional regulation
Greater self-awareness
Reduced stress reactivity
Meditation teaches the brain that stillness is safe, which is essential for rewiring patterns shaped by chronic stress or trauma.
O — Oxygenation: Breath as a Bridge Between Body & Brain
What it is:
Oxygenation refers to intentional breathing practices—slow breathing, alternate nostril breathing, Ujjayi breath, humming, chanting, and practices that lengthen the exhale.
Why it matters:
Breath is one of the fastest ways to influence the vagus nerve. Since 80% of vagal communication travels from body to brain, the breath becomes a direct line to shifting your internal state.
Benefits include:
Increased parasympathetic activation
Reduced cortisol
More alert but calm focus
Enhanced clarity and grounding
Breathwork is especially helpful for individuals who struggle to access their ventral state through cognitive work alone.
V — Visualization: Rewiring Pathways Through Mental Imagery
What it is:
Visualization includes guided imagery, imagining safety cues, mentally rehearsing regulation strategies, or picturing calm, grounding scenes.
Why it matters:
The nervous system responds to imagined experiences almost as strongly as real ones. When you visualize yourself safe, capable, or calm, the brain forms new neural pathways.
Benefits include:
Enhanced emotional regulation
Reduction in anxiety symptoms
Strengthened neural pathways for safety
Reframing of old traumatic or stressful patterns
Visualization prepares the nervous system to access ventral vagal states more easily in daily life.
E — Exercise: Moving Stagnant Energy Through the Body
What it is:
Exercise includes yoga, walking, stretching, strength training, dynamic movement, or any activity that gets the body moving.
Why it matters:
Movement is essential for processing sympathetic activation. When the body feels stressed, energy builds—and if it has nowhere to go, it leads to tension, anxiety, and burnout.
Exercise channels this energy out of the body in a healthy way.
Benefits include:
Releases stored stress hormones
Reduces sympathetic overactivation
Improves mood and energy
Supports trauma processing
Enhances mind-body connection
For dorsal vagal states (shutdown), gentle movement helps slowly bring the system back online.
R — Reading: Nourishing the Mind With Supportive Input
What it is:
Reading includes books, articles, therapeutic resources, inspirational texts, or anything that expands awareness and supports mental wellbeing.
Why it matters:
Reading introduces new concepts, coping skills, perspectives, and self-understanding. It engages the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for meaning-making) in ways that promote emotional growth.
Benefits include:
Cognitive stimulation
Increased insight and self-reflection
Strengthened emotional vocabulary
Expanded coping strategies
Enhanced sense of connection
Reading can be especially grounding during periods of dysregulation or rumination.
S — Scribing: Journaling to Process, Release, and Integrate
What it is:
Scribing refers to journaling—reflective writing, gratitude lists, brain dumps, expressive writing, or structured prompts.
Why it matters:
Journaling gives the nervous system a pathway to complete unresolved stress responses. It helps transform mental chaos into clarity and gives emotions somewhere to go.
Benefits include:
Emotional release
Improved self-awareness
Better stress management
Clearer processing of thoughts and feelings
Integration of body and mind
Scribing also activates the ventral vagal system by creating a sense of coherence and meaning.
Putting MOVERS Into Practice
You don’t need to use all six practices every day. Even one or two can significantly shift your nervous system toward balance and safety.
The strength of MOVERS lies in its diversity—addressing regulation through:
Stillness (Meditation)
Breath (Oxygenation)
Imagination (Visualization)
Movement (Exercise)
Learning (Reading)
Expression (Scribing)
By integrating these practices regularly, you create a holistic routine that supports emotional resilience, mind-body connection, and long-term healing.
Bringing It All Together
Polyvagal Theory reminds us that the nervous system holds the key to our emotional world.
Yoga therapy gives us the tools to influence that system with compassion and intention.
Together, they offer a path to healing that honors both the body’s wisdom and the mind’s understanding—a way to gently rewrite the stories held within, one breath and one movement at a time.