Polyvagal Theory, Yoga, and Pain

Autonomic dysregulation is often a part of and contributor to chronic pain syndromes. Polyvagal theory offers a way to understand how the autonomic nervous system underlies shared physiological, psychological, and behavioral states. Yoga offers ways to work with both regulation and resilience of the autonomic nervous system through embodied ethical inquiry, breath techniques, movement, and meditation for relaxed physiological, positive and healthy psychological and behavioral states. We will both discuss these topics and have a short experience. Learning outcomes 1. Learn how the autonomic nervous system is part of chronic pain syndromes 2. Learn the fundamental aspects of polyvagal theory with a focus on how underlying neural activations contribute to shared physiological, psychological, and behavioral states 3. How yoga's combination of embodied ethical inquiry, movement, breathing and meditation facilitates regulation and resilience for these neural platforms for adaptive body-mind states and social interaction