The Non-Linear Journey

Our autonomic nervous system is split into two primary branches: The Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic System (they are each the gas pedal and brake pedal for our bodies respectively).

Another way to think about this is the somatic representation of Yang and Yin, Masculine and Feminine within our own body. In our Western culture, everything Sympathetic/Yang/Masculine is typically favored over the Parasympathetic/Yin/Feminine side to life and our bodies.

This may be helpful for pushing the pen of productivity, but when it comes to counseling, therapy, and ultimately deeper healing, engagement of the Parasympathetic nervous system becomes a crucial first step.

This means that for any kind of trauma therapy or reparative relationship, a fundamental key to therapy is how to help clients engage their Parasympathetic nervous system. I would like to present 5 simple ways of doing this as well as the implications for why they work and why they’re important.

1. 4-7-8 Breathing

This is a method adopted from Andrew Weil’s “Spontaneous Happiness” program. It is essentially the same thing as “Box Breathing” (for those that are familiar) but with a different number sequence. The method involves inhaling sharply for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and then purposefully exhaling for 8 seconds. Clients are encouraged to do this 2-4 times but no more than 4 times.

What this does is temporarily activate the stress system in the body through sympathetic activation. The delayed exhale represents resolved completion of the stress response which promotes a deep sense of relaxation and parasympathetic activation. The trick here is making sure to hold the breath for a moment (which paradoxically induces a state of stress) and to breath out for longer than the inhale (which represents a deep cue of safety). In the short term, this can help to relieve anxiety and in the long term this can serve to equip the organism itself with increased resiliency.

2. Peripheral Vision

This is a simple technique to help disengage client’s threat response and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is done by finding one spot in the room to focus on. Then, without moving the head or the eyes notice everything in the peripheral vision. This will enhance parasympathetic activation.

Why? When our bodies our engaged in our threat response and/or sympathetic activation one of the crucial tools is for us to focus. This is how our optic nerve functions when we need to adequately survey a threat. This is a deep showcase of our biological adaptations for survival. When we engage in the opposite behavior (disengaging focus) it signals to brain there is no active threat which then allows the body to switch into parasympathetic activation.

3. Four Corners

This is done by drawing client’s attention to their pelvic floor and hip bones. Invite clients to imagine a square that connects each corner of their hip bone. Then, invite clients to imagine this square expanding outwards.

What this does is first, helps clients notice their own experience, then, by imagining the square expanding the pelvic floor begins to relax which triggers every other muscle in the body to relax. If every muscle in our body is relaxed then we enter our parasympathetic nervous system. Part of our Sympathetic response is to engage the muscles in our body. It would be paradoxically impossible to have every muscle relaxed and experience sympathetic activation at the same time.

4. 5 Senses Grounding

This is a simple one taught in most graduate programs for helping clients ground after processing trauma. The process involves having clients name (preferably out loud) five objects that they see in the room, four things that they can hear, three things that they can feel, two things they can smell, and finally (if appropriate) something they can taste.

Why does this work to turn on the Parasympathetic system? Our vision is hardwired to detect threat in the environment when are sympathetic system is activated. This causes a narrowing of the facial muscles, change in pupils, and an effective sensory cutoff (to strictly focus on the threat at hand). The problem is, if there is no active threat the client may be living in sympathetic activation and cutting off their sensory awareness. By having clients methodically go through their senses and register the environment they are able to confirm to the middle and back of the brain (where the threat detection systems are) that the environment is currently safe and stable. This then sends a signal to the rest of the body to trigger the parasympathetic system and thus rest and relaxation. This is a great example of where having the client confirm their safety within their body may be a more effective way of reducing anxiety than strictly working with cognition.

5. Grounding in the Feet

This can be done by having clients notice the sensations of their feet on the floor (or inside of their shoes or socks). A helpful tip is to have clients attempt to imagine that the floor is feeling their feet (as a way to concentrate their attention on a non-ordinary task). This can serve to bring clients awareness back into the body which automatically acts as a form of self-regulation. By noticing sensations in the body clients can trigger their limbic system into a cue of safety which promotes relaxation and parasympathetic activation in the rest of the body.

The benefit of working with the feet specifically, is that it can counter the energetic flow of anxiety charged by the sympathetic nervous system. When our sympathetic nervous system activates (especially over activates) we experience a surge of energy to our heads. In order to fuel our senses for vision and hearing as part of our threat detection system. By going in the opposite direction clients can re-channel the flow of energy in their bodies creating a counter vortex to the flow of anxiety. This can be done with clients in as little as three-five seconds.