10/22/2020
Safety is rooted in the body’s response to the environment. When the body feels safe we breathe easily, maintain an easy heart rate, digest food with ease, and fall asleep at night. In fact, we probably don’t notice any of these things- our breathing, heart rate, digestion etc.- because none of them are causing us discomfort.
According to Polyvagal Theory, the human nervous system has at least 3 strategical “tiers” that it uses in response to potential threat. First, we (unconsciously) attempt to find safety via social engagement. We observe the facial expressions and vocal tone of people around us to assess if they feel safe and if we can feel safe with them. If social engagement doesn’t provide safety, then we mobilize energy in our bodies to either fight or flee the scenario. And if we find ourselves unable to do either of those things, we immobilize, much like lizards or snakes.
Because schools, and the prevailing culture in the US favor developing thinking and reasoning abilities over developing conscious awareness of the body, many of us may not know if our bodies feel safe or not, or what safety feels like.
And because of the oppressive systems very much alive within us and around us, many of us literally are not physically, spiritually, or emotionally safe in our communities, especially IBPOC, especially femmes, especially black trans femmes.
The conundrum is, when our bodies feel safe, our nervous systems can re-direct the energy spent on responding to threats toward creativity, growth, and healing.
One way to notice your body’s relative feeling of safety is to pay attention to which positions help you fall asleep at night. Do you feel most relaxed on your belly, on your side, or on your back? Allow yourself to spend time in whatever position supports your body to relax the most.
Illustrations by
Ideas paraphrased from “The Pocket Guide to The Polyvagal Theory,” by Stephen W. Porges.
, ***rhealth