A playful attitude is critical to creativity and design thinking. In a group, creativity is continuous improvisational play: a process of noticing, responding and iterating, so the ability to engage successfully with this type of spontaneity depends on your ability to “self-regulate and co-regulate;” in other words, you feel safe and secure interacting with other humans.
Everyone has a self-regulation and co-regulation process constantly happening in our nervous systems–specifically, the Vagus nerve. Named for the latin word “vagabond’ or “wanderer,” the Vagus nerve spans from the base of your skull to the gut. It is a two-way highway sending information from the brain into the stomach and back. When people say to trust your gut–that’s actually your Vagus Nerve.
According to Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, our Vagus nerve is constantly scanning others’ facial expressions and musculature, facial pigmentation and the tone and timbre of their voices in order to determine whether we’re safe to interact, or if it’s time for fight, flight or freeze. (That’s why mask-wearing and Zooms are so fatiguing: our nervous systems are searching for crucial information, but missing a feedback loop!)
Whether you tend to go into hyper-vigilance (fight/flight) or start zone-out (freeze) when you get stressed, this simple practice created by cranialsacral therapist Stanley Rosenberg, called “The Basic Exercise” helps to activate the ventral vagus nerve for alert social connection–I call it Harmonious Engagement.
The Basic Exercise—the basic exercise is an instruction from cranialsacral therapist Stanley Rosenberg, based on Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory. Notice your range of motion by turning your head to each side. Now with your fingers interlaced, gently cradle the back of your head. Keeping your head faced forward, move just your eyes to focus on something below your elbow at the limits of your peripheral vision and stay there a few moments until you notice an energetic shift. Whaaaat? the heck? is an Energetic Shift? you may ask. An energetic shift may be recognizable as chills, goosebumps, a double in-breath, a yawn or just a settling in or ‘sigh of relief’ feeling. Do this on each side. Now check in with your range of motion. Voilá!