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The first time I read about Polyvagal Theory, so much made sense. The idea that “stress” isn’t just all adrenaline-running-around-drama, but can also also/often show up as frozen-shut-down-numbness really hit home.
I feel so many of us have constant moderate-grade stress in our lives that just leaves us feeling… numb.
Understanding Polyvagal Theroy (PVT) helped me to understand, neurologically, why this numbness come about & why this magical-thing-called-embodient worked so well in unravelling it. It’s also foundation theory in our Coaching Cert, so at the heart of what I love.
Today we’re speaking with the founder of Polyvagal Informed Somatic & Dance/Movement Therapy, Dr Amber Elizabeth Gray. I came across Amber’s work in 2021 & was so intersted in how she’s deliberately & closely evolved her movement therapy to incorporate the teachings of PVT.
As part of our Embodied Movement series on Season 8 of the School of Embodied Arts Podcast we welcome psychotherapist and somatic and dance/movement therapist Dr Amber Elizabeth Gray for a rich discussion & taste of her polyvagal-informed somatic & dance/movement therapy body of work.
This work derives from Dr. Gray’s 25 years of experience working with survivors of extreme trauma & collaboration with Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, a theory that illuminates the central role our autonomic nervous system plays in our relationships with ourselves, and others.
In this episode, we discuss & experience:
- Polyvagal Recap: Jenna starts with an 8min recap of Polyvagal Theory to put our chat into context
- How Polyvagal-Informed Somatic Dance/Movement Therapy was developed & has continued to evolve over the past 25 years
- Neuroceptive practices → Amber guides us into two different neuroceptive practices to tune up our accuracy of inner feeling
- Breath, spine & weight – The key points of entry to the body that Amber uses
- Why Amber works with ‘client comfort’ instead of ‘safety’
- We chat about breath & sound, and why they are so important in somatic practices
Content Advisement: Amber’s experience includes working with survivors of extreme trauma. While we don’t discuss the details of this, the theme is present during our conversation.
About Amber Elizabeth Lynn Gray
Human Rights & Dance/Movement Psychotherapist; Author; Provocateur
www.ambergray.com | Amber on Facebook
Amber Elizabeth Gray was, in her father’s words, born “dancing and fighting”. A lifetime of dance and travel to explore movement and dance-based community and healing traditions has contributed to her passion for, and belief in, movement as life.
Amber believes that every human being’s birthright is embodiment. Her 25 years of work as a Dance/Movement Therapist, Continuum & Yoga teacher include time working and living in conflict and post-conflict zones, exposing her to the harsh realities of human rights abuses.
Her clients, all survivors of political violence, torture, and war, are co-collaborators and inspirers in the work she teaches, Restorative Movement Psychotherapy and Polyvagal-informed Somatic & Dance/Movement Therapy.
Resources
- Amber’s website & email list
- Amber on Facebook
- Dr Stephen W Proges, founder of the Polyvagal Theory
- Polyvagal theroy book
- Continuum Movement & Emilie Conrad
- Feminine Embodiment Coaching – an emotional embodiment & vulnerability-based professional training for coaches
- Find a Feminine Embodiment Coach in our Professional Directory
- School of Embodied Arts
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