21) Know your Anxiety (part 1)
Meet Anne Taylor, PhD in the 2nd part of her interview. High functioning anxiety and chronic stress is common, but it doesn’t have to be the norm. She provides 7 ways to calm your nervous system and balance your heart’s rhythm.
Anne received her PhD in mythological studies, with an emphasis in depth psychology, from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her book is entitled 7 Ancient Rituals to Heal Modern High-Functioning Anxiety.
➤RESOURCES
Free Book - 7 Ancient Rituals: https://bit.ly/33ykOqj
HeartMath Biofeedback: https://bit.ly/2GF60gM
About Dr. Anne Taylor: https://bit.ly/3jA5Rd0
Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com
Dr. Stephen Porges: https://bit.ly/34HB87N
➤SUMMARY
How common is anxiety and what is "high-functioning anxiety" specifically?
* Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. It affects 40 million adults age 18 and older, or 18% of the population every year.
* High-functioning anxiety is not considered a medical condition, so the numbers of people suffering from anxiety is actually significantly higher than the reported stats. From the outside everything seems fine, but behind the mask you are secretly collapsing inside.
What are the 7 ancient rituals?
* 1) Sacred Space, 2) Vocalization, 3) Breathwork, 4) Yoga Postures, 5) Meditation/Prayer, 6) Sound, 7) Social Engagement & Compassion
* People can empower themselves by learning how to self-regulate their emotional and physical states. While many people wait for someone or something else to “fix” them, your true power lies within.
How can we learn from ancient rituals in our modern culture?
* Ancient rituals can be used to bring us back into “right order,” or in accord with nature. This is also called being in the flow state.
* Essentially, this is an alignment or resonance between a person and the higher vibrational fields of the earth and cosmos. This is an important role of rituals—to realign with higher levels of order in the universe.
* The famous American mythologist, Joseph Campbell, writes, "The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature."
You write about heart coherence in your book. What does it mean?
* Getting into a flow state is known as “heart coherence.” According to the HeartMath Institute, "Coherence is the state when the heart, mind, and emotions are in energetic alignment and cooperation."
* This is a psycho-physiological state where healing can occur. Fear, worry, overwhelm, and other difficult emotions pull us out of this state and into high-functioning anxiety or even depression. Heart coherence raises your vibrational states from fear to calm and centeredness.
What is the significance of the vagus nerve in regulating our nervous system?
* The vagus nerve is the “central tuning string” of the body. When your vagus nerve is “in tune,” the rest of your body syncs up with it.
* The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and begins in the brain stem. The vagus nerve sends information in two directions: from the organs to the brain and vice versa.
* It wanders throughout the body reaching almost all of the vital organs in the body. Vagus is Latin for wanderer.
How did Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal theory inform your book?
* The Polyvagal theory emphasizes the role of the vagus nerve in emotional regulation, social connection, and the fear response.
* Dr. Stephen Porges’ theory suggests new approaches to healing that focus on strengthening the body’s system for regulating arousal.
* He maps specific ritual patterns to strengthen the vagus nerve. I give the reader 7 rituals to increase levels of heart coherence. This can be measured using biofeedback.