Guided Workbook
A short path through the three states
You cannot regulate a state you have not identified. This workbook starts with the map, then moves into a simple check, a few practices matched to each state, and a short way to keep noticing over time. The three states are River (ventral vagal), Storm (sympathetic), and Boulder (dorsal vagal). They are responses, not permanent labels.
1. The Map
The autonomic nervous system has three states. It tries the newest and most flexible one first, and drops to older ones only when newer ones cannot keep you safe.
River · Ventral vagal
“I’m here. I can connect.” Settled body, easy breath, curiosity. This is the home base you return to, not a place you stay forever.
Storm · Sympathetic
“I have to do something.” Faster heart or breath, tight jaw, restless energy. Built for short bursts, not for living in.
Boulder · Dorsal vagal
“There’s no way out.” Heavy body, fog, distance. The system is conserving. It needs gentle cues of safety and light activation, not further calming.
Neuroception is the nervous system’s fast, mostly unconscious scan for cues of safety and threat. It reads the body, the environment, and other people. When your state shifts and you do not know why, it is usually responding to something it has already detected.
Triggers move you down the ladder. Glimmers move you up. The ladder is a model, not a rigid path. You can drop straight from River into Boulder, or hold blended states.
For a fuller visual reference, see The Polyvagal Map.
2. Assess
Pause. Take one normal breath. Notice without changing anything.
Body: open and soft / tight and high / heavy and far away
Mind: paced and curious / racing or looping / slow or foggy
Relationship to the world: want to engage / want to fix or make it stop / want to disappear
Surface symptoms can look similar. Tiredness after activity is different from wired-but-tired, which is different from a heavy body that cannot start. The state tells you which tool to reach for.
3. Resource
Regulation is the capacity to move and return. Co-regulation is the process by which one nervous system helps another settle. Glimmers are small cues that bring River online for a moment.
4. Engage
Match the practice to the state. When in doubt, do the 60-second check first.
For Storm (sympathetic)
- Physiological sigh: Inhale fully through the nose, take a second short inhale on top, then exhale slowly through the mouth. 1 to 3 times. Useful in the first moments of activation.
- Voo breathing: Inhale normally. On the exhale make a low “voooo” sound from the belly. 6 to 10 rounds. Helps energy move.
- Movement to discharge: Shake out hands, walk, or push against a wall for 30 to 60 seconds, then pause and notice.
For Boulder (dorsal)
- Orienting: Slowly look around the room. Name five neutral things you see. Let the eyes rest on something that feels steady.
- Gentle movement: Soft roll of the shoulders, stretch through the legs, or stand and shift weight. Keep it small.
- Light or sound: Open a curtain, step outside for a moment, or play a short piece of music that is not too intense.
For River (ventral) or to strengthen it
- Humming: Inhale, then hum at a low comfortable pitch for the full exhale. 5 minutes is enough. Then sit quietly for a minute.
- Sovereignty Anchor: Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your head. Take a few slow breaths. The hand on the heart connects to intuition and knowing. The hand on the head connects to the cognitive mind. Both matter. Quietly ask yourself what you can allow yourself to receive today, and notice your body’s first answer before the mind edits it.
5. Practice
Over the next few days, return to the 60-second check when something feels off. Write one line about what helped you move even a little. Patterns become clearer with repetition.
