Neuroplastic Restoration via the Vagus Nerve
Not All Stress is Bad, But...
…excessive and prolonged stress is! A bit of acute stress might be a good thing to
get us prepared for an exam, an interview, or to avoid danger.
But when ongoing, it becomes chronic, and chronic stress wears down our defences! Stress hormones are released, causing physical symptoms and impairs cognitive functions that may lead to the fight, flight and freeze response. Retained primitive reflexes comes into play (Moro reflex - fight or flight response and Fear paralysis - freeze response). When all of this happens, our sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive, causing wear and tear on our bodies, affecting our health and well-being. Whether an adult or a child, our bodies react in the same way.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) leads to disturbances in our threat perception ability, it skews our self-image and our emotional functioning. This may cause a serious disruption in the ability to have healthy, satisfying relationships. It makes it difficult to tolerate uncertainties in life or manage failures and rejections without excess distress. Neuroscience research suggests this is due to changes in certain brain areas such as our amygdala and prefrontal cortex. As our amygdala is responsible for threat detection and response, our pre-frontal cortex manages emotional regulation, and a dysfunction leads to the symptoms associated with PTSD.
Signs of Prolonged Stress
or PTSD
PHYSICAL SIGNS
- Feeling tired, flat, down or worn out
- Headaches
- Indigestion or acid reflux
- Muscle tension causing a stiff jaw or neck
- Comfort eating or loss of appetite
- A weakened immune system and more vulnerable to infections
COGNITIVE SIGNS
- Constantly worrying with ‘ricocheting’ or intrusive thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness and lack of focus
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Anxiety, panic attacks and depression
- Negative thoughts and feeling detached from others
BEHAVIOURAL SIGNS
- Poor sleep quality and waking up tired, or sleeping too much
- More irritable, snappy or angry
- Reactive anger and impulsivity
- Avoiding certain places or people
- Needing coffee, energy drinks or sugar to keep going
- Drinking or smoking more
Relaxing Mind and Body Through the
Vagus Nerve with the Tomatis® Method
Stress might be part of our daily lives. Learning how to manage it is key, but not always easy to attain.
If our brain has adapted due to trauma, we can also do something to rewire it back to a good condition. Through neuroplasticity or the ability of the brain to change in structure and function, the Tomatis® Method provides a neuro-sensory integrative approach to trauma and recovery.
Dr. Tomatis pointed out that high-frequency sounds such as in classical music stimulate the brain, compared to low-frequency sounds such as rock music that can drain energy. The cortex requires enormous amounts of stimulation to remain dynamic, to think, and to operate with vitality. The Tomatis® Method uses specially filtered high-frequency music of Mozart, which is very energising. This is balanced with relaxing and calming Gregorian Chant to promote deep relaxation, which can even slow down the heartbeat and breathing. By “charging” the cortex and reducing the tension, the Tomatis® Method not only maximises one’s capabilities but also encourages a more balanced life. By stimulating the ear-brain connections, the Tomatis® Method awakens and establishes the desire to communicate and learn again.
Please note that the Tomatis® Method is an educational approach that cannot be considered as a medical treatment. In cases of serious difficulties, we suggest you use the Tomatis® Method as complementary support to a therapeutic or medical treatment and continue to follow the advice of your medical practitioner.
The KingsFisher Institute, its programmes and protocols along with the TOMATIS® Method, are Educational Programmes and are considered neither medical treatments, nor a means to establish a medical diagnosis. The content of this website is for informational purposes only. It should be neither considered as, nor substitute for medical advice. We neither suggest stopping any medication or psychological treatments. The KingsFisher Institute is duly licensed by TOMATIS DEVELOPMENT S.A. which is the owner of “TOMATIS”, “TOMATIS +LOGO”, “SOLISTEN”, “TalksUP” trademarks www.tomatis.com
How We Can Help
KingsFisher unique assessment methods reveal the underlying, often undetected difficulties that hamper and delay development and progress:
- Our Cognitive Skills Assessment reveals the underpinning cognitive skills related to poor academic performance
- With our Tomatis® Listening Profile we can determine how efficient the relationship between the ears and brain is for information processing
- Using our Visagraph™, we can track and monitor eye movements indicating how orderly the brain deals with information, how it is fed into short-term memory and the ability to retrieve information. “There exists a functional relationship between ocular movements and central processes” as reported by Herman F. Brandt in The Psychology of Seeing
- Our Mineral Therapy Assessment reveals which minerals are lacking for optimal performance
Based on our findings, our intervention programmes and protocols are tailor-made for each individual
Ready to Get Started?
Get the help you need from Yolinda Bullians and our friendly team at the KingsFisher Institute.