© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Note: Regrettably, I have had to remove over 200 articles for the integrative material from the blog due to trademark and copyright infringement by a local medi-spa. Email for a link to the password-protected student material. I’ve left the 50 public facing Copyright protected articles. Read More
© 2026 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Etymology, Historical Context, and Core Characteristics Ashi points (阿是穴, ā shì xué) are non-fixed, temporary acupuncture points characterized by localized tenderness or sensitivity upon pressure (Deadman et al., 2007; Sun, 652 CE). Unlike the 361 classical points located along established meridians, most Ashi points lack
A Clinical Framework for Polyvagal Acupuncture® (PVA) and Polyvagal Massage ™ Introduction: Defining the Architecture of Trauma Trauma is an internal physiological state that overwhelms the system. When a stressor exceeds the buffering capacity of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the brain bypasses verbal processing and hard-codes survival responses into motor reflexes and connective tissues.
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture® Primitive reflexes (PRs) are involuntary motor responses that establish foundational postural tone, orientation, and motor-sensory coordination during early development. These reflexes should integrate as higher cortical control matures. When they remain active—or reactivate in the context of trauma, emotional stress, neuroinflammation, or structural compromise—they produce
Yang-Type Sympathetic Dominance and Adrenal Fatigue The ANS can become dysregulated in various ways, with two primary Yang-type subtypes: Yang-Type Sympathetic Dominance Adrenal Fatigue. Both represent different stages of yang overactivation within the sympathetic system, but their effects and characteristics differ. Understanding these two subtypes provides insight into how prolonged sympathetic activation influences physical and
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Parasympathetic Dominance: The Dorsal Vagal Freeze Response: The dorsal vagal freeze response is an extreme parasympathetic state in which the body enters a shutdown mode in response to overwhelming stress. Unlike typical parasympathetic activation, which restores balance, the freeze state represents pathological yin—a state of hypoactivity
In TCM, we can view mobilization of the fight-flight response through the lens of the Yang sinew channels, which activate the body’s defensive (Wei Qi) and muscular responses, highlighting a direct correlation to the sympathetic activation described in PVT. This perspective allows us to see the cascade of physiological and energetic responses—from Qi stagnation and
Primitive reflexes form the foundation of the human nervous system, acting as building blocks for complex motor and cognitive functions. These automatic, involuntary movements present at birth gradually integrate as the child matures. Controlled by cranial nerves in the brainstem, these reflexes establish a balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, supporting motor movement,
