Restoring the Precursors to Autonomic Balance The practitioner’s role is to facilitate the restoration of autonomic balance and remove neurological interference caused by a nervous system in a high state of arousal. Once parasympathetic tone is restored, the necessary precursors for neuroplasticity are in place. What is beautiful is that as TCM and somatic therapists Read More
© 2026 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Core Tendon Guard Reflex (CTG) The idea of Tendon Guard Reflexes ties into how the body reflexively protects its musculoskeletal system during stress or trauma. The Core Tendon Guard (CTG) is often described as a full-body freeze response, but we can also conceptualize distinct regional
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. This model proposes an integrated framework for understanding the pathomechanisms of subclinical adrenal dysfunction, connecting deep physiological drivers to downstream clinical expressions. It serves as a working theory for practitioners who observe localized, non-systemic patterns of circadian dysrhythmia and persistent sympathetic dominance in their clients.
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Across many spiritual and trauma therapy frameworks, a state of processing or spiritual seeking arises, referred to in Zen traditions as the Great Doubt (大疑, dai-gi). It describes a state in which all conceptual frameworks collapse, including spiritual certainty and self-definition. It is not confusion—it is a radical
© 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
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture® Trauma refers to an overwhelming experience that exceeds the parasympathetic buffering capacity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It can arise from physical injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), natural disasters, or a life-altering medical diagnosis. Trauma also includes emotional experiences such as death, divorce,
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), hara diagnosis, or abdominal palpation, is used to assess the health of the internal organs (zang-fu). The hara, located in the abdominal region, is considered the body’s physical and energetic center. By palpating this area, practitioners can identify patterns of firmness, sensitivity, or tension, which indicate imbalances in the organs
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,
