The ears are a portal to the vagus nerve. Listening to specially designed music, in a supportive relational setting, can help tone your nervous system.

Steven Porges is the scientist and professor who developed Polyvagal Theory, which attempts to explain the role the vagus nerve plays in our nervous system regulation. He developed two musical therapies to help support a healthy nervous system, boosting the ability to move fluidly from states of arousal (when danger is present) to relaxation (when it’s safe).

Ultimately, the goal is to be able to sync up your own body’s perception of “safe enough” with the cues from the environment so that you are not flooded with adrenaline while sitting at home with your loved ones, or unable to rouse yourself when you need to take action.

The Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)

I typically recommend that my clients start with the RRP, and make sure that they are able to access a state of deep calm, rest, and relaxation. This state is necessary for healing and brain growth so we want to have this part down before we get into the more complex work.

If rest feels safe and good to you, the RRP is usually a very easy protocol to complete. The music is not hard to listen to, and you quickly learn to access deeper and more rejuvenating states of rest. As you do, you may notice improvements to your cognitive functioning, and find you are able to stay present for more of your life. Some of those hard conversations are easier to stay present for, and you have more energy and pleasure in daily life.

For people with a more complex relationship to rest, the RRP may be more challenging. As ND Friendly Life’s Amy Noyes likes to say, “rest is death,” especially when we struggle with energy capacity. You may find that the invitation to move into parasympathetic actually backfires and your body becomes more alert and even stressed. If this is the case we will work slowly, supporting your system to anchor in present moment safety and practice calming down in tiny increments.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

The SSP is a little more challenging. Before I get into how it helps, I just want to let you know a few reasons the SSP may NOT be appropriate:

If you have had surgeries on your ears, or have a medical condition related to your ears or hearing
If you have misophonia or extreme pain with sound
If you are currently suicidal or struggling with suicidal ideation, address that first before beginning sound therapy
If you have seizures or uncontrolled psychosis it’s not worth the risk of triggering them
If you have migraines, including vestibular migraines, or sensory processing challenges, the SSP can provide a challenge to your system so proceed cautiously, with recovery time blocked off after sessions
The same goes for anyone with bipolar disorder or dissociative disorders. You want to discuss it with your medical team and SSP provider, and only do sessions when you’re feeling at your best, go slow, and have recovery time afterwards.

If SSP is safe for you to try, it can help to improve resilience in your nervous system. It moves you in and out of states of threat (fight, flight, freeze) and states of safety (called “ventral vagal”), and provides practice at returning to a calm, grounded state from a state of activation.

What I love about the SSP is that it’s an opportunity to feel your own threat responses without any content. Nothing is happening but the music, so you know exactly why you feel shaky, or nervous, or frozen… It’s the music! And we work together to get you back to feeling settled, safe, and free. Over time, it gets easier and easier.

It also takes a layer off of the fear. That is, we often are afraid of feeling triggered or activated, because in real life those feelings push us into meltdowns and shutdowns. The SSP gives you a chance to feel the increase in heartrate, the changes to sense perception, and know at the same time that you are safe in this moment, just practicing with music.

3. So how do we do this and what’s it like?

Equipment, timing, and How-to’s

For both programs you’ll need a device to log in and do a zoom session with me, and you’ll need a smartphone or tablet to play the music through. You can use any headphones for the RRP, but the SSP requires over-ear headphones. I recommend that you be as comfortable as possible, so in a comfy chair, lying on the couch, or even in bed. Support your body with pillows, weighted blankets, whatever helps you feel safe. And make sure to have some hot tea or water close by as well.

The RRP is a 30-minute piece of music, and you listen to 10 different versions of it over about 3 weeks. The SSP is 5 hours of music, and depending on your nervous system you might listen to just a few minutes or up to a total of twenty minutes in a session. We alternate between listening to the music and tuning in to your nervous system, grounding in present moment safety and safe social connection.

The social, emotional, and physical experience

If the RRP is easy for you, you can complete the program at home on your own after our initial session. The SSP, however, we do together all the way through. One of the primary benefits of the SSP is that it can help us feel like it’s safe to be with others. The unique experience of doing this at ND Friendly Life, is that you’re experiencing your nervous system in the context of unmasking and being your authentic self.

Pricing

We include access to the sound therapy programs in the price of our regular coaching sessions. If you would like to continue to use the music after you’ve finished your work with us, you can purchase a one year subscription for $100. If you would like to do the SSP in short sessions several times a week, we offer 30 minute sessions for $100 and 45 minute sessions for $150. This is a great way to give your system frequent doses that are challenging but not overwhelming.

If you are interested in doing the RRP or SSP with Miranda at ND Friendly Life, contact us and we’ll set up a free introductory meeting.

How Steven Porges’ sound therapies can help tone your neurodivergent nervous system