Ventral Playlist

You may be asking what a Vagal Playlist is. Most people would have no idea.

I entered therapy again recently (as a patient) and have a therapist who introduced me to PolyVagal Therapy (a la Deb Dana) . It is an amazing healing way of looking at trauma and learning the tools to manage the fight/flight/freeze responses that come with having experienced repeated trauma. I am walking through traumatic memories and flashbacks with my therapist and can calm my panicky responses by knowing what vagal state I am in and employing music or self-soothing or using my creativity with sewing or writing to move me to a safer state. One of the suggestions for something that might calm me or energize me is a Ventral playlist. I have started to make a list of music that moves me from Dorsal state (where I curl up in “freeze” mode because life feels too unsafe) toward Ventral state in which I begin to feel safer and feel what brings me hope.

So I am sharing some of the titles of music that fairly reliably help me get to Ventral. They are of widely varying tempo and genre and so there isn’t a smooth flow from one to the other. And you will have to search for them on iTunes or Amazon Music or wherever you find your music (I can’t violate copyright by sharing them here). Please let me know in the Comments section below what songs make you feel safe, give you joy, help you feel most alive.

Learning to Fall (Loren & Navarro)

Circle of Life Elton John

I Hope You Dance Lee Ann Womack

Walking in Memphis Marc Cohen

You Can Do This Hard Thing Carrie Newcomer

This Too Will Pass Carrie Newcomer

I am a God Nearby David Kauffman

Letting Yourself Be Loved (w/out lyrics) Gary Malkin

There’s Hope India Arie

Namaste The Kenedys

Remembering You Robin Spielberg

I Will Remember You Madonna

Love Can Build a Bridge The Judds

Be Still (chant) Simon de Voil