Title : Before polyvagal theory, there was ceremony: Why indigenous regulation practices hold the keys to healing trauma, chronic pain and collective wellness
Abstract:
For millennia, indigenous peoples have understood what Western neuroscience is only beginning to validate: the body holds wisdom, trauma lives in the tissues, and healing requires integration of mind, body, spirit, and land. This workshop bridges ancient Indigenous healing practices with contemporary understanding of nervous system regulation, offering healthcare practitioners a culturally grounded framework for whole-person healing.
Drawing from over six decades of combined experience working within indigenous communities across North America, presenters will demonstrate how traditional practices including ceremonial breathwork, embodied movement, plant medicine, and land-based healing directly impact nervous system regulation and trauma recovery. Participants will learn the neuroscience underlying these practices while honoring their sacred origins. The presentation centers the Diné (Navajo) concept of Hózh (walking in beauty/balance) and the Apache relational healing framework of "pinu'u echicasay.I am all my relations" demonstrating how Indigenous knowledge systems offer sophisticated understanding of polyvagal theory, interoception, and somatic regulation that predates Western scientific "discovery" by thousands of years.
Through experiential exercises, case studies from remote Alaska and throughout Turtle Island (North America), and practical application frameworks, participants will gain:
•Understanding of Indigenous nervous system regulation practices and their neurobiological mechanisms
•Tools for integrating breathwork, embodied somatics, and land-based healing into clinical practice
•Cultural humility approaches for working with Indigenous populations
•Strategies for decolonizing healthcare through Indigenous-informed practices
This workshop honors traditional knowledge while making it accessible and applicable for healthcare providers globally, advancing the conference theme of aligning traditional healing practices with scientific and clinical advancements.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Articulate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying traditional Indigenous practices of breathwork, embodied movement, and land-based healing, and their impact on nervous system regulation
- Identify at least five specific Indigenous somatic practices and their applications for trauma recovery, chronic pain management, and emotional regulation
- Apply the relational healing framework of "pinu'u echicasay" (I am all my relations) to understand how Indigenous healing addresses individual, familial, community, and ecological wellness simultaneously
- Demonstrate basic techniques in ceremonial breathwork and embodied movement practices that can be ethically integrated into clinical settings
- Evaluate their own practice through a decolonizing lens, recognizing how Indigenous knowledge systems inform contemporary understanding of nervous system regulation, polyvagal theory, and somatic healing
- Develop culturally humble approaches for working with Indigenous patients and communities, honoring traditional healing while integrating with contemporary healthcare.
