20-Week Practice Group

This new Community Practice Group with Polyvagal Institute follows Jan Winhall’s Felt Sense Polyvagal Model presented in her new book, “20 Embodied Practices for Healing Trauma and Addiction.” This is a paradigm-shifting, deeply somatic approach that challenges current pathologizing models of trauma/addiction.

The Community Practice Group begins on May 21, 2025 and will help you:

• Manage distressing emotions and physical sensations to preempt trauma/addictive behaviours such as numbing, dissociating, and struggling with bad habits.

• Create a well-paced and structured lifestyle.

• Engage in healthy, meaningful relationships.

• Live a life of integrity where your values align with your behaviours.

Over the course of 20 weeks, a small group of no more than 36 participants will be guided through the 20 embodied practices in live 2-hour sessions by Jan and her FSPM-Certified Facilitators. Each participant will be paired in a felt sense/focusing partnership. You and your focusing partner will meet in between the live sessions to engage with the practices. After each focusing session you will submit a process recording that describes your experience.  You will have the opportunity to connect directly with Jan as she reads and responds to each of your submissions.

By looking at both addiction and trauma through the lens of the nervous system’s survival responses, this offering will present participants with tools to:

• Recognize and rewire autonomic states through learning how to regulate your autonomic nervous system.

• Practice the 6 Steps of Focusing and experiencing the felt sense of body wisdom.

• Create a Four Circle Harm Reduction Practice to create a map for healing your trauma and addictive responses.

Together we will build an ongoing safe space designed to help you heal from trauma and addictive processes.