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This experience (or something similar) is what happens when your disregulated nervous system is in the drivers seat.
Yet… when regulated… your nervous system is a miracle.
Learn how to get back to the real you – with less shame, and more compassion.
Introducing…
Navigating Your Body’s Stress Patterns with Less Shame and More Compassion
A revolutionary 8-week program of video education, weekly live training and support, somatic practice, experiential learning, and community engagement.
Polyvagal theory is a revolutionary approach to understanding how the nervous system impacts your physical, emotional, and social well-being. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory explains how the nervous system regulates your responses to stress and trauma, and how you can learn to regulate yourself in a healthy way.
In this first section, we’ll start by going over the basics of how your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) works. I’ll explain the different branches of your nervous system and how they drive your stress responses and capacity for connection. This foundation will help you understand why you react the way you do in certain situations. By the end of this section, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for the miracle happening inside your body every moment! When you understand the “why” behind your reactions, you can approach yourself with more compassion.
Week 1
This model is exclusive to this training and is the only known model to be inclusive of blended states and more accurately represents the full spectrum of experiences we have in our nervous system.
These principles help you understand what's happening behind the scenes and will help bring into awareness powerful influences that affect your nervous system and how you navigate through the states.
Next, we’ll explore the different states your nervous system cycles through – from safe to shutdown to extreme mobilization. I’ll explain how these states blend together, which is so important to recognize. You’ll learn how to identify your own dominant patterns. With this knowledge, you can catch stressful responses sooner and prevent getting stuck in survival mode. By the end of this section you’ll have tools to recognize and map your own nervous system patterns.
Week 2
The three core states define the broad map of your nervous system experience. You'll learn how all three work, how they affect you, and what it means for you and your body.
Week 3
The truth is, your nervous system is not linear. Most of the time, we are experiencing multiple states simultaneously. Building understanding with the nuance of how your states blend to form your experience allows you to navigate more effectively, and bring compassion to your experience.
In this section, we’ll put your pattern recognition skills into action! You’ll develop a personal map of your nervous system states and start tracking your patterns over time. Through practices like journaling and sensory mapping, you’ll uncover your triggers, defenses, and windows of tolerance. Tracking your states daily allows you to see trends and habitual reactions. This information helps you understand when you need extra support. By the end of this section, you’ll have created a detailed guidebook to your own nervous system!
Week 4
You'll develop your own personal map of your experience with your nervous system. This will give context to your experience, help you know where you are, where you aren't, and give your "placement" within your system.
Week 5
You'll develop your own personal map of your experience with your nervous system. This will give context to your experience, help you know where you are, where you aren't, and give your "placement" within your system.
Finally, we’ll focus on practical tools you can use to work with your nervous system states skillfully. You’ll learn techniques like breathwork, meditation, and chanting to shift between parasympathetic and sympathetic states as needed. We’ll also explore moving through your window of tolerance to integrate responses like loving-kindness. By the end of this section, you’ll have an expanded toolbox to navigate your stress patterns and nervous system states with more agency and compassion. The goal is for you to embody the full spectrum of who you are!
Week 6
Learning how to regulate your nervous system is a key component to minimizing shame, resentment, and hostility towards yourself. And the Art of Regulation is a critical piece of navigating trauma. So, if you have a shame &/or trauma history, this section will be profound.
Week 7
Learning the Art of Regulation requires that you have the right tools, and you know how to use them to move through your experience with ease and grace. You'll become equipped to move into states when you need them, and away from those states when they don't serve you.
Week 8
This final week will round off the program by guiding you on embodying the full spectrum of your Nervous System with less shame and more compassion. You will set intentions for continued growth, discover a supportive community, and conclude with a clear plan on how to continue the working with the miracle of your nervous system for long-lasting, sustained healing.
Your nervous system is the great coordinator behind the scenes of your lived experience – continuously regulating vital bodily functions and influencing everything you perceive.
But when trapped in chronic stress, it gets stuck on high alert, impairing your innate capacity for self-healing.
True transformation begins by somatically understanding these ingrained stress responses.
By re-establishing a sense of safety at your core, you create the conditions where therapeutic growth can take root.
Think of it as preparing fertile soil – only in nurtured soil will your seedlings stretch toward the sun. To bloom into your highest potential, you must start by soothing the nervous system. All other healing flows from this vital first step.
By honoring the body’s innate wisdom, you can transition out of ingrained stress patterns into your natural state of safety and wholeness.
The nervous system is the “first domino” which allows real, shame-free change to begin.
This course will be extremely supportive for beginners and experienced professionals alike.
If you’re tired of feeling like your nervous system is working against you, and you want to build a stronger, more supportive relationship with yourself and how you deal with stress, this training will give you the tools to do so.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics of polyvagal theory, or an experienced professional looking to deepen your understanding and practice, because of the unique ∞actualinfinity Autonomic Nervous System Experience Model, you are guaranteed to discover a new perspective and relationship with your nervous system.
With a combination of online video lectures, live Q&A sessions, and interactive assignments, this training is designed to be accessible and convenient – even if you’re busy.
You’ll have the opportunity to learn at your own pace and get personalized feedback from Steve in the online learning portal.
No prior knowledge of polyvagal theory is required to participate in this course. All you need is a willingness to learn and lean into a deeper relationship with your nervous system.
I call myself a NeuroSpiritual Heartist. I help liberate people from shame so they can come back to thier heart and remember how to love themselves into doing thier best work and living their best life. I am trauma informed and polyvagal informed and I’ll be leading this training.
I have done my own major healing work to support me through significant childhood trauma, complex-PTSD, and addiction.
I’ve developed a deep relationship with my own nervous system so much so that I’ve developed an entirely new, revolutionary model of understanding this relationship in a way that is unique to this training.
I’ve been through various forms of clinical therapy (CBT, DBT, etc.), worked with hundreds of clients, and have attended hundreds of hours of training on trauma, personal development, healing, spirituality, the nervous system, and polyvagal theory. One of my training programs was a 6-month intensive with Deb Dana and her certified trainers on the Foundations of Polyvagal Theory in Clinical Practice.
My special brand of magic is compassionately helping you navigate challenges that neurodivergence, high sensitivity, and trauma present while building a nourishing relationship with your nervous system. It is my great honor to help you navigate those challenges in a way that supports well-being, harmony, and more love, not less – all-ways.
℠
3-5 minute overview of each week's full training video(s). This will provide the essential nugget of wisdom.
Each week's lesson has at least one full 20-30 minute video with the full, deep contextual training. Videos can played at 2x speed.
Every video has a written transcript (and includes captions), in case that's easier for you to follow along and helps you study.
Every video also comes with an MP3 Audio Version you can download and play offline.
Most lessons have PDF worksheets to help you work through the material and integrate what you learn.
Learn the experience of your nervous system states through your body. This is a "bottom-up" approach which tends to be very nourishing.
There are written diagram's and visual representations of concepts to help you apply the training material and visualize what's happening in your body.
Practices that allow you to directly feel and explore the nervous system states and gather insights about your stress patterns through your own real-time, real-life experiences.
Get live support from Steve to answer your questions, or coach you through a challenge.
As time allows, Steve will guide you through exercises or somatic practices.
You'll have a chance to share what's happening in your nervous system, and hear what's happening for others.
If something is unclear or you need support integrating information, the live calls will help clear things up.
You have access to a private feed where all members can create posts to ask questions and get responses from Steve & others!
Use the community to get feedback and reflections from others in your class.
You're not going through this in isolation. You can connect with and build relationship with your fellow students.
Everything is in one, easy-to-use hub, so it's easy to locate, return to, and stay connected. And... it's away from social media.
Dates and times, and schedules, oh my! This program balances self-study and live support so you can engage at will and not worry about missing out if your schedule is complicated.
This program lasts 8 weeks. You will have access to the online group for ongoing connection for a total of 3 months.
The program begins January 15, 2024 when the first week's video module is released.
The enrollment deadline is December 22, 2023.
Calls will be 90 minutes and take place weekly on Thursday's at 11:00 AM Central time. First call is on January 18, 2024, and for the following 7 weeks. (Please see the FAQ for more details.)
Usually, you don’t truly know if something is right for you until after you take it in and engage with it.
So, to help create some safety for you, I want to make this offer:
You can complete the first week of the class, and if you don’t want to continue beyond that point, you’ll get a full refund, no questions asked.
This will give you a full week to experience the material, attend a live call, and really get a feel for whether or not this is your cup of tea.
Yes, a complete refund if you cancel before the module for Week 2 is released (on January 22 at 4:00 AM Central). It’s as easy as that. No questions. No pushback.
Does that sound fair?
Surprise! Your First Practical Lesson about Your Nervous System
Enrollment Deadline: December 22, 2023
All payment plans get access to the exact same thing – all the same benefits, features and support. Price variation is intended to keep the program accessible for those who are struggling financially, and give those experiencing some financial enoughness to help support tuition for other students and help support my work.
Monthly Payments
One Payment
If you’ve watched the video directly above the payment options, and you need the support I talked about towards the end of that video to help you discern whether this training is right for you, here’s the link to schedule a 30 minute phone call with me. I’ll be happy to answer any questions. Or, you can use the form below to ask questions via email.
This program lasts 8 weeks. The Week 1 Training Module will be released on January 15, 2024. The first live call will take place on January 18, 2024 at 11:00 AM Central.
This is Week 1.
The program will continue through Week 8 at this same cadence.
The live calls with Steve will take place on 8 consecutive Thursday’s at 11:00 AM Central for 90 minutes as follows:
No matter what price you select, you get the full set of resources and training.
So why would anyone pay a higher price? Integrity.
This course is priced in a way that makes it more accessible for those who are experiencing financial hardship. If you’re struggling financially, you’re welcome to choose the lower price option.
However, if you are in a moderate income bracket, and your finances feel somewhat sustainable for you, you are encouraged to pay the regular price.
And, if you happen to have some financial abundance, I warmly invite you to pay the fee for those who are experiencing “enoughness.”
This is completely on the honor system. I trust you. I encourage you to trust yourself.
Check in with your nervous system – deep down, you’ll know which payment option is aligned for you.
You can complete the first week of the class, and if you don’t want to continue beyond that point, you’ll get a full refund, no questions asked.
This will give you a full week to experience the material, attend a live call, and really get a feel for whether or not this is your cup of tea.
After I release Week 2 material on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 4:00 AM Central, no refunds will be given.
Not to worry. All calls are recorded so you can listen at a time which is convenient for you.
Additionally, because there is a robust community element built into this program, there are plenty of other ways you can get input, feedback, and answers to questions from Steve and others. You’ll also be able to submit your questions prior to calls if you can’t be there live and Steve will attend to all questions one way or another.
No. This training is for anyone who is either on their own healing journey or supporting others on theirs.
The training is in-depth, but goes at a pace which allows time for practice and integration.
Nope.
I don’t believe in penalizing people financially because it’s easier on the budget to make payments.
Use whichever options works for you.
Steve Mattus and ∞actualinfinity are anti-racism, support Black Lives Matter, AAPI, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities, pro-Trans, and renounce all forms of violence.
The information in the footer is meant only to inform you of where I stand on issues I consider important. It has no bearing on my qualifications or worthiness as a practitioner or business owner.
∞actualinfinity is located in Shikaakwa, which is the Algonquin name for Chicago, which is on the traditional unceded homelands of the Ojibwe, Kiikaapoi, Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), Myaamia, Hoocak (Ho-Chunk), and Peoria indigenous tribes and people, which was violently stolen and colonized from them.
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