Mon. Sep 25th, 2023

VFP/SSP

If you have found this link then intuitively accept that you were meant to benefit – THIS IS A LENGTHY READ  – PLEASE STAY WITH IT – IT’S WORTH IT AND SO ARE YOU AND THOSE YOU SUPPORT:

For details of our trials and prices please click here.

VFP stands for Vibrational Frequency Programming – SSP stands for Safe and Sound Protocol:

SSP Certified UK Therapist

Marcus Pearson is a qualified SSP Therapist, trained and experienced in the practical and clinical applications of Polyvagal Theory as developed by Prof Stephen Porgess.

He uses SSP in conjunction with other modalities such as art, music, dance, exercise and uses other tools such as HRV and PEMF.

He runs workshop’s and training on how to practically apply such insights on a practical basis – read on for more details.

VFP-SSP

It seeks to develop self-resilience, curiosity and social engagement; and seeks to improve the way individuals interact with others.

Hence, we call it VFP/SSP – it is a different approach!

We do not refer to it or approach it as a therapy – it is a retuning experience!

It is delivered through – Trust, Safety & Relaxation; Sound Vibrations; Physical Activity & Creative Social Interaction – rather than CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). The principle of its approach is different from most ‘therapeutic approaches’; in that it initially approaches stress and trauma as a non-cognitive phenomena (we don’t seek to ‘overcome’ by thinking and talking about problems). We approach them as aspects of our autonomic nervous system (we seek to overcome them by activating the ‘vagal nerve’).

More specifically we seek to activate the parasympathetic nervous system of a person, rather than their sympathetic nervous system) – read on . . .

Emotional Coaching

Who will benefit most from VFP/SSP retuning:

Anyone suffering from trauma, anxiety and stress will benefit. 

It is also excellent for anyone suffering from auditory hypersensitivity and state regulation disorders, namely:

  • eating or sleeping problems
  • poor persistence of attention
  • over or under-activity
  • difficulty in adjusting to a new environment or routine
  • delayed language development due to inadequate auditory processing
  • visual-spatial processing difficulties
  • motor planning problems

If you are looking more specifically for Therapeutic educational facilitation please click here. Otherwise please read on:

It may be experienced as part of our Wellbeing Package; however, it is also available as a stand alone experience – and this page/booklet explains this in more detail:

VFP/SSP retuning may be used to help overcome regulatory disorders that may have one of the following traits:

  1. The hypersensitive, fearful person who tends to overreact and needs a safe, quiet and unchallenged environment.
  2. The hypersensitive, stubborn and defiant person who has an enormous need to control because they are or have been extremely overstimulated.
  3. The hyporeactive, insensitive person who may appear challenging or aggressive due to their intense diversionary tactics or cravings.
  4. The self-absorbed, under-reactive person with low motor tone and low activity level who needs both reality checks and unchallenged stimulus.
  5. The person with motor planning problems, who is often labelled ADHD because of their inattentive appearance.

Safety:

N.B. VFP/SSP retuning is non-invasive and totally safe for the client. However, because it focuses on providing sound vibrations to the middle ear (and because the muscles of the middle ear are ‘fast twitch and tiny’ and often become very tired with the specific focus sounds) – this may lead to the client feeling tired afterwards or lead to a drop in energy. Therefore, good sleep, hydration and nutrition are important during the period of this retuning experience, and full co-operation and understanding of parents / partners and other supportive individuals is essential during the full SSP period – and for the following weeks (education on this is provided within our ‘therapeutic educational facilitation’).

Results may be noticed very quickly (within 3 – 10 day). However, it is essential this experience is supported with some additional physical, emotional and mental activity or project that runs at the same time and afterwards (preferably for at least 4 – 6 weeks to maximise and embed the benefits). Without this supportive aspect the benefits may be short term and be lost – this is a key part of the re-tuning!

All the above will be managed by Marcus Pearson.

More details:

There is a part of our central nervous system known as the vagus nerve which regulates our heart rate, essentially serving as a brake pedal for our ‘autonomic/sympathetic’ heart rate, which is much higher. This “vagal brake” can be rapidly turned on through the use of diaphragmatic breathing – and we teach the client this technique, (HRV biofeedback technology is excellent for this) as part of a self – regulating resilience approach – this often results in an immediate calming response that often lasts for an hour afterwards.

Physical activity / movement may be used to ‘recognise’ to what extent the ‘vagal brake’ works. For those who have a ‘fully ‘tuned in vagal brake’; then physical exercise / movement will ‘manifest’ itself with more positive and socially co-operative behaviour. For those with a less tuned vagal brake; then physical activity / movement will manifest itself with more defensive / aggressive behaviour or activity focused concentration (with less social awareness). Such individuals will not project positive facial expressions and positive co-operative vocal prosody; this will result in others perceiving them as a little more anti-social, and they may be reluctant to engage socially or physically with them.

Laughing and smiling in a calm and relaxed manner ‘in tune with others’ is very appealing – and is also a sign that the vagal nerve is tuning in better.

Setting up the VFP/SSP experience:

An example of how it may be provided is provided below

  • 10 x 30 min 1:1 sessions between the client and Marcus Pearson (Times will vary – up to 5 x 60min).
  • Each session is on a consecutive day and is set up within a safe and quite environment.
  • The safety and reassurance of the environment, within which the Sound experience will take place is critical for success. Cues of safety and trust should prevail, before, during and after the sessions.
  • The client should have joint ownership of the choices to provide the feeling of safety.
  • A key part of safety is awareness and knowledge; and the client and their family/carers should have a short session explaining what the process is all about.
  • This will include an awareness of the different states of ‘connection’ between the client and Marcus Pearson and between the client and their own thoughts and beliefs.
  • The sessions start with a short period of learning on how to relax (possibly using the HRV self-calming video games).
  • The client will then listen to the sound experience through headphones for 20 – 60mins
  • No distractions will take place.
  • The client may read a book, draw or colour or even do a jigsaw – or undertake all of these during the ‘sound session’.
  • SSP may also be combined with our HRV breathing and relaxation sessions.
  • After the session the client may engage in pre-agreed affirmations – this will be delivered with prosodic care and positive facial expression in conjunction with Marcus. If the client is not ready for affirmations, then further social interaction and possibly physical exercise would be positive. A PROJECT WITH PEERS WOULD BE EXCELLENT.
  • None of this will be excessive; it is more for recovery and further stimulation of the vagal nerve and to assess the results, because – “You have to feel safe in order to communicate to another that you are safe”. ANY AND ALL FOLLOW ON TIME will take no more than 15-30 mins.
  • Additional supportive information about nutrition, hydration and sleep, together with diaphragmatic breathing, will also be provided to the client and family. All of this supports self- resilience and coherence and resonance.

The above information is only a guideline – details are arranged on an individual basis.

Formal Client Support:

Ongoing changes will be measured in relation to the initial neuroception and the actual ’emerged properties’. This comparison will be used to measure to what extent the VFP/SSP has been effective. It will also highlight what follow up strategy might best be put in place to maximise continuing progress. This is explained in more detail below:

Our emotional and mental energy fields tune in to the intonation, stress and rhythm of any voices and sounds we hear and the facial expressions we see. This further tunes in to our physical being through the nervous system and manifests in how and why we behave. These ‘energy fields’ are also detected and ‘tuned in to’ by the energy fields of other people.

When our ‘energy fields’ feel safe and trust – for ourselves as an individual or from someone else; they function more appropriately, efficiently and naturally – meaning they need and want less outside support (they want and need to manage on their own).

When our ‘energy fields’ don’t feel safe and trust; they function less appropriately, less efficiently and unnaturally. During such periods, any additional workload on the physical, emotional and mental energy fields is going to create more harm than good and may lead to more negativity than positivity. When we seek to apply a ‘cognitive supportive approach’ to someone suffering from trauma and stress (by talking about their problems); then we are often doing so whilst their defensive system is in full swing. This is going to be a long winded and often fruitless endeavour – and is why CBT often lasts for many months or even years AND IS WHY WE DON’T USE IT. It also explains why this approach is also a little like a ‘fad diet’, in that the ‘problem’ comes back again once you lose the focus. VFP/SSP overcomes by nurturing the autonomic nervous system to self-regulate in a positive manner. It also teaches self regulation through ‘vagal activation techniques and approaches’.

There is a paradox in supporting those who ‘present as more challenging / distant’:

The paradox is, that whilst we feel compelled to provide more support and help with the ‘additional physical, emotional and mental workload we give them’ (often cognitive); such people need more time for their own nervous system to catch up from the ‘PREVIOUS over stimulation they experienced, whilst going through a period lacking in safety and trust.

What they need is to ‘feel more safety and trust in their physical, emotional and mental energy fields – this will then manifest in more positive physical being – THIS IS ACHIEVED BY DOING LESS!

Working within autonomic constraints:

Our body processes many variables on an automatic basis via our autonomic nervous system.

Our nervous system varies its ‘state of arousal’ and this impacts on ‘spontaneous social behaviour’. Different ‘states of arousal’ are required to manifest for different situations; and each different state is better suited to a different situation. Some states of arousal are more suited for physically active moments; whilst other states of arousal are better suited to more emotional or mental moments – such as social interaction or solving mental problems or being creative.

The most suitable state of arousal for any given moment or ‘state of being’ (physical, emotional or mental) is one that we say has an ‘optimal emerging state’. Each optimal emerging state is a neural platform that is best served to meet that which it feels is needed.

The 3 neural platforms or cycles of evolution include:

  • The 3rd and most recent one deals with safety. When we feel safe, have trust and are unchallenged then we can be positive, creative and become more socially engaged for the benefit of self and we activate our Parasympathetic Nervous System. When someone is experiencing this cycle of behaviour then SSP is suitable for them.
  • The 2nd one deals with danger. When we don’t feel safe, trust or are challenged, or when we specifically feel in danger, then we may hide, run away, put up a defence or fight. When someone is experiencing this cycle of behaviour then SSP is NOT suitable for them – instead we advise our VFP/HRV experience – as this better engages someone who has greater anxiety and stress; and in time leads them towards being capable of relaxing for at least 30 mins (until this point SSP is not possible).
  • The 1st one deals with life threatening or hopeless situations. When we feel that no matter what we do we are going to be unsafe, challenged and see no future; or a life-threatening situation – then we may shut down in some way. This may result in someone feinting or passing out; being physically sick; urinating/defecating; going into a coma; having a heart attack or experiencing a chronic illness or even a seizure. When someone is experiencing this cycle of behaviour then SSP is NOT suitable for them – instead we advise our VFP Therapy Experience – as this better engages someone who has greater anxiety and stress and in time leads them towards being capable of relaxing for at least 5-10 mins (until this point even HRV is not possible).

When we function from the 2nd or 3rd more defensive cycles, then we cannot listen or co-operate effectively to our own multiple beings / energy fields or to the energy fields of others.

Identification of that aspect that limits the ‘optimal emerging state’ provides a focus on what is needed for the individual.

What are the top 3 factors that influence behaviour and the emerging states:

Science and in particular, the clinical studies from Professor Stephen Porges on his Polyvagal Theory, now confirm that the 2 key factors that influence the ‘emerging states or properties’ are:

  1. the muscles of the human middle ear (through listening) and vocalization and
  2. activation of the larynx and pharynx (through talking).

A 3rd factor for influencing the ‘emerging properties’ is ‘physical activity / movement. When you are mobilized you are at less risk than when you are still and immobilized. Subsequently, part of the VFP/SSP re-tuning experience from Be Super incorporates some kind of gentle physical activity after the relaxed session – this serves to alleviate any previous tension, anxiety that lay dormant.

If these 3 key factors are not fully stimulated learning will be inhibited.

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SSP Certified UK Therapist

Some of the negative effects of Covid-19 include:

  • Struggling to deal with loss and / or feeling isolated or lonely..
  • Joint pain, loss of energy and weakness.
  • Feeling unsafe and not knowing why.
  • Confusion and frustration with not understanding what is going on.
  • A lack of trust with people, situations and places.
  • The lack of stucture and order and not knowing what to do with your time.
  • Brain fog - not being able to concentrate or think clearly.
  • Struggling to have longer conversations and discussions about positive and creative opportunities - and too much negative talk.
  • Couples and families stuggle interacting together due to a lack of personal and joint purpose in life.

The severe isolation measures imposed by governments have been traumatic to the psyche of people; to the extent, many have the fear of getting tests done and or divulging the results to authorities for fear of loss of income or further isolation. Others live every moment on the edge of media releases and feel totally reliant on vaccinations and guidance and rules on how to live.

THE BIGGER PERSPECTIVE - FURTHER CAUSES OF NEGATIVITY . . .

Society has created a situation where many people have an overdependence on other people for guidance and regulations on how they live. This can be clearly seen with those people who have retired or are suddenly not working and do not know what to do with their time. For many people walking the dog, watching some form of day time TV and cooking, represent the limits of their activity. Their social interaction and discussions are based around such activity or in discussing the limitaions imposed on them and everyone else -

"very few people do something that is both creative and of benefit for themsleves and others; furthermore, they do not discuss the creative process for making this happen - they have lost (or never developed) this self-relience and love of life - they are lost within an 'auto-pilot' existence" -

THIS IS THE BIGGER PERSPETIVE THAT COVID-19 HIGHLIGHTS!

When individals within a relationship or within a family, educational, work or team environment, lack any purpose in life or don't have any creative ideas to stimulate their emotions or thoughts, then they are more dependent on external forces to influence their behaviour. The majority of outside forces are negative, therfore most of the time people will be negative. Covid-19 is not the cause of this negativity - it highlights the hidden problems faced by most people and society.

This post provides a short practical instruction on how to conduct a quick coherence / QUICK CALMING/POSITIVITY PRACTICE:

The optimal times for doing this practice are:

  • first thing in the morning whilst still in bed (before getting up)
  • First thing when you get to work or school etc.
  • every 90 mins once you are active and the day has begun
  • when you get back in bed to settle for a sleep.

It is perfect when combined with other people (especially smaller groups) just before a meeting/lesson/meal.  It may even be used by a family group or a group of friends or work/school/college friends - perhaps in conjunction with an agreed 'positive statement/affirmation'.

Whilst it helps to reduce stress; with the 'the more advanced breathing progression' it is most beneficial in promoting a feeling of wellbeing and positivity; and in activating your parasympathetic nervous system (your feel good system). Once activated this may lead to positive stimulation that facilitates exceptional mental and physical performance, or, if you are relaxing, it will lower your heart rate, lower your brain frequency and promote better rest and natural sleep patterns. When a calm and positive state is maintained for longer and longer periods (with monitoring and practice) then it leads to 'flow' and extends the 'optimal arousal zone'.

Quick Coherence only takes 1 - 2 minutes (it is best done with your eyes closed):

Welcome - By following this short process you will feel calm, positive and energised. The process will work even better when you smile during the process and continue smiling after it has finished - let us begin - you may keep your eyes open or close them - do whatever helps you focus . . .

  • Focus your attention on your heart just to the left of centre in your chest. If it helps, place the fingers of your right hand over the heart so you can physically feel your heart beat - then relax.
  • As you breathe in, visualise the air going into your heart. As you visualise breathing in, count to between 4 and 7 and with each count visualise your heart expanding your belly. Continue doing this until you find your own natural timing. Once you have established your natural breathing in cycle move to step 3.
  • As you breath out and feel your belly go down, visualise either:
    • a special place that makes you feel good; or
    • visualise what you are doing that makes you feel so good;
    • and /or visualise a person or group of people that makes your love come out.
    • as you become more familiar with this, and as it becomes easier to do - focus on giving appreciation or gratitude to someone and allow your love to come out.
  • More advanced breathing progression - once you have become familiar with all of the above - then as you continue with the heart felt focus - PROLONG the breathing out stage, so it is between 3 and 5 seconds longer than your breathing in stage. Then continue this staggered breathing cycle for between 1 and 3 mins. This will physiologically activate your parasympathetic nervous system and stimulate creative and happy hormones.

Adopt quick coherence as a pattern of positive performance:

The quick coherence practice, including the more advanced breathing progression, may also be used in the build up to a high performance related activity - especially as a precursor for being in the flow zone. This is perfect for activities such as climbing or skill related performance or even high intense muscular activities such as arm wrestling, powerlifting, strongman event and surprisingly combat sports - because the more you can perceive stress as a positive opportunity, the greater you will maximise your optimal flow zone perform to your maximum potential. When stress is perceived as being negative, it increases anxiety, increases muscle tension, reduces reaction times and speed and reduces power. Negative stress leads to a quicker loss of energy and reduces mental clarity and sharpness.

Smile and be positive.

Group / team coherence:

Imagine the benefits to a team if you all acknowledged gratitude for one another prior to starting a more physical warm up or at the end of a warm just before you went out to compete. This would minimise stress and allow you to perform at even higher levels of intensity for much longer.  

When Phil Jackson began coaching the Chicago Bulls - and later the Los Angeles Lakers - he says he used the Zen philosophy of mindfulness to help build both teams.

sports-team-quick-coherence

Coherence practice is used by the NHS in Derbyshire:

Quick coherence may be used to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress and help calm you or someone else down when they are feeling their behaviour is becoming more challenging to others.

(https://my.dchs.nhs.uk/Portals/0/Health%20Psychology%20The%20Quick%20Coherence%20Technique_1.pdf)

More scientific research on this is available at - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4179616/

Monitoring and measuring coherence can be done using new technology and with the correct insights.

Elimination is the lowest level of consciousness and calibrates <20:

The strategy for getting yourself or someone else out of this stage is provided below:

The VFP strategy for achieving higher/more positive 'natural patterns / cycles of being' is to re-tune your mental and emotional energy fields, so they do the 'right things' on an automatic basis (using your autonomic nervous system), rather than a cognitive basis (having to think and feel if what you are doing is working).

This approach is more significant when dealing with those at the lowest levels of consciousness. Such individuals 

  • You must have natural cycles of imbalance in your life. These should be positive in maximising you as a physical being. Look at every situation as an opportunity!
  • You should maximise the functioning and capabilities of your physical body/mind.
  • You should maximise your individual creativity and find purpose in all that you do.
  • You should be your best and give yourself for the benefit of all.

When you do this you will find love will allowed to flow from you and you will attract it!

You can’t tune into Love when you have negative forces influencing you - 'love is felt through tuning in to the truth'.

Love is not felt when someone is holding you back and not caring for you as best they can.

You cannot hold other people responsible for their imperfections in respect of your relationship. You need to break negative cycles with people - this does not mean you have to stop being with them, or loving or caring for them; but it does mean you must take responsibility yourself for following more positive natural cycles. If you are not capable of allowing love to come out of yourself for your TRUE SPIRITUAL BEING then your imperfect physical being will dominate your life. You must learn to let love come out by turning negative thoughts and emotions into opportunities to help yourself and others.

You must stop feeling sorry for yourself and you must stop using others as an excuse.

You are not an 'imprisoned physical being' - you may feel like one, and may be treated like one - but you have the opportunity to change this.

When your mind thinks with moving pictures rather than thinks with words (self-talk), then the results/benefits are significantly better.

Mental imagery is a more intuitive process than an intellectual one. It allows you to influence and take control of your unconscious and subconscious; whereas self-talk and worded affirmations focus your influence within your conscious mind.

For most people the language of imagery is commonly experienced during REM sleep at night or whilst daydreaming. However, becoming aware of images whilst waking simply requires us to give it more focus than we currently do. Most people self-talk rather than self image!

Scientific research confirms the benefits of imagery for improving health:

Doctors prescribe pharmaceuticals that control the mind through the body; eg. tranquilizers, antidepressants and anaesthetics. In much the same way, we can use the mind to control the body - and imagery is far more effective at doing this than self talk. There are at least two major scientific journals devoted to imagery research; one from Marquette University (The Journal of Mental Imagery) and one from Yale University (Imagination, Cognition and Personality).

Mental imagery may be used as a process for reacting to experiences (negative or positive), however, it is more powerful when used as a way of 'creating new experiences'. After successive repetitions/cycles (21 days being a natural cycle time that changes behaviour) then the physical body attunes with the mind to make the mental imagery reality - THIS IS A PROVEN BENEFIT!

Within the VFP Digital Tuning Chart we have created audio links that explains how to use imagery to help create your own good health (this is an ongoing development).

 

HRV (Heart Rate Variability):

In terms of 'measuring SPIRITUAL BEING REALISATION' or 'SPIRITUAL COHERENCE' - it may be measured on a physical basis by HRV (Heart Rate Variability). However, what you have to realise is that SPIRITUAL COHERENCE extends beyond your physical being and HRV is therefore limited in its potential to measure the higher levels of consciousness. It would be reasonable to estimate that below the level of 200 HRV is low and not smooth. Peak HRV will start and continue at a level of approx 250. Above this level HRV will peak but it will not indicate your level of consciousness - this can be better estimated using the VFP Digital Tuning Chart.

The similarity between SPIRITUAL COHERENCE and HRV, is that HRV maintains 'high activity, smooth sine wave cycles' regardless of the heart rate or brain wave frequency (excitatory or inhibitory) - and SPIRITUAL COHERENCE maintains 'natural/balanced cycles of smooth waves - that can be excitatory or inhibitory' - so they are very similar to measure!

When SPIRITUAL COHERENCE occurs, on a physical basis, the heart and brain waves become more synchronised / tuned in to one another on an autonomic basis. The important aspect to measure is not whether the heart or brain frequencies are high or low - but that the 'HRV is high and smooth', thus showing a willingness and readiness for either positive/excitatory or negative/inhibitory states. Good coherence indicates a wide range of optimal flow zone frequencies (an ability to perceive stress as a positive challenge, rather than something negative to overcome).

Coherence and a good HRV are indicators of:

  • Positive relationships.
  • Creative initiatives between positive people.
  • Problem solving and group decision making.
  • Bonding and mutual support.

Quick coherence practice is only part of the VFP Tuning Protocol; By following the VFP retuning protocol you will reduce and prevent the negative effects of stress, fatigue and exhaustion, sleep disruption, anxiety and burnout - you will feel calm, positive and energised.

VFP uses the Inner Balance App in conjunction with the Bluetooth sensor from Heart Math to measure HRV. By recording your HRV before any interventions/therapy sessions, during the sessions and after the sessions we can better evaluate the impact of our VFP Protocol.