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Polyvagal Theory: Anchors and Glimmers

Anchors & Glimmers: Accessing Moments of Ventral in Everyday Life 💫


In my last post, I shared how Polyvagal Theory can help us understand our nervous system states and support us on our healing journey, especially when living with dysregulation related to chronic illness. Today, I want to go deeper into two nurturing tools that have helped me on my healing journey: anchors and glimmers. Both of these gentle practices can help us access the ventral vagal state, and find a sense of stability and hope, even in moments that feel overwhelming.


What Are Anchors and Glimmers?


I first came across the concepts of anchors and glimmers through Deb Dana, who applied Polyvagal Theory (by Dr Stephen Porges) to practical tools for healing. Both tools help us bring more ventral energy into our system, even if only for a few seconds. Anchors and glimmers are like the opposite of triggers – instead of activating our survival responses, they offer us hope and safety, helping us feel more grounded in the moment.

 

Why Ventral Energy Matters


When living with conditions like CFS, the challenges can feel overwhelming, often leaving us caught in a cycle of sympathetic (activated) or dorsal (shutdown). Accessing the ventral vagal state - the part of our nervous system where we feel safe, connected, and open to life - often just feels too far out of reach. On my own journey, this is where the power of nervous system practices and polyvagal exercises became essential, helping me bring more ventral energy into my system.


In the midst of dysregulation, my anchors provided a sense of stability and hope. They reminded me (and still do) that even on the toughest days, safety and connection are possible. Glimmers felt like a warm hug for my nervous system or a moment to just breathe and know there is still beauty in the world. Each time I noticed a glimmer, I could feel my nervous system begin to respond differently, even for a brief moment.


These small moments of ventral energy also built up over time, allowing me to be in a regulated state for longer. Of course, there are many different tools that help us on our journey, and this was certainly not the thing that healed me, but it was one of many practices that I did resonate with, that helped me begin regulating my nervous system over time.  

 

Anchors


Anchors act as stable sources of hope and comfort, supporting our nervous system when we have lost access to ventral and are stuck in survival modes. They remind us that we have stable resources we can rely on that ground us in the moment.


Some examples of anchors include:


  • Who: People or pets that make us feel supported, safe, and understood. This can be someone you feel safe around, a pet, a supportive coach or figure, an ancestor: anyone that makes you feel safe and open to being yourself.

  • What: Activities or routines that help us feel grounded, and they don’t have to take up lots of time! These will be different for everyone but some examples of my own anchors include: mindfulness over a hot cup of tea, a walk in nature, deep breathing exercises and listening to 3D soundscapes.

  • Where: Physical spaces that bring comfort, where you wish to stay longer, such as a favourite room, a friend’s house, a cafe you love, or a quiet spot in nature.

  • Touchstones: These are items we can engage with through touch or scent, such as a soft blanket, essential oils, a favourite item of clothing or a small stone that reminds us of safety.


When life feels overwhelming, connecting with an anchor can serve as a gentle reminder that hope still exists, even if only for a moment. Also, engaging with people or places that bring you comfort doesn’t always require being physically present with them - simply visualising yourself in those safe spaces or with those supportive people can be just as effective. Studies suggest that imagining an action can offer similar benefits to our nervous system as actually experiencing it. In fact, I’m planning to write a full blog post about the benefits of visualisation in this nervous system series!


Glimmers


Glimmers are like tiny sparks that gently awaken our nervous system to moments of beauty, comfort, or ease. Unlike anchors, glimmers aren’t planned – they’re fleeting, spontaneous, and often catch us by surprise. They might be a brief ray of sunlight through the window, a warm laugh with a friend, leaves dancing in the wind, a starry sky or the sound of your favourite song coming on the radio. These little moments can help us access ventral energy, showing us that there’s safety and hope even when things feel challenging.


Glimmers will look different for all of us, but the key is to start noticing. Be open to the present moment and any glimmers that you can become aware of in your environment today. Even if we are already in the ventral vagal state, we can easily forget to be present and notice glimmers in our day!

 

Why We Sometimes Struggle to Feel Safe – and How Anchors and Glimmers Can Help


When we’re dealing with chronic stress, trauma, or illness, our nervous system can become “stuck” in either a high-alert (sympathetic) state or a shutdown (dorsal vagal) state, making it difficult to access feelings of safety and regulation, which ultimately allow us to live open, joyful, fulfilling lives. Anchors and glimmers help by bringing in gentle, steady moments of ventral energy – allowing us to feel safe and supported in the moment.


It’s important to remember that these small moments don’t have to be huge or time-consuming; even brief interactions with our anchors or fleeting glimmers can accumulate over time, gently guiding us further towards regulation. The more we engage with these practices, the more we cultivate a deeper sense of safety within ourselves.

 

Using Anchors and Glimmers


Here’s how to begin incorporating anchors and glimmers into your life:


  1. Identify Your Anchors: Think about the people, places, or activities that make you feel most safe and grounded. Keep a list of these and turn to them in moments when you feel overwhelmed.

  2. Incorporate Touchstones: Choose a few meaningful items to keep close. This could be a beloved object, a comforting scent, or a textured item that brings feelings of safety.

  3. Notice Glimmers: Practice noticing small, uplifting moments as they come. Take a deep breath and let yourself fully appreciate each glimmer, letting it fill your system with a sense of safety and joy.

  4. Make it a Daily Practice: Integrating anchors and glimmers into daily life creates a stable foundation that helps us feel more hopeful and resilient, even in the face of life’s ups and downs.


Through these practices and other regulating tools, we can help our nervous system feel more balanced, more connected, and more capable of facing life’s challenges, so we can begin to slowly embrace life and find our place in the world again.   


So that's my view on anchors and glimmers! If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch, or I’d love to hear about your own experiences with these tools. I hope you are enjoying this series so far. I’ll be sharing many more posts, ending with the tools that have been most helpful on my journey. If you want to stay updated on my latest blog posts, you can join my newsletter here.


Also, if you feel like you need more 1:1 support with nervous system tools or on your healing journey, my mind-body coaching sessions are opening in January. You can learn more about these sessions here or sign up to my waiting list to get 40% off your first session.

 

As always, I’m sending you so much love and hope on your healing journey.

 

Ashley x

 

 

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