As a mental health professional, I love learning about theories, practices, and habits that can improve my life and the lives of my clients. It can be easy to fall into a rabbit hole of only reading/researching clinical topics, but I found this book to be an approachable and easy-to-read entry into the world of Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory. This was a great tool to help me understand the nervous system in a new way, and I think clients and clinicians will appreciate the read. Many thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for the advanced e-ARC!

This book is an extremely helpful starter book for polyvagal theory. There are some fabulous exercises and the resources seem undeniable. I think the thing I am most amazed by is the language Rebecca Kase uses to make things accessible. She referrs to becoming a dragon rider, taming the dragon and describes how the practice and effort is continued to be required. I find that this book is an opener to finding practice and training for anyone. It is perfect for those who have a little or no understanding of the vagal system on body and stress. The exercises are also helpful for those that significant understanding of the vagal system. I think It would be great to have an audio book version.

**Review:**

*The Polyvagal Solution* is a transformative and practical guide to managing stress and reclaiming a sense of calm in an increasingly chaotic world. Grounded in the cutting-edge science of polyvagal theory, this book provides a refreshing, research-backed approach to understanding and interrupting the body’s stress response. Rather than simply advocating relaxation techniques, it offers a deeper exploration of how our nervous system functions and how we can work with it—rather than against it—to build true resilience.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. Complex neuroscience concepts are broken down into clear, digestible explanations, making it easy to understand why we react to stress the way we do. More importantly, the book provides concrete, actionable strategies for stimulating the vagus nerve, calming the nervous system, and cultivating long-term stress resilience. Readers will appreciate the practical exercises, from breathing techniques to movement practices, that can be integrated into daily life.

While the book covers a vast amount of information, it takes its time connecting each concept to the bigger picture. The early chapters, in particular, meander through the foundational science, which may feel slow for those eager to dive straight into solutions. However, this thorough grounding ultimately enhances the effectiveness of the strategies introduced later, ensuring readers fully grasp the *why* behind the *how*.

By the time you reach the final pages, *The Polyvagal Solution* has equipped you with a personalized toolkit for navigating stress with greater ease. Whether you struggle with chronic anxiety, burnout, or simply want to cultivate a stronger sense of well-being, this book offers invaluable guidance. A must-read for anyone looking to break free from the grip of stress and rediscover a state of true balance.

The subtitle of this book was enough to draw me to it. I'm a high tension person who, in the (not at all distant past) was having a lot of panic attacks and all the associated stuff. I'm managing all that quite well, largely thanks to a meditation app. I am having an issue right now with one of my neighbours, which included him printing out photos of me taken from the CCTV in my building, calling me crazy and delivering this to all 38 of my neighbours. Wild! Managing my emotions around him and his behaviour has been fascinating, as I know I'm right and he;'s wrong, and he almost certainly does not pose a physical threat to me. But tell that to my nervous system!
This book is simple and clearly written. It acknowledges that there are other factors at play with stress and anxiety, but given the name of the book it's no surprise where the focus is.

There are clear explanations and clear steps to follow, although I think doing what is essentially a meditation practice is more effective using an audio app. I used this book for background and information,but toddled off to my app to do the exercises. The exercises are fairly simple, but having the background on how and why it works is interesting.

The structure of the book is quite straightforward, and it's written in a chatty workbook style, with questions, things to do and a dot point summary at the end of each chapter. The author tells anecdotes about when she has used these techniques and the book would be better off without them. They make her seem both privileged and ordinary and don't add anything helpful.

The main flaw with this book is that while everything is drawn back to the vagus nerve most of the techniques will be very familiar for anyone who has been around the wellness / meditation space for a while. It's not innovative, but it is simple and clear.

As a mental health provider this book is just what I needed. It’s a fairly light read and quick despite the topic. I shy away from mental heath books after long days at work but this provided just the right amount of education and practical skill development. I’ve pulled up the somatic techniques page several times during sessions to discuss the physiological sigh!

This book is a comprehensive guide to learning about and beginning to implement polyvagal techniques, beginning with education related to the vagus nerve itself combined with education on the autonomic nervous system; an explanation of the polyvagal theory; and guides to understanding vagal tone and then practicing polyvagal exercises. Other topics covered include neuroception and interoception, which are described to the reader in an easy-to-understand way which is digestible to those who may not be coming from a clinical background. Because of this, you can definitely pick this book up and read through and implement its recommendations and exercises on your own if Polyvagal theory is something that has interested you, or you can also pick this book up if you are a clinician such as a therapist like myself who is looking to use the Polyvagal theory more often with clients. Kase does a great job of phrasing and explaining the variety of topics addressed throughout the book - another one of my favorites was "Where attention goes, energy flows".
Kase emphasizes the importance of Polyvagal theory by teaching the reader about the autonomic nervous system and now only how much space it takes up in our bodies, but how much space it takes up of our day-to-day actions, decisions, and capabilities. I appreciate the psycho-education this provides to the reader and the way that this highlights that many of the "problems" we deal with on a daily basis can be out of our control - however, we do have the power to work on using skills and techniques to "get cozy with our ventral pathway", as Kase says! One of the only things I would have liked to see added to this book is the addition of some more graphics or drawings, perhaps providing some more graphics of the nervous system or some of the descriptions of the strategies listed to help keep the reader engaged.
Thank you to NetGalley, New Harbinger Publications, and Rebecca Kase for providing an early digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

“I use these techniques every day in my personal life, and I have found the more I use them, the less I need them. As my nervous system becomes more resilient, I feel overwhelmed and stressed less often, but when I do, I can bounce back pretty quickly. I feel more confident in myself because fewer things can knock me down. I trust life more because I trust that I can handle whatever comes my way. My clients who learn these skills report similar outcomes. More balance and happiness, less emotional overwhelm. Many clients have shared that they turn to these techniques daily to manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction.” - the author - (now I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to feel less stressed and overwhelmed).

Vagus nerve disrupt is associated with:
*anxiety
*depression
*digestive issues
*muscle tension and pain
*teeth grinding
Along with many more.


*I began these exercises as complementary self care to my EMDR therapy

This is a guide that I’ll be getting for my own bookshelf - the practices are clearly written and actionable and feel like a good addition to daily life, along with meditation and mindfulness (which I can never say enough positive about) I’m excited to continue trying to incorporate these into my life and will hope for the benefits the author has written in the book.



Thank you to New Harbinger Publications and NetGalley for the DRC

This was actually a really easy, straightforward read. It gave great background and biological information, along with practical, actionable practices. I really appreciate this information and thank the author for sharing their knowledge. I feel like this will make a difference in my every day life.

Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me this ARC opportunity.

*The Polyvagal Solution* is a straightforward guide that breaks down what the vagus nerve is, how it shapes our responses, and how to work with it to find steadiness when life feels like too much. The techniques are clear, useful, and worth revisiting whenever extra support is needed—which I know I’ll be doing!

The techniques presented in this book will add to my clients ability to reduce tension, find space for emotional regulation and overall benefit their wellbeing. It will also be a great addition to my EMDR therapy!