Getting Your Head Around The Debate
Everyone is impacted by Trauma. It’s why I have taken the time to take a deeper dive into the latest research in hope to increase capacity as a community to support those who need it most when dealing with the ripple effect of Trauma.
What Holds Up. What Doesn’t?
Polyvagal Theory & The Body Keeps the Score — A 2026 Evidence Review for Trauma-Informed Practitioners
For yoga teachers, mindfulness teachers & allied health professionals.
The Short Version
Polyvagal Theory: In February 2026, Paul Grossman and 38 co-authors called the theory’s anatomy “untenable” in Clinical Neuropsychiatry. Porges responded that critics are misreading his work.
What’s disputed is the precise wiring — the three-tier ventral/dorsal hierarchy and whether HRV truly measures “vagal tone.” What’s not disputed: that feeling safe, co-regulating with others, and reading the body’s signals matter deeply.
The Body Keeps the Score: In November 2025, psychiatrist Michael Scheeringa reviewed 122 claims from the book in BJPsych Bulletin and found the strongest statements — trauma as “brain damage,”trauma “stored” in tissue, body therapies as uniquely effective — aren’t supported as written. Van der Kolk’s real argument is that trauma dysregulates the nervous system’s stress response, not that trauma is trapped in muscle tissue.
Still True & Valid
Use these with confidence in your teaching and practice.
As Yoga & Mindfulness Teachers or Allied Health Practitioners – no doubt we are doing all we can with our best intentions to help someone in need. Everyone’s interpretation of language, research and Trauma is different.
With so much information – especially with the introduction of AI – it can be hard to get a real grasp on fact and what the evidence shows. Quick instagram debunking reels and within a few seconds an at a glance – what I hope was originally designed to help people can turn into a real ‘shit show’.
During my many trainings I attended a multiple day training with Bessel Vanderk in Brisbane. What stood out was not the title of his book “The Body Keeps The Score” – it was just how many people were helped by both moving, breathing modalities AND talking. What was inspiring was how many people who had invested time and money in wanting to help themselves and others find relief from Trauma.
Trauma is not what happens to you always – it’s the beliefs we tell ourselves from what has occurred. This is why this argument / debate is important to look more deeply into before jumping on the debunking bandwagon without discernment. For me I think it’s an opportunity to see once again – how can we help find relief from suffering. Not only from Trauma – but from the systems, people who protect those who do harm to others.
It’s also an opportunity to look at the possible misinterpretation from the phrase “The Body Keeps The Score”
“Keeps” may mean to some it doesn’t let go, it gets stuck. However in my experience in working with people over the last thirty years and in my own personal experience – is the human body, brain and mind has great capacity to change – especially with support, compassion, discernment and understanding! We have capacity to adapt. Moving, breathing, support, safety, feeling you can talk to someone and be listened to and understood – is all part of a very big picture.
The biggest risk for trauma to continue its cycle and what is potentially just as traumatising is when someone is not listened to or misunderstood. Or a bystander does nothing about harm. There are very genuine reasons for this – that at the time someone may not have the skills to know what to do, how to handle a traumatic situation or when it was brought to someone’s attention.
That is why advocacy, education and support from as many people as possible is vital. This should be the focus – more so than who is right or wrong in a scientific debate. So let’s put the focus where it can be most useful. Back to the people who need it the most. Everyone is and can be effected by Trauma – so being Trauma Informed can have a powerful ripple effect for us all.
I hope this has helped in some way.
Namaste
Tammy
If you are interested in any of the above and would like more information on this or programs for personal or professional development for yourself or your organisation email tammy@yoga-nrg.com or contact 0439418571.
