Bridging information and research in neuroscience and trauma
to practical application in classroom instruction and learning environments!
Embedded Files
The goal of Rooted Regulation is to supply a free research-based approach with a neuroscience perspective based on information by researchers and experts in the field of cognitive science and education to inform teachers, facilitators, and caregivers. This site is full of resources, many linked with information for ease of learning, growing, and implementing change of practice from the information gleaned here, with Rooted Regulation, with strategies rooted in neuroscience and trauma to grow relationships rooted in regulation and resilience for optimal learning environments where students and teachers can grow and thrive in all conditions!
Rooted Regulation brings a concrete nature-inspired analogy to abstract concepts that are found in regulation, neuroscience, and trauma!
Above was created using the word ROOTS, to visualize, represent, and anchor key concepts found in Rooted Regulation.
Rooted Regulation is a nature-inspired analogy created to help bring a concrete approach to the abstract concept of emotions, that weaves together and integrates neuroscience, trauma, and regulation. Understanding trauma, its impact, and strategies of regulation is an important component of Rooted Regulation, in developing roots of resilience to "weather" any condition. Many programs, listed below, promote the development of tools and strategies to utilize when regulating, a common aspect of many Social Emotional Learning (SEL) approaches.
The "toolbox" fits well with the nature-themed analogy used in Rooted Regulation for each individual to use to tend to and develop strong, resilient roots in fertile rich "soil" to grow and thrive in, "weathering" any conditions that come their way!
Stachew, et.al., (2021) and Stokes, (1994) highlight that in nature, for example, when trees are exposed to tough conditions, trees grow deeper roots and what is known as stress wood, also known as reaction wood, a specialized type of wood that trees produce as a response to external stresses, primarily wind, causing them to strengthen as they bend or lean.or resilient tree roots to grow effectively, roots anchor deeper and strengthen to support the tree’s structure through environmental stresses and can develop what is known as stress wood.
Donaldson & Singh (2016) define stress wood; also known as reaction wood, as a specialized type of wood that trees produce to respond to external stresses, primarily wind, causing them to strengthen as they bend or lean.)
This insight highlights that, much like trees, we can use the challenges and stresses of life to grow and develop resilience and depth WHEN handled with care, support, and attunement. Understanding and embracing adversity, rather than avoiding it, is essential for genuine growth and stability!
Stachew, et.al., (2021) state "Root systems are multifunctional, resilient, biological structures that offer promising strategies for the design...such as adaptivity, multifunctionality, self-healing, mechanical and chemical soil attachment." (p.1) Therefore an analogy of being a gardner empowering individuals to develop individualized "toolkits" of regulation strategies to cultivate fertile soil that supports nourishment of roots and growth of healthy trees that can weather any conditions and circumstance is encouraged and supported.
With this in mind, much like a tree's root system, and the strategies tree root systems develop to build resilience and strength, such as stress wood; I propose, through educating ourselves and those we interact with, we can use the challenges and stresses of life to develop and strengthen resilience and regulation strategies. These regulation strategies support understanding of bottom-up verses top-down responses to stress, metacognitive processes, and the rewiring of neural networks identified in response to trauma and stress. In doing so, trauma and stress can be identified, processed, and supported with guidance and attunement of an adult informed by the research in neuroscience and trauma. Understanding the impact of trauma, and how to support and promote regulation and healing, empowers individuals to develop individualized strategies to regulate and build resilience to embrace adversity leading to genuine growth and stability!
Stachew, E., Houette, T., & Gruber, P. (2021). Root Systems Research for Bioinspired Resilient Design: A Concept Framework for Foundation and Coastal Engineering. Frontiers in robotics and AI, 8, 548444. https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2021.548444
Rooted Regulation
***Learn HOW your brain works- Learn WHY - - Know Yourself- Learn Your Triggers - - Know your students - - Learn their triggers--
Cultivate Fertile Soil - -
Grow Strong Resilient Roots of Regulation***
You can have the best instructional strategies and curriculum, but without relationships and regulation, it is lost. Facilitators must reflect on themselves and their current view of student behavior, then rewire that to align with the current research in neuroscience and trauma. Current research supports getting to the "root" of behaviors, looking at the underlying cause and going beneath the surface. Being INTENTIONAL to support each individual's unique brain-body connection and regulation with which behavior flows.
Rooted Regulation is an approach tailored to the unique needs of each child acknowledging that each individual has their own settings and "soil type" that influences what tree they "grow" or the behaviors observed in how they respond to stress. Rooted Regulation is based on the research found to be effective in Neuroscience and trauma.
Rooted Regulation takes an appreciation for differences, as anything that affects the sensory input and view of the world for an individual. These differences in "settings" of sensory, emotional, cognitive, and learning environments are all aspects that influence the individual's "soil" that their visible "tree," or seen behaviors, are rooted in. Trees will reflect all the colors at various times in response to stress, dependent on the state of the individual's "soil."
Rooted Regulation empowers the individual with tools to cultivate soil into the "nutrient-rich" state desired that can "weather" any "storm"! This approach investigates the "why" behind the behavior and is intentional and supportive in discovering what is below the surface. Appreciating each brain as unique in the experiences and differences they have had that impact their view and how they process the world around them leads to not just surviving, but thriving!
Purpose and Intention:
Learn key terms in the field of Neuroscience and trauma. Learn the role and the role of neuroscience or brain-based learning. Examine neural pathways, working memory as a pathway to long-term memory, cognitive flexibility, and the impact on emotional self-regulation.
Links to neuroeducational sites: Learnus (about Learnus) and Educational Neuroscience Hub.
Facilitators will learn strategies and tools to get to the "root" of behaviors and co-regulate, relate, and build resilience with brain-body connection for optimal learning and resilience.
Facilitators will learn to develop a "toolbox" to regulate themselves and transfer this to co-regulating and supporting students in developing their own individual "toolbox" to cultivate fertile "soil" that they can learn and thrive in any "weather" or condition they find themselves in.
Increasing the "window of tolerance" in regulation for each individual is a large part of what it means to cultivate "fertile soil." In the Window of Tolerance, Dan Siegel, a Clinical Professor of Cognitive Psychiatry, describes the best state of stimulation in which we can function and thrive in everyday life. When we exist within this window, we are able to learn effectively, play, and relate well to ourselves and others better in our "Window of Tolerance" as when we are "regulated."
Rooted Regulation: Developing roots of resilience.
There are a variety of programs, many listed below, that promote the development of tools and strategies to utilize when regulating. It is a crucial component of any Social Emotional Learning (SEL) approach and the "toolbox" fits well with the nature-themed analogy used in Rooted Regulation for each individual to use to tend to and develop strong, resilient roots in fertile rich "soil" to grow and thrive in, "weathering" any conditions that come their way!
In nature when trees for example are exposed to tough conditions, trees grew deeper roots and what is known as stress wood, also known as reaction wood, is a specialized type of wood that trees produce as a response to external stresses, primarily wind, causing them to strengthen as they bend or lean. By being aware of our "window of tolerance" as Dan Siegal relays, we can work to regulate and increase that window by incorporating strategies as we "cultivate fertile soil."
This insight highlights that, much like trees, we can use the challenges and stresses of life to grow and develop resilience and depth WHEN handled with care, support, and attunement. Understanding and embracing adversity, rather than avoiding it, is essential for genuine growth and stability!
SEIGEL'S HAND MODEL OF THE BRAIN
SEIGEL'S HAND MODEL OF THE BRAIN
Amato (2017) refers to the important brain visual from the work of Siegel (2013), a clinical professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, developed a hand model of the brain which he uses to teach parents about the brain (Siegel & Hartzell, 2013). Siegel (2013) provides a process that lists steps to create the hand model of the brain. “First hold up your hand then… take your thumb and bend it into your palm and fold your fingers over the top‖ this is… an accurate general model of the brain… hold up your fist so that your fingernails face you and you will see the middle two fingernails are behind the eyes…the ears come out the side, the top of the head is at the top of your bent fingers, symbolizing the cerebral cortex which is for thinking and reasoning, the back of the head corresponds to the back of your fist, and your wrist represents the neck. The center of your wrist represents the spinal cord coming up from your back, and the center of your palm symbolizes the brain stem which emerges from the spinal cord…and this area regulates wakefulness and sleep and major survival reflexes; fight, flight, freeze or faint…then raising your fingers to reveal your curled-up thumb in the palm of your hand, …the limbic structures in the model…which mediate emotion and generate emotional state” (Siegel & Hartzell, 2013, p. 194).
The hand model, a model of the brain, can be utilized to easily visualize the brain and supports the understanding of the brainstem and limbic area working together for regulation, through the input of external sensations, except for smell. These limbic functions influence processes throughout the brain and are essential if we encounter a ‘trigger’ or if someone aggravates us and pushes our ‘buttons’ and we ‘flip our lid,' shown in the hand model by flipping our first 3 fingers in an upright position in the brain model. When this happens, we tend to express unexpected or often undesired reactions towards others (Siegel & Hartzell, 2013).
Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Theory
Stephen Porges identified a hierarchy of response built into our autonomic nervous system. (Image Ruby Jo Walker 2000)
A visual of how Porges's Polyvagal Theory relates to what is observed with the nature-inspired analogies such as soil and color-emotion associations Rooted Regulation Approach.
(Image created by A. Gerst 2023)
Polyvagal Theory
Our nervous systems unconsciously detect cues of safety or danger, a process termed neuroception by Dr. Porges. This mechanism operates through three distinct pathways:
Ventral vagal state:
Reacts to signals of safety, fostering social engagement and a sense of connection where authenticity thrives.
Sympathetic state:
Responds to indications of danger, triggering the body's fight-or-flight response, leading to feelings of anxiety, stress, or anger.
Dorsal vagal state:
Activated by extreme threats, inducing immobilization and a protective collapse state, resulting in sensations of numbness, depression, or dissociation.
Dr. Stephen Porges has coined the term Neuroception, which describes how our neural circuits distinguish whether stimuli are safe or dangerous. His Polyvagal Theory introduces the concept of “Neuroception,” referring to the autonomic nervous system’s unconscious scanning for cues of danger, safety, and threat.
In each situation we find ourselves in, our neuroception evaluates whether we are safe or in danger. Neuroception regulates various responses in the body, including muscle response, heart rate, breathing, and pain tolerance.
Having an understanding of neuroception can help us deconstruct the causes of behavioral challenges and SHIFT the way WE respond to behaviors. This shift will cultivate an environment where there is "felt safety."
In cases of trauma, individuals may become 'rooted' in fight-or-flight response. However, our brains and nervous systems possess neuroplasticity, the ability to adapt and change.
"Thought Forest" of the brain- Dr. Caroline Leaf calls it impacts our mind and behavior as well.
There is so much power to our thought patterns as well! Dr. Caroline Leaf brings up the consequences from allowing stress to become ingrained in the ”trees” of your mind. Rooted Regulation supports neuroplasticity by building in education and reflection towards implementing strategies that support and stimulate neural pathways. This support the cultivation of "fertile soil", strengthening the "roots" of existing connections, and rewiring or "re-rooting" new ones.
This "re-rooting" in "fertile soil" promotes a reduction in both the sympathetic and dorsal vagal states that we mentioned above. As more time is spent "rooted" in the ventral vagal state, where relational safety is felt, in "fertile soil" of the autonomic nervous system. This system is then able to heal and rewire or "re-root" to establish growth in regulation and resilience!
POWER of understanding neuroscience, learning, and the neural networks and your thoughts on success!
Leaf uses an analogy with a thought tree being built into the brain as you use your mind in response to your experiences, or in other words, as you think, feel and choose in response to life.
"Persistent Stress CHANGES
Brain architecture"
Neuroception, Polyvagal Theory, and the Brain-Body Connection
Neuroception, Polyvagal Theory, and the Brain-Body Connection
*We want to build relational safety to support the autonomic nervous system in being able to heal and develop, establishing growth in regulation and resilience!
* By integrating the research in neuroscience and trauma facilitators can co-regulate their environments, and grow relationships, and resilience for optimal learning and success!
Co-Regulation, Relationships, and Resilience.
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Supporting the brain-body connection.
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A "Tool Box"
to cultivate fertile soil where both facilitators and students can be rooted in relationships, resilience, and regulatation!
Supporting
themselves and support their learners in growing success!
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Cultivate "fertile soil" by increasing your
Dan Siegel, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, the Window of Tolerance describes the best state of 'arousal' or stimulation in which we can function and thrive in everyday life.
When we exist within this window, we are able to learn effectively, play, and relate well to ourselves and others.
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Possible questions to ponder alongside forms such as Delbroke's IDEA:
Possible questions to ponder alongside forms such as Delbroke's IDEA:
🧑🌾 What is the state of my "soil" is it fertile, cracked, or dry?
🧑🌾 What is the state of my "soil" is it fertile, cracked, or dry?
🌳 What "tree" am I growing, why, what is below the surface- what am I rooted in?
🌳 What "tree" am I growing, why, what is below the surface- what am I rooted in?
🟤 How can I cultivate "fertile soil" with strength-based strategies where regulation and resilience are found?
🟤 How can I cultivate "fertile soil" with strength-based strategies where regulation and resilience are found?
***Look into other approaches and resources available:
*https://www.socialthinking.com/zones-of-regulation/free-stuff
*https://www.thewatsoninstitute.org/about-us/
*Austrailia Program: Berry Street Model- https://www.berrystreet.org.au/learning-and-resources/berry-street-education-model (This model also gives great recommendations for culturally responsive classroom ideas.
*Sanctuary Model thesanctuaryinstitute.org/about-us/the-sanctuary-model
*Research to read more about Culturally Responsive Classroom and trauma informed schools.
"Everyone is an educator and a student, build mutual respect within the whole, within your relationships." - Jeffery Dessources
"I grew up in neglected weeds" - Harriet Tubman
Jeffery Dessources highlighted even though she "gree up in neglected weeds" Harriet Tubman found leadership and freedom, and so can we as educators become leaders in being culturally responsive!
Rooted Regulation
When observing emotions and/or challenging behaviors of any "tree color" other than green, ask yourself...is this bottom-up behavior that is a response to stress, or a top-down behavior, that purposeful and intentional?
Delahooke's (2019) book suggests the importance of what she calls the "IDEA process" :
*Inquire (about the child's history)
*Determine (what distresses them),
*Examine (causes and triggers)
*Address (developmental issues causing behaviors)
*These resources challenge us as facilitators or educators to see the unique individual not just their neurodiversity, ADHD, etc but all aspects of the child are seen and discovered through IDEA and a relationship with the individual to learn and play on the strengths to support, heal, and improve on opportunities or areas of growth. (weakness)
Integrating the IDEA form into practice and processes when developing strength based interventions, approaches, and supports for students is key. This needs to be one of the first things explored when challenging behaviors are observed, showing that this student needs caring attuned adults to look beneath the surface through a trauma-informed lens. Having these conversations, gathering information, and seeing each student as an individual with unique experiences is important. Looking beyond behaviors for root causes to truly support students can lead to healing, growth, and success.
Delabrooke's (2019) book and other programs such as: Superflex, We Thinkers, and names of teaching frameworks such as ILAUGH, Friendship Pyramid, Social Behavior Mapping, The Incredible Flexible You, and Social Thinking Regulation Zones all have utilized colors as a strategy to bring something concrete to something abstract.
Harvard University- www.developingchild.harvard.edu/library
-Brains are built over time, from the bottom up.
-The basic architecture of the brain is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood. Early experiences affect the quality of that architecture by establishing either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all of the learning, health and behavior that follow.
***Explanations:
Top-down thinking: allows us to have intentional behavior. To plan and direct motor cognitive and social behavior.
(Upstairs brain: Prefrontal cortex, executive center)
Bottom-up thinking: Stress response to threat danger. We are born with bottom-up behaviors that are reflective responses that are subconscious. (downstairs brain: the limbic system and amygdala)
Resource for IDEA:
The IMPACT of
Social Emotional Learning! (SEL):
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to implement and continuously improve systemic SEL in schools, districts, and states
Self-Care with Dr. Lara Vanderhoof
Self-Care with Dr. Lara Vanderhoof
Our own wellness and thought patterns play an important role in our ability to be an attuned adult for other individuals. Dr. Vanderhoof introduces tools such as the wellness wheel and more to prioritize self-care.
Breathe For Change is another great resources out there in facilitating support for educators to be the attuned adult students need!
Facilitators
Facilitators
By reflecting and observing what "trees" are currently being grown by themselves or their students, an atmosphere of co-regulation can begin being built. Facilitators must then dig deeper, below the surface to draw attention to what "soil state" one is rooted in. This supports facilitators to uncover the "root" of not just another individual's behavior, but their own behavior and reactions as well.
As one considers questions and forms such as Delbroke's IDEA process. (History, developmental stages, and an individual needs) these answers can help identify the role the answers play in an individual's " soil state they are rooted in and support identify triggers for both the teacher and the student.
Considering unique differences, backgrounds, and experiences is especially important when developing individual strength-based "Toolboxes" utilized by all individuals to support the "window of tolerance" and threshold to self-regulate and therefore co-regulate.
As facilitators we too have our own trauma and triggers. We need to take the time to think through what lens our experiences and thoughts bring to the learning environments we lead. Identifying these, and working through our own trauma, triggers, and healing will allow us to be regulated and an attuned caregiver for other individuals.
Reading the "Support for Facilitators" column will give facilitators great tools and resources to support them in their wellness and protect the balance of what Dr. Lara Vanderhoof shares as "Compassion Satisfaction" versus "Compassion Fatigue."
Let's replant or "re-root" the brain's hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in "fertile soil" that is full of resilience and can strengthen connections between neural pathways of the brain, enabling more adaptive behaviors when faced with challenges. Our brains become “wired” for resilience and new neural pathways can give us a healthy mindset to be the attuned and regulated leader so many students need.
Students
Students
Facilitators must support students to get to the "root" of their behaviors in developing awareness of their "tree" and the state of their "soil" that they are "rooted" in.
Observing "What "tree" is growing?" and drawing attention to what "soil state" are they currently in, brings awareness and attention to their emotions. This supports them in developing opportunities toward defining their emotions and feelings. If they have not YET developed the ability to do so, taking into account developmental stages and individual's ability to tend to their "soil state," along with their unique differences, background, and experiences is important when developing a regulation "toolbox" with strength-based tools to cultivate fertile soil that can support students in "weathering" any "storm" or "drought" that comes their way.
Attaching concrete images and objects to emotions and feelings can sometimes be more abstract. All colored trees, or feelings and emotions, are okay to have. Building an understanding that they will have each of these feelings from time to time, and it is okay to feel all of them, is important. Letting them know that there will be times when all of these feelings or "trees" will be grown or felt too.
Then, the discussion of what causes trees to grow and flourish best is presented to students. Learning about their brain, and what causes brains to learn, grow, and flourish best should also be taught, from books such
as, "My Fantastic Elastic Brain".
Defining "fertile" or "rich" soil assists students in understanding what a "just right" soil state is and how it supports the growth of a regulated, happy, and calm green tree.
A "toolbox" that can help them cultivate fertile soil will allow them to develop resilience and be able to self-regulate in "soil states" that are not ideal.
Their individualized tools in their "tool box" should be able to cultivate and adjust their "soil" to the "just right" (ventral vagal) "soil state" to grow a happy, calm, and regulated green tree.
Information and terms such as:
Hippocampus: a part of the brain, within the temporal lobes, critical to strengthening and retaining new memories. (Amthor, 2016)
Amygdala: This part of the brain plays an important role in our emotional responses.
(Amthor, 2016)
Support for Facilitators
Support for Facilitators
Information and linked video by
Dr. Lara Vanderhoof
The amount of empathy, energy, and compassion that goes into supporting co-regulation in learning settings is immense and the needs of facilitators to be met and supportive is huge if they are to have the ability to be the support students need. Teachers should have a safe environment where they feel supported as well and be equipped with training and tools to help support compassion satisfaction to prevent compassion fatigue when assisting students in regulating the learning environment. This will allow us to continue to extend empathy, grace, and understanding to others as we assist and support them in learning environments. Working with others both co-workers and students can bring complexities to relationships and regulations in the classroom that can contribute to burnout and secondary trauma, and there are frameworks and strategies we now know to support the prevention of this and increase compassion satisfaction in how we react and respond to stress. Developing a self-care strategy and resiliency planning critical for facilitators in a variety of settings. We hope these resources will be helpful in some way, with a screening tool that helps us identify what these terms are, compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, and where we fall on the scale of these, as well as what we can do about it to support ourselves as facilitators to develop resilience within to protect our compassion satisfaction and prevent compassion fatigue. Although this clip is geared toward social workers, we as educators can get so much from these tools that Dr. Lara Vanderhoof shares with us.
Attaching concrete images and objects to emotions and feelings can sometimes be more abstract. All colored trees, or feelings and emotions, are okay to have and an understanding is built for them that they will have each of these feelings from time to time and it is okay to feel all of them, and there will be times all these "trees" and feelings to grow. The discussion of what causes trees to grow and flourish best is presented, and what causes our brains to learn, grow, and flourish best is discussed as well as the just right soil it grows in that produces a regulated, happy, and calm green tree. A "toolbox" that can help them develop resilience and be able to self-regulate in "soil states" that are not ideal, and then tools to cultivate and adjust their "soil" to the just right (ventral vagal) "soil state." Supporting students in asking the following questions: What "tree" am I growing and why? What is the state of my "soil"? How can I cultivate rich soil where regulation and resilience are grown? Then identifying feelings, finding unique triggers and sensations in their brain-body connection, and finding what tools and strategies work best for them to self-regulate, allowing their brains to feel relational safety and more regulated in the ventral vagal "soil state" of feeling safe, calm, and happy growing a "green" tree!
Dr. Bruce Perry developed Regulate. Relate. Reason. The three Rs, are an important regulation tool that can be utilized. Each R is considered important to address when an individual is upset and dysregulated. The order is crucial, one must first regulate, then relate, and, finally, reason.
Why Regulate?
Why Regulate?
Regulation is essential to being present and able to process in an environment. Feeling safe and regulated is an essential component to an optimal, successful, and safe learning environment. Growing regulation starts with the facilitator or adult leading. Facilitators taking the time to regulate and understand their triggers and build their regulatory toolbox is critical to understanding and developing before they can support students or clients and co-regulate in their learning environment.
Why Relate?
Why Relate?
The lens you see your students or clients through will either help you relate to them or not. Becoming trauma-aware is an important first step. Truly relating, caring, and empathizing with the individual, thinking through "what might have happened to you?" or "what caused this response?" is essential to supporting healing, growth, and learning. Building connection and trust as you relate and empathize is an essential step toward healing and building new neural pathways and patterns that are healthy responses to triggers and pave the way towards self-regulation and success.
Why Reason?
Why Reason?
Thinking about your students or clients in an observatory and curious way versus reacting to them is important, by observing and thinking about why a behavior was exhibited, and what triggered it versus reacting to the behavior as a personal attack or retaliation is a much-needed shift. Working towards the root cause and assisting students and clients in processing, healing, and growing is important. Supporting students in reflecting and reasoning through the behavior and event in a way that can assist them in future regulation and awareness of triggers as you reason with them will lead to healing, growth, and success.
Roots of Regulation:
Roots of Regulation:
Individualized Toolbox:
*Support to calm with deep breathing, drink of water, or 5-4-3-2-1 exercise.
*Reflect and have support to identify Feelings and grounding exercises
*Identify triggers, sensations, sensory input, and underlying beliefs of self.
*Taking a deep breath with triangle or four square breathing.
*Sensory input from fidgets, sensory swings, and lap pads.
Delahooke (2019) emphasizes the benefits of play, specifically in a therapy approach or response to the need of a child to develop self-regulation and problem solving skills is discussed and highlighted.
Delahoooke includes the IDEA process: Inquire (about the child's history), Determine (what distresses them), Examine (causes and triggers), and Address (developmental issues causing behaviors).
Therapeutic play, as mentioned by Delahooke was used to support self-regulation and improve problem-solving skills.
*Play integrates bottom up responses and feelings with top down thinking. It was emphasized that therapeutic play should be enjoyable and child-driven and it involved attentive and attuned adults.
* Sports and dramatic play were also noted as valuable as long as they fostered engagement and safety.
and Therapy of the Arts
Key Principles of Somatic Exercises
Awareness and Sensation: Somatic exercises prioritize internal awareness and sensory feedback. Practitioners focus on how movements feel within the body rather than how they appear externally.
Mind-Body Connection: These exercises aim to bridge the gap between physical movement and mental awareness, promoting a deeper connection between the mind and body.
Non-judgmental Observation: Participants are encouraged to observe their movements and sensations without judgment, fostering an environment of self-acceptance and exploration.
Functional Integration: Somatic exercises often seek to improve functional movement patterns by addressing habitual tensions and imbalances in the body.
The Arts, such as theatre, acting, music, and artistic oulets are shown to be useful in bringing awareness, outlet, and expression.
*Horia Kadi has free resources that fit wonderfully with Rooted Regulation!
Click for free Somatic Sheets
*Swinging arms
*Scribble Drawings
*Expanding and contracting
*Bean bag toss
*Walking Mindfulness or
*Mirror Dance
Roots of Relating and Resilience:
Roots of Relating and Resilience:
"The sense of being understood by
and existing in the mind and heart of a loving attuned and self-possessed other."
-Diana Fosha
Hippocampus: a part of the brain, within the temporal lobes, critical to strengthening and retaining new memories. (Amthor, 2016)
Amygdala: This part of the brain plays an important role in our emotional responses.
(Amthor, 2016)
Let's "re-root" or rewire the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in "fertile soil" that will respond to stress in such a way as to reframe and rewire it to actually strengthen and deepen roots of resilience and can strengthen connections between neural pathways of the brain, enabling more adaptive behaviors when faced with challenges. Our brains become “wired” for resilience.
Rooted Regulation: Developing roots of resilience.
Understand trauma, its impact, and strategies of regulation to develop roots of resilience to "weather" any storm! In exploring a fascinating lesson from the biodome experiment, where trees failed to thrive due to an absence of wind. There is research that suggests wind is crucial for a tree’s growth, as it compels roots to anchor deeper and strengthens the tree’s structure through stress wood. With these conditions, trees grew stronger and deeper roots of resilience. This insight highlights that, much like trees, we can use the challenges and stresses of life to develop resilience and depth if we seek to understand, identify, and process our trauma and state of regulation. This will support us in understanding and embracing adversity, and develop tools to support healing and regulation!
Rooted Regulation: Developing roots of resilience.
Thoughts to consider or analogies to help create something concrete for something more abstract:
Understand trauma, its impact, and strategies of regulation to develop roots of resilience to "weather" any storm! Rooted Regulation: Developing roots of resilience.
There are a variety of programs, many listed below, that promote the development of tools and strategies to utilize when regulating. It is a crucial component of any Social Emotional Learning (SEL) approach and the "toolbox" fits well with the nature-themed analogy used in Rooted Regulation for each individual to use to tend to and develop strong, resilient roots in fertile rich "soil" to grow and thrive in, "weathering" any conditions that come their way!
Stachew, et.al., (2021) and Stokes, (1994) for example highlight that in nature, when trees for example, are exposed to tough conditions, trees grow deeper roots and what is known as stress wood, also known as reaction wood, is a specialized type of wood that trees produce as a response to external stresses, primarily wind, causing them to strengthen as they bend or lean.
This insight highlights that, much like trees, we can use the challenges and stresses of life to grow and develop resilience and depth WHEN handled with care, support, and attunement. Understanding and embracing adversity, rather than avoiding it, is essential for genuine growth and stability! For resilient tree roots to grow effectively, roots anchor deeper and strengthen to support the tree’s structure through environmental stresses and can develop what is known as stress wood. Donaldson & Singh (2016) define stress wood, also known as reaction wood, as a specialized type of wood that trees produce as a response to external stresses, primarily wind, causing them to strengthen as they bend or lean.) Stachew, et.al., (2021) states that "Root systems are multifunctional, resilient, biological structures that offer promising strategies for the design...such as adaptivity, multifunctionality, self-healing, mechanical and chemical soil attachment." (p.1)
With this in mind, much like a tree's root system, and strategies that build resilience and strength, like stress wood; I propose we can use the challenges and stresses of life to develop resilience and regulation strategies that support the rewiring of neural networks in response to trauma and stress in being processed, supported, and handled properly with attunement. Understanding the impact of trauma, and how to support and promote regulation and healing, empowers individuals to develop individualized strategies to regulate and build resilience to embrace adversity leading to genuine growth and stability!
Stachew, E., Houette, T., & Gruber, P. (2021). Root Systems Research for Bioinspired Resilient Design: A Concept Framework for Foundation and Coastal Engineering. Frontiers in robotics and AI, 8, 548444. https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2021.548444
Thanks to all faculty and staff and Tabor College for their program "Masters of Education in Neuroscience and Trauma" for cultivating and amazing environment and program for learning this information!
Thanks to all faculty and staff and Tabor College for their program "Masters of Education in Neuroscience and Trauma" for cultivating and amazing environment and program for learning this information!
Link to Progressive muscle relaxation- Centre for Clinical Interventions
Below is an overview of CASEL's article titled: (Link to article)
A systemic approach integrates SEL across all key settings where students live and learn.
Effective SEL approaches often incorporate four elements represented by the acronym SAFE:
SEQUENCED: Connected and coordinated activities to foster skills development
ACTIVE: Employing active forms of learning to help students strengthen new skills
FOCUSED: Dedicated time and attention to developing personal and social skills
EXPLICIT: Targeting specific social and emotional skills
I have always been passionate about SEL in the classroom and after this program have so much more passion and understanding of the why behind it all. One thing I took note of was the 3 components observed in what was considered SEL-focused classrooms, and the informative links they included.
SEL-focused classrooms often include three components: a supportive classroom climate, integration of SEL into academic instruction, and explicit SEL instruction. An evidence-based program can support one or more of these areas.
A supportive classroom climate helps students to feel emotionally safe, part of a community of learners, motivated, and challenged. This type of environment creates a strong foundation for students to engage fully and take academic risks. This includes: community-building, belonging and emotional safety, and student-centered discipline.
Integration of SEL into academic instruction weaves academic learning with opportunities for students to practice and reflect on social and emotional competencies, such as perspective-taking and developing a growth mindset. For example, teachers might incorporate partner and group activities that promote relationships, communication skills, and effective teamwork.
Explicit SEL instruction provides consistent opportunities to cultivate, practice, and reflect on social and emotional competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive.
Great additional resources to continue learning:
Educational Neuroscience
Great information that is free on the "Regulated and Relational" Podcast!
Working Memory &
Cognitive Flexibility
Link above is for information, tools, and Support for facilitators
Learn the impact of ACES, Adverse Childhood Experiences or Trauma on the brain and regulation skills and more.
Research-based Outcomes of focus on SEL approaches
Research-based Outcomes of focus on SEL approaches
Mahoney JL, Weissberg RP, Greenberg MT, Dusenbury L, Jagers RJ, Niemi K, Schlinger M, Schlund J, Shriver TP, VanAusdal K, Yoder N. Systemic social and emotional learning: Promoting educational success for all preschool to high school students. Am Psychol. 2021 Oct;76(7):1128-1142. doi: 10.1037/amp0000701. Epub 2020 Oct 8. PMID: 33030926.
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