Autonomic Physiology Poster

This smaller poster (12 x 16 inches), composed of drawings from our medical illustrator, lays out the organization of the branches of the nervous system, with an emphasis on the Autonomic physiology. A complement to our Official Polyvagal poster, it visually presents the functional elements controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System.

The text of the poster reads:
The Autonomic Nervous system is the neurological architecture of the mind-body connection.  Often operating beneath the threshold of conscious awareness, it is the part of the nervous system that we don’t need to think about.  Autonomic equates to automatic. It governs breathing, heart-rate, digestion, immune function, and stress responsivity.

Aspects of the ANS are responsible for regulation of the internal milieu (homeostasis), as well as surfacing various neural platforms of behavior based on our bodily assessment (neuroception) of safety versus threat.

These notes illustrate the core neural connection between the regulation of the heart and the deep brain.  The brainstem (reptilian brain) drives the higher brain.  This foundational connection between the neurocardiology of the heart, and the deep brain sheds light on the way safety and connection versus threat and defense shape neural platforms of behavior.  This relationship is fully elucidated by the Polyvagal Theory.  It validates ancestral awareness that the state of the heart drives the state of the mind, which concords with findings from neuro-embryology that remind us that the heart, which develops first, lays the groundwork for the brain.

Museum-quality posters made on thick and durable matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.

• 12 x 16 inches
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.6 oz/y² (192 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%