On Tuesday June 10th, the Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and All-Party Parliamentary Group on Yoga in Society co-hosted a session to hear two internationally renowned academics from the Kinsey Institute in Indiana speak about the social implications of our underlying neurophysiology. You can listen to the session below:

Dr Stephen Porges's work on the functioning of the vagus nerve, and its implications for trauma and relationships, has been revolutionising the practice of psychotherapy worldwide. In this meeting he discusses how mindfulness and yoga training may help us to better regulate our nervous system in a modern world that often knocks it dangerously out of balance - and comments on why this might be particularly important in politics.

Dr Sue Carter described how oxytocin may have a vital role in helping us to manage stress and navigate potentially traumatic experience, whilst building and strengthening our relational bonds. Sue's slides from the session can be viewed here.

Stephen and Sue were joined by Dr. Amit Bhargava, who offered some reflections on how the evidence they presented has important implications for the new 'social prescribing' trend in the NHS and applications of mindfulness and yoga interventions more broadly.

Questions and answers from the session:

Meeting of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Mindfulness and Yoga in Society