Aligning Our Voice with Our Intentions: A Polyvagal Course for Communication

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This practical course offers an in-depth exploration of our voices and it’s relationship to our physiological state, and our intentions. Rooted in the principles of Polyvagal Theory, it reveals how our voice can be a powerful tool for creating meaningful connections, impactful communication, and building trust—the cornerstone of all relationships.

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A POLYVAGAL COURSE FOR COMMUNICATION

Included in this course

Vocal Exercises for Effective Communication

Understand how to shift our physiology to align our voice with our intentions, and our voice to shift our physiology for effective communication.

A Polyvagal Approach

Take a deep dive into Polyvagal Theory to apply a polyvagal-lens to communication. Learn how our physiology affects our ability to connect & inspire others.

Develop Your Own Practice

Designed for daily practice and real-time application, you'll develop practical tools to enhance self-regulation, cultivate meaningful connections, and foster resilience in your personal and professional life.

Course Description

We literally speak from the heart!

Our voice is a profound resource that shapes how others perceive and engage with us. Whether in leadership, parenting, performing, counseling, therapy or coaching, our voice can either invite closeness or create distance. Its tone, rhythm, pace, and pitch signal safety or risk, connection or disconnection, confidence or doubt. While these dynamics often occur unconsciously, this course empowers you to intentionally develop strategies to align your vocal and physiological presence with your core values, aspirations, and intentions.

The connection between our physiological state and our voice is deeply interwoven.

Our inner state shapes the quality of our voice, while our voice, in turn, influences our physiological state - and the responses of those around you. Ignoring this bidirectional link can result in missed opportunities to experience and express your authenticity and build trust.

This embodied approach integrates progressive neural exercises focused on breath, support, sound, voice, listening, and connection, all underpinned by Polyvagal Theory.

Who is this course for?

Anyone who needs to use their voice to communicate with others!
Teachers, Parents, Coaches, Artists, Healthcare Providers, Manual Practitioners, Therapists, Counselors, Politicians, People in Leadership, Public Speakers.
There is some physicality required in the practices, however modifications are offered.

What else should I know?

There are no pre-requisites for this course. It is presented in a hybrid format - a mix of live sessions & self-paced content.
Self paced content will add up to a total of 8.5 hours, complemented by one Live Welcome Session (1 hr) and two Live Meet Ups (1 hr 15 min each).
Upon completion of the main 4 modules, students will be instructed on how to create a practice. Using their voice as a powerful broadcaster of safety, trust, and support in co-regulation, students may submit a final voice/movement practice for feedback.
You will receive a Certificate of Completion upon finishing this course.

Course curriculum

1. Welcome to your course!
2. Course Schedule and Zoom Link
3. Live Meet Up Invitations
4. Our Cohort Community Page
5. Course Objectives
6. Reading: How Understanding PVT can make us Better Communicators
7. Reading: All about these Embodied Practices
8. Self Assessment Sheets
9. Watching: Documentary - How Our Brain Judges People in a Split Second
10. Watching: Point of Relation Podcast - The Polyvagal Theory, Welcome vs. Warning and Regulating the Self.
11. Watching: Stephen Porges, PhD Thoughts on the Voice
12. Listening: Wired For Connection - A Polyvagal Podcast
13. Diagram: Our Internal WiFi system
14. Diagram: Autonomic Nervous System States
  FREE PREVIEW
15. Bonus Watching: Polyvagal Theory: A Neuroscientist Explaining Reactions to Safety and Threat with Dr. Stephen Porges
16. From PVI: Emotional support & other support resources
  FREE PREVIEW
1. Live Class Meet-Up 1: April 29th, 2025
2. SLIDES: Live Meet-Up 1: April 29th, 2025
3. Live Class Meet-Up 2: May 6th, 2025
4. Bonus Exercise
5. Live Class Meet-Up 3: May 20th, 2025
6. SLIDES from Bonus Exercise
7. SLIDES: Live Meet-Up 3: May 20th, 2025
1. Module 1 Objectives
2. Reading: Breathing Patterns and Autonomic State
3. Reading: Diaphragm Movement and Ventral Vagal Tone
4. Reading: Reference Material: Common Breath Holding Patterns
5. Watching: Animation of Diaphragmatic Breathing
6. Doing: LAND - Embodied Exercises in Breath
7. Practice: Short, Back and Sides
8. Practice: UpDown and Circles (breath)
9. Practice: Six Sided Box (Breath)
10. Practice: The Wave
11. Practice: Resonance Breathing
12. Practice: Cyclical Breathing
13. Practice: The Long and Short of it All
14. Key Concepts Module 1
15. Thought for the Week
1. Module 2 Objectives
2. Reading: Voice as a Resource
3. Reading: Enhancing Ventral Vagal Activity Through Vocalizations - Frequencies
4. Reading: How Vocal Vibrations Influence Vagal Afferents to Efferents
5. Reading: Listening to Our Own Voices
6. Reading: Why Do Our Voices Get Pitchy When Frightened?
7. Doing: EMERGE - Embodied Exercises in Sound
8. Practice: Jar of Glimmers
9. Practice: The Yummy Hum
10. Practice: Sunrise/Sunset
11. Practice: UpDown and Circles
12. Practice: Group Hug
13. Practice: Floor Clock
14. Practice: Dead Ant
15. Practice: Six Sided Box (Sound)
16. Practice: The Quarterback
17. Practice: Dropping In
18. Key Concepts Module 2
19. Thought for the Week
1. Module 3 Objectives
2. Reading: Play and Polyvagal Theory
3. Reading: Vocal Play
4. Reading: Psychology Today March 24th 2025
5. Listening: National Public Radio Interview with M&M
6. Doing: EXPAND - Embodied Exercises in Vocal Play
7. Practice: Rollercoaster
8. Practice: Rolling Hums
9. Practice: Bottom Bell
10. Practice: Shake and Radiate
11. Practice: The Orchestra
12. Practice: Stompin Tom
13. Practice: The Straw
14. Key Concepts Module 3
15. Optional Listening: Visceral Voice Podcast Episode
16. Thought for the Week
1. Module 4 Objectives
2. Reading: How We Feel, Changes How We Communicate and Vice Versa
3. Reading: Articulation, Clarity and the SES
4. Diagram: The Cranial Nerves of the Social Engagement System
5. Doing: ENGAGE - Embodied Exercises in Establishing the Face - Heart Connection
6. Practice: The Jaw
7. Practice: Soft Palate
8. Practice: The Lips
9. Practice: The Tongue
10. Key Concepts Module 4
11. Watching: MRI - Speaking
12. Reading: Benefits of The Straw Exercise.
13. Optional Listening: The Visceral Voice Podcast - The Tongue
14. Optional Listening: the Visceral Voice Podcast - Exploring the Airway.
15. Thought Forever!
1. Reading: Why we Create a Practice
2. Reading: How we Create a Practice
3. DOING: A Vocal Ritual, Routine or Practice
4. OPTIONAL - You may submit a practice here for feedback.
5. Come to the Edge
1. Check out these resources!
1. Course Feedback Survey

About this course

$599.00
95 lessons

Instructor(s)

Voice, Performance and Speaking Coach Mathilde Shisko

For more than 25 years Mathilde has been a leading voice, performance and speaking coach based in Vancouver, Canada. Mathilde combines science, art, mindfulness and play, to help her clients realize their full vocal potential. She believes “when our voices are truly connected to our intention, our voice is clear, impactful and potent.” At her personal coaching studio, My Voice Coach, she coaches “anyone who needs to be heard.” Her clients include prominent politicians, artists, philanthropists, TEDx Speakers, entrepreneurs, health care providers, leaders in business and coaches in many domains. She continues to work in Theatre, Film and Television as an actor and as an Adjunct Professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, is the outgoing voice and senior instructor at the Vancouver Film School and continues to teach at Vancouver’s premier acting studio, McIlroy and Associates. She is the lead voice coach/consultant for international companies, providing group and individual coaching for those stepping into leadership roles or those wishing to find more ease and joy in their day to day communication with their teams and clients. She believes that VOICE truly is our vital natural resource for finding safety, connection and belonging. This has become her life’s work.

Performance Consultant, Educator, & Author Michael Allison

Michael Allison is a globally recognized performance consultant, educator, and author who specializes in applying Polyvagal Theory to enhance health, resilience, and performance. He has trained hundreds of consultants and coaches as Play Zone Pros©, a methodology endorsed by Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. Michael's expertise is sought by elite professionals across major sports organizations, including MLB, NBA, ATP, WTA, FIFA, ITF, NCAA, and others. As a contributing author for Psychology Today, he explores the physiological, psychological, and social challenges of performing in high-stakes environments in his platform titled "The Pressure Paradox." Michael is a speaker and educational partner with the Polyvagal Institute, where he is recognized as a leading expert on its flagship course. He is the co-author of "Polyvagal Parenting" (New Harbinger, 2026) and has contributed to multiple books in the Norton Professional Series, including co-authoring "Empathy to Compassion: A Two-Step Physiological Process" with Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. Additionally, he is a featured speaker at major global conferences, including Oxford University’s Master Series, The Polyvagal Institute's International Gathering, Global Exchange Conference, and Psychological Safety Day. His work bridges neuroscience and performance to help individuals and teams thrive under pressure. Email Address: [email protected] Website: www.theplayzone.net