The weight is distributed evenly and wraps around you like a hug.

Weighted blankets are commonly used to help prepare the body for sleep. The RAVI compact and portable version lets you take your comfort with you – anywhere you go.

Traumatic experiences can have an influence on daily life and health even after the danger has passed.

Our bodies are designed to keep us safe in the face of peril. When you sense an unsafe environment, your body goes into an automatic response to Survive. This system is called the Sypmathetic Nervous System which is part of the Autonomous Nervous System.

Samples of traumatic experiences:

– Trauma from Violence/Natural Disaster

– War

– Physical Assault

– Serious Accidents

– Grief

– Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

– Witnessing Violence/Disaster

Traumatic Stress Disorder Fact Sheet

An estimated 70 percent of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives and up to 20 percent of these people go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

An estimated 5 percent of Americans—more than 13 million people—have PTSD at any given time.

Approximately 8.7 percent of all adults—1 of 13 people in this country—will develop PTSD during their lifetime.

About 3.6% of adults in the United States suffer from PTSD during the course of a year.

An estimated 1 out of 9 women will get PTSD at some time in their lives. Women are about twice as likely as men to develop PTSD.

The Autonomous Nervous System has 2 parts

Sympathetic nervous system that primes the body to survive and the Parasympathetic nervous system that prepares the body for optimal life. The Autonomous Nervous system is responsible for the functions of the physical body that are not under conscious effort or automatic. For example: breathing, heartbeat, digestion…

Sympathetic Nervous System – Survival Mode

Also known as the fight, flight or freeze response, the body is designed to go into Survival mode in a fraction of a second. All the “wiring” and “chemicals” are constantly ready for action. Once the waterfall of chemicals and hormones enter the system, the body has heightened awareness, and the heart rate increases to increase the flow of blood to the muscles.

Survival mode is tough on the physical body especially when you are in it for extended periods. Additional chemicals are released to help keep the response active over long periods. Survival Mode can also be turned on by implied threats. For example, Remembering past trauma or worrying about future plans can also trigger your “Survival Mode” – Sympathetic Response

Some examples of how the body automatically responds while in survival mode

Blood Pressure goes up
Heart Rate and Breath rate increase
Your body Feeds Blood to the Muscles for Strength
Stimulates Sweating and Pupils Dilate
Restricts energy to organs that are less important to immediate survival.
Impairs digestion and urination

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Also called the Rest & digest or the feed & breed response. The Parasympathetic Nervous system supports optimizing body function for normal day to day activity.

It’s also important to note that it takes more time to move from Survival Mode to Thrive Mode. Your system must truly believe that you are safe. and the transition is much slower.

Some examples of the Parasympathetic optimization of body regulation include

Lower Blood Pressure
Lower Heart Rate
Lower Breath Rate
Blood fed to the Organs to promote healthy function and repairs.
Regulates body temperature
Supports the normal function of the body.

According to the Mayoclinic

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

Explore symptoms and help at Mayoclinic

Symptoms of PTSD:

According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America):

Symptoms mas start within a few weeks of the traumatic event or they may not arise until years later.

Re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive distressing recollections of the event, flashbacks, and nightmares.
Emotional numbness and avoidance of places, people, and activities that are reminders of the trauma.
Increased arousal such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating, feeling jumpy, and being easily irritated and angered.

Symptoms can change intensity over time. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help prevent the symptoms from getting worse

RAVI is a mini weighted blanket that can rest on the lap when seated, on any other part of the body, used to enhance a yoga practice and it is very good I think for people with anxiety disorders, depression and PTSD which is my motivation for having it. It is very helpful for me throughout the day and during sessions with my psychologist.

James G, PTSD Survivor

Using the senses to calm the Autonomous Nervous System

The body is designed to take in your surroundings using your senses

There are the 5 basic Senses – sight smell taste hearing & touch. You also have sense receptors in inner ear that feeds you information about body position and movement, called Vestibular sense. Proprioception refers to the sense receptors in your joints, tendons and and muscles that feeds information on body position, movement and stretch.

Weighted blankets help calm the nervous system through touch (DPTS)

Deep Pressure Touch Stimulation (DPTS) therapy has been used to help calm the nervous system.

The sensation of a hug as the RAVI wraps over you can be deeply soothing to the nervous system. Similar to swaddling a baby, the body relaxes.

Chemical Free – DPTS uses the body’s natural response to relaxation to help correct chemistry within the body.

Comforting for PTSD, Anxiety and Stress