Exercises to Activate the Vagus Nerve
The workout that everyone must do.
If you’re someone who thinks the mind-body connection is just a bunch of crazy bs, educate yourself on the vagus nerve and then come talk to me.
The vagus nerve is something that has fascinated me for a few years now, because my physical and mental health have always been so directly correlated. I had always heard about the mind-body connection and knew it was something so true for me, especially when it comes to my gut, but I didn’t understand how or why it was possible. It wasn’t until I learned about the vagus nerve that I was able to fully understand what was happening in my own body, because apparently I thought science was the only way to validate what I was feeling. But, it turns out that trusting your intuition is just as effective, which I know is crazy to believe these days.
So if you’re someone who has a feeling that this connection exists in your own body, I highly recommend educating yourself on the vagus nerve and its role in your own body. Understanding its power and the importance of nervous system regulation has been critical for my own health, and is still something that I have to put effort into every single day as Lyme wreaks havoc on the entire body, but especially the nervous system. Physical health is mental health, and both must be taken care of equally in order to be truly healthy. And one easy way to take care of both is by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Below are just a few simple and effective ways to take advantage of this knowledge by activating the vagus nerve. These techniques are quick, easy, and free things that can be done every single day to turn on the body’s relaxation response, lowering stress and telling the body that it’s safe again.
Try them out!
Time in nature: Activates the body’s relaxation response to effectively reduce stress, while also promoting positive emotions to increase vagal tone. This can be done anywhere and at any time, making it a super accessible addition to any daily routine.
Deep belly breathing: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, aka the body’s state of rest and digest. This allows the body not only to relax, but also increases oxygen in the cells to produce endorphins. This can be done by breathing consciously and deeply from the belly, and eventually reducing the speed of breath from 5-7 times per minute. Breath in through the nose and out from the mouth, making exhales slightly longer than inhales.
Yelling, chanting, and/or singing: Creates a vibrating sensation around the ears and throat and activates surrounding nerves, in which the vagus nerve passes through and is one of its four main functions. This can be done in many ways, but studies have shown that yelling or “OM” chanting is the most effective. For “OM”, hold the “O” for 5 seconds and the “M” for 10 seconds, repeating for a few minutes and ending with deep breathing. And if that’s not your style, try going for a joy ride in your car and releasing some steam by yelling. Speaking from experience, it really works wonders.
Cold water immersion: Creates parasympathetic activation by reducing heart rate and intestinal motility and turning on the immune system. This is especially effective after exercising, when the sympathetic nervous system is turned on and heart rate is elevated. This can be done in a variety of ways such as a freezing cold shower, ice bath, or simply splashing cold water on your face.
Gargling water: Increases salivation which triggers the body’s relaxation response. An easy way to tell if the body is in this parasympathetic state is by seeing if the mouth is able to produce excess saliva.
Let me know if you try any!