You may be wondering, what exactly is the vagus nerve, and why on earth would I need to stimulate it?

The vagus nerve is the main nerve of our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for promoting our “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” reactions, and it is a fascinating part of our physiology.

This long and intricate nerve is like the main switchboard of our body, in fact, its name best describes it. You see, vagus is Latin for “fugitive,” or “wanderer” because it is the longest and most widely extended nerve in the body.

The vagus nerve is vital for our overall health, as it spontaneously takes in sensory information and sends it to the brain to find out what to do with that information. This helps the body regulate many of our important involuntary physiological functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration, and more. So, it stands to reason that a healthy vagus nerve means a well-adjusted and healthier you.  

Furthermore, scientists have made some interesting new discoveries about the vagus nerve’s role. Not only does it serve the brain and other critical organs in the body, but it also seems to have an intelligence of its own. Like when you suddenly get a ‘gut feel’ about something, or a sixth sense in certain situations? Well, you can thank the vagus nerve for that.

So how does this relate to trauma, anxiety, stress, or PTSD?

Being the longest nerve in the body, the vagus nerve is especially prone to being “stuck”. The reason for this is that when you experience trauma, the brain learns from that experience and creates a shortcut in the brain, so when your vagus nerve encounters a similar smell, sound, visual cue, or anything else that was apparent during the previous traumatic event, your sensory organs pick up the information and send it to the brain, where the brain recognizes the signals and releases the bodies stress response.

All of this takes place automatically, as a sort of ‘autopilot’ response.

But fear not… One of the best life hacks that nature has to offer us is the ability to deactivate the vagus nerve’s default reaction system, so when our fight or flight reaction kicks in, there are a few effective techniques that we can deploy to restore ourselves and ‘reconnect’.

How do we do this?

By using VNS, vagus nerve stimulation.

Our top 5 favorites are: 

Deep Breathing 
Inhale slowly and deeply, and take a moment before exhaling at an even slower rate (at least twice as long) because this activates our parasympathetic nervous system, as well as lowers rapid heart rate and cortisol levels. 
 
Singing, Humming, or Gargling 
The vibrations from singing, humming, or gargling stimulate the vagus nerve which is connected to the vocal cords, and posterior throat muscles, and passes through the inner ear. This has a cathartic effect by oscillating the air which causes nitric oxide to be released in the nasal cavity which increases circulation and vasodilation. 
 
Exposure to Cold 
This slows the heart and redirects blood flow to our brains. We can stand outside on a cold day with shorts and a T-Shirt on, dunk our heads into ice water, place an ice pack on our face or neck, or take a cold shower. 
 
Laughing 
Laughter stimulates the vagus nerve and in turn, improves our mood and lowers blood pressure. Laughing is a great tool to use to improve our general well-being, and generally spreads to others as well. 

Basic, Half-Salamander and Full-Salamander  
Stanley Rosenberg, Craniosacral Therapist, and author recommend these 3 exercises in his book, ‘Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve’:  

The Basic Exercise: 
-Lie on back 
-Interweave fingers on both hands and place them behind the head 
-Without turning your head, look to the right 
-Remain here until you spontaneously yawn or swallow 
-Return to the neutral state with head and eyes straight 
-Repeat on the other side 

 
The Half-Salamander Exercise: 
-Eyes look right without turning head 
-Tilt head to the right towards the shoulder 
-Hold for thirty to sixty seconds 
-Then eyes and head straight back to neutral 
-Eyes look left without turning head 
-Tilt head to the left towards the shoulder 
-Hold for thirty to sixty seconds 
-Then return to a neutral state 

 
Full Salamander Exercise: 
-Get on all fours 
-Head is facing down 
-Look left without turning head 
-Tilt head to the left 
-Let your left spine twist with the head tilt to the left 
-Hold for thirty to sixty seconds 
-Bring head and spine to center to straighten out 
-Repeat on the right side 

In a nutshell

Increasing our vagus nerve activity and practicing VNS is a profoundly effective way to maintain physical, emotional, and mental health.

Of course, there is a lot more to this fascinating nerve, such as the polyvagal theory, which I will explore in  more detail in an upcoming blog, but ultimately, the important thing to note is that  stimulating the vagus nerve releases stuck energy in the body, which will help you to finally let go of distressing past experiences that you may still be holding on to, by aligning the head and heart with the message that, “right now, in the present, I am safe.”

If you or a loved one is seeking guidance for anxiety, depression, or stress, please get in touch with our team here at Anxiety Free Life and My Local Hypnosis at support@mylocalhypnosis.com.au, or book a free 30-minute session here