When it comes to our health and well-being, it’s not just about the food we eat and how much we exercise; regulating our nervous systems is of utmost importance for achieving optimal health. The nervous system, particularly the vagus nerve, plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance and functionality of various bodily processes, including the body’s ability to manage stress, support digestion, and improve immune response.
What Is The Vagus Nerve and Why Is It Important?
As the longest and tenth cranial nerve, the vagus nerve acts as a critical communication pathway between the brain and major organs, significantly influencing both physical and mental health. It is also the main contributor to the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system.
A 2018 report in Frontiers in Psychiatry highlights the effects of parasympathetic intervention (and vagus nerve stimulation) on various bodily functions. It shows that such intervention stimulates the salivary glands, dilates blood vessels, and increases bowel motility. Additionally, the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating food intake, maintaining energy homeostasis, inducing satiety, and modulating inflammation. It is also involved in the onset of psychiatric disorders as well as inflammatory and stress-related conditions. The therapeutic potential of vagus nerve stimulation has been demonstrated, largely due to its anti-inflammatory and relaxing properties.
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, is a psychologist and author of six books on PTSD and complex trauma. In her book Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery, she explains that regulating the vagus nerve not only improves physical health but also plays a crucial role in enhancing somatic and emotional intelligence. Furthermore, it serves as a tool to help us relate to and connect with others in a healthy and mature manner. Additionally, a 2022 article, shows that vagus nerve stimulation creates safety cues that can recruit metabolically efficient states of calmness, thereby optimizing health, growth, and restoration.
Lidalize Grobler, an educational psychologist trained in EMDR and TRE, told the Epoch Times that she views the vagus nerve as a river, capable of nourishing, hydrating, and effectively caring for the entire body. It has the capacity to branch out, delivering the right amount of water or energy to various organs, such as the digestive system, kidneys, heart, or lungs. The vagus nerve’s intuitive wisdom enables it to redistribute this water or energy under threat, prioritizing life-saving functions by blocking certain branches to focus resources on the fight-or-flight response. She also emphasizes that different people might require different approaches, advocating for a trial-and-error method to discover what works best for each individual.
How To Naturally Improve Vagus Nerve Function
- Self-havening
Because the vagus nerve runs through the face, ears, and neck, massaging these areas and cultivating sensory awareness throughout the body can naturally stimulate it. A 2015 article in the Health Science Journal demonstrated that even a single session of havening intervention can significantly impact depression, and anxiety, and improve work and social adjustment.
- Posture & Spinal Movement
Posture contributes to maintaining both physical and mental health, as common spinal misalignments can strain the nervous system and negatively affect the body’s vital organs, writes Ms Schwartz in her book. One effective way to enhance the functioning of the autonomic nervous system is by engaging in a variety of movements that promote spinal flexibility and correct common imbalances. According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, spinal cord stimulation can help restore autonomic nervous system regulation and increase parasympathetic activity.
- Cross-lateral movements
Ms. Schwartz explains in her book that feeling unsafe can disrupt neural connections between different areas of the brain, interfering with the brain’s ability to integrate information at cognitive, emotional, and sensorimotor levels (coordination, balance, etc.). To regulate the vagus nerve effectively, it’s crucial to use brain integration strategies that foster healthy neurological connections between the left and right sides of the brain, as well as between the upper and lower brain centers. Failure to achieve this integration can lead to disruptions in the HPA axis (the body’s stress response system) and the autonomic nervous system.
To restore balance to the nervous system, it is essential to reintegrate these parts of the brain so they function cohesively. One of the most well-known therapeutic applications of brain integration is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which uses bilateral eye movements to facilitate communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This process mimics rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, according to a 2008 article in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.
Additionally, cross-lateral movements can help create a coherent nervous system state, allowing us to make decisions, handle conflicts, and respond to stress in a more integrated and effective manner, according to Ms. Schwartz.
- Breath
The heart and lungs are deeply interconnected with each other and the autonomic nervous system, making breath regulation essential for maintaining nervous system balance. Long, slow exhalations stimulate the vagus nerve, initiating a parasympathetic relaxation response that calms the body, according to a 2018 study in the Mental Illness Journal. Alternate nostril breathing has been shown to significantly impact the parasympathetic nervous system, effectively using both breath and cross-lateral movements to regulate the vagus nerve.
Romy Michelson, MA in Drama Therapy, told the Epoch Times that she often helps patients regulate their nervous systems through breathwork. By guiding clients to find a quiet space within themselves, they can repeatedly return to this state, which supports vagus nerve regulation. Michelson has observed that when clients regulate their vagus nerve, they feel very empowered, realizing there are alternatives to increasing medication. Even taking one deep breath can activate a state of calm, says Ms. Michelson.
- Humming and sound
In her book, Ms Schwartz explains that when we perceive a threat, the tone of the inner ear muscles slackens, increasing sensitivity to high and low-frequency sounds. Hearing a low-frequency threat, such as an animal growl, triggers an immediate sympathetic nervous system response, engaging self-protective defences. Similarly, high-frequency sounds in nature, like the screeching of monkeys or birds, often signal potential threats, causing the brain to interpret these frequencies as dangerous.
Conversely, when we feel safe, the inner ear muscles tense, enhancing sensitivity to the human voice. These “sounds of safety” activate the social nervous system, promoting a full-body experience of ease. Relaxing sounds, including music, ocean waves, humming, gongs and singing bowls, can therefore, be a powerful way to stimulate the vagus nerve. According to an article in Frontiers in Psychology, singing has been shown to regulate the vagus nerve.
- Eye movements
It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and indeed, they provide great insight into how you are feeling. This is because the eyes are closely tied to the autonomic nervous system. When your stress response is activated, your pupils dilate to help you scan the environment. Conversely, when you feel safe, your eyes tend to sparkle and express warmth, signalling that your social engagement system is active, explains Ms. Schwartz in her book.
Given the connection between the eyes and the vagus nerve, one way to achieve natural vagal stimulation is to practice stretching and engaging the eye muscles, which can help them relax. The eyes have a direct connection to the muscles at the base of the skull, so moving your eyes can also release neck muscles, increasing blood flow to the brainstem and vagus nerve, according to Ms. Schwartz.
- Cold water exposure
Vagal tone can be increased by enhancing the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system through cold exposure, such as taking a cold shower. A 2008 study demonstrated that although the sympathetic nervous system is initially activated when exposed to cold water, repeated exposure and acclimation to the temperature lead to a shift toward increased parasympathetic activity.
- Laughter
Laughter stimulates a rhythmic breathing pattern that activates the parasympathetic nervous system. According to a 2012 study, laughter is also linked to increased heart rate variability, improved mood, and a reduction in long-term anxiety.
A version of this article has been published by the Epoch Times newspaper.
