Vagus Nerve Rituals: Guide yourself to safety in everyday moments
The Vagus Nerve is the longest cranial nerve connecting our brain to the beat of our heart, the breath into our lungs, our gut and even shown to “wander” as its name means in Latin, to play a role in stimulating the clitoris, activating woman's pleasure.
If the tone of the Vagus nerve is underdeveloped or under utilised due to prolonged states of stress our body remains in a sympathetic nervous system state of fight or flight and therefore in high reactivity or in a state of freeze and emotional shutdown.
You may notice symptoms in the body such as:
Shallow, fast breathing
Racing heart
Poor digestion
Depression
Anxiety
Reflux
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Systemic Inflammation
Memory Issues
Attention difficulties
Impaired emotional regulation
Decreased resilience to stress
Disconnection from community
Vagus nerve dysfunction impacts your body via the gut brain connection.
The Vagus nerve regulates our digestive process, and explains why when we are under stress or increased anxiety it impacts our digestive function and we get an irritable bowel… because we have an irritable brain!
Support your body to drop the fight and flight reactionary nervous system dominance and surrender into the restoration of the rest and digest nervous system response with improved stomach acid production and enzyme secretions for better digestion.
Is your Vagus nerve driving your Hormone imbalance?
Our balance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are all impacted by the regularity of our cycles and hormonal cascades that support our moods and libido. Driven by the hypothalamus and pituitary in the brain which is under the influence of cortisol and receiving its feedback from your Vagus nerve!
It’s your energetic highway
Our Vagus nerve moves through each of the body's main energy centers and is connected to energetic meridians that act as channels for energy, prana, chi, vital force to travel through the body.
It’s important that we recognise this role the vagus nerve plays in reading and interpreting energy and vibrational frequencies as if it is underdeveloped or under utilised due to high states of sympathetic fight or flight reaction to environmental stimuli then the highly sensitives are picking up on all frequencies with a force of fear and reaction.
Everyday rituals to tone our Vagus Nerve
I utilise many rituals that stimulate this nerve into a state of relaxation to induce rest and digest in my clients and in my everyday practices.
Breathwork - Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing with exhales double the length of inhale signal safety
Cold Water Exposure - after a warm shower turn the water cold for the last 30 seconds.
Singing, humming and chanting so perhaps put on some music in the kitchen while making breaky.
Gargling water, perhaps after brushing your teeth gargle some water.
Stretching and Movement especially in nature, a morning walk or some yoga poses in the morning.
Edges awareness - Hugs, Stomping, Dancing
Coregulation - Safe Conversations with regulated people
Herbs and Nutrients that tone the nervous system such as lemon balm, passionflower, saffron, chamomile, reishi, ginkgo, magnesium, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids just to name a handful.
Find ways to weave these practices into your everyday mothering for a grounded foundation for you and your children.
Reconnect to your physical body to activate your connection with your Earth Elemental body.
Your grounded stability of a calm and connected nervous system.
If you would like to go deeper with me, reach out with a free connection call to discuss your needs and where we can get started.