Of all the wonder that lies beneath or outwardly appearance, the nervous system is one of nature’s most magnificent and powerful productions.
We live a life, in our society today, that is barely recognisable to 150-200 years ago. The behaviours we exhibit as human beings are so vastly different to our ancestors we have seen a rise in stress affected people in our communities.
If you’ve read any of my columns before you will know that stress is not an emotion. It is a stimulus our brain and body view as some kind of threat. And it responds accordingly.
The vagus nerve could be described as the king of the parasympathetic nervous system — a.k.a. the “rest and digest” — so the more we can do things that “stimulate” or activate it, like deep breathing, the more we offset the effects of the sympathetic nervous system and reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
Ideally, within your autonomic nervous system, the tug of war between these two opposing mechanisms creates a “yin-yang” type of harmony marked by homeostatic balance.
Unfortunately, the hectic paced, digital age we find ourselves living in causes our evolutionary biology to short-circuit by throwing our individual and collective nervous systems out of balance.
It’s for this reason that a healthy vagal tone has become a heightened area of research within the scientific community. Thankfully, there are easy to implement, highly effective, science-backed ways to activate the power of your parasympathetic nervous system by stimulating your vagus nerve.
7 EASY WAYS TO STIMULATE YOUR VAGUS NERVE
COLD THERAPY
According to one study, when the body is exposed to cold therapy, our fight-or-flight system declines and our rest-and-digest system increases – stimulating the vagus nerve. An easy way to get started? Cold showers. Learn more of the benefits associated with cold therapy on our YouTube channel.
POSITIVE THINKING
In a study of 65 people, half of the participants were instructed to sit and focus their thoughts on positive thoughts towards others. The result? Increased positive emotions produced increases in vagal tone, an effect mediated by increased perceptions of social connections.
MEDITATION
Meditation has amazing neurological benefits – from altering grey matter volume, to stress reduction, improved focus, and increasing creativity but it’s also a powerful neurohack to support vagal tone.
In a 2016 study, 35 test subjects practised mindfulness meditation as a means to handle life’s stressors. After four months, subjects showed higher levels of brain connectivity and lowered inflammation, indicating a healthier vagal tone.
BREATHWORK
Breathwork is one of the fastest and easiest ways to activate the vagus nerve. By applying strategic breathing practices, you are able to utilize the body and mind to experience pure consciousness also known as a sense of oneness. You might even love the work of with Dr. Andrew Huberman, (look him up!) as he helps us better understand how to use breath to shift out of fear states.
LAUGHING
Laughter stimulates diaphragmatic breathing, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and triggers the “tend-and-befriend” response linked to healthy vagal tone. Even ten minutes of laughter is sufficient in triggering mental and physical health benefits.
SINGING AND CHANTING
The vagus nerve is connected to both your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, chanting, and even humming have been shown to activate these muscles and increase heart rate variability, thus stimulating your vagus nerve.
EXERCISE
We know that exercise supports mitochondrial health and helps reverse cognitive decline, but it’s also been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which may explain its beneficial brain and mental health effects.
By understanding the incredible power of your vagus nerve you can begin practicing ways to flex its inhibitory strength to help you live an optimized life and offset the effects of the sympathetic nervous system.
GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED AND ADJUSTED
Spinal adjustments specifically performed by a qualified clinician checking your nervous system can increase Vagal tone. We see 100’s of patients exhibit improved stress tolerance and one of our patients managed to ditch her anti-depressants after 20 years!
As always take care
Dr Gareth Ward DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) MChiro.
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