In many sessions with clients we discuss the polyvagal ladder and the role of the vagus nerve in our nervous system. This nerve is the longest of our 12 cranial nerves, shuttling information from the body to the brain and back. It travels through the neck and into the chest, branching into the heart, lungs, stomach, pancreas and nearly every other organ in the abdomen. The management and processing of emotions happens via the vagal nerve between the heart, brain and gut, which is why we have a strong gut reaction to intense mental and emotional states. Stress, fatigue, anxiety and even bad posture can negatively impact the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve powers up our involuntary nerve center—the parasympathetic nervous system—and controls unconscious body functions, such as keeping our heart rate constant, helping with food digestion, breathing or sweating. It also helps regulate blood pressure and blood glucose balance, promotes general kidney function, helps release bile and testosterone, stimulates the secretion of saliva, assists in controlling taste and releasing tears, and plays a major role in fertility issues and orgasms in women.
Vagus nerve dysfunction can result in obesity, bradycardia (abnormally slow heartbeat), difficulty swallowing, gastrointestinal diseases, fainting, mood disorders, B12 deficiency, chronic inflammation, impaired cough, and seizures.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Techniques
The vagus nerve doesn’t need to be shocked into shape. It can also be toned and strengthened similar to a muscle doing some simple things:
- Positive Social Relationships
- Cold exposure such as cold showers or face dunking stimulates the nerve
- Gargling stimulates the muscles of the pallet which are fired by the vagus nerve.
- Singing And Chanting increase heart rate variability (HRV) by initiating a vagal pump action to send out relaxing waves.
- Massage for feet and neck
- Laughter stimulates the vagus nerve and increases HRV in a group
- Yoga and Tai Chi increase vagus nerve activity and your parasympathetic system
- Breathing deeply and slowly (about 5-6 breaths per minute) activates your vagus nerve that connects to your heart to lower blood pressure and heart rate
- Exercise increases your brain’s growth hormone, supports your brain’s mitochondria, helps reverse cognitive decline, and stimulates the vagus nerve
Healing From Trauma in Therapy
The article about healing from trauma, says:
- Messages we receive from outside of our body may impact our heart rate, i.e., trauma and complex trauma.
- Heart rate may decrease due to dissociation-a relationship may exist between the heart and dissociation symptoms.
- The content of a trauma memory may contribute to the heart decreasing to a harmful level, i.e., less than 60 beats per minute.
- Trauma memory leads sometimes to the production of excess stress hormones that lead to physiological effects (e.g., thyroid, gastrointestinal issues, and asthma symptoms).
- Environment cues impact physical reminders of safety (or lack of safety) for a patient.
Brainspotting Therapy with Elaine Korngold
I am a Certified Brainspotting Therapist and an Approved Consultant and would be happy to talk to you about Brainspotting. Brainspotting therapy accesses the genius of our deep subcortical brain helping with trauma healing. There is no need to be in chronic emotional pain. Please text or email me for a free consultation.