Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about the vagus nerve, making it the latest superstar in the world of natural healing. Despite its complexity and significance, there are some easy ways to grasp and take care of your vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve, pronounced [va·guhs], derived from the Latin word "vagus" meaning wandering, is a remarkable component of our nervous system. Being the longest cranial nerve, it intricately traverses multiple parts of our body, from the brain down to the neck, chest, heart, lungs, and abdomen. It forms a vital network that links our essential organs with our brain.

What is the role of the vagus nerve?

It supports our emotional well-being.

When stimulated, the vagus nerve triggers a relaxation response, promoting feelings of calmness and reducing anxiety and stress. It helps us respond more effectively to emotional challenges by promoting emotional resilience and providing a sense of well-being.

It improves Heart Rate Variability (HRV):

What is that? Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the tiny differences in time between each heartbeat. Higher HRV generally means better resilience to stress, improved emotional balance, and overall cardiovascular health. A healthy vagus nerve contributes to optimal HRV, allowing us to better manage stress and to stay healthy.

It helps regulate our digestion:

A healthy vagus nerve promotes optimal digestion and gut health, and reduces symptoms like indigestion, bloating, and constipation. This, in turn, can positively impact our overall well-being and mood.

It helps control inflammation in the body:

The vagus nerve helps alert the immune system to fight off infections. When there's an infection, our body releases signals that activate the vagus nerve, which then tells the brain to send more help to the infected area. Once the infection is under control, the vagus nerve helps calm down the immune response, bringing the body back to its normal state.

It helps improve breathing: The vagus nerve influences the depth and rate of our breathing. Deep breathing exercises, which stimulate the vagus nerve, help promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall respiratory function.

In essence, a strong vagus nerve helps us deal with stress better, keeps our emotions in check, improves our digestion, controls inflammation, and helps us breathe well. All these benefits help us handle different emotional and physical issues more effectively.

Here are 6 ways to stimulate your vagus nerve... some of them may already be part of your routine!

Sing, hum, chant, or laugh

Because it is connected to the larynx and pharynx in your throat, singing, humming, chanting, and laughing create vibrations that stimulate the vagus nerve. But you already knew that laughing and singing were great mood boosters, vagus nerve aware or not!

Breathe deeply through your diaphragm
Deep breathing engages the parasympathetic nervous systems and activates your vagus nerve. Try to take only 6 breaths per minute, allowing the stomach to expand as you inhale and contract as you very slowly exhale. No brainer…

Exercise
When we move, the digestive system and vagus nerve are stimulated. Whether yoga, Pilates, walking or any other cardio activity, any movement can help stimulate and tone the vagus nerve. Just move!

Take care of your gut

The vagus nerve can be activated by the gut microbiota. Consume fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi, miso, tempeh, yogurt, raw dairy, kefir (dairy or vegan), raw apple cider vinegar, and kombucha. Or take prebiotic and probiotic supplements.

Apply an ice pack to the chest, neck, or back
The vagus nerve is stimulated when the body is exposed to cold, so splash your face with cold water, turn the shower water as cold as you can stand it, or apply and hold an ice pack to your chest, or the back of your neck.

Give yourself (or receive) a 10-minute massage
A gentle massage of the neck and shoulders, or even a foot rub can help improve the functioning of your vagus nerve. Use calming essential oils like Lavender, Chamomile, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Geranium, Neroli, Rosewood, Lemongrass, and Ylang Ylang.

Our new Aimée Massage Oil is the perfect choice for a feel-good, vagus-nerve-loving massage!

Formulated with organic oils, it is easily absorbed into the skin, is non-comedogenic (does not plug pores), and does not stain clothing or sheets. It contains a blend of essential oils that instill a sense of tenderness and relaxation.

Let me know if this blog post was helpful, and, as always, feel free to ask any additional questions.

With Love,