How to stimulate your vagus nerve to reduce stress and anxiety

What is the vagus nerve?

The vagus nerve is a long and powerful nerve that connects the brain and gut together. It runs from the brain, passing and contacting the tongue, vocal cords, throat, heart, lungs, diaphragm, liver, spleen, large intestine, small intestine, pancreas and kidneys, ending as a ball of nerve endings in the stomach. Hence why it’s often referred to as the ‘wandering nerve’!

The vagus nerve and our relaxation response

The vagus nerve largely contributes to the parts of the nervous system responsible for both the fight or flight and rest and digest responses. And as the vagus nerve connects with the lungs and diaphragm, means the way we breathe affects it. If the vagus nerve senses relaxed, slow breathing, it relays messages to the brain that everything is a-ok, and there’s no need to stress.

Whilst the science behind the nervous system runs deep and you could read about it for hours, there’s no substitute for first-hand experience. Simply put; we know what it feels like when we stimulate the vagus nerve, because we feel more relaxed. Think of the vagus nerve a little like your in-built de-stressor, available to engage with at any time. In a world where many of us are currently experiencing situations that could elicit anxiety and stress, it’s worth knowing how to work with the vagus nerve to bring your body into a state of balance, and empower yourself with your own healing tools.

Five ways to start working with the vagus nerve in yoga

1. Slow deep breathing

Breathing is one of the most simple and effective ways to stimulate the vagus nerve and elicit the relaxation response. Simply taking a slow, long and diaphragmatic breath is enough to encourage the vagus nerve to let the brain know it’s time to relax.

The vagus nerve runs through the throat and vocal cords too however, so specific yogic pranayama techniques like Ujjayi breath and Brahmari breath (humming-bee breath) can be even more powerful. To practice Brahmari breath, take a long breath in and then let out an audible ‘hummmm’ with your mouth closed as you exhale. 

2. Singing and chanting

Similar to the way Brahmari breath vibrates the vocal chords, singing and chanting have been shown to work with the vagus nerve to bring the body into a state of ‘rest and digest’. If singing makes you feel self-conscious and stressed, try singing in the shower or singing along with the radio in your car! Any song or mantra you enjoy can help to bring about this response, but the ‘Aum’ or ‘Om’ mantra is particularly effective for cultivating a sense of calm, and is said to send out purifying, positive vibrations to the environment around you. 

3. Cold therapy

Have you tried cold showers yet? Popularised by Wim Hof and his style of breath work coupled with cold showers, cold exposure has increasingly been found to help relieve anxiety and stress, stimulate the vagus nerve, and promote healthy mitochondria (the ‘engines’ within each of our cells). If a full-on cold shower isn’t possible, try splashing your face with cold water – especially when in the midst of a wave of worry or anxiety – as this has similar effects, or stepping outside for short amounts of time with minimal clothing in cold weather. 

• If you want to take this further, combine the cold showers and breathing techniques with yoga targeting the core in our Strong core radiant health program.

4. Meditation

Whether it’s a guided meditation session, or a regular routine of sitting and watching your breath, meditation has been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system by slowing the heart rate and breathing, relaxing the muscles of the abdomen, and slowing brainwave activity.

All of these aspects signal to the vagus nerve that the body is in a relaxed and safe state, thus sending messages to the brain to let it know it’s ok to relax. Positive, loving thoughts are also highly beneficial for vagus nerve activity, so try the Buddhist Metta Bhavna or ‘Loving Kindness’ meditation to start with.

5. Gut Heath

The brain and gut are in constant communication via the vagus nerve. Which is why gut health and mental health are so intrinsically linked. In fact, research shows that when it comes to people with food sensitivities, anxiety, gut problems, brain fog and depersonalisation, a poorly functioning vagus nerve is often at play. 

Having a good balance of healthy gut bacteria has been shown in numerous studies to positively affect the vagus nerve and contribute to better brain health. If you suffer with digestive issues – reflect upon whether these bouts of indigestion or stomach issues tend to be accompanied by mood swings or brain fog. If the answer is ‘yes’, it’s time to take greater care of your gut, as over 80% of our immune system is actually located within it!

Taking a good quality probiotic can help improve gut bacteria, as can including more pre and probiotics in your meals – think sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha or kefir. Practices like occasional fasting, ensuring you’re not eating too late at night, and cutting down on refined sugar can also have a positive impact upon gut health, thus reducing anxiety and stress too!

Yoga and Breathwork in Releasing Trauma

Trauma is any event that overwhelmed our nervous system and our capacity to cope. What distinguishes trauma from stress is that when we’re faced with a stressful situation, we go into fight or flight mode of our nervous system, and we are able to fight and defend ourselves or run, retreat and withdraw from the stressor. Once we’ve escaped the stress, our body and nervous system return to balance.

But in trauma, we can’t fight or flee. When we are overwhelmed by the situation, we freeze, and the survival energy of the nervous system stays stuck in our body, leaving us feeling hyper-vigilant and unable to relax. This survival energy can remain stuck in our system for years.

Trauma isn’t what happened to us; it’s how our nervous system was able to process what happened to us. It can leave our nervous system frozen. Trauma is more than having bad memories, and when trauma is stored in our body, it is a physiological response for survival.

There is no quick fix when it comes to trauma.

The best approaches to healing trauma are slow, subtle and create safety in our nervous system. If we go too fast, too quickly, we risk being activated again.

I always recommend clients seek a therapist trained in treating trauma. Both EMDR and Somatic Experiencing are practical and effective tools that address trauma at the nervous system level.

Yet many people with trauma in their body don’t realise it and haven’t received a diagnosis. All they know is that they feel stressed, anxious or hypervigilant, and they want to do something about it. Many of these people turn to yoga. And one of the main features of yoga is pranayama, or breathwork.

The link between the breath and the nervous system

The breath is the interface to our nervous system because the Vagus Nerve runs through our diaphragm. The way we breathe affects how we feel and sends powerful messages to our nervous system that we’re safe. The Vagus Nerve is the nerve responsible for activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the relaxation response).

Many breathing techniques from yoga have a range of health benefits. But not all of them are suitable for people with trauma. Things that can make trauma worse include:

• Holding the breath mirrors the freeze response, which is not ideal for releasing trauma.

• Over breathing and hyperventilating mimic the stress response, which activates more stress.

When trauma is stored in the body, it is like trapped survival energy. That energy will only be released when the nervous system feels safe.

Aggressive breath work, circular breathing, holotropic breathing and over-breathing might create an altered state of consciousness in people without trauma. But if we have trapped survival energy in our system, this type of breathing can make us feel more wound up, keeping the survival energy trapped.

Subtle breathing is best. But it’s also slow and steady.

Breathwork for people with trauma

My two favourite breathing techniques to relax the nervous system for people with trapped survival energy in their bodies are:

• Extended exhales. This type of breathing emphasises the exhale. We make the exhale twice as long as the inhale. The reason for this is that all the relaxation happens during the exhale. It’s the way we exhale (long, slow and smooth), that signals to the nervous system that we are safe. Try inhaling for a count of two and exhaling for four, and repeat ten times. Note: if that feels challenging, you can inhale for one and exhale for a count of two. As long as the exhale is longer than the inhale, it will calm the nervous system.

• Spinal breath. This type of breathing creates safety in the nervous system and builds neuroception, which is the ability to be present with the subtle sensations in the body.

• Alternate nostril breath. This technique brings balance to the two branches of our nervous system and creates safety.

These are enough. It’s really tempting to seek more and more and fall into the trap that more complicated techniques are better. Simple is good. Safe is good. When dealing with trauma, simple and safe are our best bets.

Releasing trauma

Trauma is stored in the body. It’s the clenching of the jaw, the tension in the neck and shoulders, the tightness in the chest and the ache in the lower back. Trauma is the sleepless nights, the racing heart, the feeling of panic and butterflies in the tummy. It’s the part of us that’s easily startled by loud noise or sudden movement. It’s the feeling of always being on edge, waiting for something terrible to happen. It can be the inner critic or the voice in our heads telling us that we’re shameful, pathetic, weak or not good enough. Trauma is feeling disconnected from our body, feeling stuck in our head and feeling numb or lost in our own world.

Most of all, trauma is energy that won’t leave us alone, and it wants to come out.

When the nervous system feels safe, the survival energy will come up and out of our body in the form of shaking, tremors and involuntary movement.

Yoga for Mental Health

Yoga is a fantastic tool for moving trauma through the body, but it needs to be done mindfully and with intention. A consequence of trauma is that we disconnect from our bodies and shut down our ability to feel. Yet paradoxically, connecting with our body and learning to feel is crucial in healing from trauma. Many yoga practitioners who have hidden trauma will seek out strong or aggressive practices because they struggle to feel the subtleties in their bodies. Strong and aggressive stretching does nothing to create safety in the body and just keeps the trauma suppressed. That’s why people struggle with the subtleties of being present with the body and breath in yoga because they can’t feel anything; they assume nothing is happening.

Supported Bridge Pose is a classic example. This pose is where we elevate our hips with a block or bolster to release the psoas muscle. The psoas stores much of the trauma in our body as it’s the primary muscle involved in the fight or flight response. Releasing the psoas is a slow and subtle process, yet many get frustrated because they can’t feel a stretch, so they try to force the stretch and sensation by lifting the hips higher.

Releasing trauma doesn’t work that way. It can’t be forced from the body. Trauma will only release when the nervous system feels safe.

This is a good thing.

Nervous system healing is a bottom-up approach. Rather than using our minds and thoughts, we connect with the wisdom of our body and nervous system. Our body knows how to come back to balance. We just need to create the right conditions for

Posture, alignment and recovering from injury

By taking the various elements of yoga and the understandings from a holistic physiotherapy approach, we can go on a journey to understand the interconnectedness of our life and our body. We can benefit from these powerful tools and practices that yoga offers us, combine it with this knowledge and create all-round health in our unfolding lives. In the first of this series, Dawn focuses on how postural awareness can help us to shift pain…

Posture

Body awareness, or ‘postural’ awareness is a key element of yoga. Postural awareness arises from how we move into a pose, how we release into a pose and of course how much we notice our body and how it feels in any given posture, on any given day.

Our posture informs so many interconnected systems in our body – from how we move in space, to how we access our breath and even how we feel. However, from a ‘physiotherapy’ perspective (meaning: from the perspective of recovering from injury, or resolving a pain), postural awareness is an intrinsic part of the process of resolving the pain, recovering from the injury, allowing damaged tissue to heal and regaining freedom of movement and wellness again.

In fact it’s imperative to address posture* to help shift pain, because pain always goes hand in hand with a stuckness in the movement system. Alleviate the stuckness and the pain will dissipate.

But the flip side of that is why the stuckness was there in the first place…

Habitual movement patterns

Do you always carry your bag on the same shoulder? Or cross your leg on the same side?! Or wrap your shoulders around your ears while you’re at work…?!? All of these ‘habits’ or postural patterns repeated over and over add up to become the path of least resistance for us, movement-wise. And often it becomes a one-sided path. Our ‘connective tissue’ (the silk-like web that wraps around all of our muscles, underneath them, over the top of them and between all of them) adapts and reinforces the repeated patterning. Low and behold soon enough that tissue becomes shortened, slightly – barely noticeably, unless you’re practised in observing these things – and the body then starts to ‘prefer’ this patterning.

There are deeper, more ingrained reasons why we carry out these repeated patterns in the first instance… and in addition, these habitual physical patterns aren’t the only reason for the ‘stuckness’.

Alignment

How making a change can shift the pain that you’re experiencing…

Whenever we move, we shift energy. That energy has to be dissipated through our tissues. Each and every time we place our foot on the floor, for example, old Newton (Isaac!) informs us that we receive an equal and opposite ‘reaction force’ up from the ground. We have to transmit that force through our tissues. Through our muscles, through our bones, though our ligaments, tendons and joints.

When our joints are aligned ‘optimally’ –  when our vertebrae sit fabulously on top of one another (and not pulled out of kilter by tense, taught muscles), or when we have length through our neck, when our scapulae (shoulder blades) hug our rib cage appropriately and when shoulders reside away from our ears! – the forces flow through effortlessly through the tissue as they’re supposed to. There’s no resistance, just easy, free movement. These are our optimal movement patterns and this is what yoga can help us achieve.

When our tissues and joints are not happily aligned, the forces of movement will ‘shunt’ up into the joint or the joint’s shock absorber (discs or menisci or other), or load into muscle over and over again. Repeat, repeat, repeat the stuck, shunting effect and sooner or later, overload will occur, or perhaps some seemingly trivial event will cause the ‘straw on the camel’s back’ effect of tipping the stuckness over the edge and into a place that we experience as pain. Asking us to change our ways – sometimes begging us to do so!

Of course, not all ‘off’ perfectly-aligned movement always results in pain – of course not! We’re quite phenomenally adept at accommodating all of our imperfections. In particular if we keep our activities within the parameters that our body is used to, it won’t tip us over the edge into a place of pain. 

That said, when pain arises it really only shows up what’s underneath the surface in any case.

Recovery from injury

Yoga teaches us to relate to our body, it teaches us to come back to that awareness of our body in our everyday lives – not just during class. Over time it teaches us to carry ourselves differently.

It teaches us to catch ourselves slumping in our chair, or repeatedly standing out of balance over one hip, or in those moments when we’re so sucked into our computer / tablet / phone screen that our head (sitting on top of our neck!) is totally removed from our body…scrunching that neck, causing tension, causing disconnect. 

Yoga teaches us to regain self-awareness and to realign ourselves in these moments. Because in aligning ourselves, not only do we reconnect our head to our body (quite literally during those computer moments!) but we also make a change that will allow tension to be released.

Of course, not everyone has a ‘perfect posture’. No one, in fact, has perfect posture and neither should we admonish ourselves for it. We all have our idiosyncrasies and therefore we’re all slightly asymmetrically, out of kilter, marginally lopsided…all of us! We are probably supposed to be as well. Otherwise what else would we have to work on?!?

Our own distinctive postures – with subtly different movement patterns and unique ways of being in the world – all of these ways are perfectly ok. But sometimes, bringing our awareness back to creating little shifts, striving to incorporate our yogic awareness into our living – literally aiming to live our yoga on a daily basis – will encourage us to carry ourselves in slightly different ways, helping us to shift our aches, our pains or our discomfort…

Yoga for better sleep

Yoga is a gentle and restorative way to wind down your day. A national survey found that over 55% of people who did yoga found that it helped them get better sleep. Over 85% said yoga helped reduce stress. You can use supportive props like bolsters, blankets, and blocks to make poses comfortable so that you can stay in the pose for longer and continue to breathe.

Your breath is key to be able to relax in these poses. Breath in yoga is equally important—if not more important—as the physical pose. Use a gentle and calming yoga breath technique called Ujjayi Breath, also known as Ocean Breath or Victorious Breath. Inhale deeply through the nose. With your mouth closed, exhale through your nose while constricting the back of your throat as if you are saying "ha" but keep your mouth closed. This exhalation should sound like the waves of the ocean (or like Darth Vader from Star Wars). Use this slow and steady breath to soothe yourself in each of these poses.

Practice these yoga poses right before bedtime and stay in them about 3 to 5 minutes each. Use your Ocean Breath in each pose, with the exception of Corpse Pose, where your breath returns to normal.

These seven restorative yoga poses relieve tension and stress at the end of the day. The more that you practice these poses regularly, the more you likely you can get a good night’s rest.

Best yoga poses for assisting sleeping patterns:

1. Wide-Knee Child’s Pose (Balasana)

2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

3. Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana) at the wall

4. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)

5. Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani )

6. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

7. Legs on a Chair Pose

Other ways yoga can assist you to sleep better?

• Yoga improves mindfulness, increases melatonin levels, and helps reduce sleep disturbance.

• The deep breathing technique is extremely relaxing and it induces sleep.

• The key to possessing proper sleep is regular exercise with a combination of yoga.

• Yoga and meditation help us de-stress.

• It relaxes our nervous system.

• It revives our body, makes us feel good, and provides us with a relaxing effect.

Yoga is good in many aspects of life as it helps improve our overall health and helps us attain a better and calming mind. If we indulge ourselves with the practice of yoga, then physical and mental stress are reduced and we stay in a happy, positive state of mind helping us to be mindful, and responsive.

Yogi's Guide to Winter

In the dark, wet, windy and cold days of winter it can be a real struggle to get up and get onto our yoga mats. At this time of year the idea of hibernating until spring grows ever more appealing! What we do know is that a regular yoga practice is one of your best defences against illness and remedies when a bug does strike.

It is important that we change with the seasons just as nature does by adapting our daily habits, yoga practice and food choices. During the winter , the energy of the Earth and its creatures is drawn inward. We can use this time for restoration and introspection, just as many plants and animals use it for hibernation. In preparation for the spring, it is important to slow down and rejuvenate.

Here are our top Winter survival tips:

WINTER YOGA POSES

The winter months are notorious for colds and flus, so poses that open the chest, throat and sinuses will aid in improving congestion and supporting your respiratory organs. The following poses are metabolically invigorating and help to warm the kidneys and clear phlegm.

1. Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara):

This invigorating invocation to your yoga practice helps build heat in the body. 

2. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

This supine backbend/inversion opens the throat and chest. 

3. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana):

Open your chest with this backbend. 

4. Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana):

This supported inversion helps with stagnation of lymph. Hold for at least eight breaths

5. Locust Pose (Salabhasana):

This “baby backbend” opens the chest while strengthening the back. 

6. kapalabhati breathing,

a practice that builds internal heat and eliminates mucus from the respiratory tract. These are rapid, sharp exhales, passive inhales, and a snapping of your lower abdomen. You can start with cycles of 30 breaths and gradually increase up to 100, for 3-5 rounds.

WINTER FOODS- warming the body and soul

If your natural tendency is to eat warmer and heartier meals during the winter, you are on the right track! In response to cold weather, the body constricts the pores on your skin and the superficial connective tissue to prevent heat loss. This directs heat away from the peripheral tissues and into the body’s core. Because of this, your appetite becomes stronger in winter.

However, although we are designed to eat more in the winter, the selection of foods is still important. Try to pick foods that will keep your immune system vibrant and that minimize congestion.

• Eat a plentiful amount of soups/stews, grains (oatmeal, rice, barley, quinoa, etc.), healthy oils (coconut, avocado, olive, ghee) and cooked seasonal root vegetables (kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, carrots and turnips). Avoid vata-provoking foods, such as salads and cold drinks.

• Drink warm teas. It is beneficial to start and end the day with a glass of warm lemon water to aid with digestion.

• Be sure to eat a hearty, warm breakfast to break the fast of your night’s sleep, feed your digestive fire and lubricate your bodily tissues. Oatmeal, porridge, or cream of wheat are all good options.

• Warming spices to include to any and all meals: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, fennel, cumin, coriander and nutmeg.

Life Style Choices

• Try doing some kind of invigorating movement –yoga or other exercise in the morning to boost immunity and mood and kick-start the movement of lymph. This helps prevent build-up of mucus and congestion.

• Start your day by 7:00 a.m. This might be a bit later than you are used to, but Winter encourages us to hibernate a little longer at night. Remember that Winter is a natural time for resting. So at night, do peaceful and calming activities that promote a sense of stillness. Try to go to bed earlier than you are used to.

• Use a warm-mist humidifier at night to help keep your sinuses clear. Have you tried a neti pot? During winter I use once a day to irrigate and moisten your nasal passages.

• Soak up as much sunshine as you can by sitting by a window or taking a winter walk. Sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D (which is crucial to ward of illness), relaxes the muscles, combats seasonal mood disorders, and aids the body in maintaining healthy sleep cycles

The seasons come and go. Winter turns to spring, and autumn into winter. We go through times in our lives full of prosperity, and others are in poverty. As the world changes around us, our time on the mat can be a consistent source of comfort and grace.

Knowing you can count on your yoga practice promotes mental clarity, a sense of security, and a healthy muladhara chakra. Keep it up. No matter what is changing in your life or in the world around you. Yoga is peace, and peace is the language of the world.

Celebrating the Full Moon - Yogi style

As you probably know, the moon and its cycles influence our mind and body, from the mood we are in to our quality of sleep, but did you know it can also impact your yoga practise? Here is our guide to harnessing the energy of the moon, syncing your practise with this inspiring lunar cycle and using the power of the full moon to your advantage.

A full moon is one of the most exciting lunar cycles because it represents a boost in energy and is a moment for celebration. In Ashtanga practice, yogis abstain from doing yoga on full moon days because this is one of the most advanced forms of yoga and therefore the risk of injury is greater and so they use full moon days as rest days. All other types of yoga are encouraged during this moon phase.

Why is the full moon celebrated?

Every month, the moon starts a new cycle around the earth. A moon cycle begins with the new moon, when the moon stands between the earth and the sun and is therefore invisible for the human eye. It then goes into a waxing phase until it reaches the full moon - the pinnacle of the moon cycle. After the full moon the moon retreats into its waning phase until it all starts again with the new moon.

The full moon is celebrated since thousands of years in ancient cultures for its magic, mystery and special energy. It represents a time to gather with community, release unwanted energies and honor what we have created since the new moon. 

Full moons are great gateways to create change in our life, they are powerful tools for letting go of unwanted energy, cleansing and releasing what doesn’t serve us anymore. The full moon amplifies. Just as the moon is shone upon my the sun, our emotions and energies are brought to light so that we are able to work with them. 

Astrologically, full moons are a time to take action. When the moon is its brightest and most active, we get inspired to do the necessary work that is needed to manifest dreams into action. The light of the full moon serves as guidance where we need to focus and shift our energy. 

To harness the beautiful power of the full moon, moon rituals and ceremonies can be used as a powerful tool to self-reflect and create necessary change in your life. Moon ceremonies, dances and rituals have been around for many centuries. Evidence of moon worship has been uncovered at archaeological digs all over the world, from the ancient Celts to the Egyptians. The most common symbol was the lunar disc - a flat, shiny figure worn as a medallion or as part of a crown, meant to symbolize the moon and associated things. But some full moon rituals are still alive today.

The following rituals of ancient cultures around the globe can provide you with an idea and inspiration for your own moon ceremony, to use the magical power of the moon.  

What Does the Full Moon Mean for Yogis?

A full moon gives yogis the opportunity to refresh, rejuvenate and release any built up tension or stress. Practising yoga during a full moon and aligning your energy with this lunar phase will allow you to feel grounded and fulfilled. The evening is the best time to practise and this will also allow you to reap the benefits as you wind down before bed.

Create your own full moon ritual

Hopefully the rituals and ceremonies from above have given you some inspiration for your own full moon ritual. Celebrating the full moon can be a very powerful way for your own self-development. We learn to put our own life into context with the cycles of nature. The full moon always marks a time of death, change and re-birth. It is a perfect time to let go of the things that are holding you back from living your best life and reaching your fullest potential. 

In the 48-hour window surrounding a full moon, you can express gratitude, meditate, pray and work on your manifestations. Create a sacred space for yourself by taking a candle-lit bath and do some journaling or celebrate with others, creating a sharing circle, moving, meditating and manifesting together.