HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE FOR WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE

The VAGUS NERVE is a fascinating wandering nerve responsible for our calming ‘rest and digest’ responses as well as being a communication channel between body and mind. Through simple practices applied to our daily lives, we can strengthen the vagus nerve, to be as healthy as possible to keep us happy and resilient in the face of life’s stresses.

How do we know if the vagus nerve is strong and why does it matter? The strength of the vagus nerve is known as ‘vagal tone’. There is naturally a slight increase of rate each time you inhale and a slight decrease of when you exhale. The variation between the two is a marker of vagal tone – the larger the difference the stronger the vagus nerve. There are also some key indicators of mental, emotional and physical health that go hand in hand with high or low vagal tone.

High vagal tone is associated with: In contrast, low vagal tone is associated with:

• Mental health and emotional resilience – the ability • Depression, and post-traumatic stress to recover quickly from shocks and acute stress disorder • Cardiac and respiratory health • Loneliness • Strong immune system • Autoimmune diseases, chronic pain and • Good memory inflammatory illnesses • Capacity to build friendships • Epilepsy • Stroke and heart attacks

In modern life, where many of us experience a persistent level of stress and overwhelm, the ‘fight or flight’ response can become the default mode of being, while the calming parasympathetic nervous system takes a back seat. This persistent state of ‘fight or flight’ can be both a symptom and a cause of low vagal tone, and makes people susceptible to physical and mental health problems.

How to increase vagal tone for wellbeing and resilience There are several things we can all do to strengthen the vagus nerve naturally over time, by regularly encouraging its activity. You won’t be surprised to hear that yoga practices have a significant role to play here.

• Breath: the slow diaphragmatic breathing you’ve probably practiced in your yoga class stimulates the vagus nerve, as does the ujjayi breath (‘ocean breath’) which slightly constricts the back of the throat • Meditation: Meditation is found to lead to an increase in vagal tone. • Voice: Chanting ‘Om’ activates the vagus nerve. Also being among calm, engaging, soothing voices also activates the vagus nerve. • Face: Splashing the face with cold water; relaxing with an eye pillow over the eyes to create very gentle pressure; smiling; yawning; and gargling all increase vagus nerve activity. • : Interacting with others in a friendly, calm, and kind way activates the vagus nerve. Studies suggest there is an ‘upward spiral’ where positive social interactions stimulate vagus nerve activity and vice versa. • Digestion: Cultivating healthy intestinal bacteria and eating nourishing food is another way of activating and strengthening the vagus nerve, and is thought to help people with anxiety or depression to regulate their emotions as a result. • Yoga (Moving with the breath): In yoga we tend to move with the breath. We activate on the inhale and soften on the exhale. In this way, we are making use of natural physiological patterns of activation and relaxation, while potentially also increasing vagal tone in the process.

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• Posture: Posture can influence how we feel emotionally, so the attention yoga places on healthy alignment in the body, keeps sending a message via the vagus nerve to the brain to say that all is safe. This is in contrast to the rounded position our bodies can take on through too much desk time – curling inwards is an evolutionary response to danger, which can keep the stress response active unnecessarily.

Yoga and the effects on the vagus nerve Each time you get on your yoga mat, you’re gradually strengthening your vagus nerve, bringing the calming side of your nervous system into balance with the activating side, and bridging the disconnect between body and mind that is a symptom of modern life. The practice of yoga is an investment in your wellbeing, helping you towards resilience and happiness. This knowledge can be a great motivating factor to help us be more consistent in our yoga practice.

YOGA POSES TO CALM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Reclining Bound Angle Pose Quieting your mind and practice deep breathing in Reclining Bound Angle Pose. As your breath begins to deepen, try lengthening your exhales past your inhales and notice it’s calming effect. As best you can try reducing sensory stimulation (light, sound, etc.) by turning down the lights and closing your eyes. Using an eye-pillow is ideal for calming the nervous system in supine poses.

Supported Bridge Pose Lying in a supine position with your head below your heart, such as in Supported Bridge Pose, calms the nervous system. Furthermore, the connector nerve cells of the parasympathetic nervous system are located in the brainstem and the sacral section of the spinal cord. Placing light pressure on your sacrum by releasing the weight of your front body onto the block stimulates the rest and digest response.

Waterfall Pose From Supported Bridge Pose take your legs straight up into the air, which is a restorative inversion. The heart is still higher than the head, calming your nervous system, but now the legs are higher than the heart — reversing the effects of gravity on the feet and legs and giving the heart a break from pumping so hard, reducing your heart rate and helping to regulate blood pressure. For the most relaxing variations of this pose, trying resting your legs up the wall in Viparita Karani.

Bound Angle Pose Seated forward folds have a profoundly calming effect on the body and mind, turning you inward physically, mentally and emotionally. If flexibility allow place a block under your forehead, releasing your jaw and neck muscles, and lightly stimulating the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to help balance your nervous system. Or sit on a blanket or bolster to facilitate a more relaxing forward fold.

Supported Child’s Pose Completely releasing all muscular tension is one of the best ways to calm your nervous system, which is one of the reasons Restorative Yoga is so healing. Try a restorative Child’s Pose, releasing all your weight onto the bolster and closing your eyes. You may even considering turning down the lights to further reduce sensory stimulations. A wide-kneed Child’s Pose, which relaxes the pelvic floor, is a great way to kick in the rest and digest branch of your nervous system.

ABOUT JOGA: Based in Andover, Stockbridge and the Wallops, JOGA’S classes, taught by Jo & Al Dowey, are friendly, fun and inspired Yoga Vinyasa (flow) for men and women of all levels. Sessions are designed to motivate students not to take themselves too seriously, work at their own pace, find challenge safely and to embrace who we are and to enjoy this life.

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