What Happens in Vagus

Finding Regulation Through the Vagus Nerve  

To access past issues of this series, go here and here.

What Now?

Now that we’ve discussed how your brain’s main goal is to protect you, the next question is: what can we do when it feels like our brain is working against us?

Let’s talk for a minute about the vagus nerve. Of the 12 cranial nerves that connect the body and brain, the vagus is the largest, and it’s the only one connecting all major body systems. Western medicine doesn’t always account for how deeply interconnected our body and mind truly are, often requiring extra effort (and sometimes expense) for us to seek out resources on this. If access is limited, this can be even more challenging since insurance usually doesn’t cover many alternatives. Fortunately, there are ways to help regulate the vagus nerve on your own, so you can be your own source of healing. (This is a long tangent I could go down, but I’ll save it for another day!)

Back to the vagus nerve. Running from the brain down into the body, it branches out near your sternum, impacting the heart, lungs, stomach, digestive system, bladder, kidneys, and skin, among others. Here’s what’s interesting: while we often think the brain tells the body what to do, communication between body and brain is actually 20% brain-to-body and 80% body-to-brain. So while positive thinking can help calm us, it's actually much more effective to start with the body to regulate emotions and thoughts. In other words, your body is a powerful entry point to your nervous system!

Our body takes in information through sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch, which is quickly processed by the brain’s amygdala to check for threats. However, due to trauma, sometimes safe things can trigger an “unsafe” response, which can activate the fight, flight, or freeze (FFF) response even when there is no real danger. This hypervigilance can make it feel as though your brain is working against you. When we’re in FFF, blood flow is redirected away from the brain’s reasoning center to the amygdala and outer extremities, so we’re literally not thinking as clearly. Research shows we lose about 50% of our reasoning ability under high stress.

This FFF response explains why emotional triggers often result in physical symptoms. For instance, the urge to flee might send you running to the bathroom, while freezing can do the opposite. When we stay in these states chronically, it’s no wonder we might experience chronic health issues like inflammation, diabetes, and other autoimmune responses. (For more on this, When the Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Maté is a great read.)

So now that we know this, where do we start? Since working with the body is more effective than relying on the mind alone to find regulation, we’ll focus on the vagus nerve. Because it runs through the diaphragm—a muscle directly tied to your breath—breathing exercises are the fastest way to regulate your nervous system. I know this can be the last thing you want to do when you’re dysregulated, but practice makes a difference. Practicing slow, deep breathing regularly helps reinforce a feeling of safety in the body, which then signals the brain to calm down. Aim for long, slow breaths, with an exhale longer than the inhale (try a 1:2 ratio). It may take a few tries for the brain to fully “get” the message, so be patient—and keep breathing.

In the next edition of this series, we’ll go a bit deeper into stimulating the vagus nerve to find balance, but for now, inhale…and then exhale.

Keep breathing,

Eva 

If you'd like to explore a deeper connection to yourself, talk to me about the Breathwork services I offer!