Connecting to Calm With Your Vagus Nerve
Many of you may have heard about an important branch of our nervous system called the Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve is part of a bigger organisation in our body called the parasympathetic nervous system, which is essential for all the behaviours involved in growth and body function. The Vagus nerve gets its name from the Latin phrase for “wandering” because it is an enormous nerve that wanders through the body’s cavities, branching off to our organs and then returning information from these organs to our brain and nervous system. Vagal activity opposes the action of another part of our nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, which is triggered by stress. In human beings, the Vagus nerve has particularly strong activity when we are involved in positive, collaborative social behaviour, which means when we feel connected to other people our Vagus nerve is working at its very best.
One of the important functions of the Vagus nerve is to exert a calming effect on the heart. Within every breathing cycle as we exhale, the Vagus nerve applies a braking action on the heart - gently slowing the heart and calming our physiology. We can take advantage of this Vagus effect on the heart in order to calm ourselves in stressful situations, by prolonging the exhalation phase of our breathing. In fact, many Eastern philosophies and meditation techniques have taken advantage of this physiological effect that the Vagus nerve has on the heart. It is a simple focus that we can use in our everyday lives when we feel our shoulders up around our ears, our heart beating faster and our breathing become shallow as we react to the challenges of life around us.
‘Resonance breathing’ is the term given to slow breathing, with a focus on the exhalation component, at a rate of around 6 breaths per minute. Recent research published in The Journal of Breath Research has shown that breathing within these parameters may have a particularly strong effect on not only the heart, but also the brain. ‘The Breathing App’ by Eddie Stern is a free app that may be useful for some people. You can set the parameters to ‘resonance breathing’ guidelines (6 breaths per minute) - try doing this for 4-6 minutes per day to begin with.
There are other ways that we can stimulate our Vagus nerve and help our parasympathetic nervous system function better….
Humming, chanting or singing. In particular, signing in unison with other people has been shown to increase vagal activity.
Listening to Mozart’s music has been shown to increase vagal function. One study of epileptic patients even showed that listening to Mozart’s music improved their parasympathetic control so much that it reduced the frequency of their seizures
Positive social connections including conversation with friends or family are associated with increased vagal activity. Face to face connections are particularly important, which can be challenging in these times of social distancing. However, connecting in family groups, playing board games and using Zoom or FaceTime to connect with other people can be an important bridge into the parasympathetic nervous system.
Exercise. Mild to moderate physical activity stimulates the Vagus nerve. This activity can be attenuated by the natural environment - we should use our daily outdoor exercise wisely, soaking up natural environments and taking the time to remove our headphones and take in the sounds of our surroundings. It is worth noting that very strenuous exercise decreases vagal activity and can activate your body’s stress response (sympathetic nervous system).
Getting adjusted. Many studies have suggested favourable results in increasing parasympathetic activity via the Vagus nerve with chiropractic and other manipulative therapies. As you know, at Chiro.London our focus is to improve many aspects of wellbeing, including physiology by tailoring our adjustments to your body.
By Bridget Houlden DC
Resources:
Hinterberger, T., Walter, N., Doliwa, C. and Loew, T., 2019. The brain’s resonance with breathing—decelerated breathing synchronizes heart rate and slow cortical potentials. Journal of Breath Research, 13(4), p.046003.
Vesalius, A., 1940. The Brain, In Right Profile With The Glossopharyngeal And Vagus Nerves And, To The Right, A View Of The Base Of The Brain. Photolithograph, 1940, After A Woodcut, 1543.. [image].
Yuen, A. and Sander, J., 2017. Can natural ways to stimulate the vagus nerve improve seizure control?. Epilepsy & Behavior, 67, pp.105-110.