Stress can affect our mental and physical health, shifting that should be a top priority . There are techniques we can practice daily to boost healing, decrease pain, and adjust our nervous system for a decreased stress response.
The Vagus nerve acts to synchronize our nervous system to decrease this stress response. It is the largest cranial nerve and it’s the most powerful nerve in the body, it connects the brain to the heart, lungs, spleen, and gut, when we stimulate the Vagus nerve we can receive impressive health benefits!
One of the easiest ways to stimulate the Vagus nerve is through Slow Deep Breathing. You can learn to use breathing exercises to shift your focus away from stress or pain. The human mind processes one thing at a time. If you focus on the rhythm of your breathing, you’re not focused on the stressors.
The moment we anticipate stress in any form, we tend to stop breathing and hold our breath. Breath-holding activates the stress response; it tends to increase the sensation of pain, anxiety, or fear. To practice, deep breathing inhales and exhale through your nose, breathe very slowly and aim for 6 breaths a minute. Exhale longer than you inhale, exhale triggers the calm and relaxed response
Additional techniques for stimulating the vagus nerve are: Acupuncture, singing, laughing, ice-cold showers, etc.