Have you ever wished you could find the OFF SWITCH for stress and anxiety? Recent medical articles suggest that stimulating the vagus nerve turns off the fight or flight response of the sympathetic nervous system and switches on the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the rest & digest and feed & breed activities of the body.
Stimulating the vagus nerve can:
- decrease pain and inflammation
- help with memory
- effect breathing
- control your heart rate
- initiate relaxation response
How do you stimulate the vagus nerve. Medically you can have an electrical implant placed in your chest or you could learn the simpler, more economic ways to stimulate your vagus nerve.
- humming - chanting OM
- conscious breathing - a technique I teach my clients
- valsalva maneuver - exhaling against a closed mouth and pinched nose
- splashing your face with cold water to initiate the diving reflex
When I work with you on coping with stress or anxiety, one of the first things we do is breathe in a manner that can reduce your heart rate, lessen the feeling of pressure in your chest, and normalize your feelings. That combined with massage therapy and life coaching gives you the control you need to cope with life's challenges big or small.
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Sources
The vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex - linking immunity and metabolism, Nat Rev Endocrinol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 Jul 4.
Natural vagus nerve stimulaton - Dr. Arielle Schwartz, 7/192015,
9 nervy facts about the vagus nerve, 7/2//2015
Hacking the nervous system, 5/30//2015
Vagus Nerve Stimulation, retrieved 12/15/2015