You've Got Some Nerve
This post is going to be a little more scientific than some of the more recent ones. But I think all of you will find something useful, so I am going to try to simplify it as much as possible, but also provide links to the research for those who want to dig deeper.There is a way for us to tap into a part of our bodies that will help relieve stress, reduce inflammation, help with breathing, reduce heart rate, aid with digestion, and help the quality of sleep. All of this is literally a breath away from accessing.We have 12 cranial nerves in our bodies. That means they start at the base of the brain and then get routed throughout the body. One of them is the powerhouse of controlling wellness. It is the VAGUS NERVE.The word comes from Latin, meaning "wandering". The vagus nerve runs from the base of the brain, through the neck, and into the chest and stomach, reaching all the way to the gut. It’s regularly likened to a highway, “driving” to almost every organ in the body, delivering crucial messages and then returning to the brain with their own little snippets of info. The vagus nerve is truly the queen of the parasympathetic nervous system — a.k.a. the “rest and digest,” or the “chill out” one — so new research shows that the more we do things that “stimulate” or activate it, like deep breathing, the more we banish the effects of the sympathetic nervous system — a.k.a. the “fight or flight,” or the “do something!” stress-releasing adrenaline/cortisol one.Believe it or not, we can control all of this just by breathing. Yeah, that right. Breathing! Now there are different ways of breathing. And we have to pay attention and be mindful to allow breathing to reap all the potential benefits.SLOW ABDOMINAL BREATHING is something you can anywhere and at anytime and it instantly stimulates your vagus nerve and allows you to reap all of the benefits. The best way to do this is to breathe with your mouth closed, but not have the breath-focused through your nose. I know that sounds contradictory. But you can breathe with your mouth closed two ways. One way is really feeling the air through your nose and the other way is still through your nose, but not as intentionally. It is by opening the back of your throat while you do it. This aims the air RIGHT AT you vagus nerve. I do this while practicing yoga, stretching, and, as much as possible, while exercising. You can actually feel it settle you. Quite opposite the way breathing through your mouth make you feel. This is the reason you are told to breathe with your mouth closed when taking yoga classes.When you breathe in, do it slowly and as fully as possible. Then breath out as fully as possible. You may breathe out through your mouth and not compromise the effects at all. The crucial part is the inhale and doing both inhale and exhale slowly.
1. THE VAGUS NERVE INITIATES YOUR BODY'S RELAXATION RESPONSE.
When your brain gets triggered for the flight or fight response, it floods with the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline and the vagus nerve tells your body to chill out releasing acetylcholine. On the vagus nerve highway, it releases enzymes and proteins like prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin, to calm you down.
2. IT PREVENTS INFLAMMATION.
Some inflammation after injury or sickness is normal. But too much is connected to conditions ranging from sepsis to arthritis. The vagus nerve gets an inflammation signal and informs the brain to send anti-inflammatory neurotransmitters to control the immune response.
3. IT HELPS YOU BREATHE.
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine, tells your lungs to breathe. It is one of the reasons that Botox can be dangerous because it interrupts your acetylcholine production.
4. IT'S INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH YOUR HEART.
The vagus nerve controls your heart rate by electrical impulses. It is the natural pacemaker.
5. IT TRANSLATES BETWEEN YOUR GUT AND YOUR BRAIN.
Your gut gets info from the vagus nerve and tells your brain how you are feeling by electric impulses called action potentials.
6. IT IMPROVES SLEEP AND ALERTNESS.
A recent study showed that stimulating the vagus nerve dramatically improves daytime alertness by reducing the frequency of REM during sleep. Additional research in this area also found a reduction in sleep apnea and incidence of epilepsy.
7. IT HELPS FORM MEMORIES.
A University of Virginia study in rats showed that stimulating their vagus nerves strengthened their memory. The action released the neurotransmitter norepinephrine into the amygdala, which consolidated memories. Related studies were done in humans, suggesting promising treatments for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.Other research suggests that alcohol abuse can also lead to vagus nerve damage, due to the toxic influence alcohol has on the autonomic nervous system.Stimulating the vagus nerve can be used as a powerful tool to manage stress and difficult relationships. By changing your brain with your breath, you have the ability to inhale a healthier life.I hope you will give this a try. Leave a comment or send me an email with any questions and feedback.
