Vagus Nerve Stimulation – 3 Tricks to Stop Anxiety Fast

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Published 2022-06-10
Download the PDF here: www.yogabody.com/vagus-nerve-stimulation-youtube/

Do you suffer from stress and anxiety? Do you get overwhelmed with worry, overthinking things that are out of your control?

In this video, I’ll show you how to use ancient yoga techniques to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system response to help you calm down, relax, and find greater peace and balance in your life.

The key is to stimulate your vagus nerve - the nerve that runs down either side of your neck. It plays a key role in stimulating your body’s parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode) which is involved in a host of important bodily functions, including stabilizing your mood, digestion and heart rate.

When your vagus nerve is operating optimally it’s referred to as high vagal tone. This doesn’t mean you’ll never feel anxious or upset, but it does mean that you’ll be able to respond rather than react in those moments. And you’ll be much more adept at self-soothing and calming yourself down when a situation arises.

VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 Stress & anxiety
00:53 Safety disclaimer
01:07 What is the vagus nerve?
01:40 Parasympathetic nervous system
03:42 High vs. low vagal tone
04:55 Test vagal tone
07:52 Stimulate your vagus nerve
08:11 Bhramari practice
09:48 Triangle breathing
12:06 Ear massage
14:07 Further learning

DISCLAIMER – Please do not use this video to diagnose or treat an illness or injury. Check with a trusted healthcare provider before starting any self-care routine.

ANATOMY
What is the vagus nerve? The name vagus comes from Latin, meaning ‘to wander’, like a vagabond. This 10th cranial nerve wanders throughout your thoracic cavity. It innervates some of the most important muscles and is responsible for some vital functions such as: breathing, speaking, swallowing, blood pressure, heart rate, orgasm, taste, circulation, digestion, gut health, and more.

The nerve itself sits within a fascial tube, called the carotid sheath. The carotid sheath is an important landmark in head and neck anatomy and contains several vital neurovascular structures, including the carotid artery, jugular vein, vagus nerve, and sympathetic plexus.

Once you understand what the vagus nerve is and why it’s important, this video will offer you some simple ways to stimulate this nerve to self-soothe and calm yourself down when you need to.

COMMON SIGNS OF LOW VAGAL TONE
1) Feeling anxious and stressed
2) Feeling wired but tired
3) Feeling overwhelmed with worry

3 TRICKS WE'LL LEARN FOR HIGH VAGAL TONE
1) Bhramari (humming)
2) Triangle Breathing with Chin Lock
3) Ear Massage

PODCAST INTERVIEW REFERENCED
podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/know-your-nerves-pol…

BOOK REFERENCED
Stanley Rosenberg's Book www.amazon.com/Accessing-Healing-Power-Vagus-Nerve…
Stephen Porges & Deb Dana's Book
www.amazon.com/Polyvagal-Theory-Therapy-Interperso…

RESEARCH FOR REFERENCE
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/609283/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11568613/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8063359/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5053491/
www.rhinologyonline.org/Rhinology_online_issues/ma…
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3978938/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4239699/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537171/

WANT MORE?
* Check out this article: www.yogabody.com/vagus-nerve-stimulation/
* Breath Coach Training www.yogabody.com/breath-coach/
* Join our YOGABODY Daily at-home fitness program: www.yogabody.com/yb-daily/
* Lucas' podcast: www.LucasRockwoodShow.com/
* Main site: www.yogabody.com/

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#VagusNerve #VagalTone

All Comments (21)
  • PDF to exercises is in the description. Hope you find this one helpful. As always, feel free to drop questions below. Thanks for your support! - Lucas
  • To anybody who's reading this, I pray that whatever is hurting you or whatever you are constantly stressing about gets better. May the dark thoughts, the overthinking, and the doubt exit your mind. May clarity replace confusion. May peace and calmness fill your life. 🙏
  • Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once. Breathe.You're strong. You got this . Take it day by day.
  • @rue6914
    I'm a Hindu. The vagus nerve stimulation from humming is exactly what we do with "Om" To calm the mind before focusing on prayer or work. Love the video ❤
  • I come from a family that has neglected serious mental health issues like this for 3 generations (that I have met). It is interesting to see how each mother in my family has dealt with anxiety. Each generation has improved it, but not fully addressed the anxiety response itself. My grandma has a body full of disease mostly due to chronic stress, my mother following in her footsteps at age 60. Im 24 and I refuse to develop these health issues, and I am determined to address this anxiety and save my body from a lifetime of chronic stress. It’s possible people!!
  • @TeaParty1776
    I stopped watching cable TV news and my anxiety stoppeed.
  • @forisma
    8:53 Bhramari 10x 11:29 triangle breathing: 4 sec in, 4 sec hold & chin lock, 4 sec out. 10x. 12:16 ear massage 5x forward, 5x backwards
  • Psilocybin saved my life. I was addicted to heroin for 15 years and after Psilocybin treatment I will be 3 years clean in September. I have zero cravings. This is something that truly needs to be more broadly used in addiction treatment.
  • @DonnHowes
    I actually suffered severe depression and anxiety for over 8 years due to work stress and other life issues which led to my addiction to alcohol. Not until I came across psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 4 years clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.
  • @roxyrambo2944
    THANK YOU!!! I struggle with complex PTSD and it's so hard to calm myself down without help. These techniques really helped and I can use them throughout the day when I feel the stress building or the paranoid anxiety. To anyone out there struggling with PTSD of any kind I feel your pain and I understand your struggle. You are not alone even though your brain may tell you otherwise.
  • @pale4146
    It’s crazy now that I remember my father used to give me ear massages because I couldn’t fall asleep. It all makes sense now😊
  • @TheMoncelina
    I felt my heart racing, felt my palpitations going wild, felt my body shaking and stressing…did just the first exercise you showed, my body instantly relaxed! Thank you so much!!!!
  • @mycom310
    For some people with severe anxiety, talking about about this subject is stressful. But your calm demeanor really makes us calm.
  • Aside from the valuable information given in this video, can we just take a moment to acknowledge his speaking/presentation skills? Wow! So articulate, engaging, relatable. I could go on. This is the voice and body language of a great teacher. Not sure if this was a one man job or not, but this video is excellent and I intend to share it. Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Blessings on your future endeavors Lucas!
  • @buffster948
    Wow. Thank you so much for this, Lucas. I've been researching ways to help manage my complex-PTSD for over 4 years now. It's a living hell - nightmares, panic attacks, anxiety, depression - the whole lot. I have tried EMDR, EFT, 7 different medications, meditation apps, reiki/massage, CBT, talking therapy... and yet I have never seen or found mention of the yogic techniques you present. I've literally just gone through the exercises as you talked me through them and, for the first time in 5 years, I've managed to get my heart rate back down and I genuinely feel calm. My blood pressure is consistently through the roof from the panic attacks and stress response...I haven't seen it go down to a normal level the whole time I've had c-PTSD. It's insane what just happened there. I can't describe how great that feels. It feels like a miracle. I feel better in my body right now, and it gives me hope that I'll still be able to get better long term. Thank you so much.
  • @angelalinneman
    This is a great reminder that the body is not the medium for anxiety’s messages, it is a partner in generating and sustaining anxiety. Those of us with anxiety disorders can’t always “think away” anxiety because our bodies are doing their own, separate thing while it’s happening. And, as he mentions, it’s not about never feeling anxious (or angry, another expression of anxiety), which everyone does, it’s about recovering quickly to a calm state when you do.
  • @ivosoares9459
    I meditate all the time with humming, now I know why it feels like a calming brain massage
  • @THEMIMICRYM
    I’m constantly wired but tired. Ear massage immediately helped me relax to the point I started laughing. Can’t believe I never thought about it before. Thanks man!
  • @emilyc4499
    I work in a trauma ER and ICU and frequently get heart palpitations just sitting on my couch watching Netflix…. This is definitely something I’m going to try so thank you!!!!!! ❤
  • @Brinkworld84
    Wow dude this video was recommended to me out of nowhere. Just doing one set of each helped more than any techniques any therapist has ever given me. It’s so far past general anxiety with me. I have constant panic attacks. At least twice a day. No medication. I’ve been in and out of the hospital when it gets unbearable. It’s a living hell. So any little bit helps. Thank you