How To “wake Up” The Vagus Nerve To Enjoy A Holistic Well-being

The human being has twelve pairs of nerves that originate from the skull. Now, of all that series of nerves, the number ten is undoubtedly the most interesting and powerful: the vagus nerve. It is part of the parasympathetic nervous system and its function is very specific as well as interesting.

The vagus nerve helps us to relax, to achieve an adequate state of calm, to cope with stress, anxiety and to enjoy a feeling of well-being, with which we will obtain a better quality of life. Not everyone is aware of the importance of this nerve in our body.

This is so for a very simple reason: people are more focused on external stimuli than on patient and intuitive listening to our own body.

Next, we suggest you take a few minutes just for yourself. A short period of time where you can learn to “wake up” your vagus nerve to improve your quality of life. If we put these strategies into practice day by day, we will notice changes. You dare?

Where the vagus nerve is located

The vagus nerve or pneumogastric nerve is born from the medulla oblongata  to later make a long and fascinating journey through:

• The pharynx.
• Esophagus.
• The larynx.
• Trachea.
• The bronchi.
• The heart.
• Stomach.
• The pancreas.
• The liver.

Likewise, it also goes through various arteries, plexuses, and a large number of synaptic fibers.

We could say that it is like a long-distance highway that crosses the upper part of our body and that, in turn, fulfills the following functions:

• It gives us sensitivity.
• Stimulates muscles of the vocal cavity to promote communication.
• Regulates breathing.
• It stimulates the production of oxytocin (the hormone of affection, love or maternal bond).
• Regulates functions of the liver and pancreas.

• This fact is curious: thanks to it we appease our hiccups. This is stated in this study by the Comandante Faustino Pérez Hernández Clinical Surgical University Hospital

The vagus nerve, a structure associated with comprehensive well-being

Something that we all experience daily is the following: finishing eating and feeling an indefinable fatigue, like a slight drowsiness that encourages us to sit on the sofa to relax or take a short nap:

• This sensation is regulated by the vagus nerve.
• After feeding, our body will consume a lot of energy to be able to carry out digestion.
• Hence, this nerve induces a series of stimuli to promote calm and the classic “drowsiness”.

The vagus nerve, in addition to regulating digestion, monitors that the heart does not get excessively excited. There are people who suffer, for example, the “vaso-vagal syndrome”, according to this study by the “Héroes del Moncada” Teaching Polyclinic (Cuba):

• That is, when they get too excited, they show high effusiveness or they get scared.
• Therefore, the vagus nerve induces a loss of consciousness: they faint. They are extreme cases.

It also regulates our immune system and cell regeneration. On the other hand, another function of this fascinating structure is to give us a feeling of satiety. 

• Being closely related to the digestive process, it also acts as a regulator.
• It is he who tells us that we have enough and who controls that, when we suffer stress, we have more cravings or less appetite.

As we can see, it is a natural flatter in various areas: relaxation, satiety, our weight, suffering more or less anxiety … It is something fascinating, there is no doubt.

Technique to “wake up” the vagus nerve

This technique is simple and will not take a little more than half an hour of your time. However, it is essential to practice it daily and always at the same time of day.

You will see, without a doubt, that it is very similar to any Mindfulness relaxation technique , where the key is always to control a certain type of breathing.

Let’s see what we have to do:

• We will put on comfortable and spacious clothes.
• We must lie on an inclined surface, with the head down (Trendelenburg position).
• Place a cool, damp cloth on your forehead.
• Breathe through your nose for 6 seconds, so that the air collects in the lower part of your belly (abdominal breathing).
• Hold that air for 6 seconds while contracting your belly as if someone were about to hit you.
• Now you must exhale deeply for 7 seconds swelling your belly, but at the same time, you must shrink your lips as if you were blowing out a candle. It is the best way that we oxygenate and activate the vagus nerve.

• Repeat this exercise 7 times.
• At the end, get up very little by little and wait 5 minutes before getting up. Just relax. Once you get up, it will help to drink a glass of cool water.

To conclude, as you have seen, it is a simple exercise. In reality, it is only about promoting adequate breathing, with which many of our vital functions are reactivated.

This nerve radiates a large part of our body and it is necessary to remember that it is there, and that it takes care of our well-being.