Vagul nerve toning – you have the power
I
am almost too nervous to mention the ‘C word’ but to give this article context I must – COVID. We have all read articles and books about resilience and bouncing back through tough times, as we try and negotiate the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. What has surprised me during this pandemic is the sudden upward swing towards natural remedies, some of which have been in practice for centuries. We have had these tools at our disposal for years, but it took a massive global pandemic to open our eyes to what is around us. I suppose this is a positive outcome of the current crisis. People are taking charge of their lifestyles and choosing to try and balance things naturally versus through synthetic medication or a traditional western approach. People are trying to find a way to balance the trauma around them. According to the Integrated Listening website, trauma is described as follows: ‘The response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, often causing feelings of despair and resulting in a feeling of diminished self, as well as a decline of the ability to feel the full extended range of emotions and experiences.”
Emotional response Trauma can also be seen as the
emotional response to stress in the body. And when stored for long periods of time, it can result in an imbalance where mental health becomes affected and the nervous system falls out of sync. In today’s modern stressful lifestyles, our bodies seem to prefer to lean towards the sympathetic nervous system; the side of the nervous system that pumps adrenaline, prefers fight and flight, and often leads to weight gain and disease. This is simply programming – we have told our body that stimulating these things leads to drive, success and performance. Consequently, we often miss the benefits of the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the ‘rest and digest’ part of the body, the ‘calm and quiet’ and the part of the nervous system that regulates weight gain, build-up of toxins and disease.
Balance The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body and it ensures the balance of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. It is the nerve that sends a signal to the brain to tell the body whether it should respond or react to a stimulus or environment. Today’s lifestyle has our bodies on autopilot to always react and this isn’t healthy. An ancient practice of vagul nerve toning can allow for a
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
Lauren Gibson provides insight on how to deal with traumatic times
more balanced nervous system and one that is not constantly in distress or reaction. Vagul nerve toning can be done via a variety of practices such as humming, taking 10-15 slow deep breaths, daily intake and application of probiotics, meditation and splashing your face with cold water. All of these things when done on a regular basis allow for the reduction of anxiety and the regulation of mental health, which in turn starts to regulate the two nervous systems. By stimulating the vagus nerve you can inform your body that it needs a time out and a chance to relax, ensuring that you control how you feel. Lauren Gibson has over 15 years in the health and beauty industry with qualifications in yoga, mindfulness, content marketing and management practice. laurenleigh.gibson@gmail.com
online @ probeauty.co.za
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