14/02/2024
Your vagus nerve helps disengage your sympathetic nervous system — your fight-or-flight response. It controls things like our heart rate, digestion, breathing and swallowing.
Stimulating it has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Studies show that when this nerve is stimulated, we can more easily overcome these mental health symptoms.
How can we stimulate the vagus nerve? 🧠
✨ Cold water stimulation - splashing your face with water, ice baths and cold showers. Even drinking a cold glass of water 💦
✨ Probiotics and good gut health - include things like kimchi and fermented foods in your diet. I ❤️ kombucha!
✨ Hum, sing or ‘ohmmm’ (if you are a yogi! 🧘🏻♀️) because of the location of the nerve it stimulates the vocal chords and muscles at the back of the throat, which can relax the nerve!
And of course…Reflexology can stimulate the vagus nerve by working on the corresponding reflexes on the body and feet respectively. These treatments induce a deep state of relaxation, helping maintain homeostasis aka balance within the body and mind. 🩶
Drop me a message if you would like to see how reflexology or massage therapy can help you reset and rebalance your body 🙏🏼
