The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body and connects your brain stem to your Heart, Lungs, Stomach and Intestines.  In fact, the word, "vagus," means “wanderer” in Latin, which accurately represents how the nerve wanders all over the body and reaches various organs. 

 It is the primary component of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the home of our “rest and digest” functions, or Yin functions (as opposed to your sympathetic nervous system which instigates your “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” response, or Yang response).

The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in aiding your body’s ability to recover from stress. The efficacy of vagal function is directly related to your vagal tone. Researchers have determined that high vagal tone is associated with mental and physical wellbeing. Conversely, low vagal tone is associated with negative moods, inflammation, depression and loneliness. 

Your vagal tone can be measured by tracking certain biological processes such as your heart rate, your breathing rate, and your heart rate variability (HRV). When your heart rate variability (HRV) is high, your vagal tone is also high (this is favorable). They are correlated with each other. 

If your vagal tone is low, don’t worry - you can take steps to increase it by stimulating your vagus nerve. This will allow you to more effectively respond to the emotional and physiological symptoms of your brain and mental illness.

Following are ten simple ways in which you can stimulate your vagus nerve and reap huge mental and physical health benefits:

1. DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

• Inhale through your nose while visualizing your Stomach and Lungs fully expanding from the bottom up, like a balloon, and then exhale through your nose slowly. Repeat 10-12 times. It helps to close your eyes.

  2. ACUPUNCTURE

• Regular acupuncture engages your parasympathetic response and aids in carving new neural pathways to get you out of “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” mode more quickly.

• Auricular (ear) acupuncture with Electrostimulation (Estim) is especially effective.

  3. HUMMING, CHANTING, SINGING, AND GARGLING

• All of these activities activate the muscles at the back of the throat and stimulate the Vagus Nerve.  Notice how calm you feel after chanting at the end of a yoga class!

  4. YOGA, TAI QI, & QI GONG

• Slow intentional movements help to engage parasympathetic response.

• Yoga is particularly important if you struggle with anxiety and depression.

  5. MEDITATION

• Start with 5 minutes a day - right when you wake up or right before you go to bed (or both!).

• Focus on your breathing, the sound of your inhales and exhales.

• You may also explore apps that provide guided meditations, like Insight Timer.

• Loving Kindness meditations have been shown to improve vagal tone.

  6. EXERCISE

• Aim for 20-45 minutes of walking daily for best results.

• Weightlifting or HIIT sprinting are also great ways to stimulate vagus function.

  7. MASSAGE

• Whole body massage is best to hit all areas of the vagal pathway.

• Foot massage is also effective due to its reflexive nature (reflexology).

  8. KIMCHI & KRAUT

• Kimchi and sauerkraut can help to stimulate nerve function by way of your digestion.

• Instead of expensive probiotics that can often be expired or aren’t shelf-stable, try eating a tablespoon of kimchi or sauerkraut a day. These foods have more strains of good bacteria that help fight inflammation than any probiotic. Always start with food as medicine first before exploring with supplements, and make sure you do that under the guidance of a licensed professional.

  9. COLD EXPOSURE

• Splash or dunk your face in cold water - all the way to your scalp.

• This is often referred to as the “diving reflex,” which slows your heart rate and relaxes your body.

• You may also experiment with ending your showers with 30 seconds to one minute of cold water, making sure the water flows over your head, neck, and shoulders for maximum stimulation.

• And if you live near large bodies of water, go ahead and dive in during the colder months for full body stimulation!

  10. SOCIALIZING AND LAUGHING

• Laughter has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and improve mood.  And vagus nerve stimulation often leads to laughter as a side effect, suggesting that they are connected and influence one another.

• Socializing also reduces our body’s main stress hormone, which is cortisol.