Vagus nerve for inner harmony and balance
Consciously perceive the world with all your senses - and find peace within yourself. This is often neglected in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We quickly feel stressed and find it difficult to switch off, think about the next day's to-do list at breakfast and brood over the past in the evening or worry about tomorrow. This makes it all the more important to regularly listen to ourselves and regain inner harmony and balance. A very special treasure helps us to do this: the vagus nerve.
Learning to let go: how to shed unnecessary baggage
Time for me: letting go, enjoying, switching off
Harnessing its power: What the vagus nerve can do for us
The vagus nerve is the tenth and longest of twelve cranial nerves and connects the brain with the intestines. Vagus is Latin and means "wandering". And it does indeed spread throughout our body like a fan. The two branches of the vagus nerve run on both sides of the neck along the larynx and trachea and have a particularly large influence on the nervous system, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract - in other words, all the important bodily functions that are important for our health. Other nerve branches include the posterior vagal truncus , which serves the parasympathetic innervation (supply) of the kidneys and stomach in particular. The visceromotor fibers of the posterior vagal nerve partially control the involuntary organ activity of the abdominal organs.
The vagus nerve helps to generate new energy, strength and serenity and stimulation of the vagus nerve is even said to counteract anxiety and depression.
Simply put, as part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve is responsible for relaxation, rest and digestion. The opposite pole is the sympathetic nervous system, which ensures that we are ready to perform and fight.
For a long time, it was assumed that it acts involuntarily, meaning that we cannot influence its action. However, new research now shows the opposite: we can try to activate it in a targeted way (e.g. through meditation, see below) and feel more balanced in the long term as a result.
From the brain to the stomach: what symptoms or complaints can a disturbance of the vagus nerve cause?
It is important to understand where the vagus nerve is located in the body: it runs from the brain along the neck in the direction of the chest cavity to the abdomen and is therefore significantly involved in regulating the activity of almost all internal organs. Due to its vegetative function, it transmits taste sensations and touch sensations of the larynx, pharynx and external auditory canal. It is also involved in the motor control of the larynx, pharynx and upper oesophagus. As the vagus nerve is also known as the "resting nerve", it has a regulating effect on our breathing and cardiac activity. At the same time, it stimulates our digestion. In summary, the vagus nerve has the following tasks, among others:
- Stimulation of stomach acid
- Control of intestinal movements in the digestive phase (peristalsis)
- Regulation of the feeling of hunger
- Regulation of mood
- Heart rhythm and heart rate
- Regulation of perspiration
- Stimulation of bile/gall bladder
Because the vagus nerve is so extensively involved in the functions of our body, it can also lead to numerous complaints, known as autonomic dystonia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system) caused by an atlas misalignment. The following symptoms can occur:
- Headaches
- neck pain
- nausea
- dizziness
- diarrhea
- constipation
- insomnia
- cramps
- Cardiovascular problems
- increased sweating
- Increased or decreased pulse rate
- trembling of the hands
- neck stiffness
- feeling of a lump in the throat
- Thyroid problems
- Numbness or tingling on one side of the scalp
- Sudden unexplained fainting (vasovagal syncope)
- Vagus nerve and epileptic seizures
The gall bladder and pancreas are also negatively affected by an irritated vagus nerve.
Finding the rhythm: We need balance
No, we can't avoid stress completely. And we shouldn't. "Stress arises when something that means a lot to us is at stake," says psychologist Kelly McGonigal, for example. In other words: Only things we care about can get on our nerves. And a life without stress would mean a life without drive. But it all depends on the right dose. And when we notice that stress and tension are predominant, it's high time to shift down a gear and find our rhythm again - by connecting to our vagus nerve.
Health: effects on the heart rate
Our heart is exposed to or dependent on many influences. The vagus nerves have a significant influence on the sinoatrial node, atria and atrioventricular node. They have a braking effect and slow down the heart rate - in other words, they slow down the pace. The transmitter substance of the vagus at the nerve endings is acetylcholine, one of the most important neurotransmitters in the brain and important for muscle contraction. Vagus stimuli can lead to bradycardia, a slowing of the heartbeat, and to blockade of the AV node.
VNS vagus nerve stimulation for depression, anxiety or epilepsy?
VNS vagus nerve stimulation can be an option for patients who are resistant to treatment or who have not been treated - however, evidence must be provided that some therapies have not been successful. VNS usually involves the insertion of an implant that stimulates the vagus nerve. An electrode is inserted in the neck, which is connected to the nerve via a wire. At the same time, a pulse generator is placed under the skin near the armpit, which emits regular pulses. Surgery is therefore unavoidable for the traditional form of VNS. XANA is a non-invasive bioelectronic system - the heart rate variability (HRV) is displayed on a smartphone app via the heart rate monitor worn in the ear, allowing the patient's individual stress to be monitored. You can find more information about Axa here>>
Is it possible to pinch the vagus nerve?
As the vagus nerve mainly runs along soft tissue organs, it is well protected. However, there is one weak point where the vagus nerve can actually become trapped - and this is said to happen quite frequently: Where the nerve emerges from the base of the skull, it runs along the first cervical vertebra together with the cervical artery and the great jugular vein. If you twist or contort your neck or suffer from a chronic misalignment of the vertebra, the pathways can become trapped.
Pinched vagus nerve symptoms
Whether the atlas is misaligned or pinched - if the vagus nerve is disturbed in its autonomic function, it causes the symptoms described above. Cardiac arrhythmia can manifest itself in the form of tachycardia (heartbeat that is too fast) or cardiac arrhythmia. If all these symptoms remain without findings, then the vagus nerve should be considered.
Live in the now: We find fulfillment here and now
Even if we often believe it: fulfillment is not in the future, but in the now. We can do something good for ourselves - and others - every day, consciously take a deep breath and build in small islands of calm where we can recharge our batteries. When our vagus nerve receives such signals (with the desire for stillness and peace), it passes them on to our entire body and our stress levels drop. We feel new energy flowing through us.
Saying goodbye to worries: actively letting go of our problems
Small problems become bigger and bigger over time if we don't actively let them go. At some point, they will block our access to the vagus nerve. How can we get rid of them for good? Write the worries on a piece of paper, go out to a nice place, tear the paper into very small pieces and simply let the wind blow them away. We immediately feel liberated and motivated, which also boosts our self-confidence.
Practice more acceptance: Changing your own attitude
Let's try to internalize the following sentence: "Everything is allowed to be there!" This does not mean that everything that happens around us has to suit us. We can and should get upset about injustices and, of course, take action against them. But it is much more valuable to focus on our own attitude to life. This enables us to activate the vagus nerve, distance ourselves from "power robbers" - and become aware of our own needs.
Trust in friends: New energy in convivial company
An evening with friends gives you a year of life, say the Italians. Talking about everything in peace again or simply being silly and relaxed together - this also stimulates the vagus nerve, provides new energy and always works with good friends. We should make time for this regularly.
Celebrate love: for ourselves and for our partner
Caresses, closeness and kisses are probably the best way to celebrate love for your partner and activate the vagus nerve at the same time. Because in the rush of emotions, we automatically let go of all stress and perceive our body and that of our loved one more intensely and positively than ever before. We are completely with ourselves, in inner harmony with our soul. A blessing that we should consciously enjoy much more often.
Causes of stress: how does it arise and what helps?
Exercises: Vagus meditation to try out
To help us relax, we should do special exercises to activate the vagus nerve:
Breathe: Sit comfortably. Breathe in slowly and exhale even more slowly and emphatically. The best way to do this is by humming, singing or even humming gently as you exhale. These sounds make your larynx vibrate, which activates your vagus nerve. You feel yourself automatically becoming calmer and any tension disappears.
Mantra: While breathing, concentrate on a positive sentence (e.g. "I love and am loved"), a line of a song or a picture. Say your chosen mantra to yourself over and over again in your mind or call the image to mind again and again. Feel the happiness it triggers in your heart and store it there for yourself.
Eyes: Close your eyes and focus on your eyelids from behind. At first everything is black, but after a short time you will see colors, especially soft yellow tones, perhaps also some red, blue and green. In addition, black dots buzz through your field of vision. If you concentrate on this, you will also activate the vagus nerve - and you will feel deep relaxation.
Stimulate the vagus nerve: Sing, hum or purr!
Yes, you read that right! As the vagus nerve passes through both our vocal cords and our inner ear, anything that causes the vocal cords or the eardrum to vibrate has a calming effect. Whether you're stuck in traffic at the end of the day, preparing dinner for your family or in the shower - humming, singing or purring will stimulate your vagus nerve and relax you. The vowels A, O and U have a particularly calming effect, as these are best for vibrating the chest. You are probably also familiar with the mantra "OM", which has been sung for thousands of years for precisely this reason.
Gargling also helps: take a glass of water and gargle - as the Vagnus nerve is also responsible for the senses of taste and stimulates the throat and larynx muscles, it can be activated in the throat by gargling. So here, too, we are dealing with vibration. Do this exercise more often during the day, but if you are in the office, it is better to do it in the washroom.
In addition to meditation and singing, breathing exercises and techniques, yoga or massages can also stimulate the vagus nerve.