Can’t you relax?
– The Vagus Nerve helps you to find calm in body and mind
“Sometimes the most important thing in a day is the pause we take between two deep breaths” – cit.
Etty Hillesum
But what to do when life circumstances and unregulated habits also take your breath away along with the will to live leaving you in a state of anxiety, apathy and malaise? You can re-
appropriate it through a Yoga practice that brings the functioning of the Vagus Nerve back into balance.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
Little is said about it, yet this nerve is very important for the whole nervous system and for our
health. The vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves. It is precisely the tenth cranial nerve, but unlike the others, it branches downwards and extends to the various internal organs of the body. It starts precisely from the skull, divides into two parts for the right and left side of the body, runs
anteriorly and posteriorly and creates innervations along the neck, chest and abdomen. Not only
does it perform important functions in the nervous system, but it also affects the digestive,
heart and is also linked to the functions of other internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas,
lungs and gallbladder. It is responsible for the parasympathetic nervous system and carries its
functions, that is, those responsible for physical and mental relaxation. Precisely because of this
peculiarity it performs numerous functions and its proper functioning is fundamental for our
psychophysical well-being.
Its proper functioning can be influenced by our emotions, thoughts, the way we react to life
and the quality of our diaphragmatic breathing.
I will not give you a list of positions, because each of you may have different needs and abilities,
what I can do is to help you become aware of one of the many life processes that are playing an
extremely important function in your body and mind right now. Research Asanas that unlock,
which bring you back to in the Here and Now, which relax the diaphragm and facilitate
breathing such as inverted positions, axial extensions of the spine, bends that stimulate the
abdomen, positions of intense opening and simple twists.
If you can’t rest, suffer from insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, negative emotions and poor digestion, if you
don’t find time for one-hour yoga sessions, one of the simplest and most effective techniques to start balancing the vagus nerve by getting a psychophysical relaxation effect is abdominal-
diaphragmatic breathing. It can be performed at any time, even in the car, or as my habit, at the beginning of yoga practice by remaining in a sitting position through breath control and
segmentation and also directly in Savasana (the position of deep relaxation) in which you will be
able to completely free yourself from tensions and feel a deep sense of peace, love and fulfillment.
In the second case, the relaxation is more intense.
If you are a yoga teacher or an expert student you will have already had the opportunity to
experience the peace and well-being that derive from the rebalancing of the vagus nerve and you are
probably also able to create customized sequences to act specifically on the districts of the body in
which you perceive an imbalance or a feeling of stress; but if you are at the beginning of your yoga
journey and you cannot attend a school or be guided by someone quite prepared, one of the simplest
and most complete practices that you can perform to regain calm and well-being, together with
diaphragmatic breathing, is the very famous “Sun Salutation ”.
Did you know that immersing your face or body in cold water also stimulates the vagus nerve? 🙂
Whatever your commitments and the time you have available to practice yoga, you have a
greater duty towards you, that of being well! So always take the time to breathe life, to respect and love yourself by taking care of your nerves, your body, yourself and those around you.
Vivian Mil.
– Odaka RYT 500 Yoga Teacher
Instagram: @ararisko_harmony_yoga_
