Vegas VS Vagus
(From the October 2019 Be Touched Massage Newsletter)
What the… Vagus??? Yep, the Vagus Nerve. You know it! It’s the longest cranial nerve in the body. Wait? What’s that? You mean you haven’t heard about the Vagus nerve? Or maybe you have, but just unsure of its importance? Why the comparison? Let me explain.
Last month, I was speaking at a company about how breathing can stimulate the vagus nerve to relax the body. I was stopped by a comment, “Vegas? Like Las Vegas?” LOL, no. But it got me thinking about the similarities and differences between the location and the nerve.
Let me explain my thought process of this article on Vegas VS Vagus. There are two functions of our nervous system I want to cover here; Sympathetic and Parasympathetic. The Sympathetic wakes up your energy and alertness or brings the body into fight or flight mode. Compared to the Parasympathetic, that is responsible for relaxation and calming.
The reason I thought of writing this article is because when you go to Las Vegas it’s very exciting and stimulating (Sympathetic) compared to when you are mindful of your breathing, slow it down and breathe into your lower lungs and abdomen it sends a relaxation signal to the Vagus nerve (Parasympathetic) Here’s a link if you’re interested in more information on the Vagus Nerve.
Typically I like to end my presentations with a mindful, slow, deep breathing technique to show them how quickly you can relax yourself with just a few deep breaths. But, make sure to exhale longer than the inhale. The longer exhale stimulates the parasympathetic part of the vagus nerve to calm and slow down. When dealing with a stressful situation or anxiety, it’s best to take five and breathe. Try the 4-4-6 or 4-7-8 breathing techniques. Refer to my video here!
Just a fun way to compare and contrast. Hope you enjoyed this short article! I’d love to help you manage your stress. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or make comments below…
Thanks for taking the time to read my article, I appreciate you!
xo,
Sabrina