The Nerve!!

Fascia was the buzz word a few years ago; thanks to that, there's been more research done on the benefits of keeping fascia hydrated, supple and healthy through Yin Yoga and Bowen Therapy, amongst other methods.

Now it’s time to shine the light on the importance of activating the Vagus Nerve. Did you know, that there’s a procedure called the 𝑽𝒂𝒈𝒖𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒆 in Bowen Therapy? The procedure is thought to regulate heartbeat, digestion and breathing, to assist clients shift into the part of the nervous system where they start to rest, digest and repair - a counterbalance to fight, flight or freeze. This can reduce symptoms of anxiety, mild pain, stress and IBS.

There are several ways to activate the Vagus Nerve to regulate heartbeat, digestion and breathing. Next time you have an IBS flare-up or feel anxious, you could try this gentle breathing practice to activate your Vagus Nerve

-Breathing in, breathing out, slowly, smoothly for a few breaths

-Take your breath down into the belly, filling it up gently like a balloon

-Then make the length of your exhale a little longer

-If it makes you feel unpleasant in any way, come straight back to your own breathing rate

Singing and humming may also help. The Vagus Nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your Vagus Nerve. And this has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and vagal tone

Other methods include

-Restorative Yoga

-Chewing gum

-Cold water exposure (check out Wim Hof!)

𝑵𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆-𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔?

I'd love to help in a beautiful Bowen session with some guided breathing, mindfulness techniques and Bowen Therapy to help your body start to unwind and release physical tension.

Contact me on info@susieorr.com or check out susieorr.com for further information on The Bowen Technique.

Photo by Felix Koutchinski on Unsplash