Do you know what a vagus nerve or vagal nerve is and what’s its function? Well, it is a major nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. This nerve controls your unconscious actions such as digestion and breathing.
There are certain factors that affect the vagal nerve and it loses its ability to switch back to the parasympathetic mode. Factors such as stress, anxiety, and age deeply affect the function of your vagus nerve. However, there are certain ways with the help of which you can stimulate or activate your vagal nerve again.
What Are The Benefits Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation?
Your vagal nerve plays a key role in your body. Keeping it balanced and strong can help you respond effectively to physiological and psychological issues.
With the help of natural vagus nerve stimulation techniques, you can activate your vagus nerve, and it can help you to:
- Treat depression, stress, and anxiety
- Regulate your emotions
- Treat headache and migraine
- Control blood pressure
- Lower heartbeat
- Boosts your immunity
- Improves cardiovascular health
What Are The Natural Ways For Vagus Nerve Stimulation?
There are various ways for your vagus nerve stimulation. You can do it either with a device that uses electric shocks that stimulates your nerve. Or you can do it naturally at home.
Here are a few ways to stimulate your vagal nerve naturally:
- Singing or humming
- Gargling
- OM Chanting
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Exercise
- Laughing
- Deep breathing
- Intermittent fasting
Read More: 5 Proven Ways To Stimulate Vagus Nerve Naturally
Effective Breathing Techniques For Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Take a slow and deep breath in. Now exhale. You might feel a little bit different in how you feel. Your breathing is a powerful and natural stimulator for the vagal nerve.
Some simple breathing techniques can help you make a big difference if you make them a part of your daily routine.
Here are some basic and simple breathing techniques for vagus nerve stimulation:
1. Deep and slow breathing
Most people take a shallow or short breath which results in body tension. One of the simple ways that can help you stimulate your vagal nerve is deep and slow belly breathing. Deep breathing helps to shift your attention away from pain or stress. The human mind can focus on one thing at a time, so if you focus on your breathing, you can easily activate your vagal nerve to overcome psychological or physiological issues.
In order to practice deep breathing, you have to inhale through your nostrils and exhale through your mouth. Here are tips for deep breathing:
- Take 6 breathes per minute
- Breathe deeply from your belly
- Exhale as longer as you inhale
2. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the effective breathing techniques to strengthen and activate your vagus nerve. This breathing technique offers several benefits like:
- Helping you release body tension and stress
- Improves your muscle function
- Controls your heart rate
- Reduce blood pressure
Here are the steps to perform diaphragmatic breathing:
- Sit comfortably on your knees and relax your neck shoulder and head
- Place one hand on your chest and the other below your rib cage
- Inhale slowly through your nose
- Tighten your stomach muscles and exhale through pursed lips
3. Equal Breathing
Equal breathing helps you stimulate your vagus nerve by making inhale and exhale patterns of the same length. This technique helps you manage stress. For this technique, you have to find a suitable breathing length.
Here are the steps to perform equal breathing for vagal nerve stimulation
- Choose a comfortable position
- Relax your shoulders, neck, and muscles.
- Inhale smoothly through your nose.
- Now, exhale smoothly in the same length of inhale
- Make sure you are inhaling and exhaling at the same length.
- Continue this breathing pattern for a minimum of 5 minutes.
FAQs
How can I heal my vagus nerve naturally?
There are various natural techniques that will help you heal your vagus nerves. Some of the most effective techniques are:
- Deep breathing
- Exercise
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Singing or OM chanting
Does deep breathing help the vagus nerve?
Yes, deep and slow breathing is one of the most effective breathing techniques that will help you stimulate your vagus nerve.
The Bottom Line
There are certain factors that badly affect your vagus nerve. This nerve plays a key role in your whole body. Hence, keeping it balanced and strong with the help of natural techniques such as breathing can help you stimulate your vagal nerve.