Energy Medicine for Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in the body. It is the longest nerve in our system, our major parasympathetic nerve (Cranial Nerve X), and it has many functions, including helping to slow our heart rate, regulate blood pressure, control sweating, stimulate digestion, control vascular tone, and much more. It begins in our brainstem and comes out behind our ears on both sides of our body it moves through the neck, throat, and down into the chest and abdomen, along the way interacting with all of our organs except the bladder.
There are many signs for what is called low vagal tone, which is when the vagus nerve is not functioning optimally. They can include difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, lack of oxygen flow, poor digestion, tense muscles, pain, headaches, obesity, difficulty swallowing, nausea, epilepsy, seizures, fainting, anorexia, bulimia, blood sugar imbalances, mood swings, TMJ, teeth grinding, ringing in the ears, tinnitus, poor sleep, and sensitivities to foods, chemicals, and the environment.
Also, as our stress levels increase, typically our sleep is affected, our anxiety rises, we may experience issues with digestion or pain, we may have trouble breathing deeply, our concentration may be negatively affected…the list goes on. And that is where the vagus nerve comes into play.
Working energetically with the vagus nerve can help us to get out of the fight, flight, or freeze response that is often triggered by stress. It can also have a major impact on inflammation and on the immune system.
For several years I’ve been working on evolving a deeper understanding of the vagus nerve from an energy medicine perspective and on developing efficient, remarkably effective self-care techniques. My clients and students have had truly incredible results with these techniques—anyone can do them, and they don’t require much of a time commitment.
When the vagus nerve is supported, as it can be with energy medicine techniques, the body has a greater capacity to heal. I view the vagus nerve as a Radiant Circuit, the term we use in Eden Energy Medicine for what in Traditional Chinese Medicine are called Strange Flows or Extraordinary Vessels.
Among its many functions, the vagus nerve carries the hormone oxytocin, which is our feel-good hormone, our love hormone. And if that isn’t RADIANT, I don’t know what is!
