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Deep breathing is one way you can voluntarily stimulate your own vagus nerve. Try it now. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath by imagining you are inflating the lower portion of your lungs near your belly button like a balloon, followed by a gradual exhalation as you pull in your belly button. Aim to inhale through your nose this way for a count of three, then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 7. .......You are on your way to enhancing the quality of your life.
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Kevin J. Tracey (The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes)
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The vibrations from om have been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which decreases inflammation. Vagus nerve stimulation is also used as a treatment for depression, and researchers are looking at whether chanting om may have a direct effect on mood. (Itβs already
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Jay Shetty (Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day)
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The procedure is called vagus nerve stimulation, and itβs highly effective for patients suffering from anxiety, depression, and autoimmune diseases.
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James Nestor (Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art)
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simple mindful meditation technique for beginners is described below: Find a quiet and well-aerated room to practice your meditation in. Sit comfortably on a chair, or you can sit on the floor. Ensure that your posture is relaxed and that your shoulder and neck muscles are not tense. Your head, neck, and spine should be aligned but not tense or stiff. Bring your mind to the present by pulling all your focus to the here and now. Concentrate on your breathing, feel the breath enter your body as you inhale, and feel the air exit your body as you exhale. Take deep breaths all the time, focusing on the sensation of the rising and falling of your diaphragm. To make it easier to focus on your breathing, you can place one hand on your upper chest and the other above your navel. This will aid you in engaging your diaphragm when breathing in and out. Breath in slowly through your nose, as you inhale, the hand on your navel area should feel your stomach rise gradually as the air enters your body. On the exhale, let the breath out through your mouth with your lips slight pursued. As you exhale, the hand on the navel area should feel the stomach relax and fall back into the starting position. As thoughts pop up in your mind, do not quash or try to suppress them; simply turn your attention back to your breathing and focus on the inhale and exhale motions of rising and falling. Stay in this state for at least 10 minutes, always pulling your focus back to the present and away from thoughts and emotions by simply focusing on your breathing. At the end of the 10 minutes, rise slowly from your position, and allow your mind to become gradually aware of your surroundings.
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Robert Dickens (Vagus Nerve Secrets: Find out the secrets benefits of vagus nerve stimulation through self help exercises against trauma, anxiety and depression for better ... (Dieting & Self-Help by Robert Dickens))
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Itβs much more common, especially in the modern world, to never experience full-blown, life-threatening stress, but to never fully relax either. Weβll spend our days half-asleep and nights half-awake, lolling in a gray zone of half-anxiety. When we do, the vagus nerve stays half-stimulated.
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James Nestor (Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art)
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A bit like a bouncer in front of a nightclub, who controls how many people enter the club depending on its capacity, our vagus nerve controls how we react to stress and helps up- or down-regulate the nervous system accordingly. When there is too much activity within the club, as in too many people (too much stress), the vagus nerve restricts new people from entering (sympathetic fight or flight response). Once things get a bit quieter inside and more people have left the club (coming back up the ladder), the vagus nerve allows for new people to enter (ventral vagal social engagement response).
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Calvin Caufield (Polyvagal Theory Made Simple: 70 Self-Guided Exercises to Quickly Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve for Nervous System Regulation & Help Release Trauma (PTSD, Anxiety & Chronic Pain Books Book 2))
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In recent years, scientists have come to understand that consciously controlling your breath can have huge benefits on your overall system, primarily with regard to the regulation of your nervous system in relation to anxiety, depression, and restlessness. The vagal response is the stimulation of the vagus nerve, which runs down along the anterior portion of your spine from your brain to your internal organs. When the vagus nerve is stimulated, a signal is sent to the brain to reduce your blood pressure and calm your body and mind, reducing stress and helping to manage chronic illness, as healing can happen only in a more relaxed state of being. For example, if your amygdala, the nerve center at the lower-central part of your brain, is agitated, it triggers your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and your fight-or-flight response. You may become anxious, fearful, reactive, or frozen. Once triggered, this response lasts at least 20 minutes, but you can often find yourself stuck in this state for much longer. According to Dr. Mladen Golubic, an internist at Cleveland Clinicβs Center for Integrative Medicine, when in this state, you take shallow chest breaths, sometimes halting the breath completely, extending the effects of your SNS response. By taking deeper and fuller breaths, especially by allowing the abdomen to relax and expand, the vagus nerve is stimulated, and calm can quickly be restored. This calming and stress-reducing response is called the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) response, or vagal response. When your SNS is calmed, you have more access to the prefrontal cortex of your brain, boosting your ability to think clearly and rationalize. Dr. Golubic goes on to say, βThe vagal response reduces stress. It reduces our heart rate and blood pressure.β This regulation of the nervous system is one of the primary benefits of a consistent pranayama practice.
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Jerry Givens (Essential Pranayama: Breathing Techniques for Balance, Healing, and Peace)
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Hugging stimulates the pressure receptors under the skin, which increases the activity of the vagus nerve, which in turn triggers an increase in oxytocin levels. Oxytocin can decrease heart rate and cause a drop in the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine. It can also improve immune function, promote faster healing from wounds and diseases. It also increases the levels of good hormones, like serotonin and dopamine, which in turn reduce anxiety and depression.
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I.T. Lucas (Dark Dream Trilogy (The Children of the Gods #26-28))
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The vibrations from om have been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which decreases inflammation.
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Jay Shetty (Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Everyday)
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OM CHANTING Various studies have shown that OM chanting deactivates the limbic part of the brain responsible for our basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and our impulses (hunger, sex, dominance and care of offspring). Since the effectiveness of OM chanting is associated with the experience of vibrations around the ears, scientists have suggested that these sensations are transmitted through the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. As the vagus nerve branches off into the inner ear and larynx, controlling the opening and closing of the vocal cords and tone of the sound, it appears that this is stimulated during the vocalization of the O and M sounds. In addition, by performing chanting in exhalation, the vagus nerve is activated in its role as manager of the parasympathetic system. In addition, chanting, by facilitating the lengthening of the exhalation, further amplifies the effect on the parasympathetic system. This is why this practice helps to calm and relax the body and mind. -Find a quiet place to sit comfortably. -A good position is to sit with your legs crossed and your back straight. -Wear comfortable cotton clothes that do not tighten any part of your body. All body channels should be free and comfortable. Place the palm of your right hand (facing upwards) on the palm of your left hand at navel level. Close your eyes for a few minutes and relax your mind and body. Slowly feel the vibrations that occur in every part of your body. When the vibrations become more intense, start breathing deeply. Hold your breath for a second and then slowly exhale. Initially count to 7 as you exhale. This ought to be duplicated thrice. As you exhale the third time, sing "oooooooooo..." Feel the vibrations in your abdomen (and under your chest). After exhaling, relax for 2 seconds. Breathe in again (slow, deep breaths). As you exhale sing "ooooo..." and feel the vibrations in your chest and neck. After exhaling, relax for 2 seconds. Inhale again (long, deep breath). As you exhale, sing "mmmmmmmm...". Feel the vibrations in your head and neck. After exhaling, relax for 2 seconds. Inhale again and as you exhale say "oooommmm..." or "aaauuummm...". About 80% of the sound should be "aaauuu..." and 20% should be "mmmm...". Repeat the previous steps 3 times (you can do it up to 9 times). After the Om meditation, relax and concentrate on your regular breathing for about 5 minutes. TIPS -Wearing white clothes and being in a white environment will improve your experience. But the rule of white is not fundamental. -A good place could be a quiet room or a garden with shade. Your eyes, ears or other sensory organs should not be disturbed. -Do not consume alcohol for at least 8-10 hours before meditation. -It would be better not to eat or drink anything for at least 2 hours before meditation. The body's channels should not be blocked in order to achieve maximum results. This applies especially to the digestive system. -The best times for this meditation are early in the morning or late at night. -For beginners, singing "aum" can cause dizziness. It is recommended to proceed slowly and try to learn one step at a time. In this way you will prepare body and mind for the next step. -It is very important to open your eyes slowly when your breathing has stabilized. -If you cannot sit on the floor, you can try sitting on a bed or a chair. The most important thing is to keep your back straight. -Doing this kind of meditation in a group brings more peace and harmony to all members than doing it alone.
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Nathan Blair (Vagus Nerve: The Ultimate Guide to Learn How to Access the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve with Self-Help Exercises to Overcome Anxiety, Depression, Inflammation, Chronic Illness, PTSD and Trauma)
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Vagal nerve stimulation can relieve depression as well as seizures in epilepsy, suppress tinnitus, and also treat tachyarrhythmias (fast abnormal heart rhythms). Cutting the vagus nerve, a surgical procedure known as a vagotomy, was
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Gerald M. Lemole (Lymph & Longevity: The Untapped Secret to Health)
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Deep and slow breathing is another exercise that has been proven to increase the parasympathetic system by stimulating the vagus nerve.
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Reiner Hartmann (DAILY VAGUS NERVE EXERCISES: Learn How to Stimulate & Activate the Power of the Longest Nerve in our Body, Prevent Inflammation and Calm Anxiety with Exercises ... Understanding the Polyvagal Theory Book 2))
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One of the most wonderful things about the human mind is its inability to process more than one thing at a time. This simply implies that if you focus your mind on one thing, you automatically are distracted from other things.
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Reiner Hartmann (DAILY VAGUS NERVE EXERCISES: Learn How to Stimulate & Activate the Power of the Longest Nerve in our Body, Prevent Inflammation and Calm Anxiety with Exercises ... Understanding the Polyvagal Theory Book 2))
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However, a growing body of research by Kevin Tracey β neurosurgeon and president of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y. β is indicating that stimulation of the vagus nerve may be a powerful means of treating chronic inflammation and so-called incurable diseases (Pavlov and Tracey).
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Richard L. Haight (The Warrior's Meditation: The Best-Kept Secret in Self-Improvement, Cognitive Enhancement, and Emotional Regulation, Taught by a Master of Four Samurai Arts (Total Embodiment Method TEM))
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Published findings indicate that meditation and various contemplative practices may improve immune response by stimulating the vagus nerve in such a way that inflammation is reduced.
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Deepak Chopra (The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life)
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Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (sTMS) is FDA-approved for the acute treatment of migraine. Two pulses can be applied at the onset of an attack and this can be repeated. The use of sTMS is safe where there is no cranial metal implant, and offers an option to patients seeking non-pharmaceutical approaches to treatment. Similarly, a noninvasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVNS) is FDA-approved for the treatment of migraine attacks in adults. One to two 120-second doses may be applied for attack
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J. Larry Jameson (Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine)
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Dr. Aditi said that taking deep breaths has been scientifically proven to help lower your stress response. Breathing in fully, feeling the air expand your belly, stimulates the vagus nerve, which sends a
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Mel Robbins (The Let Them Theory)
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The vagus nerve is not just a pathway within your bodyβitβs the bridge to your inner peace, emotional resilience, and the harmony between mind and body
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Rachelle Escudero (Nurturing Your Vagus Nerve: A Beginnerβs Guide to Promote Optimal Vagal Tone Through Nerve Stimulation to Manage Anxiety, Boost Emotional Well-being, Balance Hormones, and Enhance Digestive Health)