How are you during these interesting times?  Are you feeling stressed?

Kids are heading back to school, some states are threatening another lock-down, the economy is up and down, social media continues to spread fear about Covid and new variants, mandated vaccinations are beginning to happen around the world, and our future is quite unsettling.  We are never “going back” to the way it was.

There are many things that may be causing you stress right now. It’s easy to say “Just let it go”, but it’s much more difficult to actually release it, surrender it to the Divine, your Higher Power, Pachamama, Yaway, God, or Goddess than you think.

Stress can cause an upregulation or activation of your Sympathetic Nervous System. This causes a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. This response is natural and is part of our biological survival mechanism. However, this system is not meant to remain turned on for long periods of time, but it often remains on for weeks, months and even years.

Eventually, this causes health problems like diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, weight gain, depression and anxiety, memory issues, thyroid issues, immune dysfunction, hormone imbalances, joint pain, sleep issues, and chronic inflammation.

Balancing stress has huge benefits to your body, mind, and spirit.

The Nervous System is complex and amazing. I’ll just share a tiny bit about a particular aspect that can have a huge impact on your health and life.

It’s the Vagus Nerve. Otherwise known as Cranial nerve #10 (CNX), it has a lot to do with how you manage stress. It actually connects with every single organ in your body and affects how they function. It innervates your stomach, heart, large intestine, small intestine, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and liver. If your Vagus isn’t in a parasympathetic, or downregulated and balanced, state, then your organs won’t function properly.

When you are in a state of “arousal”, aka a Sympathetic Stress Response, then your Vagus Nerve struggles to help you survive. This is absolutely necessary if you’re being chased by a lion, or nearly run over by a bus. It stops your cellular regeneration, balanced hormone production, metabolic function such as healthy digestion, and tissue repair; and instead focuses on survival in this moment.  The stress Should then pass, but it doesn’t.  Thus your body suffers, and little to none of that healthy regeneration, repair and rebalancing takes place.

Guess what this causes…..?  Aging, Inflammation, Disease, Gut Issues, Migraines, and Joint Pain, to name a few!

Balancing your Vagal nerve can help turn on your Parasympathetic response. When this happens, you down-regulate the stress response AND…

* Feel relaxed
* Sleep more deeply
* Release excess weight
* Have clear thinking
* Great digestion
* Balanced hormones
* Good energy
* Your organs function properly and
* Your outlook on life is greatly improved

Who doesn’t want that??!!

I recently was studying PolyVagal Theory for a class that I’m teaching and thought you too may like my new favorite trick to chill out the Vagus nerve.

How to Treat Ventral Vagus Dysfunction according to Stanley Rosenberg, author of “Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve”:

1.    Lay down and gently clasp your hands together and rest them under your head, not your neck. Feel your hands contact your head and your head contact your hands.

2.    Keeping your head perfectly still, move your eyes to the right, as far as you can and hold them there until you notice a parasympathetic release, such as a deep breath, a yawn, a sense of shift in your nervous system. This could take 60 seconds.

3.    Bring your eyes back to center and blink a few times. Keeping your head still, move your eyes to the left, as far as you can and hold them there until you notice a parasympathetic release, such as a deep breath, a yawn, or a sense of shift in your nervous system. This could take 60 seconds.

4.    After you master this, you will be able to do it sitting up.

Another benefit of this exercise is that it also balances the first and second cervical vertebrae of your neck.

You may want to teach this to friends and family too. Whenever you feel stressed, do it. You may also choose to do it preventatively at the beginning or end of your day. If you receive bodywork, do it prior to your session and it will help your session work better.

It’s simple and costs you nothing but 2 minutes of your time and focus.

I hope this is a helpful tool for you during these interesting times and beyond.

Sending You Blessings of Vibrant Health,
Kristin Grayce McGary
Health and Lifestyle Alchemist
LAc, MAc, CFMP©, CST-T, CLP