5 Ways to Support Your Nervous System Through the Vagus Nerve

Let's get nerdy 🤓 and talk about - THE VAGUS NERVE. Also known as the wandering nerve or cranial nerve X. First, let’s learn a few facts about this nerve that does so much for our bodies.

An introduction to the vagus nerve

  • There are 12 cranial nerves in the body. They come in pairs and help to link the brain with other areas of the body, such as the head, neck, and torso.

  • The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is also known as CN X (it is named after Roman numerals) or wandering nerve (vagus means wandering in latin) because as you’ll see it wanders all over the body. 

  • It is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves and runs all the way from the brain stem to part of the colon. 

  • The vagus nerve provides primary control for the nervous system's parasympathetic division: so it controls our relaxation response that’s also known as rest and digest. 

  • When activated, the vagus nerve sends commands that slow heart and breathing rates and increase digestion - however when we are stressed we actually impair the vagus nerve from performing all of its benefits and functions 

A great depiction of how the vagus nerve “wanders” around the body.

The gut brain axis

You may be familiar with the fact that we have a central nervous system, but did you know we also have an intestinal or enteric nervous system located in the GI tract? Yes, we have TWO nervous systems, and they are connected via the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve acts like a highway of communication and shares information from the gut to the brain, including emotions like anxiety, depression, and excitement.

Our microbiome (which consists of trillions of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses), communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve, affecting mood and the inflammation response.

The microbiome is also responsible for producing important neurotransmitters for mood. Approx 95% of serotonin is made in the gut, and 50% of dopamine is also synthesized in the gut.

Benefits of Activating the Vagus Nerve  

There are so many benefits of activating this amazing nerve. Here are just a few:

  • Helps us to turn off the sympathetic nervous system, (the one responsible for the stress response known as fight vs flight), and to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, (the one responsible for feeling relaxed). This means our bodies will be able to recover and regenerate more easily, and we will experience a reduction in anxiety symptoms and stress levels.

  • Reduces our heart rate and blood pressure

  • Allows our digestion to work optimally

  • Can help our immune system to function more optimally

  • According to Richard Francis, Ph.D. in neurobiology, activating the vagus nerve can help people recover from trauma 1

Simple and easy ways to activate the vagus nerve:

  1. Deep belly breathing

Deep belly breathing is a totally free and easily accessible way to calm you down and activate the vagus nerve. By breathing with our diaphragm, the muscle that separates our chest from our abdomen, instead of shallow chest breathing, we are able to activate the vagus nerve and feel more relaxed.

The vagus nerve will activate the parasympathetic nervous system, in charge of the relaxation response in the body. Deep belly breathing also helps to improve vagal tone and heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. People with high heart rate variability are usually more resilient to stress.


2. Cold water exposure

While taking cold showers or taking a dip in a freezing cold lake may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, there are definitely a lot of benefits associated to cold water exposure! 🚿 A few benefits include improving immune system and metabolic function, as well as reducing inflammation.

Cold water therapy can also activate your vagus nerve and bring your heart rate down, helping to calm you down. While your body adjusts to the cold, your sympathetic nervous system begins to decline its activity, while parasympathetic activity increases.

My tip: end your regular shower with 30-60 seconds of cold water. You can also wash your face with cold water or use a cold compress/ice gel pack on your neck.

3. Singing, laughing, gargling, & humming

The vagus nerve is connected with muscles at the back of the throat, as well as your vocal chords. Doing any of these activities will stimulate the vagus nerve and increase HRV. Singing or chanting in unison, like in a choir or signing with friends, can also provide a greater benefit and helps to regulate your nervous system with others.

All of these are free activities that can also bring a ton of joy and fun into your life! Pick your favourite and commit to practicing a few minutes each day. Of course you can alternate depending on what you’re feeling!

4. Meditation and Yoga

Yoga is an amazing mind body practice that helps us to relax and stimulate the vagus nerve. It’s more than just physical exercises, it is also a spiritual practice  

Meditation helps to increase brain connectivity and lower inflammation, which are both signals of healthy vagal tone. Loving kindness and gratitude meditations are specially effective in activating the vagus nerve. 

 A 2015 analysis published in Frontiers in Psychology found that those who engaged in loving-kindness meditation showed decreased stress responses and therefore had a healthier vagal tone 2

When we do these type of meditations they evoke really positive feelings of love, they nurture social connectivity, compassion, and just goodwill for ourselves and others đź’›

5. Probiotics

Taking probiotics can not only improve the health of the GI tract, but also the brain via the vagus nerve. Certain strains of bacteria including Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum have been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

Tip: Before taking a probiotic, make sure you speak with a health care practitioner, such as a nutritionist, naturopath, doctor, etc ;)

Laura Gutierrez