The Vagus Nerve
Medical writings dating back 5,000 years tells us that our ancient ancestors did not separate body from mind, nor body from spirit.
It wasn't until Sir Issac Newton watched an apple fall from a tree and came up the laws of motion and universal gravitation that suddenly we began to view ourselves as machines. The brain became a computer, the heart a pump, and the eyes - cameras. This is now termed "Newtonian Physics" - and is seen as a true, but small part of reality, yet still dictates much of conventional medical practice. Quantum physics encompasses the larger workings of our world.
A quantum leap in the medical understanding of our body/mind/spirit is found in the Vagus Nerve. It's one of 12 pairs of cranial nerves, but the ONLY ONE that extends down into the body.
Latin for "wandering nerve", it's as if it's taste testing every inner working of the body and communicating to the whole - it's a conduit of interconnectedness.
So when we think that individual organs can be repaired as if they were seperate little machines without addressing the whole, the Vagus Nerve giggles and then whispers to us, "pssssst, it's all connected".
A large part of the Vagus Nerve's job is to help us balance between our sympathetic nervous system "fight/flight/freeze", and our parasympathetic nervous system, "rest and digest".
A healthy Vagus Nerve moderates not only your nervous system, but also your immune system, your digestive system, your mood, inflammation, hunger, stress, temperature, pain, and heart rate.
If you have a healthy Vagus Nerve (referred to as good Vagal Nerve tone), you are able to move back and forth between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems - meaning you are able to nativgate stressors and recover quickly. You are resilient.
Most people I know do not fit this description.
Which is why it's not surprising that the American Medical Association has stated 90% of all disease today is caused by chronic stress. In other words, 90% of us are stuck in our sympathetic nervous system.
So if the Vagus Nerve modulates stress and resiliance - this nerve should be the priority of 90% of medical treatments - from fatigue, to back pain, to autoimmune disease, to cancer!
Now here comes the fun part . . .
If you are worried your Vagal Nerve looks more flabby than fit and your doctor has never inquired about your Vagal Nerve tone, do not fear. There are easy ways for you to improve this on your own:
Deep Breathing - this is the #1 way to improve Vagal tone!
Gargling
Humming or Chanting
Cold Water - applied to the face or via a cold shower
Auricular acupressure, which focuses on ear points, as a small branch of Vagus extends out to the surface of the ears
Vagal-stimulation devices (these are either implanted or worn outside the body). More and more are coming out on the market so keep your eyes peeled in the coming months/years.
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Dr. Laura Neville