The Breath: Your Inner CALM Button
Did you know you have a calm button within that you can activate whenever you need it?
You may already know about the counterpart to your inner calm button, your inner emergency button. This emergency button or Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) can be a literal lifesaver as it’s designed to handle a present threat or imminent harm. You’ll know this button is activated because your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes more rapid and moves higher in your body. Your muscles tense up, preparing to move you suddenly if need be. Your brain becomes alert and hyperfocused on potential dangers, evaluating and classifying potential threats.
I can imagine our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) saved a lot of our ancestors before all the safety guardrails we’ve put in place over time. One of the problems we face today is that our SNS can’t distinguish if a perceived threat is a wildebeest on the loose in the village or a terrifying news headline. Throughout our day we are exposed to a lot of non-emergency triggers like looming deadlines, rushing to be somewhere on time, harsh communication/content and more. Our SNS starts to stay perpetually on, sensing we’re in constant danger and working to “protect” us from an impending wave of threats.
Just like if you left a blender motor running all day, every day, when our SNS runs all the time it starts to wear down our body, diminishing immunity, creating chronic pain and severely fraying the nervous system and our emotional well being.
So how do we allow our SNS to chill? How do we restore balance and even build resilience in our nervous system? Where exactly is that calm button within that you can activate whenever you may need it?
These answers lie within the counterpart of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). The parasympathetic nervous system takes care of things like our digestion, elimination, reproduction, detoxification and more. The major component of the PNS is the vagus nerve, a name derived from the Latin word “vagari” which means to wander, and wow does it ever. It starts at the base of the neck and runs to your ears, throat, lung, chest, heart and abdomen. The vagus nerve is sometimes referred to as the “Soul Nerve” because of its large role in regulating our emotional hygiene.
Surprise! The vagus nerve is that inner calm button and when we stimulate it it allows our body to rest by regulating our blood pressure and heart rate. When the PNS is activated our systems get the green light to go about their business and our SNS throttles down. We can breathe with depth and reconnect with the present moment with more ease. We feel safe and our ability to sit with our emotions returns.
Keep reading for some of the most accessible ways to stimulate the vagus nerve. Use them when you're looking to quell feelings of anxiety, when you’re seeking a calmer state and to develop long term resilience to triggers. Your inner calming ally awaits you!
Deep Breaths and Breathwork: One of the best ways to kick on your PNS and let your vagus nerve do its thing is to take intentional deep breaths from your diaphragm. When we’re breathing deep our body reads that as safety and calm ensues. Practices like box breathing can be very effective in toning the Vagus nerve.
2. Mindfulness and Meditation: Present moment awareness is a key part of being able to return quickly from an anxious state to a more calm and grounded state.
3. Singing, gargling and humming: Vibrations in our throat and ears can directly stimulate the vagus nerve. In Resmaa Menakem’s book “My Grandmother’s Hands” he links the ancestral practice of humming and singing to the innate wisdom around maintaining a balanced nervous system.
4. Movement: Physical activities like stretching, walking, dancing and Qi Gong are great ways to stimulate the vagus nerve and release tension from stressed out muscles, joints, tendons and fascia.
5. Laugher: Yes! Those big belly laughs and vocalizations can stimulate our vagus nerve and release tension allowing our nervous system to reset. Cat videos anyone?
Here’s to taking deep breaths!!
