Welcome,
Dear soul,
To vagus nerve release and relaxation.
Take a moment to arrive.
This is a space where your body does not need to perform or explain or hold itself together.
This meditation is designed to gently activate and soothe your vagus nerve,
The main pathway of calm,
Rest,
Digestion,
Emotional balance and healing in your body.
We are not trying to make you relax today.
We are not trying to fix anything.
We are simply creating conditions where your nervous system can remember its natural rhythm of ease.
So find a position where your neck,
Jaw and belly can soften.
If you are lying down,
Let the surface beneath you fully receive your weight.
If you are seated,
Allow the spine to be supported rather than being held upright.
There is nothing you need to hold right now.
Take a slow breath in through the nose,
And release it through the mouth with a sigh.
Again,
Inhaling calm,
And exhaling effort through the mouth.
One more,
A little slower this time,
Inhaling through the nose,
A softer exhale through the mouth.
You have gently let the body know we are safe to slow down now.
The vagus nerve begins in the brain and travels through the face and throat,
Moves through the heart and lungs,
And then weaves through the belly and digestive organs.
It is always listening for signals of safety,
And when it receives them,
The body shifts out of survival mode and into rest,
Repair and regulation.
So today,
We'll work with the places that it touches most,
The face,
The jaw,
The throat,
The breath,
The heart,
The belly,
Using a slow rhythm,
Gentle sound,
And simple awareness.
Nothing dramatic,
Nothing forced,
Just steady signals of safety,
Layer by layer.
Bring your awareness to your jaw,
Notice if it's clenched,
Or lightly braced,
Or holding without you realising it.
On your next exhale,
Let the jaw drop just a little,
The tongue rests heavy in the mouth,
The lips soften,
And as you keep breathing,
Feel the muscles around your eyes softening too,
The tiny muscles that work all day without rest.
Bring your awareness to the muscles around your ears now,
Small,
Hidden places that hold stress and alertness.
Imagine warmth spreading here,
Like a gentle heat pack,
Melting,
Loosening,
Unhooking tension.
If it feels right,
Gently hum on the exhale,
Letting the vibration move through the face,
Jaw,
And inner ear,
Let's do this gently together,
No effort,
Just vibration.
Let's do a couple more,
This vibration tells the vagus nerve it can let go now,
Let the face be heavy,
Let the jaw be loose,
Let the eyes rest in their sockets.
Now bring your awareness to your throat,
The place where emotions,
Needs,
And words are often held back.
Let this space widen gently,
Nothing to say,
Nothing to swallow now.
Let's inhale through the nose for a count of 4,
3,
2,
1,
Exhale through the mouth,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
Again inhale,
4,
3,
2,
1,
Release,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
Keep breathing,
Feel the breath move like a wave down the throat,
Through the chest,
And slowly out again.
Longer exhales are one of the strongest signals of safety to your nervous system.
As you keep with these breaths,
If you feel a swallow,
A sigh,
A yawn,
Or a cough,
That is just regulation happening,
Let it happen,
Your body knows what it needs to release.
As you keep with these breaths,
Let the neck soften,
Let the shoulders fall away,
Let the breath continue to slow itself down naturally.
Now I invite you to place one hand on your heart,
And one hand on your belly,
Feel the warmth of your own touch,
This is co-regulation,
Even when you're alone,
The nervous system responds to safe contact.
Inhaling gently into the belly,
Feel it rise under your hand,
And exhale slowly,
Letting it fall back towards the spine,
That's right,
Inhale into the belly,
Feel it rise under your hand,
And exhale slowly,
Letting it fall back towards the spine,
As the belly softens,
The vagus nerve sends a message to the brain,
We are safe now.
Stay with this rhythm,
Breathing in,
Receiving,
Breathing out,
Releasing,
Releasing,
Each breath teaches the body that it no longer needs to stay on guard,
Each breath unwinds stored urgency,
Let the heart feel supported,
Let the belly feel allowed to soften,
Now let go of the techniques and the breathing,
Let go of any effort,
Simply rest,
Rest,
Notice the weight of your body,
Bring your awareness to the steadiness of your breath in this moment,
Awareness to the space inside your chest,
Chest,
Face and belly,
This is regulation,
This is what safety feels like in the body,
And every time you return to this state,
Your nervous system learns it more quickly,
Trusts it more deeply,
And stays longer in regulation,
You are teaching your body a new pattern,
One of ease,
Recovery and rest,
And let yourself sink into it,
Now continue with your regulated breaths,
While I say some affirmations,
You don't have to repeat them,
Just be with your breath,
And let your mind receive them,
As I breathe slow deep breaths into my body,
And out of my body,
I am safe to relax,
My body knows how to return to calm,
With each breath,
I am trusting my nervous system,
As I relax,
I am supported from within,
Rest is available to me now,
I am allowed to slow down,
I am breathing slow deep breaths into my body,
I am allowed to be held,
Let the breath now return to its natural rhythm,
Let the body drift and rest,
Let the mind rest,
Nothing more to do,
Nothing you need to manage,
You are home,
As we come to the end of this meditation,
Let the breath return to its own rhythm,
Feel the space inside you now,
Lighter,
Quieter,
Just less crowded,
The past has moved,
Even if just a little,
And that is enough for today,
Begin to notice the room again,
The sounds,
The air,
Feel into the surface beneath you,
Now,
Noticing that mother earth was holding you,
And always holds you,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Carry this lesson within you today,
Knowing you can come back to this and any of the other meditations in this series,
Have a blessed day today,
Namaste
