Basic Exercise For Nervous System Regulation

This practice that takes less than two minutes can reduce physical tension in your neck, improve range of motion, alignment of your cervical vertebrae, breathing quality and calm your nervous system. The vagus nerve is integral to all of these functions in the body. This simple practice will give you a simple, powerful way to access it.

As a general disclaimer, this practice is not a replacement for medical advice or for seeking advice from a medical or mental health professional. This practice may produce feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness or queasiness. You are responsible for honoring your body and stopping if needed, though these sensations will stop on their own and can be prevented by not pushing as far in this practice. In this practice you'll be stretching your eyes, so if you experience any uncomfortable sensations, reduce the stretch by not looking as far.

Transcript

Welcome. My name is Alicia and today I'm going to teach you a basic exercise to improve nervous system regulation. For more information regarding this technique, Please reference the wonderful work of Stanley Rosenberg. This practice takes less than two minutes and can reduce physical tension in your neck, Improve range of motion, Alignment of your cervical vertebrae, Breathing quality, And calm the nervous system. The vagus nerve is an integral part of all of these functions in the body. This simple practice will give you a simple powerful way to access it. As a general disclaimer, This practice is not a replacement for medical advice or for seeking advice from a medical or mental health professional. This practice may produce feelings of dizziness, Lightheadedness, Or queasiness. You are responsible for honoring your body and stopping if needed, Though these sensations will stop on their own and can be prevented by not pushing as far in this practice. In this practice, You'll be stretching your eyes, So if you experience any uncomfortable sensations, Reduce the stretch by not looking as far. All right, Let's get into it. First, I invite you to collect a baseline. On a scale of 1 to 10, With 10 being the best, I'd like you to note how you're feeling overall, Physically, And emotionally in this moment. Slowly turn your head to the left, Noticing any tension and your range of motion. Come back to center and turn your head to the right, Noticing any tension and your range of motion. Now, Take your hands behind your head or neck, Whichever is more comfortable. The hands can be stacked or interlaced. I like to interlace them at the base of the skull and allow my hands to gently support my head. From here, Keep your face forward and begin looking to the left, Just with your eyes, Taking the gaze towards your left elbow. Keep the face calm and relaxed, Shoulders relaxed, Blinking as much as you need. We'll be here for about 30 seconds. You can do this for up to 60 seconds. You may notice a gentle, Reflexive reaction, Such as a yawn or a sigh. That's what we're looking for. That tells us that your ventral vagal complex, The part of the nervous system that creates calming sensations and is responsible for rest and digest, Is coming online. As you come back to center, Take your time here. Your gaze may wobble. Go ahead and take your arms down. Notice and sense. We'll move on to the second side. Again, Keep your face forward and begin look to the right, Looking to the right, Just with your eyes, Taking the gaze towards your right elbow. Keep the face calm and relaxed, Shoulders relaxed, Breath relaxed, Blinking as much as needed. We'll be here for about 30 seconds. Again, You can do this for up to 60 seconds. You may notice a gentle, Reflexive reaction while you're here, Such as a yawn or a sigh. Taking your time, Come back to center. Allow the arms to come down. Sense and notice. Allow yourself to integrate. Now, On a scale of one to 10, With 10 being the best, I'd like you to reflect on how you're feeling now, Physically and emotionally. Next, Slowly turn your head to the left, Noticing any changes in tension and range of motion. I hope this practice was both nourishing and fruitful for you. Thank you so much for joining me.