Welcome and thank you for joining me for this gentle trauma-informed vagus nerve yoga class to feel more calm in your body.
The vagus nerve is your longest cranial nerve and communicates between your brain and body.
This practice will explore breathing.
Mindful movement,
And awareness to support your nervous system by activating your vagus nerve to feel more calm and rested.
To begin,
I invite you to start in a seated position of your choosing,
Taking all the time you need to arrive.
As you do,
I offer a gentle reminder for you to move at your own pace.
Knowing you can take breaks or end early.
And before we begin any movement,
I invite you to notice your surroundings.
You might look around the room and find one object that feels familiar.
Or support it.
It doesn't have to be anything special.
It can be something as simple as an outlet on a wall.
A photo.
A decoration.
Or something outside a window.
This reminds your nervous system that you're here in this present moment.
Once you find it,
You might notice the qualities of this object.
If it moves.
How heavy it would feel in your hands.
The texture.
The color.
The scent if it has one.
And remaining with this,
Noticing anything you can for a few moments.
And you may continue this.
Or you might join me as we explore slow belly breathing,
Also known as diaphragmatic breathing.
If breathwork is not in your practice,
You're more than welcome to skip this part.
But if you're dreaming,
I welcome you to allow your breath to soften naturally.
And you might choose to rest your hands on your belly.
And in your time,
You might inhale,
Breathing into your hands,
Expanding.
And as you're ready,
Gently releasing.
You might continue a few breaths here in your time and pace.
Knowing you don't need to overexert yourself or make a deep breath happen.
You can do this in any way that feels comfortable.
This gentle breath work supports activating your parasympathetic response.
Which allows us to rest and relax.
And a few more moments here.
As you're ready,
Coming back to center,
Maybe releasing your hands if you like.
Gently moving your head from left to right.
Moving as fast or slow as you like.
Maybe you soften your shoulders.
Or notice any tension in your jaw and neck.
I offer a gentle reminder that there's no need to have to make anything relax here.
Just bringing awareness to these sensations can be enough.
When we're stressed or on guard.
Many of us might hold ourselves in protective postures.
That leads to tension in her jaw,
Neck,
And shoulders.
And gentle movement.
And body awareness.
Can allow us to gently release this guarding and also increase our internal awareness.
When you're at a good stopping point.
I welcome you to join me as we explore gentle neck rolls.
You can make this a big or small movement.
You might rotate your head back if that feels comfortable for your neck.
Or keep it between rocking your ear to your shoulder and dipping your chin ear to shoulder.
If you're at a good stopping point.
I welcome you to bring your legs long ways on your mat.
Having as much of a bend in your knees as feels comfortable.
And either staying upright or gently folding forward.
Maybe you round in your spine or rest your hands anywhere that feels comfortable.
If you like you might press your palms into the mat.
Noticing the contact you're making.
Or you could continue your slow,
Deep breathing.
Or simply just arrive here in this pose.
Knowing you can take any breaks or explore this in any way that feels most supportive for you.
If you'd like to stay in this shape longer,
I welcome you to honor this.
Otherwise,
To ease out,
You might press your palms into the mat and slowly rise up.
Taking your time.
And slowly we'll make our way onto our back.
Maybe having a bend in your knee.
Pressing the soles of your feet to the mat.
You might let your knees rest together.
Or to create a gentle inversion you might place a bolster underneath your seat here.
This can be supportive for activating your parasympathetic nervous system when your hips are higher than your heart.
But only if it makes you feel comfortable.
Otherwise you might choose to rest in this constructive rest shape.
Your hands can rest anywhere.
And just taking a moment to allow rest.
To be with yourself.
In this space.
If you're comfortable in this shape,
You might stay here.
Or you might join me as we explore a gentle eye exercise.
So if you like bringing your gaze to the left while keeping your head where it is.
It might make this a little easier if you don't have much to look at to cross your hands behind your head.
And gaze at your left elbow.
If you ever feel strained,
You're more than welcome to release this or gaze a little more towards center.
And I invite you to explore this until you notice a shift.
No matter how subtle.
So maybe you notice a yawn or a swallow.
Where you feel just a little more supported in your space.
And if not,
No worry.
We don't always have to notice a reaction.
But if you do and I welcome you to switch sides and then gaze to the right.
We'll be here for about one minute,
So you can explore this or pause on your own.
And if you don't notice a shift and you're more than welcome to switch at the halfway point,
Which I'll mention.
We're about halfway,
So if you're gazing to the left.
.
.
You might now switch and gaze to the right.
Wherever you are,
You might bring your gaze back to center.
And if your hands were interlaced behind you,
You might release them.
And then joining me as we turn to rest on our belly.
Maybe you rest your head and your hands,
Taking a moment to get comfortable.
Resting here might be enough.
You might notice the points of contact your front body makes with the ground holding you.
Where you might choose to explore gentle hip rocking with me.
Rocking your hips from side to side.
Knowing that if you ever feel uncomfortable with this,
You're more than welcome to skip.
You never have to do anything just because it's offered.
You can make this a big or small movement.
Slow,
Repetitive movements like this are supportive for shifting our focus to the present moment.
Into our bodies if you feel comfortable with this.
I can also gently support us to release tension by bringing more awareness to this area.
And exploring this for a few more moments.
You're welcome to continue this as long as you like.
We might find a good stopping point.
Maybe taking a few gentle deep breaths,
Noticing any shifts.
From this gentle practice.
Knowing that if you don't notice anything,
You're not doing anything wrong.
This is just where your body is today.
You might continue to rest here.
Or you might find a gentle bend in your knee.
And rocking your feet from side to side.
Honoring your body's limits.
Being gentle with yourself.
And as you're ready,
I welcome you to gently press into your hands,
Pressing back.
Sending your seat towards your heel.
Having your knees as wide as feels comfortable.
As you reach your arms forward and melting your heart and head either to the mat or to a bolster.
Finding your version of child's pose.
You can rest your arms anywhere that feels comfortable.
And gentle supportive poses like this.
Gives our nervous systems a moment to settle.
And this is also more of an inward focused poem.
So this can allow us to be a little bit more mindful.
And a little less distracted by our outside environment.
And like any pose,
It's most supportive if you're comfortable in it.
So if this isn't a pose that works for your body today,
You're more than welcome to explore something else.
Or you can even try the supine version of child's pose.
Resting on your back and bringing your knees towards your chest or holding them however feels comfortable.
And wherever you are,
Allowing the crown to support you completely.
Maybe you rock your head side to side if you prefer movement.
And resting here for a few moments.
To ease out of this shape.
I welcome you to gently press into your poems.
Lifting yourself up.
Taking your time.
As we make our way onto our backs.
And bringing the soles of our feet flat to the mat with our knees bent.
And dropping our knees from left to right.
You could also do this on your forearms or more seated upright if that feels better in your body.
Offering ourselves another moment to release stiffness or tension.
You're welcome to continue this as long as you like.
Or you might choose to bring both of your knees over to the right.
Either to the floor or onto a block.
Finding a gentle supine twist.
Option to have your left arm extended out long or to a cactus shape.
You might gently press your left shoulder into the mat or onto a blanket or pillow.
Resting your head anywhere that feels comfortable for your neck.
Taking a few moments of rest here.
Releasing tension in her spine.
If you're ready to switch sides,
I invite you to come back to center.
This time sending your knees over to the left.
Right arm reaches out.
Resting your head anywhere that feels comfortable,
Finding your comfort on this side.
Being gentle with your body.
In here for a few moments.
And as you're ready,
Coming back to center.
Maybe you would take hold.
Of your shins or underneath your thighs for a gentle self hug.
And you might stay here or rock gently side to side.
And as we're ready,
I invite you to join me in a comfortable seat of your choosing.
Taking all the time you need to arrive.
Pressing your hands anywhere that feels comfortable.
Practices like these aren't meant to force your nervous system into a calm state.
But instead they create an opportunity for your body to feel more supported through gentle movements and rest.
This might mean that some days you may not notice a big shift.
And that's okay.
You didn't do anything wrong.
This is just where your body is today.
And I invite you to meet yourself wherever you are with kindness.
You still arrive to your practice that always matters.
If your eyes are closed,
I welcome you to slowly let them open.
If they are open,
Coming back to the room and space around you.
I thank you for joining this Vengus Nerve Yoga class to support regulating your nervous system so you can feel more calm and rested.
Hopefully you were able to find a few moments of relaxation.
I hope we get to practice again soon.
You have a wonderful rest of your day.
And from my vulnerable heart to yours.
Take care.
