If you've been feeling on edge,
Unable to fully switch off,
Small things feeling big and rest feeling far away,
You're in the right place.
I'm Chibs O'Kerike and welcome to today's Vagus Nerve meditation.
Today we're going to be doing a simple practice to help the nervous system soften and support your body back towards rest and digest.
By the end of this session you're going to feel more grounded and ready to continue your day with a sense of peace and calm.
Or you'll be ready for a deep restorative sleep.
Okay,
Finding a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down.
Most people feel more relaxed by closing the eyes but feel free to leave the eyes open if that feels more relaxing.
For some of us,
Particularly those of us that have had to stay on guard in the past,
The nervous system can go into high alert with closed eyes.
So you're welcome to crack the eyes open slightly,
Allowing a little light in if thoughts,
Sensations or emotions start to feel too much.
If we are keeping the eyes open,
Just making sure we have a soft gaze,
A soft focus.
Remember,
You're always in control here.
You can open your eyes,
You can adjust your position or you can pause this meditation at any time.
Our starting point and the best and quickest way to stimulate the Vagus Nerve is to relax the body.
When we relax the body we often find that the mind calms down soon afterwards.
During this meditation we'll be working with the parasympathetic rest and digest nervous system.
Now the main pathway involved here is the Vagus Nerve,
A kind of communication line between the brain and the body.
Especially the heart,
The lungs and the gut.
Now the wonderful thing about our body is that we can use our breath to support the Vagus Nerve and to guide our nervous system back towards balance.
So I invite you now to join me.
Becoming aware of the breath,
Noticing the inhale and noticing the exhale.
Without trying to change anything about the breath,
We're simply noticing how the body is naturally breathing.
We might find that there's an urge to direct the breath,
To control the breath in some way.
So without trying to change anything,
How is the body breathing right now?
Is it a slow breath or a rapid breath?
Is it a deep breath or a shallow breath?
Are we breathing into the chest or are we breathing into the stomach?
We're not so much watching the breath,
We're experiencing the breath,
We're feeling the breath.
So what does it feel like to breathe?
Perhaps we can feel the cool air coming in through the nostrils as we breathe in,
As the lungs and the chest and the stomach expand.
And then we might notice the warm air leaving the nostrils as we breathe out,
As the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper into the chair or into the bed if we're lying down.
We breathe in and the body expands and we breathe out and the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper into the chair or into the bed if we're lying down.
Now before we move into the gentle breathing exercise,
I want to introduce a powerful phrase,
I am safe.
By reminding the body and the mind that we're safe,
We can reduce anxiety and bring ourselves into a state of calm.
If the phrase I am safe doesn't feel true right now,
That's completely ok.
You're welcome to swap it for something gentler.
Something like,
In this moment,
I'm ok.
Or I'm here.
Or simply,
The breath is here.
So let's take a moment now,
Either out loud or silently in our mind and say to ourselves our phrase,
I am safe.
I am safe.
I am safe.
Really feel the words sink in and notice any changes in how the body feels as we allow that sense of safety to settle.
I am safe.
Ok,
Good.
Bringing our awareness back to the breath.
Feeling the breath moving through the nostrils.
Feeling the body expanding and softening.
For the next minute or so,
Softening and deepening the breath.
And if it feels comfortable,
Seeing if we can lengthen the exhalation.
Allowing the out breath to be a little longer than the in breath.
Increasing the length of the out breath stimulates our vagus nerve and this triggers the body's relaxation response.
Now a good way of doing this is to do a little count inside our mind and making sure that our exhale count is about twice as long as our inhale count.
So let's try a few extended exhale breaths together.
Breathing in for a count of four and breathing out for a count of six.
You can follow my count for a few breaths and then you can continue doing some more at your own pace.
So let's Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Now it's up to you what you count to but there's no need to be precise so if you like you can drop the count completely if counting feels distracting or unnatural and just making sure that the out-breath is slightly longer than the in-breath.
So let me be quiet for a few moments so you can do this at your own pace.
Making sure that we're keeping the body relaxed as we breathe.
Checking to see if the forehead is relaxed,
The jaw,
The neck and shoulders,
The stomach.
And already we might be beginning to notice changes as we engage the vagus nerve through this relaxing practice of lengthening the out-breath.
As we support the vagus nerve,
As we continue to breathe slowly and gently,
Maybe we can notice warmth or tingles or gentle pulses moving through the body.
Now if we like we can continue to do our long exhalations or we can allow our breathing to return to its natural rhythm.
It's our choice.
And now we're going to shift into a second way of stimulating the vagus nerve and we're going to relax the body.
In this progressive relaxation section of the meditation we're going to be slowly moving our awareness through the body,
Consciously relaxing each part as we go and we're going to be releasing tension wherever we find it.
And I want you to remember,
My words are just a gentle guide and you're welcome to change them or even ignore them completely.
So I invite you to bring your awareness now to the top of the head,
Softening the top of the head,
Softening the face,
Softening the back of the head,
Softening the base of the skull where the brain meets the body.
This is where the vagus nerve begins.
And as we rest our attention here we might notice a quiet sense of settling,
As if the nervous system is getting the message that it's okay to soften.
And from here the vagus nerve branches out into the jaw and the mouth area.
And here it supports the muscles of the jaw and the tongue,
Seeing if we can soften the jaw and the mouth.
And as we rest our attention here we might notice the jaw unclenching,
The tongue resting,
And the whole face feeling a little less tense.
Moving our awareness now down toward the neck and the throat,
Following that vagus nerve pathway.
The throat is one of the places that the vagus nerve does a lot of its work,
Supporting swallowing and helping breathing feel a little easier.
And as we rest our attention here,
As we soften in this area,
We might notice a sense of the throat unclenching,
Maybe breathing feeling a little easier,
And the whole system settling.
And moving our awareness into the right shoulder now,
Softening the right shoulder,
Softening the right arm,
Softening the right hand,
Allowing the hand to rest loosely.
Moving our awareness to the left shoulder now,
Softening the left shoulder,
Softening the left arm,
Softening the left hand,
Following that pathway down into the middle of the chest,
The heart.
This is part of the vagus nerve's calming pathway,
Supporting the heart and the rhythm of the breath.
And as we rest our attention here,
As we soften into this area,
We might notice the chest easing,
The heart feeling less rushed,
And the breath finding a steadier flow.
Perhaps we're noticing this relaxation spreading through the body,
Vibrations,
Tingles.
Moving our attention now to the ribcage,
Softening the ribs,
Softening the lungs.
This is another area the vagus nerve supports,
The lungs and the airways.
And as we soften into this area,
We might notice a little more space to breathe,
The breath feeling smoother,
Less tight,
Less effort,
Keeping the breathing easy.
Moving our awareness to the back of the body now,
Softening the upper back,
The shoulder blades,
Softening the middle of the back,
The spine,
Softening the lower back,
Softening the entire back.
Bringing our awareness around to the front of the body now,
Softening the belly,
The upper belly,
The lower belly.
This is another place where the vagus nerve does so much of its work,
Supporting digestion and helping the body shift towards rest and digest.
And as we rest our attention here,
We might notice the belly unclenching,
The gut settling,
And a sense of ease spreading through the center of the body,
Keeping the breathing easy as we go.
Moving our awareness into the hips now,
Softening the right hip,
Softening the left hip,
Softening the right upper leg now.
And perhaps we are noticing warmth or tingles or gentle pulses in the areas that we are relaxing.
Softening the left upper leg,
Softening the right knee,
Softening the left knee,
Softening the right lower leg,
Softening the left lower leg,
Softening the right foot,
Softening the left foot.
And now I invite you to expand your awareness,
To include the whole body,
From the top of the head to the tips of the fingers and tips of the toes,
Noticing all those feelings of relaxation that have spread across the body,
The tingles,
The warmth,
The pulses,
The vibrations.
We are resting,
Letting go,
Allowing our body to find its calm,
To find its balance.
And all the time we are remaining alert,
Awake,
Present,
As our body and mind become increasingly relaxed and peaceful.
We are enjoying this experience of relaxation and really allowing it to sink in.
I invite you now to expand your awareness once again,
To include the sensations of breathing now,
Noticing how the lungs are expanding and softening,
And noticing how the breath is a sensation just like any other body sensation.
We are simply noticing how the body is naturally breathing,
And without trying to change anything,
How is the body breathing?
Has the breath slowed?
Is the breath more relaxed?
Remember,
We are not so much watching the breath,
We are experiencing the breath,
We are feeling what it is like to breathe,
We are feeling the cool air coming in through the nostrils as we breathe in,
As the lungs and the chest and the stomach expand,
And we are feeling the warm air leaving the nostrils as we breathe out,
As the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper into the chair or into the bed.
We breathe in and the body expands,
And we breathe out as the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper.
We are noticing the body becoming increasingly peaceful and tranquil.
The breath slowing down,
Maybe the heart slowing as well.
And as this practice comes to an end,
Knowing that you can always come back here again,
Back to this place of relaxation,
Taking a moment now to notice what the body feels like,
And noticing what the mind feels like.
And hopefully,
The mind and body are feeling a little bit more relaxed,
And if we are not feeling more relaxed right now,
That's ok,
It might be one of those heavier days.
And if there are even more thoughts in the mind,
Or more tension in the body,
That's ok too.
Simply noticing what's here can be a way of taking care of ourselves.
So this practice is all about meeting the moment with a bit more kindness.
So if you're feeling stressed,
Or sad,
Or overwhelmed,
If it's possible,
Seeing if you can take it a little gently today,
Perhaps doing something relaxing or even treating yourself to something.
And leaving the harder stuff for another day.
And before we end this meditation,
I'd love to share one of my favourite poems.
You might have heard this before on some of my other meditations,
But it's a good one.
And if you're having a tough day today,
This is especially for you.
It's called The Mountain by Laura Ding Edwards.
If the mountain seems too big today,
Then climb a hill instead.
If the morning brings you sadness,
It's ok to stay in bed.
If the day ahead weighs heavy,
And your plans feel like a curse,
There's no shame in rearranging,
Don't make yourself feel worse.
If a shower stings like needles,
And a bath feels like you'll drown,
If you haven't washed your hair for days,
Don't throw away your crown.
A day is not a lifetime,
A rest is not defeat,
Don't think of it as failure,
Just a quiet,
Kind retreat.
It's ok to take a moment from an anxious,
Fractured mind.
The world will not stop turning while you get realigned.
The mountain will still be there when you want to try again.
You climb it in your own time.
Just love yourself till then.
And keeping our eyes closed,
I invite you to notice what feels different in the body and mind.
Perhaps we're feeling more relaxed,
Perhaps we can feel an opening or lightness in the chest,
More spaciousness in the mind and perhaps a feeling of safety in the body.
And noticing if we feel more energized from this practice,
Or whether we're feeling more relaxed.
Some of us will find that this practice energizes us,
And for those people,
It might be good to do it in the morning to start our day off with more energy.
But if we find it more relaxing,
It might help us sleep at night,
So we could try this practice close to bedtime.
I invite you now to bring awareness to sounds.
Sounds inside the room.
Sounds outside the room.
We can gently wiggle our fingers and toes.
And in a moment,
This meditation will be coming to an end.
But you're welcome to stay with the silence for as long as you like.
And whenever you're ready,
If the eyes aren't already open,
Gently cracking open the eyes and returning to the room.
Now remember,
We can always return to this place of rest and ease.
The breath is always here for us.
And whenever tension shows up,
We can take a few moments to slow down our exhale,
Giving the vagus nerve a gentle nudge towards calm.
And take a moment to really appreciate yourself for showing up today,
For looking after your body and your nervous system.
Have a wonderful day,
And if you're listening to this before bed,
Sweet dreams.
