If you're feeling a little tense in the body,
A bit on edge or maybe caught up in your thoughts,
This deep relaxation meditation is for you.
I'm Chibzo Karage and today we're going on a journey along the vagus nerve.
This deep relaxation meditation is designed to help calm your nervous system,
Settle your mind and bring a deep sense of ease into your body.
You're probably used to doing a lot,
But today there's nothing you need to do and there's no pressure to get it right.
This is simply an invitation to slow down and let your body feel safe again.
We'll go gently and you're in charge.
My guidance and my instructions are all optional,
So if anything doesn't feel right,
You can change it,
Skip it or make it your own.
The vagus nerve is like your body's natural calm button.
It starts at the base of your brain and gently winds its way through your throat,
Your heart,
Your lungs,
All the way down to your stomach and gut.
That's why it's called the wandering nerve.
When the vagus nerve is switched on,
Your body gets the message that you're safe.
Heart rate slows,
Digestion improves,
Muscles relax and the mind starts to settle.
There are going to be a few different vagus nerve exercises woven into this session.
Things like breath work,
Gentle sound,
Imagery,
Body scans and affirmations.
Now you don't need to do them all.
You can skip any part or just lie back and listen.
If any of the exercises don't feel right or if you're not sure,
Just breathe.
Rest and allow my words to wash over you.
And if you come back to this meditation a few different times,
You might find yourself trying a different exercise each time.
In fact,
Doing a practice like this regularly,
Just once a day for seven days,
Can help improve what's called vagal tone.
That's just a fancy term for how well your vagus nerve is working to calm your system when you need it to.
The higher your vagal tone,
The easier it becomes to relax,
Sleep,
Digest and feel safe in your own body.
So if today's a listening only kind of day,
That's perfect.
You can always explore more next time.
All right,
Let's start by getting settled.
You might want to sit in a comfortable position or even better,
Feel free to lie down if you're in a safe space.
Whatever feels best for your body right now.
If you're lying down and have something to do later,
It could be worth setting an alarm,
Just in case this meditation turns into a nap.
Most people find it easier to relax with their eyes closed,
But that's totally optional.
If closing your eyes feels uncomfortable or intense,
You can keep them slightly open.
Just a soft gaze,
Letting a little light in.
And feel free to shift position at any time.
Stillness is lovely,
But comfort is so much more relaxing.
So if you can get just 1% more comfortable,
I invite you to go ahead and do that now.
Let's gently bring our awareness to the breath.
Not changing anything about the breath,
Not trying to fix or control the breath.
Just noticing how the body is breathing right now.
You might notice the breath feels fast or slow,
Shallow or deep.
Maybe it's moving more through the chest or down into the belly.
You might even notice a little pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
There's no right or wrong breath,
We're just staying curious about whatever we find.
And rather than watching the breath like it's something separate,
We're feeling the breath from the inside.
We're feeling the cool air coming in through the nose,
The gentle expansion of the chest and stomach.
And then the warm air leaving as the body softens and relaxes.
Breathing in and the body gently expands.
Breathing out as the body softens,
Settles and sinks just a little deeper.
We're letting the breath move just as it wants to.
Now,
If you feel ready,
We'll gently shift into a breathing technique that helps activate the vagus nerve even more.
When we slow down the out-breath,
We send a message to the body that it's safe to relax.
This helps soothe the nervous system,
Soften tension and bring the body back into balance.
We'll also add a gentle pause after each in-breath.
This little pause can help the body absorb the breath more fully and it gives the nervous system a moment to reset and to settle.
So we're going to create a slow,
Steady rhythm.
It's going to be a calm in-breath for a count of four,
A short pause for a count of two and then a long,
Gentle exhale for a count of six.
And if counting feels awkward or distracting,
Feel free to drop the counting and just let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath.
All right,
Let's try a few together.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
So let me be quiet for a few moments so you can do a few more breaths at your own pace.
Just lightly holding the breath at the top of the inhale and gently lengthening the out-breath,
Keeping the body soft.
Sometimes when we try to breathe too deeply,
We end up tensing,
Especially on the inhale.
So if you notice any tightness or strain,
You might want to dial the breath back by 10 or 20%.
Keeping it gentle.
And checking in now with the body as we continue to control the breath.
Is the forehead relaxed?
The shoulders?
The belly?
If it feels good,
You can stay with these longer exhales for a while longer.
Or you can allow the breath to settle into its natural rhythm.
Your body knows what to do.
If you feel like adding a little something extra to support the body and to stimulate the vagus nerve,
Here are a couple of gentle options you can try.
First,
You might place a hand on your chest,
Just resting it there lightly.
Maybe feeling the rhythm of your breath beneath your hand.
This simple touch can send a powerful message of safety to the nervous system.
If you feel comfortable,
You might like to make a soft voo sound on the out-breath.
It's a low,
Gentle hum and it sounds like this.
Voooooo.
If you drop your voice down low,
You'll feel the vibrations lower down in the body.
Most people find that this vibration helps to calm the mind and body by stimulating the vagus nerve directly.
You can try it once or twice or not at all.
Whatever feels right.
You might even pair the two together.
Hand on the chest,
Breathing in a gentle voo on the exhale.
Just see how it feels in the body.
And again,
Everything here is optional.
If you want to simply lie here and gently breathe,
That's perfect too.
No pressure.
Let's take a moment to notice what it feels like in the body now.
If you did one of the exercises,
How did that exercise make you feel?
Just noticing.
Perhaps there's a softening.
A warmth.
Maybe even a sense of being gently held from the inside.
Now,
If it feels okay,
We'll gently introduce a simple and powerful phrase that can help anchor the body in a sense of calm.
My suggestion is to use the affirmation,
I am safe.
Now,
For some of us,
That phrase lands beautifully,
Like a soft internal hug.
But for others,
It might not feel quite right.
And that's completely okay.
If the phrase,
I am safe,
Doesn't resonate or doesn't make you feel safe,
Here are a few other options that you can try instead.
I'm okay right now.
Or,
I can rest now.
Or,
There's nothing I need to do.
Or,
You might even come up with your own phrase.
Something simple,
Something kind that fits how you're feeling in this moment.
You're welcome to say it quietly in your mind or whisper it out loud if you prefer.
Letting the words settle into the body.
Not just thinking them,
But feeling them.
Repeat your chosen phrase gently now,
At your own pace.
And just notice,
How does the body respond to hearing those words?
If nothing changes,
That's okay.
If it brings up emotion,
That's okay too.
We're simply meeting ourselves where we are,
With kindness.
Okay,
Let's now begin to gently move our attention through the body.
Releasing tension as we go.
There's no rush,
No need to focus too hard.
Think of it more like shining a soft torch of awareness on each area and letting the light rest there for a few moments.
Now,
If I name a part of the body and it doesn't feel right for you to go there,
Feel free to skip it,
Change it or stay somewhere else for a little bit longer.
You're in charge of today's practice.
Let's begin by bringing awareness to the left foot.
You might notice sensations,
Tingles,
Warmth or nothing at all,
It's all fine.
Softening the left foot.
Softening the left lower leg.
The left knee.
The left upper leg.
And the left hip.
Moving now across to the right side.
Softening the right foot.
The right lower leg.
The right knee.
The right upper leg.
And the right hip.
Now,
Let's bring awareness to both hips and pelvis together.
Allowing the base of the body to feel heavy and supported.
Let's move up now through the lower back,
The middle back,
The upper back and shoulder blades.
Relaxing the whole back body.
You might even imagine tension sliding off,
Like water running down a gentle slope.
Bringing awareness now to the stomach.
Softening the left hip.
The left hip.
Letting it rise and fall naturally with the breath.
Noticing the chest and ribcage now.
Perhaps feeling the heartbeat.
Maybe we're softening the muscles around the heart.
Relaxing the left shoulder.
The left upper arm.
Relaxing the left hand.
Relaxing the right shoulder now.
The right upper arm.
Elbow.
Relaxing the right hand.
Both arms now.
Resting.
Soft and heavy.
Bringing awareness to the neck and throat.
The back of the head and the face.
Relaxing the jaw.
Cheeks.
The eyes.
Temples.
And the forehead.
We're allowing the muscles of the face to completely soften.
It's as if the whole face is exhaling.
And finally,
Relaxing the top of the head.
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 toes and fingers.
Noticing the weight of the body.
The stillness.
And perhaps we might notice subtle sensations like warmth.
Tingles.
Or a gentle buzz of energy.
Letting the whole system drop deeper into rest.
Just being here now.
With whatever you feel.
And now,
While staying with this sense of the whole body at rest.
Let's gently return our attention to the breath.
Noticing how the breath moves through this relaxed body.
No need to change the breath.
Just feeling it as it is.
The cool air entering through the nose.
The soft expansion through the ribs.
And the warmer air leaving as the body softens on the out-breath.
Settling a little deeper.
Melting into stillness.
You might notice that the breath has slowed.
Or deepened.
Or maybe it feels exactly the same,
And that's fine too.
Breathing in and the body gently expands.
Breathing out and the body lets go just a little more.
Still resting in the body.
Still here with the breath.
Letting everything be just as it is.
Now,
If you'd like to go a little deeper into this feeling of calm.
You might imagine a gentle warm light moving through the body.
Almost like a soft thread of golden light gently tracing the path of the vagus nerve.
This light begins at the base of the skull.
Right where the neck meets the head.
You might imagine the light starting there.
Soft and steady.
Then slowly moving down the neck.
Through the throat.
Relaxing the voice.
Softening the jaw.
Calming the nervous system as it travels down.
From there,
The light continues down into the chest.
Settling around the heart and lungs.
Maybe spreading warmth or a gentle hum through the ribcage.
Then slowly it travels further.
Down into the belly.
To the stomach.
Bringing softness.
Ease.
And a quiet feeling of safety.
You don't need to follow this perfectly.
The light might move differently for you.
Or it might just rest in one place.
You might feel it like a gentle warmth.
A wave.
A pulse.
Or maybe not at all.
Whatever your experience is,
Is just right.
This light is simply here to support you.
Softening the body.
Calming the system.
Helping you feel safe.
Steady.
And at home.
Letting yourself rest in that feeling now.
Still with the breath.
Still with the body.
Letting the light fade gently if it wants to.
Or it can stay with you as long as it likes.
And now,
As this practice comes to a close.
Just taking a moment to notice what's here.
What does the body feel like now?
What about the breath?
Or the mind?
Perhaps there's a sense of ease or softness.
Or maybe a little more space between you and the stress.
And if things still feel a bit tight or unsettled,
That's okay too.
Sometimes just showing up for yourself is the real win.
There's no need to rush out of this state.
You can stay here for as long as you like.
Sometimes,
When we finally slow down,
There's a little bit of space that opens up.
Space we didn't know we needed.
And that's really what this whole practice is about.
Making a bit of room.
I'd love to share a short poem that speaks to that.
It's called Clearing by Martha Postlethwaite.
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose.
Instead,
Create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know how to give yourself to this world so worthy of rescue.
And as we end,
Please take as much time as you need.
You've done enough for today.
But if you do feel ready to get back into the world,
Let's start to bring awareness to the sounds around us.
Sounds inside the room.
Sounds outside the room.
Maybe a gentle wiggle of the fingers and toes.
And whenever you're ready,
You can gently crack open the eyes and come back to the space around you.
And just a reminder,
This relaxed state isn't something you have to chase.
It's always available to you.
In the breath.
In the body.
In the quiet moments like this one.
So thank you for taking this time to look after yourself.
I'll see you again soon.
