Systematic Relaxation (Extended Version)
by MitSukha
The vagus nerve delivers signals to and from many parts of the body and originates in the lower part of the brain stem. The system actually is made up of two physical nerves arising from either side of the back of the head and can be thought of as the heart of the nervous system. It is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves, it transfers information both ways from the brain to body and vice versa. It is the most obvious physical representation of the mind-body connection and connects to all the major organs: brain, heart, lungs, liver, bladder, kidneys, stomach and intestines. There are many benefits to maintaining a high vagal tone. To name a few: it increases baroreceptor firing rates which lowers blood pressure by lowering the heart rate. High vagal tone suppresses inflammation in the body caused by stress. It helps reduce feelings of anxiety and thus may keep depression at bay.
