Vagus Nerve/Anxiety Relief Breathing Technique

Welcome a deep sense of calm and presence in this guided breathing meditation.
The Voo technique was created by trauma therapist Dr. Peter Levine and uses the breath and humming to stimulate the vagus nerve which directly impacts how our bodies respond to stress.
The vagus nerve in turn activates the calming, rest- and-digest parasympathetic nervous system response sending messages of safety to our systems. This type of breathing has been shown to reduce heart rate, the production of stress hormones like cortisol, blood pressure, and breathing rate.

Transcript

Welcome!

Today we will have an experience of the VU breathing technique created by trauma therapist Dr.

Peter Levine.

This is one of the most effective breathing techniques I have found for relieving anxiety-related feelings.

This technique uses the breath and humming to stimulate the vagus nerve and gently vibrate the muscles and organs.

The vagus nerve directly impacts how our bodies respond to stress and is the primary cranial nerve which carries signals between our brains,

Hearts,

And digestive systems.

The vagus nerve,

In turn,

Activates the calming,

Rest,

And digest parasympathetic nervous system response.

VU breathing signals nerve endings to send messages of safety to our systems.

This type of breathing has been shown to reduce heart rate,

Blood pressure,

Breathing rate,

And even the production of stress hormones like cortisol.

For this technique,

We will take a slow deep breath in and then as we exhale we will make the sound VU like V-O-O.

We will then hold at the bottom before gently allowing the breath to come back in naturally.

Imagine the sound of a foghorn coming from a large boat like a barge crossing the ocean.

This is the depth of the sound we are looking to create.

As you make the sound VU,

See if you can feel the fullness of the sound coming from your belly and even your whole torso.

Your repeating of the sound may be longer or shorter than mine.

Please go at a pace that feels nourishing for you.

If you find that the sound VU doesn't last for your complete exhalation,

I invite you to make the sound louder as a way to support this full VU with the breath.

During the practice,

Notice if you feel a settling and relaxation inside or an activation.

For many,

This is a deeply relaxing breath and for some it may be more activating.

If you feel like it's not supporting you to relax and ground,

Then I invite you to stop this technique for now and choose something else that feels supportive.

Let's have an experience.

I invite you to choose a space where you can feel relaxed and free to make sound,

And then find a comfortable seated position.

Feel your feet anchored on the floor or maybe tucked underneath you.

Feel the crown of the head lifting the spine up and at the same time feel the shoulders softening down.

Feel your body becoming heavier,

Maybe your breath a little more full,

As you start to feel your body getting settled.

You're welcome to close your eyes for this technique or if it's more comfortable to have the eyes open,

You can just look downward with a relaxed gaze.

Feel the natural flow of the breath.

Deepen the breath.

See if you can start to feel your belly and chest expanding as you inhale,

And then the body letting go,

Relaxing as you exhale.

It is recommended to practice this breathing technique for three to five minutes.

Today we will practice together for five.

However,

If you feel you need to rest or complete before I do,

Please feel free to do so.

Let's take a slow,

Deep breath in,

Fill your belly,

And then we'll exhale making the sound VU.

We pause for just a moment at the bottom and then allow the breath to come in naturally.

VU.

Pause,

And inhale naturally.

VU.

Beautiful.

I invite you to remain still for these next moments,

To be with your experience,

Become aware of the room around you,

Your body supported and held in this moment by the chair,

The couch,

The bed,

Wherever you are.

Start to deepen the breath and slowly move the fingers and toes,

Welcoming your awareness back to this moment.

When you feel ready,

Slowly open the eyes and notice what has shifted for you from the beginning of this practice until now.

Thank you for sharing your practice with me today.

All my love.

Reviews

It was so comforting to do the woo-sound together ♫ I loved the calm, loving guidance and the gentle, inviting words. What a beautiful reminder, thank you, Selena ♡

I felt a little self conscious doing this at first, but the exercise has proved to be extremely helpful. Thank you!

So relaxing at bedtime ; was ready to fall asleep at the end. Thank you🙏🏻😴

Wow! I feel so much relief after completing the session. Thank you for teaching the technique, it was an amazing experience! I will use it when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

❄️🔮❄️

Straightforward and of great quality

🖤

Outstanding. Highly recommended. Will revisit until I can comfortably go it alone. 🙏🏻💞

I feel quite at peace. Who would have thought that a VOO would have such a positive reaction?
I'm excited to start seeing the results after doing this multiple times a day and over time.
Thank you, thank you.

Amazing ! Thank you !

Beautiful practice 🪷

Very calming and helpful to be in the present moment.

This was great. I felt so relax and got under.

It frlt like a primal practive used by insects in a group.
It was effective fir me..
A keeper. Thank You 💞

Very educational and clear. Love love love this meditation!

Beautiful meditation to calm down the nervous system . Thank you so much for sharing this technique !❤️🙏🕊️

Excellent technique beautifully and gently shared. Thank You. Namaste!

First time doing this meditation but it felt good and I could feel the vibration around my ears. I suffer from anxiety spells that I am sure are caused by the vagus nerve. I will be so happy if this helps

This was a very beautiful practice. I benefited from your introductory talk too on how Dr Peter Levine uses it and what the vagus nerve is. The clear way you introduced and guided this meditation practice was also very helpful to me.Thank you very much.
Love Shuman

Thank you for sharing this Voo breathing technique with us Selena. It came exactly when I needed it. At the end, I moved into a sweet 20min silent meditation practice. Our voices are such a powerful tool. Many blessings. 🤎🌻