Welcome.
This meditation is designed to gently support your vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is the main communication pathway between your brain and your body.
It plays a key role in calming the nervous system,
Regulating stress,
Digestion,
Heart rate and helping the body feel safe after periods of overwhelm.
When the vagus nerve is supported,
The body can shift out of fight or flight and into rest,
Repair and balance.
This practice isn't about forcing relaxation.
It's about offering your nervous system the conditions it needs to soften naturally.
Simply listening is enough.
So please take a moment to arrive exactly as you are.
You may close your eyes or keep them softly open with a relaxed gaze.
Notice where your body is supported,
The surface beneath you,
The feeling of being held.
Allow yourself to sense that support.
Silently,
If it feels helpful,
Remind yourself,
In this moment I am safe enough.
There is nowhere else to go,
Nothing to fix.
Begin to gently notice the space around you.
Without moving,
Sense the room you're in,
The temperature of the air,
Any quiet sounds or distant noise.
This helps the nervous system recognise the present moment.
If it feels supportive,
Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your lower belly.
Notice the warmth beneath your hands.
This gentle contact is already calming the vagus nerve.
Now bring awareness to your breath.
No need to change it yet.
Just notice where you feel it most clearly.
When you're ready,
Gently guide the breath.
Inhale through the nose for four and exhale through the mouth for six.
Again,
Inhale for four,
Exhale for six.
If counting feels uncomfortable,
Let it go.
Simply allow the exhale to be longer than the inhale.
I'll leave you here to breathe quietly for a little bit longer.
Each extended exhale quietly signals safety to the body.
Notice the shoulders dropping,
The jaw softening,
The belly becoming less guarded.
Now let's gently scan your body for areas of tension.
Feel the forehead smoothing.
The eyes resting easily.
The tongue soft in the mouth.
Notice the throat.
Nothing you need to say right now.
Let the shoulders melt away from the ears.
Arms heavy,
Hands relaxed.
Bring awareness to the chest,
Then the belly,
Allowing it to be soft.
Feel the hips,
Legs and feet supported.
Grounded.
At rest.
Now imagine a gentle warmth beginning at the base of the skull.
It moves slowly down the neck,
Through the chest and into the belly.
This flow is steady and calm,
Moving at its own pace.
With each exhale,
The warmth spreads.
Softening the chest.
Settling the stomach.
Easing the body from the inside.
Silently repeat if you wish.
My body knows how to return to balance.
Allow yourself to rest more deeply now.
There is nothing else to guide or adjust.
Your nervous system knows what it needs.
Let your attention rest on something neutral or pleasant.
The breath.
The sense of support.
Or the sound of my voice.
If your mind wanders,
Gently return.
No judgement needed.
Silently remind yourself,
I am allowed to rest without effort.
Let go of controlling the breath.
Allow it to happen naturally,
The way it does when the body feels safe.
Notice the small pauses at the end of each exhale.
No need to change them.
These pauses are moments of regulation.
Now sense your body as a whole.
If there are areas that still feel tense or alert,
Acknowledge them kindly.
You might silently say,
You don't have to relax.
You're allowed to be here.
Begin to gently widen your awareness now.
Notice the room again.
The surface beneath you.
The steadiness of this moment.
Take one slow breath in through the nose.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Offer yourself this affirmation.
My nervous system is learning that it is safe to slow down.
My nervous system is learning that it is safe to slow down.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes or continue resting.
Carrying this sense of regulation with you.
And remember you can return to this meditation any time you need to calm your nervous system.
Or simply return to the breath,
Remembering to have a slower,
Longer exhale.
I wish you a wonderful,
Calm day.
A calm and beautiful day.
