What if there was a hidden switch in the body,
And when you activated it,
You fell into a state of deep,
Natural relaxation?
Well indeed,
Such a switch exists,
It's called the vagus nerve.
And tonight,
Rather than searching and reaching for sleep,
We'll invite it gently by activating this natural relaxation response in the body.
You can begin this session at bedtime,
And simply let it play in the background as you rest.
If it's your first time listening,
I'll explain the process over the next few moments,
And if you've joined before,
You're welcome to skip ahead and settle straight in.
The vagus nerve is part of your parasympathetic nervous system,
The system that tells your body it's time to rest and digest.
When this nerve is stimulated,
It lowers the heart rate,
Relaxes the muscles,
And calms the mind.
It's like flipping your mental and physical switch from alertness into rest.
Now I know,
Sleep doesn't always arrive easily,
Especially after a busy or stressful day.
Sometimes we even drift off quickly,
But wake up in the middle of the night,
Feeling suddenly alert and awake.
And that's where the vagus nerve can be your friend.
Because this powerful pathway in your body is intimately tied to relaxation.
When it's stimulated,
It sends a signal throughout your whole system that you're safe and you can rest.
And you can do this through simple breathing and other relaxation techniques.
And that's exactly what we'll be doing tonight.
You may also notice the hum of soft noise in the background.
This is a very gentle form of pink noise that I've created just for my sleep channel.
Unlike white noise,
This noise is a bit more gentle and warm.
It helps to mask outside sounds while creating a calming atmosphere.
And within that noise,
I've embedded delta waves.
Delta waves match the frequency with which the mind's electrical signals are happening during sleep.
So when you are exposed to delta waves,
As you are in this episode,
It will help quiet the mind and guide you into sleep.
Over the course of this session,
We'll go through a few science-backed techniques designed to activate the vagus nerve and thereby calm your nervous system.
First,
Simple breath awareness.
Then a guided breathing technique followed by a body scan for relaxation and leading you to drift peacefully off to sleep.
And I'll repeat that sequence a few times.
So don't worry if you're still awake or if you fall asleep and you wake back up.
You can simply relax,
Listen,
And let the process guide you back into sleep.
And remember that my words are only a guide.
If your mind drifts off or if sleep overtakes you,
That's perfectly fine.
But if you find yourself awake,
Just follow the sound of my voice.
Rest your attention there gently.
And as you do,
You'll slowly find over time that you drift off peacefully.
Because sleep isn't something that we force.
It's an occurrence that happens naturally when we create the proper circumstances.
So tonight,
There's nothing to force,
Nothing to resist,
Nothing that you can do right or wrong.
So just relax and do whatever you need to do to get as comfortable as you can be in bed.
Again,
There's no right or wrong way to do it.
What matters is that you feel completely at ease and completely supported.
And once you're there,
Gently close your eyes if you haven't done so already.
Feel the weight of the day beginning to fall away.
Notice how your body is supported.
And just relax a little bit more into that support.
Now shift your attention to your breath.
And just notice that sensation of the air.
A bit cooler on the way in and a bit warmer on the way out.
And there's nothing you need to change about the breath just yet.
Simply notice it.
Allow your body to breathe in its own natural way.
Even now,
Each breath is already sending a calming signal to your nervous system.
Letting it know that everything's okay and it's time to slow down.
In a moment,
I'll guide you through a simple breathing technique that stimulates the vagus nerve and encourages the body to relax even more deeply.
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prepare for and guide yourself into sleep.
And all we're going to do is breathe in for four and out for six.
The vagus nerve is stimulated just by making the exhale that little bit longer.
So let's try it together now.
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Again,
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
And 1.
Now,
Continuing on your own and just letting the breath flow in and out.
Nice and steady,
Nice and slow.
Inhaling for 4,
Exhaling for 6.
And if you prefer to let go of the numbers and just keep the rhythm yourself,
That's perfectly fine.
The key is that the exhale is a little bit longer than the inhale.
And with each round of breath,
Your heart rate will slow just that bit more.
The body will begin to settle.
As the vagus nerve carries this message through your nervous system,
Telling every part of you that you are safe to let go.
Now,
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And just notice how it feels for a moment.
Softer,
Slower,
Easier.
Almost as though the body has shifted itself into a lower gear.
And you may still have some lower gears yet,
And that's okay.
Because sleep is a progressive process.
It doesn't happen all at once.
From here,
We'll move into a body scan,
Which is another way that you can signal safety and relaxation to your nervous system.
You see,
As we release tension in each area,
We're letting the vagus nerve guide the body deeper and deeper into rest.
So start by bringing your attention to your feet,
Allowing them to soften,
Falling loose and heavy against the bed.
With each inhale,
Imagine collecting any tension there in your feet.
And with each exhale,
Imagine expelling that tension from your body and really feeling your feet relax with each of those cycles.
Now,
Shift your awareness up into the legs,
The knees and the thighs.
Each breath in,
Collecting tension.
Each breath out,
Expelling the tension and feeling the muscles.
Relax even more.
And now move your focus up to the hips and the lower back.
These are common areas to carry stress.
So we'll stay here a little bit longer.
As you breathe in gently,
Gathering any tension there and then exhaling,
Feeling them release deeper and deeper into the bed.
Let all of that tension unwrap,
Uncoil,
Unwind.
Now bring your awareness to your belly and your chest.
Notice the rise and fall of each breath on the inhale,
Feeling the expansion.
And on the exhale,
Softening down.
And with each of these breath cycles,
Just notice how the body accepts and embraces that it's safe to rest.
With each breath,
It's just moving 1% closer.
To sleep.
And that may not seem like much,
But 1% with each breath will have you fast asleep in no time.
So now continue on moving your awareness to your shoulders.
Let them melt away from your ears.
Release your arms,
Your hands,
And your fingers.
Inhaling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and expelling all of that tension.
As you feel your arms and hands fall heavy,
Loose and still.
Now bring your attention to your neck and your jaw.
Inhaling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and allowing ease.
Relax your tongue.
Your cheeks,
The muscles behind your eyes and your forehead.
Feel your whole face soften all the way down.
Expand your awareness and sense your entire body as one.
From the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
Resting softly,
Fully supported and completely at ease.
And imagine that there's a light switch for your whole being.
And when you flip that switch off,
You sink deeper and deeper into sleep.
And just imagine flipping that switch.
Now feeling yourself soften farther and farther into relaxation.
Deeper and deeper into sleep,
Deeper and deeper into peace and calm.
Your breath is softer.
Now your nervous system is calm and your body is relaxed.
The Vegas nerve has carried this message all throughout your being.
You are safe.
You can let go.
You can rest.
There's nothing left for you to do now.
Nowhere else to be.
The process of sleep is already underway.
So just allow yourself to drift.
And if you find that you're still awake and conscious of my voice,
Then that's perfectly fine.
There's no need to be frustrated because sleep is a process and we all get there on our own time and in our own way.
So just follow the sound of my voice and let's keep that process going for you.
Shift your attention to your breath and just notice that sensation of the air a bit cooler on the way in and a bit warmer on the way out.
And there's nothing you need to change about the breath just yet.
Simply notice it.
Allow your body to breathe in its own natural way.
Even now,
Each breath is already sending a calming signal to your nervous system.
Letting it know that everything's okay and it's time to slow down.
In a moment,
I'll guide you through a simple breathing technique that stimulates the vagus nerve and encourages the body to relax even more deeply.
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prepare for and guide yourself into sleep.
And all we're going to do is breathe in for four and out for six.
The vagus nerve is stimulated just by making the exhale that little bit longer.
So let's try it together now.
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Again,
Inhale for 4,
3,
2,
1.
And exhale for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Now,
Continuing on your own and just letting the breath flow in and out.
Nice and steady,
Nice and slow.
Inhaling for 4,
Exhaling for 6.
And if you prefer to let go of the numbers and just keep the rhythm yourself,
That's perfectly fine.
The key is that the exhale is a little bit longer than the inhale.
And with each round of breath,
Your heart rate will slow just that bit more.
The body will begin to settle.
As the vagus nerve carries this message through your nervous system,
Telling every part of you that you are safe to let go.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm and just notice how it feels for a moment.
Softer,
Slower,
Easier.
Almost as though the body has shifted itself into a lower gear.
And you may still have some lower gears yet,
And that's okay.
Because sleep is a progressive process.
It doesn't happen all at once.
From here,
We'll move into a body scan,
Which is another way that you can signal safety and relaxation to your nervous system.
You see,
As we release tension in each area,
We're letting the vagus nerve guide the body deeper and deeper into rest.
So start by bringing your attention to your feet,
Allowing them to soften,
Falling loose and heavy against the bed.
With each inhale,
Imagine collecting any tension there in your feet.
And with each exhale,
Imagine expelling that tension from your body and really feeling your feet relax with each of those cycles.
Now shift your awareness up into the legs,
The knees and the thighs.
Each breath in,
Collecting tension.
Each breath out,
Expelling the tension and feeling the muscles relax even more.
And now move your focus up to the hips and the lower back.
These are common areas to carry stress,
So we'll stay here a little bit longer.
As you breathe in gently,
Gathering any tension there and then exhaling,
Feeling them release deeper and deeper into the bed.
Let all of that tension unwrap,
Uncoil,
Unwind.
Now bring your awareness to your belly and your chest.
Notice the rise and fall of each breath on the inhale,
Feeling the expansion and on the exhale,
Softening down.
And with each of these breath cycles,
Just notice how the body accepts and embraces that it's safe to rest.
With each breath,
It's just moving 1% closer to sleep.
And that may not seem like much,
But 1% with each breath will have you fast asleep in no time.
So now continue on moving your awareness to your shoulders.
Let them melt away from your ears.
Release your arms,
Your hands,
And your fingers.
Inhaling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and expelling all of that tension.
As you feel your arms and hands fall heavy,
Loose and still.
Now bring your attention to your neck and your jaw.
Inhaling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and allowing ease.
Relax your tongue,
Your cheeks,
The muscles behind your eyes and your forehead.
Feel your whole face soften all the way down.
Expand your awareness and sense your entire body as one.
From the crown of your head to the tips of your toes,
Resting softly,
Fully supported and completely at ease.
And imagine that there's a light switch for your whole being.
And when you flip that switch off,
You sink deeper and deeper into sleep.
And just imagine flipping that switch now,
Feeling yourself soften farther and farther into relaxation.
Deeper and deeper into sleep,
Deeper and deeper into peace and calm.
Your breath is softer now.
Your nervous system is calm and your body is relaxed.
The Vegas nerve has carried this message all throughout your being.
You are safe.
You can let go.
You can rest.
There's nothing left for you to do now.
Nowhere else to be.
The process of sleep is already underway.
So just allow yourself to drift.
And if you find that you're still awake and conscious of my voice,
Then that's perfectly fine.
There's no need to be frustrated because sleep is a process and we all get there on our own time and in our own way.
So just follow the sound of my voice and let's keep that process going for you.
Shift your attention to your breath and just notice that sensation of the air a bit cooler on the way in and a bit warmer on the way out.
And there's nothing you need to change about the breath just yet.
Simply notice it.
Allow your body to breathe in its own natural way.
Even now,
Each breath is already sending a calming signal to your nervous system,
Letting it know that everything's okay and it's time to slow down.
In a moment,
I'll guide you through a simple breathing technique that stimulates the vagus nerve and encourages the body to relax even more deeply.
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prepare for and guide yourself into sleep.
And all we're going to do is breathe in for four and out for six.
The vagus nerve is stimulated just by making the exhale that little bit longer.
So let's try it together now.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Again,
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
And one.
Now,
Continuing on your own and just letting the breath flow in and out,
Nice and steady,
Nice and slow.
Inhaling for four,
Exhaling for six.
And if you prefer to let go of the numbers and just keep the rhythm yourself,
That's perfectly fine.
The key is that the exhale is a little bit longer than the inhale.
And with each round of breath,
Your heart rate will slow just that bit more.
The body will begin to settle as the vagus nerve carries this message through your nervous system,
Telling every part of you that you are safe to let go.
Now,
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm and just notice how it feels for a moment.
Softer,
Slower,
Easier,
Almost as though the body has shifted itself into a lower gear.
And you may still have some lower gears yet,
And that's okay because sleep is a progressive process.
It doesn't happen all at once.
From here,
We'll move into a body scan,
Which is another way that you can signal safety and relaxation to your nervous system.
You see,
As we release tension in each area,
We're letting the vagus nerve guide the body deeper and deeper into rest.
So start by bringing your attention to your feet,
Allowing them to soften,
Falling loose and heavy against the bed.
With each inhale,
Imagine collecting any tension there in your feet.
And with each exhale,
Imagine expelling that tension from your body and really feeling your feet relax with each of those cycles.
Now,
Shift your awareness up into the legs,
The knees,
And the thighs.
Each breath in,
Collecting tension,
Each breath out,
Expelling the tension and feeling the muscles relax even more.
And now move your focus up to the hips and the lower back.
These are common areas to carry stress.
So we'll stay here a little bit longer as you breathe in gently,
Gathering any tension there and then exhaling feeling them release deeper and deeper into the bed.
Let all of that tension unwrap,
Uncoil,
Unwind.
Now,
Bring your awareness to your belly and your chest.
Notice the rise and fall of each breath on the inhale,
Feeling the expansion and on the exhale,
Softening down.
And with each of these breath cycles,
Just notice how the body accepts and embraces that it's safe to rest.
With each breath,
It's just moving 1% closer to sleep.
And that may not seem like much,
But 1% with each breath will have you fast asleep in no time.
So now continue on moving your awareness to your shoulders.
Let them melt away from your ears.
Release your arms,
Your hands and your fingers inhaling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and expelling all of that tension as you feel your arms and hands fall heavy loose and still.
Now,
Bring your attention to your neck and your jaw bling and gathering any tension,
Exhaling and allowing ease.
Relax your tongue,
Your cheeks,
The muscles behind your eyes and your forehead.
Feel your whole face soften all the way down.
Expand your awareness and sense your entire body as one from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes,
Resting softly,
Fully supported and completely relaxed.
Now,
Bring your attention to your heart and your lungs.
Now,
Bring your attention in and out and switch now feeling yourself soften farther and farther into relaxation deeper and deeper into sleep deeper and deeper into peace and calm.
Your breath is softer now.
Your nervous system is calm and your body is relaxed.
The vagus nerve has carried this message all throughout your being.
You are safe.
You can let go.
You can rest.
There's nothing left for you to do now.
Nowhere else to be.
The process of sleep is already underway.
So just allow yourself to drift.
