Know the Science and Secret behind Health & Success - HIGH VAGAL TONE

We don’t need fancy health plans and routines to live a healthy life, nor a top-notch job to have a sense of success and contentment.

A very simple understanding of how our system and mood is controlled is all you need.

Keep in mind that the key is to manage your mood, not the money in your bank, nor the relationship you have. That key is high vagal tone - The strength of your vagus nerve.

What is the vagus nerve?

The VAGUS NERVE is the biggest nerve in the human body, travelling through the brainstem, the neck, the thorax and into the lower abdomen.

VAGAL TONE basically refers to the strength of the vagus nerve. High vagal tone considered good for health and happiness. Low vagal tone may present as low immunity, colic and reflux in kids, IBS in adults, allergies, poor sleep, depression, food reactions and other stress responses.

THE BIGGEST RESON FOR LOW VAGAL TONE IS CHRONIC STRESS.

The vagus nerve represents the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system [ Its counterpart, the sympathetic nervous system, works during times of stress and fear - commonly known as the fight and flight mode].

The parasympathetic nervous system oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including mood, immune response, digestion and heart rate. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to brain via afferent fibres.

In this article, I am going to explain the various functions of the vagus nerve which make it an attractive target in treating psychosomatic diseases and gastrointestinal disorders, which are one of the causes for autoimmune disease.

There is preliminary evidence that vagus nerve stimulation is a promising add on treatment for treatment for treatment-refractory depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and inflammatory bowel diseases. Treatments that target the vagus nerve increase the vagal tone and inhibit cytokine production, both of which are important mechanism of resiliency.

The stimulation of vagal afferent fibres in gut influences monoaminergic brain systems in the brain stem that play crucial roles in major psychiatric conditions, such as mood and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence for gut bacteria to have beneficial effect on mood and anxiety, partly by affecting the activity of the vagus nerve.

Since the vagal tone is correlated with one’s capacity to regulate stress and can be influenced by breathing, its increase through meditation and yoga likely contribute to resilience and the mitigation of mood swings and anxiety.

Loud gargling and cold-water face immersion also stimulate the vagus nerve. Deep human connection strengthens vagus nerve function as well. Breastfeeding is the first stage that stimulates the vagus nerve function.

The best time to strengthen the vagal tone is up to age 7. Developing social skills and team work through playing to teach a subject is very efficient way to do the same.

In ancient times, during periods of stress, people were advised to chant ‘guuurruuu’ and the guru’s name. I have also observed that the vibration of ‘guru’ and ‘aum’ strengthen vagal tone and immediately switches the nervous system to parasympathetic mode. Massaging your jaw line all the way from your neck to your clavicle bone also strengthens vagal tone.