Vagus Nerve 101: Understanding Your Body’s Calm Switch

What Is the Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in your body, running from your brainstem all the way down into your chest and abdomen. It’s like the body’s superhighway of communication, carrying messages between your brain and many of your vital organs.

It plays a central role in regulating your autonomic nervous system — the system that controls all the things your body does without you thinking about them, like breathing, heartbeat, and digestion.

Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic: Your Body’s Two Modes

Your autonomic nervous system has two main branches:

• Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Think of this as the body’s gas pedal — it’s responsible for your “fight or flight” response. It kicks in when you’re stressed, helping you react to threats.

• Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is your brake pedal — the “rest and digest” mode that helps your body relax, recover, and heal.

The vagus nerve is a key player in the parasympathetic system, meaning it’s deeply involved in helping you slow down, breathe deeply, and return to a state of calm.

Why the Vagus Nerve Matters for Your Health

When your vagus nerve is functioning well (what’s called “high vagal tone”), you’re more likely to experience:

• Better digestion

• Lower heart rate and blood pressure

• Reduced inflammation

• Improved mood and emotional regulation

When it’s not functioning well (low vagal tone), you may notice:

• Feeling anxious or “on edge” most of the time

• Digestive issues

• Trouble sleeping

• More frequent illness or inflammation

Ways to Support Your Vagus Nerve

The great news? You can stimulate and strengthen your vagus nerve naturally:

• Deep, slow breathing (especially exhaling longer than you inhale)

• Humming, chanting, or singing (yes, your shower concerts count!)

• Cold exposure (a splash of cool water on your face or a brief cold shower)

• Gentle movement like walking, stretching, or yoga

• Meditation and mindfulness practices

• Laughter and social connection

These small, consistent actions help shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest more easily.

Healing Your Nervous System at a Deeper Level

While daily practices are powerful, sometimes our nervous systems need a deeper reset — especially if we’ve been living in stress mode for years.

That’s where my Depth-Enhanced Emotional Processing (DEEP) session comes in. In this gentle, guided 1-hour experience, we focus on calming your nervous system, releasing stored stress, and helping you feel grounded, safe, and at peace.

I’m also exploring renaming it to something more intuitive, like "Nervous System Reset Session" or "Calm and Clarity Experience", to better reflect how you’ll feel afterward.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in fight-or-flight, anxiety, or stress this session can help you shift into a more balanced, peaceful state — giving your vagus nerve (and your whole body) the reset it’s been craving.

Ready to give your nervous system the reset it deserves?
Learn more about the DEEP session here ➡️ betsyanne.org/surmeno-deepcourse