In the last article I wrote about how crucial the Vagus Nerve is, what it is, the divisions of it, HRV, HPA, and more. We wanted the reader to know just how important the Vagus Nerve is to the overall health of the body which includes the CNS and the Gut-Brain connection. Be sure to go back and read the article so you will better understand this one. In this article, we will learn more about what the Vagus nerve does, and two things that can help increase vagal tone; Bowenwork and Breathwork.
Polyvagal Theory
While I was researching how Bowenwork can help, I came across Bowenwork practitioner and Instructor, John Wilks, from the UK. I use his book “Understanding the Bowen Technique” to educate my clients on the basics of Bowenwork. He wrote an article called “The Vagus”, in the Dec. 2022 issue of Bowen Hands, a magazine for Bowenwork Practitioners such as myself.
He talks about a man named Stephen Porges, who developed Polyvagal Theory over 25 years ago. The basis of his theory is that our nervous system has developed in response to our needs for survival. He describes how our autonomic nervous system has three parts;
1. Dorsal vagus- or old vagus, which is unmyelinated and was primarily designed to regulate our gut and digestion.
2. Sympathetic Nervous system-so called because the little ganglia on either side of the spinal cord were thought by early anatomists to be “little brains” that worked in sympathy together.
3. Ventral vagus-so called because the nuclei that control it are slightly anterior to the dorsal vagus in our brain stem and is referred to as our “social nervous system”. The ‘new’ vagus works closely in conjunction with other cranial nerves such as the trigeminal, the facial, the accessory and the glossopharyngeal.
John Wilks has listed a number of things that can affect the Vagus:
· Nerve entrapment
· Stress and Trauma
· Bacteria (such as Lyme’s Disease)
· Viruses (often a trigger for M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
· Cranio-cervical instability (for example: Whiplash)
· The microbiome and the Gut
Bowenwork and the Vagus Nerve
Bowenwork moves address two types of fascia receptors that have a powerful effect on the vagus when stimulated: the Ruffini receptors and the Interstitial receptors (or free nerve endings). Research has shown that this kind of stimulation has a direct effect on the anterior lobe of the Hypothalamus, resulting in lowering muscle tonus and a strong increase in vagal tone.
I would recommend for further study Accessing the Healing Power of Your Vagus Nerve, by Stanley Rosenburg (he worked with Porges). It includes a helpful overview and great exercises to stimulate the vagus, which are simple to do. John Wilks also has courses on ’50 ways to Activate the Vagus’ at www.therapy-training.com.
I hold two classes on Bowenwork. One is an Intro to Bowenwork-Put Wellness into Your Hands, a 4-hour class that will give you a basic knowledge of Bowenwork, including learning some moves you can use on yourself, family, and friends. The other is a set of classes that will give you the skills to become a Bowenwork practitioner. What is great about this learning course is that you do not have to be a licensed massage therapist. This class is for those who are in the healthcare field, such as midwives, physical therapists, Chiropractors, and those who want to have a career change. It is NCBTMB certified to earn CE’s in both classes. Contact me or go to americanbowen.academy to sign up for the next class held in Helena. If you want to host a class in your area, I need at least six people who can register and attend.
Regulating the Vagus Nerve through Breathwork
In his half-day Integral Breathwork Seminar, the first thing that breath-worker Denis Ouellette checks out on people is whether or not they are diaphragmatic breathers. “Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest,” he prompts. “Now take a deep breath. Which one moves first? As your lungs fill with air, it puts pressure on your diaphragm to flatten and descend, which naturally looks like your belly is extending out. And it’s not just the belly in front—it’s the sides, the low back area, and even your pelvic floor.” This lower-torso expansion, he explains, should be the first 70% of your inhale, before it rises up to expand your ribs sideways and your chest slightly upward. What’s the main benefit of breathing this way?
“The vagus nerve passes through the diaphragm in a small passageway that also includes your esophagus. You are massaging and activating your vagus nerve with each diaphragmatic breath, which sort of looks like polishing the barrel of a rifle with a rag. This signals your autonomic nervous system to calm down and relax, moving all your body systems out of ‘fight-or-flight’ stress mode, into ‘rest, digest and heal’ mode.”
And it works both ways, he continues, “You can consciously breathe this way to calm yourself down, and when it’s time to ease up on a stress reaction, your body will naturally breathe this way to assist in that process. By contrast, when you’re in some stress (real or imagined), your body reacts with high-chest breathing and a host of other physiological and hormonal reactions.”
Denis’ point is that, through breathwork, you can regulate the vagus nerve and help heal your body from the chronic stress situations we so often find ourselves in. A guided breathwork session can even go back in time to address the “backlog” of stress and trauma that is still lodged in the nervous system, in the subconscious, and even in the cells (i.e., “cellular memory”). That’s just one reason—not to mention oxygenation and detoxification—why conscious breathing is such a common and vital part of mindfulness exercises, yoga, and many healing practices.
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