There is a foundational concept in Ayurveda that governs how practitioners think about supporting their clients: like increases like, opposites heal. This can be a useful framework when trying to decide what movements and exercises are optimal or what styles of yoga are best suited for you. As a highly motivated and driven individual, I personally have a lot of fire in my constitution. The best yoga styles for me are slow, soothing, and nourishing practices like yin and restorative yoga.
BORING.
It is not uncommon for people to resist what is best for them. Though I intellectually understand that I’m better off tending to my inner fire rather than fanning the flames, that doesn’t stop me from often making lifestyle choices that lead to burnout. I’ve had to teach myself how to relax over the years because it doesn’t come naturally to me. But just like you don’t need to be flexible to practice yoga, you also don’t need to know how to relax in order to find peace in your life and live well. You can learn!
Yin and restorative yoga practices are wonderful for my fellow ambitious Type A’s because these practices promote nervous system down-regulation. Yoga in general is well-suited to relaxation because the combination of movement, breath, and meditation promote parasympathetic nervous system activation through stimulation of the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest parasympathetic nerve in the body and connects the brainstem to the gut. It shares source nuclei with several other cranial nerves and is co-responsible for the following functions in and around the face/head/neck:
Facial expressions
Sucking
Swallowing
Breathing
Vocalization
Hearing
The vagus nerve also innervates:
Heart (regulates heart rate)
Esophagus
Diaphragm
Stomach
Pancreas
Large and small intestine
Liver
Spleen
Kidneys
Adrenals
Six ways to improve your vagal tone
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, outlines three different systems that arise from the vagus nerve. All innervations that are supraclavicular (your face, head, and neck) contribute to a social engagement system that helps you scan your environment for threats based on feedback from facial expressions, sound, etc. The supradiaphragmatic innervations (heart, lungs, airways) govern the fight/flight response, also known as the sympathetic nervous system. When under threat by a tiger or the stress of a deadline at work—stress is stress, your brain doesn’t do a great job differentiating what actually threatens your life—your heart pumps blood to your extremities to prepare your body to fight or flee. Finally, the subdiaphragmatic innervations (diaphragm, large and small intestines, pancreas, stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands) comprise the parasympathetic nervous system and are responsible for the rest/digest/freeze response.
Vagal toning involves stimulating the vagus nerve to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and can be accomplished through specific exercises that facilitate deep relaxation1. You can activate the parasympathetic nervous system by breathing, meditating, chanting, and moving in specific ways that put pressure on the viscera.
Breathing
When breathing, emphasize extended exhalations. Extended exhalations ensure activation of the diaphragm in the breath process, stimulating the diaphragmatic innervation of the vagus nerve.
Vocalization
Singing, humming, and chanting are all great ways to stimulate the vagus nerve by activating the innervations in the face and neck. If you’ve ever participated in a kirtan, a call-and-response style of chanting in the Bhakti yoga tradition, you are probably familiar with the “high” that can happen when you chant with others for an hour. Singing in the shower or car releases stress because you’re activating the parasympathetic nervous system!
Touch
You can massage or touch areas that are associated with vagal innervation. This includes the face, ribcage, and abdomen. I’m a big fan of the Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls for rolling over the temple, jaw line, ribcage, and belly. Follow along in the video practice below for some guided rolling practices.
Meditation
Meditation can stimulates the vagus nerve by slowing down your heart rate but it will only work if meditation is soothing to you. If meditation gives you anxiety, skip this one and choose a different practice to activate nervous system down-regulation.
Movement
Gentle inversions stimulate the vagus nerve by activating baroreceptors (pressure sensors) in the sides of your neck. Raising your pelvis higher than your heart or your heart higher than your head will automatically shut down sympathetic activity but in order for the inversion to be relaxing it needs to be simple. A legs up the wall position with the hips slightly elevated on a bolster or folded blanket will help you achieve this optimal position and can lead to feelings of deep rest.
Other body positions that stimulate the vagus nerve include gentle rocking with head oscillations and neck stretches. Twists that rotate the abdomen are also good options for stimulating the lower organs of the digestive system as well as any gentle flexion or extension of the spine that puts pressure on the viscera.
Social Engagement System
Neuroception describes how neural circuits survey your environment with the help of your senses (what you’re seeing, smelling, hearing, touching, tasting) to decide how safe an environment feels. One of the most universal and simple ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system is to put a smile on your face and laugh with someone you love. When you walk into a yoga studio and see smiling faces, hear gentle, soothing music, and smell incense, these are all sensory signals to help you feel safe, comfortable, and relaxed. However, sensory experiences can also be triggering for someone who has experienced trauma, so it’s important to be aware that not all scents, music, and aesthetic choices will be warm and welcoming to every person.
The Yoga Practice
I’ve put together an incredibly relaxing practice that incorporates most of the exercises described above. Do them all together for the deepest relaxation you’ve every experienced or pick and choose your favorites to help you relieve stress when you need a little extra support. When you feel relaxation this deep, you’ll happily show up for “boring” practices like this one again and again.
Props you’ll need for this practice:
Small soft ball (I like the Coregeous Ball) or a rolled up towel
Therapy balls (I like the Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls) or tennis ball
Blanket
Bolster or large pillow
Eye pillow (optional/you could also use a folded hand towel)
The Deepest Rest You’ll Ever Get
Feel the most relaxed you’ve ever felt with this 40-minute restorative practice that includes targeted breathing, humming, self-massage techniques, and restful yoga poses. All the postures/exercises in this practice have been chosen specifically to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and give you the most relaxing experience possible. Paid subscribers receive monthly practices like this one to help you live well.
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