Well+Being Holistic Mental Health
“Emotional Health & Wellness Tips From The Therapy Couch And Other Places”
Engage Your Vagus Nerve: Breathing And Restorative Techniques For Relaxation, Insomnia, Chronic Illness, Pain And Limbic System Dysfunction
It seems like everyone is talking about vagal nerve theory these days, and stress and chronic illness may be at an all-time high. Many individuals are seeking alternatives to traditional "talk" therapy to address their mental, physical, and spiritual needs. Worries about the long-term impact of chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia are a topic of concern for many of my somatic psychotherapy and coaching clients.
A Brief Explanation Of Vagal Theory
The Vagus Nerve, which means "wandering nerve" in Latin, is a cranial nerve that extends from the brainstem (the lower part of the human brain) to the ears, travels down the front of the neck, and reaches all the way to the gut and intestines. the way into th The vagal nerve theory suggests that the vagus nerve, which is the longest cranial nerve in the body, plays a central role in regulating various bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, immune response, and stress management. It acts as a key pathway for communication between the brain and the body's organs.
In particular, the theory emphasizes the role of the vagus nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and recovery after stress. Stimulation of the vagus nerve has been linked to improved emotional regulation, reduced inflammation, and even therapeutic effects for conditions like depression and anxiety.
The vagus nerve is thought to help mediate the body's "rest and digest" responses, counteracting the "fight or flight" reactions driven by the sympathetic nervous system.
Healing Traumatic Stress & Loss With Self-Care
Whether you're struggling to manage challenging life events, a trauma or accident, loss and grief or any kind of transition that causes you distress or destabilization, it's helpful to understand that your feelings, emotions and behaviors are a normal reaction to extreme and/or disturbing events. As a NYC psychotherapist who uses EMDR therapy, supportive work and a focus on helping clients develop healthier coping skills, I'm happy to share tips to support you as you move through difficult times, and in time, find healing and recovery.
What Helps?
Essential Oil Therapy As Medicine
Essential oil therapy can be used for a range of physical and emotional wellness applications, either single oils or complex blends all have an impact at the cellular level. Many integrative therapists, EMDR therapists, somatic psychotherapists and wellness practitioners artfully add essential oil therapy to enhance their trauma release sessions, yoga therapy and Reiki practices.
Essential oils are usually administered by one of three methods: diffused aromatically, applied topically, or taken internally as dietary supplements. I love these oils and use them daily in my life and to enhance my personal yoga practice. When choosing oils, it’s important to work with a company that offers pure therapeutic grade and optimally-sourced Oils.
How do we get oils quickly into the system? Through the olfactory nerve, to the pineal, pituitary, amygdala. When you breathe an oil into the system, and through the nasal cavity, it is first picked up by the neurons in the olfactory system, between the eyes at the top of the sinus cavity. Those oil molecules are carried within milliseconds into the center of the brain. Research has shown that the inhalation of Essential Oils into the mid-brain system will cause a secretion of antibodies, as well as endorphins and neurotransmitters. This process directly impacts the immune system in positive ways.