Hey friend,

Ever feel trapped in that constant "fight, flight, or freeze" mode?

While battling a complex chronic illness (mold toxicity) that wreaked havoc on my brain and nervous system, I spiraled into deep depression, riddled with anxiety…

Everything felt like a threat.

At least, that’s how my nervous system and subconscious mind perceived it all.

I was on high alert constantly, despite being utterly drained by fatigue. I was chronically “turned on” (and not in a good way). 🤣

Unfortunately, many people live their lives STUCK in this sympathetic-dominated state, constantly on edge, anxious, tired, and wired, preventing their bodies from fully resting and regenerating!

When you're stuck in this state, your body is out of balance, constantly stressed, and pumping out cortisol.

While cortisol isn’t inherently bad, excess levels circulating in your body can lead to serious problems like…

• Blocks melatonin production, disrupting sleep.
• Raises blood pressure.
• Raises blood sugar and triglycerides, increasing heart disease risk.
• Promotes insulin resistance.
• Triggers inflammation and a range of health issues.

For me, I realized that no matter how much I wanted to reclaim my health, staying in survival mode would keep full recovery out of reach.

All the interventions I was doing—like optimizing my nutrition, taking targeted herbs and supplements, IV nutrients, ozone, and more—would only be as effective as the state of my nervous system.

That's when I discovered the power of the vagus nerve—the gateway to the parasympathetic nervous system, the key to unlocking the state where true "rest, digest, detoxify, and heal" takes place.

The Power of the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve and links your brain to vital organs like the gut, heart, and lungs.

The vagus nerve must be activated to switch from "fight or flight" to "rest and digest” mode.

When activated, your parasympathetic nervous system takes over, allowing you to rest, recharge, regenerate, and digest food efficiently.

When it's not activated, the sympathetic nervous system overrides, putting your body in survival mode.

You might wonder, "How can I control this? Isn’t it involuntary?"

For most, it is—but that’s because they lack awareness.

You can consciously activate your vagus nerve using the power of your mind and body.

Over time, you can strengthen the activity of the vagus nerve (aka vagal tone) and reside in the “rest and digest” nervous system state more often than not.

A higher vagal tone means your body relaxes faster after stress; research links it to better mental, emotional, and physical health. [1]

Here are 3 simple techniques to activate the vagus nerve:

1) Cold Exposure

Researchers have found that regular cold exposure can reduce your “fight or flight” response and boost parasympathetic activity via the vagus nerve. [2]

I often take cold showers, especially after doing an infrared sauna.

It makes getting into cold water easier, but that extreme temperature transition has benefits in and of itself.

Try finishing your next shower with at least 30 seconds of cold water and see how you feel. Then work your way up to longer periods.

When doing the cold shower, prioritize the cold water onto your face and chest.

The face has many cold receptors and is directly linked to the trigeminal nerve, which can trigger a strong parasympathetic response.

Exposing the chest to cold water stimulates the bradycardic response (slowing the heart rate) and promotes deeper breathing, boosting vagal activation.

But, if you're new to cold exposure, increase it gradually—overdoing it too soon can backfire.

Once you're more accustomed, you can advance to full-on ice baths if you like.

2) Breathwork

The breath lies at the intersection of our conscious and unconscious minds.

When you're stressed, your neuroendocrine system often shifts your breathing to become shallow, rapid, and tense.

When relaxed, your breathing naturally slows, deepens, and expands.

Interestingly, this works both ways: your mind unconsciously alters your breath, but you can also consciously change it.

Deep and slow breathing is another way to stimulate your vagus nerve and reduce sympathetic “fight or flight” activity. [3]

Many breathwork techniques can help you achieve this so here are some basic guidelines to follow:

• Breathe deeply into your diaphragm, expanding your stomach outward. This pressure activates the vagus nerve.\
• Shallow breathing in the upper lungs sends the opposite signal.
• To relax, make sure your exhale is always longer and slower than your inhale.

Putting It Into Practice

A great breathwork technique, the 4-7-8 Breath (or Relaxing Breath) developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, puts these principles into practice very well.

Here’s how it works:

You can do the exercise in any position, but sit up straight while you're learning it.

Press the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout the exercise.

You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue.

1. Exhale fully through your mouth, creating a ‘whooshing’ sound.
2. Next, close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four.
3. Then hold your breath for a count of seven.
4. Exhale fully through your mouth, making a whooshing sound for a count of eight. This completes one breath.
5. Inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times, completing a total of four breaths.

3) Singing, Humming, and Gargling

The vagus nerve runs from the brainstem through the throat, voice box (larynx), and vocal cords, so vocal activities can activate it.

The vibrations produced during singing, humming, and chanting can resonate through the throat and vocal cords, this resonance can enhance vagal tone and induce a calming effect.

While gargling causes vagal stimulation due to the muscles in the throat to contracting and relaxing.

All these methods achieve the same result—choose the one that feels most natural to you.

Singing, in particular, has been shown to increase heart rate variability (HRV). [4]

Heart rate variability (HRV) measures how much the time between your heartbeats changes.

It shows how well your body can adapt to stress and different demands.

Even if your heart rate is 60 beats per minute, your heart doesn’t beat exactly once per second.

There are tiny, variable gaps between beats—sometimes just a fraction of a second apart.

For example, one beat might come after 0.8 seconds, and the next after 1.1 seconds.

High heart rate variability means there is greater fluctuation in the time intervals between heartbeats.

High heart rate variability is correlated with greater stress resilience, improved heart health, greater emotional regulation [5], better sleep quality [6], and even enhanced cognitive functions like attention, memory, and decision-making skills. [7]

Low heart rate variability (HRV) means less fluctuation between heartbeats, making your heart's rhythm too synchronized, like a metronome.

This often indicates that the body’s autonomic nervous system is less responsive and may be under stress or in a state of imbalance.

Low heart rate variability is linked to anxiety, depression [8], chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and lower resilience.

Survival and resilience are dependent on one’s adaptability.

Sing like your health and life depend on it!!!

In today’s world, it’s easy to get trapped in “fight or flight” mode.

By consciously strengthening and toning your nervous system like a muscle—with these simple practices—you can reprogram it, get unstuck, and achieve a calmer, more peaceful state.

All of this is to help you achieve deep healing and regeneration, so you can stay healthy amid the chaos of modern life.

Curious—are you stuck in “fight or flight”?

Do you practice any of these vagal activating/toning techniques?

Hit reply and let me know.

Onjae

References:

[1] Kok, Bethany E., et al. "How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health." Psychological Science, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612470827. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.

[2] Mäkinen, Tiina M et al. “Autonomic nervous function during whole-body cold exposure before and after cold acclimation.” Aviation, space, and environmental medicine vol. 79,9 (2008): 875-82. doi:10.3357/asem.2235.2008

[3] Wang, Shu-Zhen et al. “Effect of slow abdominal breathing combined with biofeedback on blood pressure and heart rate variability in prehypertension.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 16,10 (2010): 1039-45. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0577

[4] Vickhoff, Björn, et al. "Music Structure Determines Heart Rate Variability of Singers." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 4, 2013, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00334. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.

[5] Thayer, J F et al. “Autonomic characteristics of generalized anxiety disorder and worry.” Biological psychiatry vol. 39,4 (1996): 255-66. doi:10.1016/0006-3223(95)00136-0

[6] Sajjadieh, Amirreza, et al. "The Association of Sleep Duration and Quality with Heart Rate Variability and Blood Pressure." Tanaffos, vol. 19, no. 2, 2020, pp. 135-143, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7680518/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.

[7] Forte, Giuseppe, et al. "Heart Rate Variability and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review." Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 13, 2019, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00710. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.

[8] Hartmann, Ralf, et al. "Heart Rate Variability As Indicator of Clinical State in Depression." Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 9, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00735. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.