Looking In
The Vagus Nerve
Sometimes called the “wandering nerve” because of the way it meanders through the body, the vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that begins in the brainstem and winds its way through the face, ears, back of throat, muscles around the heart and digestive tract. It has two branches, ventral (which is situated above the diaphragm) and dorsal (which resides below the diaphragm). As often as possible, we want to stimulate the ventral component of the vagus nerve, which is associated with our rest-and-digest state. Practices that involve activating the throat – such as singing, chanting, laughing, gargling water and humming – help tone the ventral vagus nerve. We can also activate it through diaphragmatic breathing, restorative yoga poses, ujjayi breathing, massage, placing an eye pillow on the forehead, and, interestingly, by splashing cold water on the face after exercise.
The Preconditions for Healing
These passages are taken from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching:
“Suppose someone standing alongside a river throws a pebble in the air and it falls down into the river. The pebble allows itself to sink slowly and reach the riverbed without any effort. Once the pebble is at the bottom, it continues to rest, allowing the water to pass by. When we practice sitting meditation, we can allow ourselves to rest just like that pebble. We can allow ourselves to sink naturally into the position of sitting – resting, without any effort. We have to learn the art of resting, allowing our body and mind to rest. If we have wounds in our body or our mind, we have to rest so
