Breathing exercises are one of the most effective ways to stimulate your vagus nerve, upregulate your parasympathetic nervous system response, and combat stress and anxiety. But with so many exercises to choose from, how do you know which ones are best for you? In this video, we’ll set the record straight and help you understand how to do specific breathing practices to stimulate your vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system. The three simple techniques you’ll learn and the subsequent breathing practice that combines them all will help you to quickly self-soothe and feel calm when you really need to.
VIDEO CONTENTS00:00 Breathing Exercises and the Vagus Nerve02:16 Breathing Biomechanics05:11 Techniques for Vagal Nerve Activation05:33 Ocean Breathing06:30 Chin Lock07:19 1:2 Ratio Breathing08:11 Stress Less BreathingDISCLAIMER –

This video is for educational purposes only. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, glaucoma, or a pulmonary condition, check with your doctor before attempting any breathing practices.ANATOMY + BIOMECHANICSYour diaphragm is your body’s primary breathing muscle, positioned at the base of your ribcage, separating your upper and lower thoracic cavities. All breathing practices utilize your diaphragm to some extent, but there are specific techniques that encourage a rest and digest response. When you exhale, your diaphragm snuggles up to your heart, changing the pressure and reducing stroke volume and heart rate. These changes in pressure in the heart are sensed by baroreceptors that communicate to your brain via the vagus nerve. The correct breathing exercises, using large diaphragmatic movements combined with a prolonged exhale will help you to stimulate and amplify this response in your body.