by Kayleigh Roberts and Christine Harris
The “It” is our Health and Well Being! The purpose of this article is to further explain and teach our kind readers about the importance of using the body and the breath of the body to feel stronger, and to become more healthy. We’ve all heard over and over again how important and what a constant our breath is to our well-being. Most exercise and meditations styles have their own particular teaching regarding the breath.
The Polyvagal Theory is based on 30 years of research by Stephen Porges, Ph.D., who is a neuroscientist and whose research findings have helped to educate and inform those who have suffered from trauma. Let’s face it, all of us have suffered from one sort of trauma or another. In the case of those living with Fibro and those with similar diagnoses, the shock of being hit with such loss of strength and control is in itself a trauma. And we know that the repeated trauma we experience in Life will weaken the body and predispose it to ill health.
The vagus nerve and the various areas of the body it interacts with.
Dr. Porges and his colleagues have discovered that the Vagus Nerve which is the 10th cranial nerve and one of the longest nerves in the body needs to be ‘toned’, ie by keeping it well toned aka ‘in shape’ we are able to affect the good health of all major organs. Please see the diagram which shows that the Vagus Nerves starts at the base of the brain and goes to the Heart, the Lungs and the Face. It then splits and goes to the Stomach, the Spleen, the Kidneys, the Liver, the Small Intestine and the Colon. Not only does practicing the breath that goes with the Polyvagal Theory help the general health of these organs, it also helps create more resonance and coherence in the Heart which in turn helps us to feel a greater sense of Calm and Well Being.
Why is this important? This business of focusing on breathing to help our organs via a nerve that starts in the Brain? Because this is actually a feedback loop – starting in the brain going to these organs and then back to the brain. Maybe this is where that expression, “the stomach is the second Brain” comes from? Or “go with your gut”, and “what’s your gut feeling”? By keeping up the health of the Vagus Nerve we are more acutely in touch with our gut/stomach and therefore, more finely tuned into our real sense of what is happening in the moment.
It’s common sense then to begin to practice the breathing that helps to tone the Vagus Nerve. And the breathing count for that is so simple! Inhale to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 6, or longer. The principle is to exhale for longer than you have inhaled. It’s that simple!
Build Your Strength
4-5 times per day practice 3 Rounds of Vagal Breathing. After 4 days check in with yourself to see if you are more relaxed and alert!
