What happens in vagus…

Hi Everyone,

Years ago, when I had just learned about ice baths, I started going in my pool in the winter. I’d take a breath, walk up to my neck, and stand there breathing slowly and deeply to relax so as to allow my body to do what bodies do in cold water. Capillaries near the surface of the skin squeeze shut to preserve internal warmth, and pretty soon, I felt like a watermelon in a rind, feeling the cold surface but also sensing a peaceful comfort within. I opened my eyes and was carried away by the beauty. The morning winter sun was making the sky a crisp crystal blue. The palm trees rustled in the cool breeze, and the birds were singing happily.

I got carried away and stayed in too long. I know better. Around the ten-minute mark, I started to feel light and euphoric, and every guidance warning bell within went off. “Get out now!” It was had to ignore the bliss, but I listened to my guidance, went inside, and hopped in a warm shower. I was insanely curious. What was that feeling I had felt, almost as if I hovered between worlds. I googled and searched until I read an article about the vagus nerve. This was way before TikTock’ers, and Tubers made it a household word.

For those of you who don’t know, the vagus nerve runs from the back of the neck down the spine and touches every major organ bundle. Known as the “rest and digest’ nerve, it helps the body relax after a period of stress or danger.  It works by signaling the body that you’re safe, thus ending the “fight or flight” response.  You can consciously activate your vagus nerve by using time-tested methods of relaxation such as slow, deep breathing, moving, or humming. These activities stimulate the vagus nerve by causing subtle vibrations at the back of the throat, which trigger it. Likewise, a cold compress applied to the forehead sends signals down the facial nerves that then trigger the vagus nerve, thus making this old wife’s remedy medically sound.

While it might sound odd that my body thought it was safe in ice water, I had trained myself into such calm, that I felt completely embraced by all the world around me, and was guided in perfection. The moment my body signaled it was time to get out, I knew it. There was no fear, only peace and flow. In that state of connection there was simply knowing what to do when.

A dear soul just sent me an article talking about how birdsong also timulates our vagus nerve because birds only sing when safe, as well relaxing sounds stimulate auditory pathways that trigger the vagus nerve. For you cat lovers, purring kitties do the same, sending out sounds in a frequency range of 25 to 150hz, which has been shown in some studies to help heal and relax humans.

The more you practice any of these activities, the more you develop vagal tone. Just like exercise strengthens your muscles, practicing any of these things makes it easier to stimulate your body’s natural relaxation response. The more you practice when it’s easy, the easier it is to relax in stressful situations, whether that is an ice bath, an unsettling conversation, or the shock of losing a loved one.

When you add angels, the relaxation deepens because they add the frequency of unconditional, unabashed love to the mix. In a relaxed state we are more open to this energy. In relaxation we create a more coherent state in the body. Think of it as emitting waves that are nice and orderly vs. chaotic waves that might look like what we see on an earthquake graph.  In these peaceful waves, the peaceful waves of spirit can intersect more easily with our own, and thus, the angels can enter our field more easily and help attune our energy more easily.  As well, you can “pick up” your guidance more easily on a clear channel vs. one plagued with static.

The bottom line to all this is exactly what the angels are saying — peace starts from the inside out, not hypothetically, but in your own body’s wiring.

You can practice your way to peace. I’ve trained myself to trip my vagus nerve at will. I started sitting in a chair, taking a slow breath in and boringly slow breaths out until I felt my body relax.  I practice singing happy songs when stressed. (You don’t need a good voice, by the way – I’m living proof!) During covid, at the request of a Hindu saint whose work I highly respect, I did thousands of mantras a night, chanting repetitive sounds which also triggered the vagus nerve (and set up a beautiful spiritual vibration).

Now, when something bothers me, I take a big breath in, followed by a deep, slow breath out, and I can usually calm down quickly. Often, it is useful. Sometimes, it is just plain fun. A few weeks ago, during a family visit, I was chatting about a friend we all knew and loved. I was in a very practiced, calm state when, without warning, I felt my friend’s presence come into my field. He offered healing energy through my hands for the benefit of a family member. We were both so relaxed that when a comet of light flew through the family room between us, we both knew it was him “streaking in spirit” to show off a little bit!  These things are all accessible in a relaxed state of being.

Best of all, you have the tools at your disposal to be at peace even while the political climate is intense,  when war makes the headlines, and when various situations throughout the day wobble your good mood.

Here are a few pointers to help you keep, or regain, your peace

1.  Tone your vagus nerve

Practice breathing in slowly and expansively, then out as boringly slowly as possible. Repeat until you feel yourself relax.
Sing happy songs or hum frequently
Om or chant for a few minutes.  While traditional mantras have additional benefits, you can make up your own and chant it. “I am love. I am love. I am love…”
Listen to birdsong for a few minutes.  There are additional benefits if you can put your feet on the earth, feel the fresh air, and listen, but if not, play a YouTube video with birdsong.
If you’re a cat person, listen to the purring of your cat or even a video or sound recording.

By engaging in any one of these activities regularly, if only for a few minutes a day, you train yourself to the relaxation response and have a new practice at the ready when you really need the peace.

2. Create your Happy, Peaceful Space

Think of somewhere you’ve been (or imagined) that feels incredibly peaceful to you, and imagine it. Imagine how you feel there.

Years ago, in my twenties, I stayed at the home of a colleague and his wife when I was traveling for business. They put an air mattress loaded with soft quilts by the fireplace, which cracked all night. A gentle rain fell, making soothing sounds outside the window. They brought me steaming hot tea as I awakened to the cool, moist morning air. It was pure peace.

Likewise, I recall times as a child when, in Autumn, we walked up the Stony Man Mountain trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains and sat on the granite top. In silence, we watched the mists and sunlight alternate, creating a light show of brilliance and shade on the jewel-toned forests below. Again, pure peace.

If you don’t have a memory like this, make one up or do something to create one. You can sit in the plush lobby of a five-star resort and read if that is your peace.  Maybe you find peace walking on the beach or cuddling with a loved one. Perhaps you sit in silence and meditate or pray or listen to a beautiful song.

Whatever it might be for, try to find (or make) a memory or an imaginary space where you can feel pure peace. Go there often in your mind.

3. Create a Peaceful Reminder

Choose a phrase that reminds you peace is always available. Whether you post it around the house, have the phone give you a reminder, or simply say it often,it will help you reprogram for peace. Ideas include: “The universe has my back.”  “All is well when I rest in the arms of the Divine.”  “My angels are with me.” “God is still God.” Make it something that soothes you.

A peaceful reminder helps you remember that peace is always there—waiting for you from none other than the Source who loves and adores you.

We are living in wild times but also exciting times. The contrasts that stimulate creation are huge. The chance for us to really practice (and see the results) of living from the inside are everywhere.

It is the lightworker’s time to shine—literally, to shine the light of love. It is time to live in the soul’s truth—that in the arms of the Loving Source, we are safe, protected, and guided, and we can have the peace that surpasses understanding any time we bring it forth from within.

Have a blessed week,
Love,
Ann