Today’s share is all about the vagus nerve and how it connects to nervous system regulation.

There’s a virtual maelstrom of information and advice about the vagus nerve available online, not to mention devices to stimulate and “tone” this entire nerve, so as to regulate and “heal” it – and all this is only going to expand as nervous system health & healing gains mainstream popularity. 

So how do we sort the “bad” (incomplete, oversimplified, potentially harmful) from the “good” (anatomically accurate, polyvagal-informed, nuanced to the complexity of the nervous system)?

Non dumbed-down nervous system education is KEY! Dive into the video below to learn more.

Here are a few highlights (see the time stamped Video Chapters over on YouTube for more):

  • What creates real self-regulation as an adult (hint: you can’t give a baby a “technique”)
  • An example of the harm that can be done via vagus nerve stimulation (aka: “hijacking”)
  • When and when NOT to use the “voo” and “voo-ahh” sounds popularized by Peter Levine

This video was originally recorded as a livestream over on Instagram (my favourite social platform), and here’s what a couple of my community members over there had to say about it:

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References & resources mentioned in this video: 

► Original vagus nerve post on Instagram (April 11, 2024)

 ► SmartBody SmartMind™ 12-week curriculum (Next round starts in September 2024) 

 ► Peter A Levine, PhD  

 ► Polyvagal Theory Videos 

 ► Window of Tolerance videos

 ► Healing anxiety, addictions, and repressed anger || SBSM success with Jerika 

 ► Free Audio Samplers