How to calm the vagus nerve with Mantra

How to calm the vagus nerve using sacred mantra

In the midst of life's bustling cadence, the vagus nerve, the orchestrator of our inner symphony, plays a vital role in maintaining balance. A harmonious vagal tone, the equilibrium between its activation and relaxation, significantly impacts our overall wellness. Amid the modern whirlwind, a profound remedy awaits – the transformative practice of mantras.

If a woman’s body were an orchestra then our vagus nerve would be the conductor. The state of our vagal tone, the balance between its activation and relation, influences our overall wellbeing. As we live in a fast and busy world, now more than ever finding ways to haromize our vagal tone becomes essential. 

Mantra is a profound tool we can use that not only has a direct impact on our nervous system, including the vagus never but it has a cascade of other benefits.  

What is the vagus nerve?

The vagus nerve, aptly named the "wandering nerve," weaves a complex path through our body, linking various organs and systems. As the guardian of the parasympathetic nervous system, it governs the rest-and-digest response. An optimal vagal tone nurtures serenity, emotional equilibrium, and vitality.

How does mantra support vagal tone?

Mantras, ancient sound formulas employed in meditation and chanting, have garnered reverence across millennia as potent instruments of transformation. The rhythmic repetition of mantras directly influences our nervous system, including the vagus nerve. Through recitation, chanting, or singing, we set in motion a symphony of positive effects.

Some of the key benefits of mantra for vagal tone include:

Calms the mind.

The mantra creates a focal point for the mind. The mental shift triggers a relaxation response, leading to improved vagal tone. 

Balances emotions.

Chanting mantra activates brain regions associated with positive emotions and reduces those linked to negativity. The emotional equilibrium positively influences vagal tone. 

Regulates breathing.

Many mantras sync with the breath promoting natural breathing patters, slower & deeper breaths. This calms the nervous system and enhances vagal tone.

Stress reduction.

The vibrations of the sound lower cortisol levels, subsiding the body’s stress response and supports vagal tone. 

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Embracing the healing power of mantras invites you to forge a deeper connection with your vagus nerve, fostering optimal vagal tone. As you weave the resonant tapestry of sacred sounds, you harmonize the conductor of your inner symphony. The result? A profound sense of well-being and equilibrium. From antiquity to the present, mantras beckon us to explore their potential, inviting us to support our vagal tone and enrich our lives in remarkable ways.

There are many recommendations for mantra in The Holistic Woman eGuide - How to use yoga to connect mind and body through the 7 seasons of a woman’s life cycle (without pushing against your natural rhythm). FREE DOWNLOAD HERE.

Finding Stillness: A Journey into the Inner Realm

There is a tenderness that swirls within us all.

Living in the crevices of our inner realms.

Deep within the darkness of the shadow.

Catching glimpses of her as we ride the waves of this human experience.

It is in these moment we are asked to lean in.

To become aquatinted with her energy.

Like rainbow light with a hope for a pot of gold,

the magic of you cannot fully be described, let alone understood by another.

It is beyond explanation.

The english language not having the words for ample depiction.

The way your heart ebbs & flows between pure joy and despair for the world at large.

Gliding through most days, stumbling your way through others.

At the end of your days you know.

You know what you need.

You know what needs tending to.

You know the answers to all of your questions.

You know who you are and what you came into this time space reality to do.

The Yin & Yang of life

It is always the Both / &.

The yin & the yang.

The black & the white.

The two sides to a story.

The two extremes of this world of make believe we call life.

And then of course there is the space in between.

The space where the two sides merge together. Where they meet & bow in reverence to the other.

Acknowledging the billions of individual world views we have on this planet.

Here are some home truths that have come into my awareness this past few days…..

• It’s possible to work a 9-5 and thrive. It’s also possible to work a 9-5 & be riddled with dis-ease.

• It’s possible to be an entrepreneur and feel like the world is your oyster. It’s also possible to be an entrepreneur and feel like you are in a constant state of struggle.

• It’s possible to be a yogi and never have practiced asana in your life. It’s also possible to be a yogi with a 7-day a week asana practice.

• It’s possible to be a working mother and still nourish the needs of your children. It’s also possible to be a stay at home mum and do the same.

• It’s possible to be vegan because you value the lives of animals. It’s also possible to eat meat and value the lives of animals equally.

• It’s possible to make a million dollars and find happiness. It’s possible to make $30k and find the same.

• Its possible to heal using Western Medicine. It’s also possible to heal using Eastern Medicine. And it’s possible to heal using a combination of the two.

Our individual world view is ultimately determined by us. We choose if we thrive or survive. No matter the circumstances.

Trying times, for sure.

Moments of elevation, 1000%.

The both / &.

There is no ‘one way’ and certainly no ‘right’ way to live this lifetime.

It’s ok to Change your mind, change careers, shift your values, allow your beliefs to evolve.

It’s ok to be you.

It’s ok to have boundaries and enforce them.

It’s ok to feel worthy.

Your whole authentic Self.

Here. In this lifetime.

With love, Kate

The Root Cause of Suffering - Avidya

The Sanskrit word Avidya, translated into English from the yoga teachings, means ignorance, or rather incorrect knowledge.

Let me explain….

Incorrect knowledge in our human experience is having knowledge but that knowledge being incorrect. For example, a drug addict thinks that by getting high they are cultivating happiness within, but the feeling is fleeting and in fact causing more pain to their human experience, not cultivating more happiness.

This is an extreme example and one many of us are not able to directly relate to, but for the purposes of understanding the concept it’s a good one. But what if we look deeper into our modern day society. How society is set up to in fact stream incorrect knowledge into our consciousness every single day, masquerading as happiness, connection, community, self worth and wholeness.

Think about all of the advertisements we are inadvertently exposed to on a daily basis that preach weight loss or beauty, healthy living or connecting with your soul, all with promises of more fulfillment and happiness.

Even in the wellness space these messages have trickled in in an attempt to gain more followers, build bigger businesses and make more money.

Most of us are completely unaware that many of our daily decisions are unconscious as we confuse our own suffering with happiness.

I’ve been contemplating this yogic teaching for weeks now. Each day a new insight or deeper understanding of the wisdom.

2:5 Anitya ashuchi duhkha anatmasu nitya shuchi sukha atma khyatih avidya

Where in my own life have I mistaken suffering with happiness’s. How much is enough is a question I often ask myself (mostly around finances). How much to we actually need to live a life of abundance? To have all of our needs met.

But after sitting with this teaching it begs the question, How much is too much? Not in a financial sense but in Life.

How much is too much?

Could a surplus of what we actually need be the cause of more suffering?

The root of suffering is to over identify with the ego. In day to day life this could look like defining yourself by your job, your role as mother, teacher, entrepreneur, financial status, being the spiritual one, sporty one, fun one or party girl.

One of my teachers would say that all of our worries and fears arise from these mistaken identities. Of there being too much attachment to any given one, where we forget our essential nature of being multidimensional and our ability to pivot and change at any moment.

We we over identify, we begin to limit ourselves & hold onto ideals of who we think we are. We constantly search for meaning in relationships, in our work, on social media. Desperately searching for meaning and validation of who we think we are.

2022 tested my resilience. Tightly wound identities showing themselves clearly, many pieces bubbling to the surface ready to be seen and processed.

We all know it, some deeper than others that true happiness doesn’t revolve around what we do, what roles we play or what we own, but rather who we are.

When we devote ourselves to a life of awareness, of expansion of our own Being (how we show up in the world), that is when we begin to remember that we are here for a finite amount of time, in this human body, having this human experience & the value of simply being alive is Bliss in and of itself.

Everything else simply falls away.

I still feel in the trenches with this one. Playing with the concept of titration (to add a little at a time & wait and see).

May you find your own meaning in these words and may that serve you in revealing to your own Self the infinite nature of your Being.

With gratitude, Kate