MINDOLOGY

The breath plays a key role in our health and well-being. We know that taking some big deep breaths can calm us down, but what is happening to our bodies? Well research and science is showing that this calming affect is due to the Vagus Nerve.

The Vagus Nerve is the largest cranial nerve of the human body, it runs from your brain down through your neck and chest to your abdomen, and is part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS,) responsible for rest-and-digest processes.

The term “vagus nerve” comes from the Latin word meaning wandering, an apt name because this cranial nerve has many connections and branches through the body.

For all its complexity, the vagus nerve seems to have quite a simple yet significant role - and that is to calm us down. Emerging research is establishing such how important the Vagus Nerve is and the links between the Vagus Nerve and simple deep breathing techniques.

Recently, scientists established that activating the vagus nerve can slow...