Vagus Nerve Meditation For Stress Relief & Emotional Balance

If you're feeling a little tense in the body,

A bit on edge or maybe caught up in your thoughts,

This deep relaxation meditation is for you.

I'm Chibzo Karake and today we're going on a journey along the vagus nerve.

This deep relaxation meditation is designed to help calm your nervous system settle your mind and bring a deep sense of ease into your body.

You're probably used to doing a lot but today there's nothing you need to do and there's no pressure to get it right.

This is simply an invitation to slow down and let your body feel safe again.

We'll go gently and you're in charge.

There are going to be a few different vagus nerve exercises woven into this session.

Things like breath work,

Gentle sound,

Imagery,

Body scans and affirmations.

Now you don't need to do them all.

You can skip any part or just lie back and listen.

If any of the exercises don't feel right or if you're not sure,

Just breathe.

Rest and allow my words to wash over you.

Let's gently bring our awareness to the breath.

Not changing anything about the breath,

Not trying to fix or control the breath.

Just noticing how the body is breathing right now.

You might notice the breath feels fast or slow,

Shallow or deep.

Maybe it's moving more through the chest or down into the belly.

You might even notice a little pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.

There's no right or wrong breath.

We're just staying curious about whatever we find.

And rather than watching the breath like it's something separate,

We're feeling the breath from the inside.

We're feeling the cool air coming in through the nose,

The gentle expansion of the chest and stomach.

And then the warm air leaving as the body softens and relaxes.

Breathing in and the body gently expands.

Breathing out as the body softens,

Settles and sinks just a little deeper.

We're letting the breath move just as it wants to.

Now,

If you feel ready,

We'll gently shift into a breathing technique that helps activate the vagus nerve even more.

When we slow down the out-breath,

We send a message to the body that it's safe to relax.

This helps soothe the nervous system.

Soften tension and bring the body back into balance.

We'll also add a gentle pause after each in-breath.

This little pause can help the body absorb the breath more fully and it gives the nervous system a moment to reset and to settle.

So we're going to create a slow steady rhythm.

It's going to be a calm in-breath for a count of four,

A short pause for a count of two and then the long gentle exhale for a count of six.

And if counting feels awkward or distracting,

Feel free to drop the counting and just let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath.

All right,

Let's try a few together.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold.

Breathing out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Hold.

Breathing out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

So let me be quiet for a few moments so you can do a few more breaths at your own pace.

Just lightly holding the breath at the top of the inhale and gently lengthening the out-breath,

Keeping the body soft.

And checking in now with the body as we continue to control the breath.

Is the forehead relaxed?

The jaw?

The shoulders?

The belly?

If you feel like adding a little something extra to support the body and to stimulate the vagus nerve,

Here are a couple of gentle options you can try.

First,

You might place a hand on your chest.

Just resting it there lightly.

Maybe feeling the rhythm of your breath beneath your hand.

This simple touch can send a powerful message of safety to the nervous system.

If you feel comfortable,

You might like to make a soft voo sound on the out-breath.

It's a low,

Gentle hum and it sounds like this.

Voooooo.

If you drop your voice down low,

You'll feel the vibrations lower down in the body.

Most people find that this vibration helps to calm the mind and body by stimulating the vagus nerve directly.

You can try it once or twice or not at all.

Whatever feels right.

You might even pair the two together.

Hand on the chest,

Breathing in a gentle voo on the exhale.

Just see how it feels in the body.

And again,

Everything here is optional.

If you want to simply lie here and gently breathe,

That's perfect too.

No pressure.

Let's take a moment to notice what it feels like in the body now.

If you did one of the exercises,

How did that exercise make you feel?

Just noticing.

Perhaps there's a softening,

A warmth,

Maybe even a sense of being gently held from the inside.

Now,

If it feels okay,

We'll gently introduce a simple and powerful phrase that can help anchor the body in a sense of calm.

My suggestion is to use the affirmation,

I am safe.

If the phrase,

I am safe,

Doesn't resonate or doesn't make you feel safe,

Here are a few other options that you can try instead.

I'm okay right now.

Or I can rest now.

Or there's nothing I need to do.

Or you might even come up with your own phrase.

Something simple,

Something kind that fits how you're feeling in this moment.

You're welcome to say it quietly in your mind or whisper it out loud if you prefer.

Letting the words settle into the body,

Not just thinking them,

But feeling them.

Repeat your chosen phrase gently now,

At your own pace.

And just notice,

How does the body respond to hearing those words?

If nothing changes,

That's okay.

If it brings up emotion,

That's okay too.

We're simply meeting ourselves where we are,

With kindness.

Okay,

Let's now begin to gently move our attention through the body.

Releasing tension as we go.

Let's begin by bringing awareness to the left foot.

You might notice sensations,

Tingles,

Warmth,

Or nothing at all,

It's all fine.

Softening the left foot,

Softening the left lower leg,

The left knee,

The left upper leg,

And the left hip.

Moving now across to the right side,

Softening the right foot,

The right lower leg,

The right knee,

The right upper leg,

And the right hip.

Now let's bring awareness to both hips and pelvis together.

Allowing the base of the body to feel heavy and supported.

Let's move up now through the lower back,

The upper back,

And shoulder blades.

Relaxing the whole back body.

You might even imagine tension sliding off,

Like water running down a gentle slope.

Bringing awareness now to the stomach,

Softening the belly,

And letting it rise and fall naturally with the breath.

Noticing the chest and ribcage now.

Perhaps feeling the heartbeat.

Maybe we're softening the muscles around the heart.

Relaxing the left shoulder,

The left upper arm,

Relaxing the left hand.

Relaxing the right shoulder now,

The right upper arm,

Elbow,

Relaxing the right hand.

Both arms now,

Resting.

Soft and heavy.

Bringing awareness to the neck and throat,

The back of the head,

And the face,

Relaxing the jaw,

Cheeks,

The eyes,

Temples,

And the forehead.

We're allowing the muscles of the face to completely soften.

It's as if the whole face is exhaling.

And finally,

Relaxing the top of the head.

And now,

I invite you to expand your awareness to include the whole body.

From the top of the head,

To the tips of the toes and fingers.

Noticing the weight of the body,

The stillness.

And perhaps we might notice subtle sensations like warmth,

Tingles,

Or a gentle buzz of energy.

Letting the whole system drop deeper into rest.

Just being here now,

With whatever you feel.

And now,

While staying with this sense of the whole body at rest,

Let's gently return our attention to the breath.

Noticing how the breath moves through this relaxed body.

No need to change the breath,

Just feeling it as it is.

Cool air entering through the nose,

The soft expansion through the ribs,

And the warmer air leaving as the body softens on the out-breath.

Settling a little deeper,

Melting into stillness.

You might notice that the breath has slowed,

Or deepened,

Or maybe it feels exactly the same,

And that's fine too.

Breathing in,

And the body gently expands.

Breathing out,

And the body lets go,

Just a little more.

Still resting in the body,

Still here with the breath.

Letting everything be just as it is.

And now,

As this practice comes to a close,

Just taking a moment to notice what's here.

What does the body feel like now?

What about the breath,

Or the mind?

Perhaps there's a sense of ease,

Or softness,

Or maybe a little more space between you and the stress.

And if things still feel a bit tight or unsettled,

That's okay too.

Sometimes,

Just showing up for yourself is the real win.

There's no need to rush out of this state.

You can stay here for as long as you like.

Sometimes,

When we finally slow down,

There's a little bit of space that opens up.

Space we didn't know we needed.

And that's really what this whole practice is about.

Making a bit of room.

You've done enough for today.

But if you do feel ready to get back into the world,

Let's start to bring awareness to the sounds around us.

Sounds inside the room.

Sounds outside the room.

Maybe a gentle wiggle of the fingers and toes.

And whenever you're ready,

You can gently crack open the eyes and come back to the space around you.

And just a reminder,

This relaxed state isn't something you have to chase.

It's always available to you.

In the breath,

In the body,

In the quiet moments like this one.

So thank you for taking this time to look after yourself.

I'll see you again soon.