Vagus Nerve - The Vagal Brake Oefeningen
5. The Vagal Brake oefeningen
1. You can do this exercise while sitting or standing.
Begin by picturing yourself with one foot in a state of social engagement and the other foot in a mode of heightened readiness, like preparing to take action. Keep both feet on the ground, and gently shift your weight between them, swaying slightly from one foot to the other.
Pay attention to your breathing as yu do this. Inhale as you lean towards the foot associated with heightened readiness, and then exhale as you shift your weight back to the foot associated with social engagement. Do this for a few breath cycles to feel the rhythm of your "vagal brake" releasing and re-engaging.
As the vagal brake releases, you'll notice a range of responses becoming available. You may feel engaged, joyful, excited, passionate, playful, attentive, alert and vigilant, all while remaining within the boundaries of safety and social connection provided by the ventral vagal system. Without this vagal brake, we risk losing our sense of safety and connection and can easily slip into the protective states of fight-or-flight.
Experiment with pushing the limits of this release. Shift your weight iin such a way that you're almost entirely leaning towards heightened readiness. Notice how your balance starts to shift and you might feel less steady. Then, return to a solid base by shifting your weight back to the foot anchored in social engagement.
Try the opposite too, with most of your weight on the foot connected to social engagement, and just a light touch on the other foot associated with heightened readiness. Observe the canges iin your experience. Experiment with how your vagel brake allows you to gather and mobilize energy and then helps you return to a state of calm.
Recognize how the vagal bake serves as a boundary between the safety and regulation of social engagement and the survival response of heightened readiness. Once you've grasped the concept of your vagal brake, you can start playing with adjusting the balance between energy and calm deliberately.
Practice maintaining your anchor is safety while experiencing mobilization. Alternate between periods of rest and taking action. Explore the full range of exoeriences that emerge as you release and re-engage your vagal brake.
Think about situations in your daily life where you eigher need to be energized or calm, and concider how you can use your vagal brake to help you navigate those moments effectively.
Recall a situation where you needed more energy and visualize yourself releasing the brake to meet that need. Then, bring to mind a moment when you wanted to feel more relaxed and re-engage your brake to achieve that sense of ease. You can use past experiences as a reference and play around with the idea of releasing and re-engaging your vagal brake to imagine how the right balance of energy might have changed those situations.
As you become more confident in your ability to stay grounded and in control, you can consciously adjust the balance towards calm when anxiety rises or towards heightened readiness when you need to take action.
2. Exploring Vagal Break: audio guided practice.
Find a quit, comfortable spot and take a minute or two to sit or stand.
Breathe naturally and focus on your breath. Pay attention to how it enters your nose, travels through your windpipe, and fills yuor lungs. Fot 30 seconds, simply follow the gentle rhythm of your breath as it flows in and out of your body.
Now, shift your awareness to the bottom of your feet. Feel the ground supporting you beneath them. Stay with this sensation for a few breaths.
Move your attention to your back, noticing how it gently presses against the chair, providing support. Acknowlegde the chair doing its job as it holds you.
Think of a person, a beloved pet, or a place that brings you a sense of safety and security. If you're having trouble finding this feeling, consider something that comforts you. Imagine you're with that person, pet or in that place. Allows yourself to experience that safety and security for a few moments.
Next, check in with your body, starting with your shoulders. Are they feeling relaxed or tense? Open or closed?
How about your neck, jaw, and major joints - your ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows and shoulders? And don't forget your back, sphincter, and toes. Take a couple of breaths to stay with these sensations. Observe if anything changes or emerges, such as a vibration, a sensation, an image, an emotion, an impulse or a deeper meaning.
Now imagine that the comforting person, pet or place is gone, replace by an angry stranger standing in front of your. This stranger has crossed arms and a glaring, unwelcoming expression. You look into their eyes, hoping for a change, but their demeanor remains unchanged.
Check-in with your body once more. How do your shoulders, neck, jw, bak, sphincter, and toes feel? One by one, focus on the areas where you sense tension or constriction. Allow your attention to rest briefly on each of them.
Now, let go of the image of the angry stranger and brind bac the comforting presence of the person, place or pet. Relax in the safety and comfort this presence offers for several breaths.
Finally, gently move your attention through your body from your head to your toes one last time. Feel into the areas where you sense softness, openness and relaxation. Spend a moment with each of these sensations, allowing your awareness to pass through them for one to two seconds each.
Begin by picturing yourself with one foot in a state of social engagement and the other foot in a mode of heightened readiness, like preparing to take action. Keep both feet on the ground, and gently shift your weight between them, swaying slightly from one foot to the other.
Pay attention to your breathing as yu do this. Inhale as you lean towards the foot associated with heightened readiness, and then exhale as you shift your weight back to the foot associated with social engagement. Do this for a few breath cycles to feel the rhythm of your "vagal brake" releasing and re-engaging.
As the vagal brake releases, you'll notice a range of responses becoming available. You may feel engaged, joyful, excited, passionate, playful, attentive, alert and vigilant, all while remaining within the boundaries of safety and social connection provided by the ventral vagal system. Without this vagal brake, we risk losing our sense of safety and connection and can easily slip into the protective states of fight-or-flight.
Experiment with pushing the limits of this release. Shift your weight iin such a way that you're almost entirely leaning towards heightened readiness. Notice how your balance starts to shift and you might feel less steady. Then, return to a solid base by shifting your weight back to the foot anchored in social engagement.
Try the opposite too, with most of your weight on the foot connected to social engagement, and just a light touch on the other foot associated with heightened readiness. Observe the canges iin your experience. Experiment with how your vagel brake allows you to gather and mobilize energy and then helps you return to a state of calm.
Recognize how the vagal bake serves as a boundary between the safety and regulation of social engagement and the survival response of heightened readiness. Once you've grasped the concept of your vagal brake, you can start playing with adjusting the balance between energy and calm deliberately.
Practice maintaining your anchor is safety while experiencing mobilization. Alternate between periods of rest and taking action. Explore the full range of exoeriences that emerge as you release and re-engage your vagal brake.
Think about situations in your daily life where you eigher need to be energized or calm, and concider how you can use your vagal brake to help you navigate those moments effectively.
Recall a situation where you needed more energy and visualize yourself releasing the brake to meet that need. Then, bring to mind a moment when you wanted to feel more relaxed and re-engage your brake to achieve that sense of ease. You can use past experiences as a reference and play around with the idea of releasing and re-engaging your vagal brake to imagine how the right balance of energy might have changed those situations.
As you become more confident in your ability to stay grounded and in control, you can consciously adjust the balance towards calm when anxiety rises or towards heightened readiness when you need to take action.
2. Exploring Vagal Break: audio guided practice.
Find a quit, comfortable spot and take a minute or two to sit or stand.
Breathe naturally and focus on your breath. Pay attention to how it enters your nose, travels through your windpipe, and fills yuor lungs. Fot 30 seconds, simply follow the gentle rhythm of your breath as it flows in and out of your body.
Now, shift your awareness to the bottom of your feet. Feel the ground supporting you beneath them. Stay with this sensation for a few breaths.
Move your attention to your back, noticing how it gently presses against the chair, providing support. Acknowlegde the chair doing its job as it holds you.
Think of a person, a beloved pet, or a place that brings you a sense of safety and security. If you're having trouble finding this feeling, consider something that comforts you. Imagine you're with that person, pet or in that place. Allows yourself to experience that safety and security for a few moments.
Next, check in with your body, starting with your shoulders. Are they feeling relaxed or tense? Open or closed?
How about your neck, jaw, and major joints - your ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows and shoulders? And don't forget your back, sphincter, and toes. Take a couple of breaths to stay with these sensations. Observe if anything changes or emerges, such as a vibration, a sensation, an image, an emotion, an impulse or a deeper meaning.
Now imagine that the comforting person, pet or place is gone, replace by an angry stranger standing in front of your. This stranger has crossed arms and a glaring, unwelcoming expression. You look into their eyes, hoping for a change, but their demeanor remains unchanged.
Check-in with your body once more. How do your shoulders, neck, jw, bak, sphincter, and toes feel? One by one, focus on the areas where you sense tension or constriction. Allow your attention to rest briefly on each of them.
Now, let go of the image of the angry stranger and brind bac the comforting presence of the person, place or pet. Relax in the safety and comfort this presence offers for several breaths.
Finally, gently move your attention through your body from your head to your toes one last time. Feel into the areas where you sense softness, openness and relaxation. Spend a moment with each of these sensations, allowing your awareness to pass through them for one to two seconds each.