This Nerve Will Help You Deal With Emotional Problems
Can the vagus nerve help you deal with behavior problems or help you stay calm in a stressful situation? Scientific studies continue to show that proper stimulation of the vagus nerve through deep and slow breathing can help calm the heart and thus affecting the behavior of the mind and body.
The human heart is one of nature’s greatest creations because of its miraculous features. Did you know that the heart is the first organ to function in a fetus? Within roughly 21 days after conception, the heart starts to function but the brain doesn’t start to operate until almost 3 months into the fetal development process.
The heart isn’t just an organ that pumps blood. Every time the heart beats, it sends out electromagnetic waves of information that are received by all the cells of the body. These waves of information are important for cell function. This is one of the reasons why the heart is the first organ to function. In some ways, the heart is even more powerful than the brain, which is why some neurocardiologists refer to it as the fifth brain.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is one of the main nerves of the body. It branches out from two thick stems rooted in the cerebellum and extends all the way to your abdomen. This feature of the vagus nerve allows it to touch many of the main organs of the body, including the heart. Think of the vagus nerve like it’s the main highway of a road system and you should have a general idea of how important it is.
The vagus nerve plays an important role in the communication process between the heart and brain and other major organs of the body. It’s estimated that 80 to 90 percent of the vagus’ nerve fibers are dedicated to the communication process of these organs. Since it plays a major role in the communication process, it’s believed to also play a important role in intuition. Having a strong intuition is important for understanding your emotions, because it allows your body to translate the energy of emotions more effectively.
In some spiritual teachings, the vagus nerve is a metaphor for the kundalini snake that wraps around the spine. According to Hindu philosophy, kundalini is the coil of energy that starts at the base of the spine and wraps its way around the spine up to the top of the head. When the kundalini energy is activated, it allows you to have better control of certain senses that are beyond your five senses.
How the Vagus Nerve Help You Deal with Emotional Problems
In scientific studies, stimulation of the vagus nerve has confirmed that it can slow down the heart rate and lower blood pressure. The studies found that long and slow breathing techniques work the best for slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure. When the heart is relaxed, its calming behavior affects all the organs and cells of the body, causing them to also relax. This process allows better communication between your mind and body, allowing you to deal with emotional problems better.
In the early 1920s, a German physiologist who goes by the name Otto Loewi discovered that when the vagus nerve was stimulated, it triggered the release of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is useful for calming the mind and body during stressful experiences. One of the simplest ways to trigger the release of acetylcholine is by taking a few deep breaths. Have you ever had a stressful experience when someone told you to calm down by taking a few deep breaths? The person who told you this may not realize it, but he or she is telling you how to stimulate your vagus nerve to release acetylcholine. This is why you feel calm after taking a few deep breaths.
It’s important to learn how to control your vagus nerve, because if you allow it to become overactive, it can cause anxiety, stress and emotional problems. Breathing techniques are important for controlling your vagus nerve, but combine them with the power of visualization and the result will be a lot better. Visualization is a very powerful tool which is why certain successful people use it to improve their career skills. If used correctly, breathing and visualization techniques can help you deal with emotional problems.