THE BASIC VAGUS RESET EXERCISE and gut health

This exercise is taken from Stanley Rosenberg: Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve. it's often called “The Basic Exercise” or informally, the Vagus reset exercise. Here is a recording to guide you through it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL8_3bKN3Vw

Lie on your back comfortably on a bed or mat.

Great to do at the end of the day in bed.   

Or simply lean back in your seat.

Interlace your fingers and place your hands behind your head, supporting the base of your skull (the occiput).

Let your elbows rest comfortably.

Without moving your head, move your eyes gently to the right.

Eyes can be open or shut doesn’t matter.

Breathe and smile throughout and talk to your body: e.g. My Vagus Nerve is resilient and strong, My Vagal tone resetting to optimum. thank you.

Keep looking right until you notice:

·      A swallow

·      A sigh

·      A yawn

·      A softening in the belly

·      A feeling of relaxation

When that happens, return eyes to centre.

Repeat on the left side.

The key is:

The head does not move.

Only the eyes move

Wait patiently for the body to shift.

It usually takes 30–60 seconds per side.

Why It Works

It Engages the Cranial Nerves

Eye movement activates the area where the Vagus nerve originates.This area is neurologically dense.

By holding the occiput and isolating eye movement, you:

·      Stimulate subtle movement at the base of the skull

·      Reduce tension in suboccipital muscles

·      Affect the Vagus nerve as it exits the skull

When you hold your gaze to one side without moving your head, the nervous system interprets it as:

“I am scanning for danger.”

When no danger appears, the body relaxes.

This completes an incomplete stress response.

Good vagal tone:

·      Slows heart rate

·      Improves digestion

·      Reduces inflammation

·      Increases emotional regulation

So this exercise improves:

·      Gut motility

·      Emotional resilience

·      Calm presence

TO SUMMARISE ….

This exercise gently stimulates the part of the brainstem

where the Vagus nerve begins.

By holding the head and moving only the eyes,

we help the nervous system feel safe again.

When safety returns, digestion returns.

When digestion returns, weight regulation improves.

Restoring communication between head and belly

Harmonizing the Heart–Small Intestine axis

It’s a beautiful bridge between neurology and energy medicine.

Why This Exercise Is So Good for Gut Health

This exercise improves vagal tone — the health and responsiveness of the Vagus nerve.

·      The Vagus nerve is the main communication highway

·      between the brain and the gut. It:

·      Stimulates stomach acid and digestive enzymes

·      Regulates gut motility (movement of food through the intestines)

·      Reduces gut inflammation

·      Signals fullness and satiety

·      Calms stress responses that shut digestion down

When we are stressed, the body shifts into fight-or-flight, and digestion is suppressed.

Blood leaves the gut.

Enzymes decrease.

Motility slows or becomes erratic.

This gentle eye-position exercise activates the brainstem where the Vagus nerve begins.

When the nervous system senses safety, it shifts into rest-and-digest mode.

And when the body feels safe:

·      The belly softens

·      Peristalsis improves

·      Bloating reduces

·      Cravings settle

·      Emotional reactivity decreases

One could say:

“When the nervous system feels safe, the gut works properly. When the gut works properly, weight and mood begin to regulate naturally.”

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zenline-norway_cortisol-sleep-vagusnerve-activity-7430208307589558272-qx_6?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAAMWJcgBg8UeszbVnhKHnxYvy9k7RseceIA

The link is a great 2 minute video about the Vagus Nerve.