🌿 Release Trauma from the Body: A Simple Vagus Nerve Reset

 

🌿 Release Trauma from the Body: A Simple Vagus Nerve Reset

We often think of trauma and stress as “all in the mind” — but the truth is, our bodies hold on to it too. When tension builds up in the nervous system, it can show up as anxiety, poor sleep, lack of focus, or even physical discomfort.

One powerful way to release this is through a vagus nerve reset: humming, breathing, gentle rocking, and mindful movement. Below is how I practice it, why it helps, and what science says.

🧘 How to Do This Reset

1. Sit comfortably with your mouth closed and teeth lightly together.
2. Plug your ears (lightly).
3. Lightly pull back your forehead.
4. Rock side to side while breathing in through your nose.
5. Hum as you exhale through your mouth.

This combination of movement + controlled breath + vibration (humming) helps calm the autonomic nervous system and release stored tension.

🔬 What Science Says

Here are a few journal studies and pieces of research that support the idea that practices like this — involving breathwork, vagus nerve stimulation, humming, and somatic regulation — can help with trauma, stress, and nervous system regulation:

• A systematic review in BJPsych Open (2025) found that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) (stimulation through the skin) shows promise for trauma- and stressor-related disorders (TSRDs), showing reductions in hyperarousal and anger responses.  
• A rat model study showed that pairing vagus nerve stimulation with extinction training significantly reduced conditioned fear and anxiety-like behaviors, pointing to VNS as a useful adjunct in trauma/PTSD work.  
• Research into yoga breathing techniques integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD also supports the idea that controlled breathing helps increase emotional regulation and reduce stress responses.  
• There’s also evidence that VNS can improve sleep architecture and reduce symptoms of hyperarousal in trauma contexts, which is important because sleep often suffers when the nervous system is dysregulated.  

🌱 Why It Matters

• Calms your nervous system — reduces the “fight-or-flight” signals.
• Improves emotional regulation — helps you become less reactive.
• Enhances recovery — better sleep, less tension stored in the body.
• Supports sustainable healing — small daily practices add up.

🌍 Connect With Me for More Healing & Fitness Tips

If you want more strategies on health, fitness, motivation, and healing practices, connect with me across my socials:

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