Reset Your Nervous System

Your nervous system has two modes: sympathetic (fight/flight, the accelerator) and parasympathetic (rest/digest, the brakes). Modern life keeps your foot jammed on the accelerator. Deadlines, notifications, commutes, constant stimulation.

When the sympathetic system stays activated too long, you get chronic muscle tension (your body braced for impact), shallow breathing (preparing to run), racing thoughts (scanning for threats), digestive issues (blood diverted from digestion to muscles), and insomnia (can't sleep when you're still "in danger").

The vagus nerve is the main highway of your parasympathetic nervous system. It runs from your brainstem to your gut, controlling your heart rate, breathing, and digestion. When vagal tone is high, you feel calm, connected, and resilient. When it's low, you're stuck in survival mode.

Yoga, breathwork, and sound healing are direct vagus nerve stimulators. Slow breathing (especially exhaling longer than inhaling) activates the parasympathetic system. Stillness and supported poses signal safety to the nervous system. Sound vibration from gongs and singing bowls physically stimulates the vagus nerve. Research confirms that yoga practitioners show increased heart rate variability (HRV) — the gold-standard measure of nervous system resilience — and reduced cortisol levels.