Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve summary

Not all cranial nerves are created equal – at least not when it comes to social engagement. When it comes to social relationships, one cranial nerve is king. That’s the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve travels from the brain stem down into the chest and all the way into the abdomen. No surprise, then, that the nerve is named after the Latin vagus, which means “wanderer.” 

When your nervous system gets stuck in a state of fear, it can be physically as well as emotionally debilitating. 

Some people’s dorsal vagus nerve is overactive, meaning it’s consistently responding to dangers that are not present. Now, when the dorsal vagus nerve is activated, it immobilizes us with fear. If this happens repeatedly over time, we start to feel generally weak, tired, and weighed down. 

Right, time to get down to business. We’re going to learn Rosenberg’s simple, two-minute exercise for activating the ventral vagus nerve. The exercise is called – wait for it – the Basic Exercise. 

Though it’s incredibly simple, this exercise really does activate the ventral vagus nerve – which of course means it increases social engagement. But the Basic Exercise also increases mobility in the neck and spine, as well as upping blood flow to the brain stem, where the cranial nerves originate. 

Pharmaceuticals and surgery are big business. That’s no surprise, given how often Western doctors prescribe or recommend them. In the US alone, about 500,000 people undergo back surgery every year – even though several studies have shown that such operations aren’t effective in the long run. 

This would all look different if doctors paid more attention to how the nervous system in general, and the ventral vagus nerve in particular, affect physical health. In Rosenberg’s practice, he’s found that helping the ventral vagus nerve function properly reduces the severity of many health problems, which in turn reduces the need for prescription medication or surgery. But of course, you should never stop taking prescription medication without consulting your doctor first.

Some physical problems have their roots in the mind. And some psychological problems can be addressed via body therapies. 

As a body therapist, Rosenberg is not qualified to treat psychological problems, and he’s careful not to imply that he is. But his years of clinical experience have shown that people with a variety of psychological disorders can be positively affected by having their ventral vagus nerve activated. These include autism-spectrum disorders.