Why the Vagus Nerve Matters
By Isabel Aurora, author of The 7 Sacred Meditations of the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is the body’s main communication line between the brain and the rest of the body. It plays a crucial role in regulating your heart rate, digestion, immune response, and emotional state. When your vagus nerve is toned and activated, you feel grounded, peaceful, and emotionally steady.
When it’s dysregulated? Hello anxiety, burnout, brain fog, and chronic tension.
In my book The 7 Sacred Meditations of the Vagus Nerve, I guide readers through a 28-day rhythm of short, somatic-based meditations designed to restore balance and bring the nervous system out of survival mode. And today, I’d love to share two of them with you.
Meditation #1: The Soothing Exhale
Best for: Anxiety, overwhelm, racing thoughts
Time needed: 7 minutes
How to do it:
- Find a quiet spot and sit or lie down comfortably.
- Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds, as if you’re blowing through a straw.
- Pause for 3 seconds before inhaling again.
- Repeat this for 7 minutes.
Why it works:
Longer exhales stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, your body’s rest-and-digest mode. Within minutes, your heart rate slows, cortisol drops, and mental clarity returns.
Meditation #2: The Safe Touch Anchor
Best for: Grounding, emotional release, nervous system reset
Time needed: 5–7 minutes
How to do it:
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
- Gently press into your body with warmth and intention.
- With each breath, say (out loud or silently): “I am safe.”
- Tune into the sensation of your hands—temperature, pressure, connection.
- Stay here for 5–7 minutes, allowing the body to soften.
Why it works:
This combines touch and interoception (body awareness), which are powerful tools for calming a hypervigilant nervous system. It communicates safety directly through the body, bypassing overthinking.
A Reset You Can Actually Stick To
These meditations aren’t about escaping life—they’re about coming home to yourself. Even on your busiest days, 7 minutes can be enough to interrupt the stress spiral and reconnect to a sense of peace.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.
And if these resonated with you, I invite you to explore the full 28-day journey in my book, The 7 Sacred Meditations of the Vagus Nerve.It’s a gentle guide for anyone ready to feel safe, calm, and whole—without burning out trying to get there.
About the Author:
Isabel Aurora is a wellness author and trauma-informed meditation guide dedicated to helping people heal from stress, anxiety, and emotional burnout. Her work is rooted in neuroscience, somatic therapy, and spiritual simplicity. She is the author of The 7 Sacred Meditations of the Vagus Nerve.