If you feel like you can’t relax, it’s time to understand how to help your body feel safe. Many of us have stopped trying to ‘fix’ anxiety by changing our thoughts and have instead started focusing on what our nervous system, particularly the vagus nerve, is telling us. This fundamental shift from mind to body is the key to unlocking a state of natural balance and calm.
Prefer to watch? I’ve put my video below or if you prefer to read simply scroll below.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is one of the main nerves in your body, running from your brain stem down to your heart, lungs, and digestive system. Its primary role is to regulate your parasympathetic nervous system. This system is what allows your body to slow down, feel safe, and return to a state of balance after stress.
Your heart rate, breath, and even digestion are all directly influenced by the health and regulation of this one critical nerve. But its function goes far beyond simple biological processes. The vagus nerve is fundamentally about how your body perceives and processes safety on an emotional and relational level.
If you want to radically shift your life, you’re not going to do it by changing your thoughts. You do it by changing how safe your body feels.
Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System
When your system perceives a lack of safety, it adapts without asking for your permission. A dysregulated vagus nerve means your body is protecting you in the best way it has learned how. This protective adaptation can manifest in two primary ways, both of which are valid regulation strategies.
- Hyper-Arousal (Fight or Flight) This can appear as chronic anxiety, muscle tension, overthinking, constant scanning of your environment, and a feeling of always being “on” or braced for impact.
- Hypo-Arousal (Shutdown or Freeze) This can manifest as the opposite reaction, including low energy, persistent brain fog, a sense of disconnection from yourself and others, and general shutdown.
When your vagus nerve is dysregulated, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your system is protecting you in the best way it knows how.
The Vagus Nerve and Your Chakra System
The vagus nerve is deeply connected to several key energy centers within the chakra system. This connection highlights the link between our physical state and our energetic or emotional well-being. It primarily interfaces with the heart, throat, and root chakras, forming a foundation for our sense of safety and expression.
It is closely linked to the heart chakra, your center of connection and emotional safety. It also runs directly through your throat, influencing the throat chakra which governs your voice, breath, and ability to express yourself authentically. At its core, this all comes back to the root chakra, which asks the fundamental question, “Do I feel safe in my body?”
Why You Can’t Relax & How To Help Your Body Feel Safe
The most powerful way to achieve regulation is not by asking “How do I fix this?” but rather, “What would help my body feel safe enough to relax?” True regulation does not come from force or control but from creating an internal environment of safety. When your body feels safe, your system naturally begins to regulate itself.
A more powerful question becomes, ‘what would help my body feel safe enough to relax,’ because regulation doesn’t come from force, it comes from safety.
A Simple Practice to Communicate Safety
You can use this simple exercise to communicate directly with your nervous system, letting it know that it doesn’t have to remain in a state of protection. This is not about controlling your body but about partnering with it.
- Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach.
- Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose.
- Exhale slowly, making the out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath.
- As you breathe, consciously relax your jaw, throat, and shoulders.
You can accompany this physical practice with a conscious affirmation, such as, “I choose to experience safety within my body.” Over time, your system will begin to respond to this consistent and gentle communication, allowing for deeper relaxation and regulation.
If you want to go deeper into how the energetic body works, we have some powerful classes available that explore the 13-chakra system. You can check the schedule for our next Ignite Your 13 Chakra Blueprint training to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main function of the vagus nerve?
The main function of the vagus nerve is to regulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This system controls your body’s ability to slow down, rest, digest, and return to a state of balance after a stress response. It directly influences your heart rate, breathing, and digestion.
How do I know if my vagus nerve is dysregulated?
Signs of a dysregulated vagus nerve can include chronic anxiety, tension, and overthinking on one end of the spectrum. On the other end, it can show up as shutdown, low energy, brain fog, and a feeling of disconnection from yourself and others.
How can I help my body feel safe?
You can help your body feel safe through simple, gentle practices like mindful breathing. Placing one hand on your chest and one on your stomach while taking slow breaths with a longer exhale communicates safety to your nervous system, helping it shift out of a protective state.
