Lifestyle

The Vagus Nerve & The Root Chakra

“It carries signals to your brain, heart, lungs and digestive system. It’s the longest cranial nerve in your body, running from your brain all the way to your large intestine…Your vagus nerve plays a part in controlling involuntary sensory and motor functions like your heart rate, speech, mood and urine output. It helps your body switch back and forth between your flight-or-fight response and your parasympathetic mode, where you’re more relaxed. (schneik)”

I love when science backs up reasons to practice mindfulness. 

When out of balance from stress, this nerve can contribute to anxiety, depression, diabetes 2, heart disease, highblood pressure, and more…

Age can also be a factor, however, we can age gracefully and nurture this nerve/chakra as a part of our mind body commitment to living and experiencing a healthy mind/body so that we can ENJOY LIFE well into our ‘wisdom years.’

Since the vagus nerve runs from the colon to the brain, the chakra associated with this is the ROOT CHAKRA & the CROWN CHAKRA and in yogic culture it is directly related to “Kundalini,” energy. Kundalini energy.

“Kundalini, when awakened and activated, travels up the spine and both purifies and turns-on the seven main vortexes situated along the spine known as chakras. Along the way, kundalini helps to bring prana to the various organs and glands located along this vital channel, helping to maintain the pristine health of the body/mind… The Vagus nerve is the 10th cranial ventricle, which extends from the colon to the brain with mostly upward firing neurons. It reaches from the position of the first chakra up to the crown. The function of the Vagus nerve (which is interestingly enough really a pair of nerves referred to as One) is to “collect data” from all the organs and glands of the body, including the stomach and heart, thymus and thyroid, and bring this information to the brain for deduction.(Stasia Bliss)”

There is no coincidence that both the Vagus Nerve and the Kundalini energy run from root to crown and pelvis to brain. Both run along the spinal cord & both interact with glands and organs along the spine. To awaken the Kundalini energy can balance this energy center which in turn can assist in your Vagus Nerve THRIVING!!! Kundalini is activated when we meditate for instance and allow both the ida and pingala nadis (Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine aspects that reside in all of us on an energetic level) to harmonize and travel in figure 8’s up the spine to the Crown. This is also in essence connecting our inner Heaven & Earth.

We must first enter into nurturing this nerve through conscious efforts of maintaining a clear and balanced root chakra so that the Life Force (what yogis called Prana) can easily travel to and through our main channel of energy(Sushumna nadi)  and the spine.

Here are 5 Ways to Vagus Nerve + Root Chakra:

1. Carve out time to meditate daily: Committing to begin or continue a meditation practice is an essential when it comes to balancing your Vagus Nerve. When you rise in the morning, set yourself up for success by not checking your emails or texts and instead popping in some headphones and listening to a guided meditation or simply allowing the silence to bring you into a state where you are focusing only on your breath. As you sit or lay down , allow your eyes to close and notice the coolness of your inhalations going through each nostril and then the warmth of your breath as you exhale through the nostrils, perhaps even drawing awareness to the breath brushing the upper lip. If you are new to meditation, start with 1 minute daily and try to build up to 15-20 minutes in the morning and then before bed. “Meditation can regulate your autonomic nervous system,” says Dr. Estemalik. “It has a good effect on lowering rapid breathing, rapid heart rate and cortisol levels.” (/)

2. Yoga: Yoga is another great way to destress and balance your Vagus nerve and Root Chakra energy center. Some poses that specifically help to balance these centers are Child’s Pose, Easy Pose, Forward Fold & Garland Pose.

3. Massage: Research has shown that reflexology can be effective in supporting a health Vagus Nerve and Nervous System

“Foot reflexology can increase vagal modulation, decrease sympathetic modulation, and lower blood pressure in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease.(PubMed; CD)”

4. Singing/Humming/Mantra: Vibration of the vocal chords can lead to a happy and healthy Vagus Nerve and has been used by yogis and different cultures of the ages to promote mental health. The Vagus Nerve is connected to the vocal chords to it makes sense that humming or singing can help to maintain a healthy Vagus regime. A great way to practice this is singing only songs that feel good to you or try chanting three “OM’s” or humm.

5. Cold Compress: Research has shown “Effects of Cold Stimulation on Cardiac-Vagal Activation in Healthy Participants, (Jungmann et al., 2018)” Some easy ways to practice this are placing an ice pack or frozen orange/lemon on the back of your neck and pulse points for a few minutes!

I hope that you have great success in practicing these mindful techniques for a balance mind, body & spirit!

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self, joyful mother of 2, business owner, wellness expert, student of The Universe, spiritual seeker, beach hopper, surf enthusiast, laughter lover, writer, singer, and international Lifestyle Coach, Yoga & Meditation Teacher.

If you would like to learn more ways to THRIVE as a lifestyle, schedule your FREE 15 minute coaching consult with me here.

To learn more about Holistic Lifestyle Coaching with Alana go here.

Works Cited:

schneik4. (2022, March 10). 5 ways to stimulate your vagus nerve. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vagus-nerve-stimulation/

-by Stasia Bliss | 05/2/2017 | × http://www.blissinthehouse.com, -by Stasia Bliss | 05/2/2017 |, Bliss, S., & × http://www.blissinthehouse.com SEE ALL ARTICLES Stasia Bliss ​Stasia Bliss studied yoga and meditation in India and has taught for over 12 years. She pers. (n.d.). An intro to the Vagus Nerve & the connection to Kundalini. Basmati. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://basmati.com/2017/05/02/intro-vagus-nerve-connection-kundalini

CD;, L.W.A.C.G.Y.K. (no date) Foot reflexology can increase vagal modulation, decrease sympathetic modulation, and lower blood pressure in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease, Alternative therapies in health and medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22314629/ (Accessed: November 22, 2022).

Jungmann, M. et al. (2018) Effects of cold stimulation on cardiac-vagal activation in healthy participants: Randomized Controlled Trial, JMIR formative research. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334714/%C2%A0 (Accessed: November 22, 2022).

An Earth Angel is a person who is born with heightened sensitives and are very in tune with the energy of LOVE, their body, mind,spirit, community, global, celestial, and Universal.

Are you an Earth Angel?

Here are some signs that you might be:

1. You are highly sensitive to other people’s energy and mood.
2. You see and sense Divinity in every day moments, even the sticky moments.
3. Part of your soul work is to set healthy boundaries.
4. Learning to say “no” when you feel the need to people please is one of your beautiful lessons.
5. You are highly sensitive to radio waves and your environment.
6. You can feel the Earth’s mood. Optimism is your staple vibe.
7. You love helping others. Loud noises or and dramatic experiences can feel overwhelming.
8. When there is a BIG goal or task that is driven by Divine Purpose on the horizon that others see as impossible, you see POSSIBLE, and you create steps that you follow through with to get there.
9. You easily accept and see synchronicities as a daily way of listening to The Universe.
10. You easily connect to the Angelic Realm and think of God & Angels often.
11. You manifest with ease when you focus. You are a natural healer, empath, and intuitive.
12. You are a creative and enjoy music, art, dance, and other forms of creative expression.
13. You are selective about who you let in your inner circle.
14. You easily see other people’s Higher Self (their Divine Self) even when they don’t.
15. Your childhood had a lot of challenges that you have worked diligently on healing and shining light on (still do).
16. You have a deep inner sense of needing to fulfill your Divine Purpose and have known since you were little that you are here for a very important reason.
17. You have struggled with insecurities and self-esteem because you don’t relate to surface level society and until you became more self-realized, you used to think this would create confusion and you maybe felt like an outsider.
18. You are re-learning and discovering just how amazing you are.
19. You are a born leader. 
20. JOY is your birth-right. The more you self-care and follow your heart, the more joy you experience. The more joy you cultivate and tune into, the more you uplift the world.

Do you want to learn more about how to navigate being an Earth Angel, Empath, Light-Worker, and/or Intuitive? Email me at ExplorationsofSelf@gmail.com or go here to learn more.

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self, LLC.

A study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (1) used MRI to reveal that practising self-affirmation activates the reward centres in your brain. … It fires up your neural pathways and makes changes to those areas of the brain that makes you happy and positive (Cascio).

Words are more powerful than most of us are taught to believe. They are
symbols for intent and carry with them the ability to inspire or destroy. What we say to others is typically a reflection of how we are speaking to ourselves. What we say to ourselves MATTERS. Are we being kind or critical? Are we feeling joy or anger? It is most important to remember that we are not defined by anything external, nor can we control what other people do or say, yet we
have this beautiful opportunity to co-create our inner landscape (with Divine). This inner landscape can be full of truths, reminiscent of a warm cup of herbal tea, rocking on an old outdoor rocking chair that sits on a rustic deep rouge redwood patio while surrounded by a peaceful lake that shimmers with reflections of tall, wise pine trees and early morning sun. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? The contrast here is that we can also paint something completely opposite with our mind that seems very depleting and we all have been there and go there from time to time (sometimes many times in a day or hour). The glorious trick is to cultivate loving awareness and knowing that you can cultivate whatever type of inner landscape you desire and that energy will absolutely change your perception. Yogis, mystics, and healers from ancient times through today knew and know that the key to a peaceful and joyful existence is cultivation of our inner state of being.

A beautiful tool to use for more Self-Love through our Words (whether thought or said outloud) are affirmations. Affirmations are a tool that help us feel more
inspired, more self-appreciation, more other appreciation, and more NOW appreciation. The feelings we experience and emit are powerful messengers on a Quantum level! It is most important to remember that it is more than ok to not do something like this perfectly. In fact, if you feel that, at some point this feels less than inspiring to do, stop doing it and shift to something else that builds your self-awareness and self-love (like a nature walk). The reason I say that “affirmations,” are tools is that there are many tools that one can use to shift their inner dialogue and landscape. It is important to remember that a daily practice of prayer and meditation prior to or during an affirmation practice is suggested for you to be more able to create a positive mindset as more of a lifestyle rather than something you dip your toes into once in awhile (even though dipping your toes in once in awhile is great, too!) How far you go with your inner journey is up to you.

I suggest journaling these affirmations down or printing these affirmations out so that you can return to them whenever needed/desired. Mornings are a powerful time to begin your affirmative practice. If you have not already, create a healthy, mindful morning ritual so that you can layer these affirmations in. You can say them out loud in front of a mirror sometimes or silently during or after meditation. You could say them to yourself while walking on the trail or sitting at a coffee shop. You could record yourself saying them and play them back to yourself on your way to take your daughter or son to school!

Here Are Some Affirmations For Cultivating Inner Peace & Joy:

1. I am enough just as I am.

2. I am worthy.

3. I love who I am and what I do.

4. What if joy is my natural state of being?

5. I am radiant and shine like the sun in every day, in every way.

6. I am the joyful and peaceful expression of the Divine.

7. I create an environment of love and peace by being myself in this moment.

8. I feel incredibly grateful for this life because I get to shine my light in my own special way.

9. I am safe and protected by the Universe.

10. I am balanced in my mind and body.

11. I am a well stream of peace.

12. I am an ocean of joy.

Affirmations can be used daily and often! I am so excited for you to begin or continue your explorations of your inner Self and I feel very much honored to be a part of your journey, even if it’s for these few moments while you read this article. I truly love to help whether it’s planting these seeds of positive devotion to one’s authentic nature or be it cheering you on as you do your life’s PURPOSE. I am sending you much love and light on your path as you affirm and claim your joy & peace every single day.

To learn more about in person and remote retreat, workshops, 1 on 1 coaching, small group events and corporate retreats with Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self go here.

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self

Sources:

Cascio, Christopher N, et al. “Self-Affirmation Activates Brain Systems Associated with Self-Related Processing and Reward and Is Reinforced by Future Orientation.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Oxford University Press, Apr. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814782/.

“The Science behind Positive Affirmations.” Third Space, 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.thirdspace.london/this-space/2021/02/the-science-behind-positive-affirmations/.

“Access the freedom that dwells in your heart and then everywhere you are is paradise.” -Alana Roach

Yeah. I just quoted myself. 😂 I have to share something with you. You guys and gals… it is impossible not to be abiding in the essence of your Maker. However, a lot of us were raised to believe we needed “more,” to be happy. What happens when that belief takes hold? Chasing something that we believe will make us happier, which ends up being an endless pursuit of that which does not exist.

What does exist? This moment. The present. YOU, ME, and GOD. Whatever you want to call the incredible energy of LOVE and One-ness…

When we anchor ourself into this moment and allow ourselves to be true to our inner nature, we will inevitably experience JOY, love, peace.

I have lived in paradise. Like the total definition of utopia. The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. A lot of my students have witnessed my journey back and forth to that area for years through images and some of them have come with me on retreat. Yet, when I lived there prior to doing retreats, I remember feeling empty on some days.. and lacking on others. I can see now that I was being prepped to learn what Joseph Campbell wrote so eloquently about in his book “Wherever You Go, There You Are.”

I had to do the shedding of my belief systems of MORE, more, MORE.

I got to realize that all we need is here, right now, and that’s always going to be the TRUE true.
So, allow yourself to be stripped of what is not truth then BE in the truth that IS.

Which is:

YOU ARE WHOLE.

You are WISE.

You are JOY.

You are perfect just as you are.

You are loved beyond measure.

You are peace.

You are freedom and Divinity expressed in your unique form.

You rock so hard.

🤙 Enjoy it.

With love and so much honor for your Divine path,Alana
Founder of EOS

✌🏽Learn more about Dharmic Lifestyle Coaching with me by going to explorationsofself.com or you can DM & email info@explorationsofself.com

This New Moon in Aquarius parallels Mercury in Retrograde. Listen to this read to help you banish fear and continue in the pursuit of your passionate, purpose fueled lifestyle.

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” Rumi

What is it? What lights you up from within? What, when you think about it, lifts your energy and makes you excited to be alive?

That, my friends, is your sacred key to living your purpose. Where is it leading you?

It might surprise you at times because it may look nothing like what you were told was important growing up. It may ignite a BIG change within you because it calls for you to be bold about who you are, and maybe no one ever told you how great being you really is, but let me remind you, you were made from and in the image of perfect, wild, unencumbered, delicious, captivating, and ever loving Divine beauty. You were made by the same Creator who painted the starry evening sky over the white sandy beach, fortressed in Palm Trees and shrouded in the sounds of rainforest wildlife.

You, my dear friend, are a masterpiece.

So, why wouldn’t you trust where your heart is beckoning you to live? Your whole being thrives in theenergy of a fulfilled heart. It whispers to you in the stillness of the morning on ways that you can fulfill it’s wild heart Spirit: passion, peace, inspiration, and love.

Love’s gravitational pull, lifts you to a life that is inherently good & having passion for what you love and those to whom you are called to serve with your life’s work, redefines you.

I recently had a woman book a consultation with me. She asked me how she could find her life’s purpose. If you are asking yourself the same thing:

Here are 4 Sacred Keys to Living Your Purpose…

1. Pay attention to what excites you.

Make a list of future visions for your life that EXCITE you. Don’t get too caught up in your head about this practice. Is it service to others? Is it church? Is it dancing? Art? Singing? Writing? Travel? Realestate? Write it all down. You weren’t born to live uninspired, in anyway. You would be surprised at how quickly this practice can work. When you clear on say, the top 5 things that excite you, you have a compass to guide you. I did this practice over 10 years ago while in India. I wrote down: Travel, Yoga, and Writing. If you know anything about me, you know that I know do all of these things for a living. As I have evolved, this list has grown, and I can honestly say that as the list grows, my life glows, more and more.

2. What are your natural gifts?

What were you naturally good at in school? What do you gravitate towards on your days and moments off? Who do you find yourself drawn to in service? Who seems drawn to you for service? What do they ask your advice for? Again, write it all down. As memories from your life arise that feel intuitive towards your path, journal them. This is a practice that reminds you that you were brilliantly crafted for your Divine purpose. I can reflect back to my early years in ballet class, folding my legs into a lotus at just 4 years old. I can remember feeling exquisite peace when seeing my father in a headstand for what seemed like forever around the same age and I can remember feeling the presence of God when I saw India in a movie for the first time. Everything from my past has lent itself to my ever blossoming life of my wildest dreams.

3. Pray and meditate each morning.

As soon as you wake up, set an intention to connect to Divine guidance for your purpose in this day. When your mind is still a bit quiet in the morning, delve into a short (Or long) meditation practice. Here is a guided meditation practice from me. Prayer is talking to the Universe and meditation is listening to the Universe. Have a conversation with Divine and watch your path unfold in a miraculous way.

4. Focus on gratitude.

Gratitude creates an energy of inspiration, joy, levity, love, and overall wellness. Tuning your mind into what you appreciate about what is in your present moment will draw more of that uplifting energy towards you. When you are just getting into the gratitude daily ritual, I suggest writing down what you are grateful for and why for at least a month so that the new positive habit sticks.

Learn more about 1 on 1 life coaching with me.

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self

Enjoy this read and let me know if you have any questions!

To learn more about how to work the moon cycles and your unique soul path go here.