Vagal toning is a gentle, yet effective treatment that adds stimulation to the vagus nerve pathway through breath, sound, eye movements, self-applied touch, and gentle yoga movements that help you come into balance.
Grounded within the principles of polyvagal theory and trauma-informed care, the work of vagal toning can be thought of as creating optimal balance between parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system actions.
Once you learn to self-regulate your nervous system, says licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Arielle Schwartz, you can boost your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Vagal toning also can provide relief from symptoms such as chronic pain, inflammation, PTSD, anxiety, and stress sensitivity, since their root cause is a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system.
As you learn to strengthen the vagal nerve pathway through these exercises, you foster self-compassion and begin to awaken your inner healer.
