My Experience Working With The Vagus Nerve Through Yoga

When we experience chronic stress, burnout, or emotional trauma, our vagus nerve can lose its natural tone. Vagal tone is our nervous system's ability to bounce back from stress. When it is low, we might find ourselves trapped in the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system, or worse, dipping into the “freeze” or “shutdown” state.

When we talk about vagus nerve yoga poses, we are generally looking for movements that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest state). Because the vagus nerve passes through the neck, chest, and abdomen, poses that gently open, massage, or compress these areas are incredibly regulating.

Here are the gentle practices of yoga and vagus nerve stimulation that have become my daily medicine:

While movement is vital, the most direct access point we have to our autonomic nervous system is the breath. You can think of breathing as the bridge that connects the physical body to the emotional mind. When we are anxious, our breathing becomes rapid, shallow, and concentrated in the upper chest. This signals danger to the brain.

In my own yoga practice, I discovered that every deep exhale and every soft “om” is not just a spiritual ritual; it is a direct form of yoga vagus nerve stimulation.

At the start of every session, I dedicate a few minutes just to ground myself and reconnect with my body. I place one hand on my chest and the other on my belly, practicing slow, deliberate nasal breathing. I simply observe the flow of air, tuning into the subtle sensations happening within.

Almost like magic, after just a few minutes, my heartbeat slows down, the heavy tension in my chest begins to melt away, and the muscles in my face visibly soften. It is a powerful, daily reminder that our bodies intrinsically know how to heal and regulate themselves — we just have to give them the chance.

Finding tools that work is only the first half of the journey. The second, and often harder half, is consistency. Our nervous systems learn through repetition. Doing one long, intense yoga class a week is far less effective for vagal tone than doing five minutes of mindful, somatic check-ins every single day.

That is why the Leaply methodology resonates with me so deeply. It takes the expansive, sometimes unclear concepts of neurobiology and somatic healing, and distills them into bite-sized, accessible daily actions.

As my practice deepened, I began seeking out resources that bridged the gap between ancient yogic wisdom and modern neurobiology. This led me to the pioneering work of Dr. Arielle Schwartz, a clinical psychologist and certified yoga instructor who specializes in trauma recovery.

Studying Dr Arielle Schwartz vagus nerve yoga approaches fundamentally shifted how I practice. Dr. Schwartz explains how trauma and chronic stress get stuck in the body, and how mindful, somatic movement can help us safely release that stored energy.

One of the most profound concepts I learned from her is the idea of the “window of tolerance” — the optimal zone of arousal where we feel calm, centered, and capable of handling life's challenges. When we are dysregulated, we fall outside this window. Dr. Schwartz teaches that we can use yoga not to force ourselves to relax, but to gently expand that window.

She emphasizes a technique called pendulation. In practice, this means intentionally shifting your awareness between an area of your body that feels tense or uncomfortable and an area that feels safe, grounded, or neutral. By toggling back and forth, you teach your nervous system that it is possible to experience discomfort without being entirely consumed by it.

Her compassionate, trauma-informed approach to yoga for the vagus nerve relies heavily on giving the practitioner agency. You only move as deeply as feels safe. You only stay as long as it feels right.

The nervous system cannot be bullied into relaxing. You cannot “life-hack” your way out of trauma or deep-seated anxiety through sheer force. Both Dr. Schwartz’s teachings and Leaply's core methodology share a fundamental truth: healing happens in the micro-moments of safety. It happens through gentle, repetitive, and deeply compassionate interactions with our own biology.

Healing isn't a destination; it is a continuous conversation with your body. My journey with yoga vagus nerve practices hasn't eliminated stress from my life entirely, but it has completely changed how I respond to it.

When the familiar hum of anxiety returns, I no longer panic. I know how to use my breath, gentle movement, and somatic awareness to guide myself back to a state of safety.