The Secret Power of the Vagus Nerve: Exploring its Relationship to Emotional Intelligence, Resilience and Stress-Relief

The human body is a remarkable vessel of knowledge, containing more secrets and surprises than we have time to explore. From the hippocampus in the brain responsible for memory, to the flutter of our heartstrings responsible for love, each aspect of the body contains an interweaving network of complex intricacies with its own purpose for existing.

And then there is the vagus nerve, yet another amazingly powerful force we are often unaware of, running from the base of the brain through pretty much every organ in the body. This nerve operates a large portion of the parasympathetic nervous system and is responsible for heart rate, digestion, immune response and our overall mood. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, this nerve works hand in hand with our ability to regulate emotions, as well as bouncing back from and adapting to stress.

Low ‘vagal tone’, a symptom common in those with poor emotional regulation or lacking resilience to stress, can be improved through various measures, such as mindfulness or yoga practice, boosting the power of the vagus nerve and its role in stress-relief, grit and connectedness. When your vagal tone is high, this heightened activity promotes flexibility, as well as an increased capacity to dialogue, empathize and engage in meaningful relationships. It’s likely no surprise that vagal tone has been shown to play a huge role in overall health and wellbeing.

It turns out that the vagus nerve has two parts; ventral and dorsal, both of which act in slightly different ways. Simplistically speaking, if we think of vagal tone as a volume switch, then the ventral pathway acts like a volume dial, supporting us to turn up the sound as appropriate when it’s needed. On the contrary, the dorsal pathway is more like a mute button, facilitating our bodies power to shutdown and pause when too much becomes too much, allowing essential rest and digest moments to surface. To become acquainted to this secret power force is to better understand our biology and create awareness for the importance it serves.

Placing the vagus nerve at the forefront of mind can bridge the gap between our deeper bodily understanding and the world of inner self-awareness. This heightened awareness of the underlying biology before us, may lead us to fearlessly navigate times of darkness and distress, as well as times of intense joy, with a newfound sense of understanding and clarity. So next time life presents us with a challenge or decision, be sure to snap into vagus nerve mode, where encouragement and courage await.