Sometimes called the Wandering Nerve, or the Soul Nerve, the Vagus Nerve (pronounced just like “Vegas,” baby) is an essential part of the autonomic nervous system: the part of your body that keeps your involuntary bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiration going, even when you’re not aware. It allows the brain and vital organs to communicate with each other, even wrapping itself around the heart.

When out of whack, the vagus nerve can create stress responses in the body (often called fight or flight). The veins constrict, heart rate speeds up, and we lose access to the most patient, compassionate, and present parts of our conscious minds.

But by consciously soothing and toning the vagus nerve, we move out of fight or flight and into “rest and digest” – the part of our nervous system that signals to the brain that we’re safe, that we can open ourselves to the experience, and that we can be fully here. These relaxing and calming effects give us access to the full capacity of the mind— allowing us to experience life fully and integrate our experiences into memories we’ll cherish forever.