What happens in Vagus . . .
Written by Laura Leigh
“The vagus nerve is not just a pathway within your body - it’s the bridge to your inner peace, emotional resilience, and the harmony between mind and body.”
🌿 The Vagus Nerve, Polyvagal Theory & How Yoga Can Help You Come Home to Your Body 🌿
Okay babes, let’s talk nervous system magic—and I mean the real kind, not just the “take a deep breath and get over it” nonsense we’ve all been fed. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, anxious, shut down, or like your body is stuck in a loop you can’t quite escape... you’re not broken. You’re actually incredibly intelligent. Your body has simply been trying to keep you safe.
Enter : the vagus nerve—aka the queen of calm, the bridge between your brain and your body, and the unsung hero of emotional regulation.
💡 So, what is the vagus nerve?
The vagus nerve (from the Latin vagare, meaning to wander) is the longest cranial nerve in your body. It winds from your brainstem through your face, chest, lungs, heart, and digestive tract—like a gentle, whispering thread weaving all your systems together. It plays a key role in the parasympathetic nervous system—aka your rest-and-digest mode—and helps regulate everything from your heartbeat to your breath to that little gut feeling we’re always told to trust.
When it’s activated and supported, you feel calm. Grounded. Connected. Safe.
When it’s not… cue anxiety, panic, shutdown, freeze, dissociation, burnout. (Sound familiar?)
“Trauma is anything that is too much, too fast, too soon.”
🌀 Now, let’s bring in Polyvagal Theory
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory helps us understand how our nervous system responds to stress. In short: your body is always scanning for cues of safety or danger (this is called neuroception). Based on what it senses, it moves you into one of three states:
Ventral Vagal (Safe & Social): Calm, open, connected—ideal for healing and intimacy.
Sympathetic (Fight or Flight): Activated, anxious, tense—preparing to run or protect.
Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown/Freeze): Numb, withdrawn, collapsed—your body’s last resort for survival.
And here’s the kicker: we don’t always consciously choose these states. But with awareness and practice, we can help our nervous system return to safety more easily.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
🧘♀️ How yoga helps foster resilience & regulation
This is where yoga becomes more than just movement—it's a deeply embodied practice of self-regulation and resilience.
Breathwork (pranayama) activates the vagus nerve and shifts us into parasympathetic calm.
Gentle movement supports nervous system flexibility, inviting safety back into the body.
Long exhales are especially powerful for vagal tone—slowing the heart, steadying the mind.
Stillness and awareness (like savasana or meditation) help re-pattern your brain’s response to stress.
Safe space and body-positive facilitation remind your system it’s okay to feel again.
Think of yoga as a conversation with your nervous system—each pose, each breath, each moment of stillness says, “You’re safe now.”
And over time? Your body believes you.
“Recognising what we feel and why we feel that way gives us the ability to regulate our emotions and control our life.”
💖 This is what nervous system healing looks like
It looks like crying in child’s pose because you finally exhaled.
It looks like making it through your first full savasana without needing to fidget or flee.
It looks like befriending your body—not as a project to fix, but a soft place to land.
So if you’ve felt stuck, shut down, or too “sensitive”—please know: there’s nothing wrong with you.
Your body is wise.
You are worthy of rest.
You deserve to feel safe in your skin.
And if you ever need a place to practice that soft, slow return to self… you’ve found it here.