With the help of our regulating Ventral Vagal system that runs from the brainstem to heart, our heartrate is regulated. When it is strong, it can be used as a tool to regulate sensation and emotion.
Without it, our hearts would be dangerously fast. That's how it gets its name: The Vagal Brake - your heart's natural pace maker.
It slows our heart rate to a healthy number of beats. Just like a break, it releases to let our heart speed up to meet a challenge. When we want to slow down, it simply re-engages through the use of electrical signals and neurotransmitters. However, it doesn't work like a break on a bicycle that stops and starts. It simply becomes more or less active.
The Vagal Brake lets us feel and use some of the Sympathetic system's mobilising energy without moving out of the regulation of the Ventral Vagal system.
When regulated and calm, the Vagal Brake engages and the heart beats between 60-80 bpm. When dysregulated and stressed, the Vagal Brake releases and the heart rate accelerates beyond 80bpm. Without a Vagal Brake, your heart would beat so rapidly, your body would eventually grow exhausted and collapse.
To get a feel for the Vagal Brake, do this practice:
Stand up and put your left foot slightly in front of the right foot.
Pretend your left foot is in Sympathetic state.
Your right foot is in Ventral Vagal / Rest and Digest state.
Now, play with shifting your weight between your feet.
Shift back and forth, keeping your feet on the ground.
Even as you shift into Sympathetic, the other foot is firmly placed in Ventral Vagal.
This subtle pattern of your Ventral Brake relaxing and re-engaging happens with every breath cycle. With each inhalation, the brake relaxes just a bit allowing for a slight speeding of the heart. When it re-engages on the exhalation, it slows down the beat.
With the Ventral Brake relaxing but not fully releasing, we feel calm, engaged, excited, playful attentive, alert and watchful - as we are still under the regulation of being under the Ventral system.
Now, do the balancing act:
Inhale, and shift towards the foot in Sympathetic.
Exhale, shift back into the foot in Ventral.
Feel the rhythm as you move on your own through several breath cycles.
Go to the edge of balancing between your two feet, where you are almost totally standing on the edge of Sympathetic.
Find your way back to the balance with an exhale into Ventral.
Now shift your foot fully to Sympathetic, holding your breath and leaning on that foot. Feel what happens here.
If we stay on the edge of this foot too long, with our breath held, we lose our anchor in Ventral Vagal and move into Fight/Flight. Without the regulating support of your Ventral Vagal system your ANS will automatically take you into Dorsal Vagal shutdown - where you'll simply collapse.
Breath: The most important key to strengthen the health of your Vagal Brake
Intentional breathing is a vital tool in strengthening our Vagal Brake and Vagal Tone.
Remember, the Vagal Brake engages and disengages automatically in sync with the breath. On every inhale, the brake releases a bit – allowing energy into the system. On every exhale, the brake releases a bit – releasing energy from the system.
Vagal Tone (the health of your Vagus nerve) increases during exhalation. By slowing down your breathing through deep, intentional breathing and elongating our exhalation, you can activate the Vagal Brake and elicit the relaxation response almost immediately.
Breaths to get used to:
1:2 Rectangle breathing - extend your exhalation as much as you can. This is the go-to breath when feeling anxious.
6 Breaths - Get into the habit of deliberately slowing your breathing down. Aim for 6 breaths a minute.
Ujjai Breath - In Ujjayi we contract the glottis and breathe through the throat (producing a light snoring sound). The benefits of Ujjayi are numerous: it soothes the nervous system, calms the mind and increases psychic sensitivity. It relieves insomnia, slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure.
4,7,8 Breath (4 in - nose, 7 hold, 8 out - mouth). Great for insomnia or just before bed.
Physiological Breath - The most effective regulating breath there is. This is the breath your does automatically every 5 minutes or so, just before you fall asleep and after a big cry. Do 3-4 short sharp inhales (nose) followed by a long exhale (mouth). Do as many as your body wants to do - it knows.
Slow, deep, diaphragmatic soft-belly breaths - Get into the habit of breathing more deeply, from a soft belly. Expand your abdomen (like bread dough rising) and widen your rib cage as you inhale and drop the abdomen as you exhale, gently, with a sigh.
When your Vagal Brake is strong, and your Vagal Tone is high, you feel strong in your body and emotions. You are more resilient because you have higher HRV (heart-rate variability) that helps you calm down quicker after stress. You are prepared for connection with others and the world with more sustained attention. You enjoy greater emotional stability, cognitive flexibility, behavioural regulation, prosody of speech, and appropriate facial expressions.
BREATHE!
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