Busy, wired but tired? Rebalance Your Energy with Ocean Breath Technique for Vagal Stimulation

Where Tranquility meets Energy: Ujjayi-Ocean Breath and your "forgotten" Wandering Nerve

Photo by Jong Marshes on Unsplash

Hey there, curious reader and breather!

Have you ever wondered how you breathe without even thinking about it? Or why taking deeper or slower breaths through your nose, calms you down?

Let's meet the silent superhero behind the scenes: the Vagus Nerve (I'll call it Vagus).

The term "Vagus" comes from the Latin word "Wandering", because this discreet nervous tissue conductor and the longest nerve in your body ensures everything is in tune, while transmitting signals from your brain through your body, faster than you can say "inhale & exhale".

The Vagus Connection

Imagine a long super-connected railway from your brain through your neck and chest all the way down to your belly. This is the conductor, Vagus, the longest nerve in your autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Because every time you breathe (yes, even right now), Vagus is on duty and working.

Vagus chats with your diaphragm, ensuring that this primary breathing muscle moves up and down with every inhale and exhale, letting you take these delicious breaths.

The Vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve (out of 12), and the longest one in our body, is responsible for the parasympathetic branch in your ANS, known as "rest and digest". When activated, this parasympathetic response promotes almost immediate calm state within your body and mind, and one of its most instant effects is slowing down your breathing rate.

Beyond Respiration: Decoding our Vagus All-Rounder Talents

The Vagus Nerve interacts with different organs, like the heart, lungs, and digestive system. Vagus sends signals between the brain and the diaphragm, helping regulate our respiratory rate and depth of breathing.

Vagus also plays a major role IN:

• Digestive system regulation

• Heart rate control

• Respiratory rate modulation

• Anti-inflammatory response

• Mood regulation

• Stress response

• Blood pressure control

• Communication between gut and brain

• Swallowing and speech

• Sexual arousal function

• Boosts physical and mental endurance during yoga & sports

  
  I gently stimulate Vagus Nerve throughout yoga practice or simply during short Pranayama breathwork sessions several times a day, to calm or rebalance my nervous system when I need it. When driving a car, while writing my piece:-), before or after any demanding business or private conversation, stressful or potentially triggering moments.

Moreover, recent scientific studies have confirmed potential of Vagus stimulation in therapeutic interventions, from treating depression to alleviating effects of inflammation.

And perhaps one "the best-kept secrets" is that Vagus also plays a role in our sexual health and in achieving orgasm, by transmitting sensations from our genital region to the spinal cord, which then sends the information to the brain.

Relax with Ujjayi-Ocean Sound Breathing and the Vagus Nerve

The term "Ujjayi" is derived from Sanskrit, and it translates in English as "victorious", uplifting" or "to gain mastery".

Vagus-stimulated breathing technique is often known in the yoga world by various names, such as: "Ocean Sound Breath", "Warrior Breathing", some even call it a "Bliss Breath".

This type of breath is soothing but focused, it creates a sense of inner calm and strength during yoga practices, pranayama, meditation and a "ha-hahaha" sound produced during the practice resembles the sound of ocean waves crashing on the shore.

This little trick helps me drift off to sleep easily. One of my favorite bedtime rituals involves Ocean Breath for sleep. I practice it by inhaling and exhaling slowely through my left nostril only, because the left nostril is connected with the parasympathetic response of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

There are different paced breathing techniques that, when combined with vagus nerve stimulation, promote calmness before sleep.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

Practice NOW: Fun with Ocean Sound Breathing

Ocean Sound Breathe: A Deep Dive with Vagus

Practicing Ocean Sound breath involves breathing deeply through your nostrils, with both inhalation and exhalation being stable and smooth, exhalation is very often twice as long as inhalation because it boosts vagal tone and promotes stronger calming effect on your body and mind.

The main aspect of this breathwork technique is the slight constriction of the back of the throat-glottis (space between your vocal folds).

This constriction creates a soft hissing or like "hahahahah"sound, reminding of ocean waves sound, which can be both heard and felt resonating in your throat.

Do you want to give your Vagus Nerve a little push and feel even more relaxed?

It's like singing but without the words with "hahahahah" sound, gently constricting back of your throat - where your "voice box" is.

To feel it: press your fingers on the throat and you will feel some tension there. Just breathe in deeply through your nose, and when you exhale through your nose or mouth, pretend you're trying to fog up a mirror or glasses with your breath.

Do you notice that soothing sensation? Maybe not right now, but after some practice it becomes natural and easy.

Breathing Exercise for Vagus Stimulation

• Sit comfortably

• Close your eyes and take a few normal breaths(how you usually breath) through your nose, to center yourself

• Inhale once with your open mouth deeply and exhale with your mouth open as if you want to fog a mirror or your glasses

• Repeat this with your mouth closed on inhale and exhale- again, as if you were fogging your sun glasses or a mirror.

• Now, Inhale at the count of 3 through your Nose and Exhale slowly through your Nose or Mouth for a count of 3 or 6 (whatever is more comfortable for you (feeling this gentle constriction or toning at the back of your throat.)

• Repeat this breathing pattern for 3-5 breaths, focusing on the sensation of
  "hahahah" sound while breathing IN and OUT.

• Common mistake is tightening your throat too much, you just need a slight constriction on the back of your throat.

• The act of constricting the throat and generating the "ocean sound" during breathing stimulates the Vagus nerve and allows you to stay more focused, more resilien to stress, also during exercise, during yoga practice but at the same time, relaxed and aware of your breathing pattern.

To Recap: Embrace and Activate Vagus, Your Multitalented Performer

Ocean Sound Breathing or Ujjayi, by whatever name you choose to call it, is more than just a breathing technique, because our Vagus friend is being gently stimulated, promoting vagal tone, bringing an instantly calming effect on our body and mind.

This holistic practice harmonizes body, mind, and spirit.

By tapping into the power of the Vagus, this ancient breathing Pranayama technique provides us - busy and often wired but tired humans with a simple tool to navigate challenges of modern life with more resilience, strength, focus and with a touch of tranquility and inner peace - just like sounds of an ocean.

And more benefits?

Over time, consistent practice of Ujjayi - Ocean breathing improves our body's parasympathetic response, leading to better stress resilience and overall well-being, and as I like to say- it drives us in a state where our inner tranquility meets our energy.

So next time you take a breath or need a calming moment, remember this fabulous Wandering Nerve, working tirelessly in your body.

And, please stay curious about your breath, while we explore your breathing powers in my pieces every week.

I'd love your feedback and remember that only practice counts, so try “Ocean Sound Breath” today.

To Your Breath!