Relaxation Archives - Evolve Manual Therapy

The Vagus Nerve – The Secret to Finding Your Calm

How is your nervous system doing? With the state of the world right now, many people are experiencing symptoms of a nervous system running on overdrive – insomnia, anxiety, extreme fatigue, digestive issues to name but a few! The fact that collectively we have all experienced ongoing changes to our lives in the past couple of years means that some of these symptoms have settled in and may be starting to feel normal.

So, what is going on in our bodies?

These symptoms are all related to issues within a part of our nervous system called the autonomic nervous system. This is made up of three parts: the enteric nervous system (gut/digestive system), the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for fight, flight or freeze responses), and the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for a rest, digest and restore responses).

Fight or Flight Response

The sympathetic nervous system activates our fight or flight responses when we encounter threatening situations, emotional stress, or anxiety. It then sends impulses to the adrenal glands, which release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol into the blood steam, increases heart rate and blood sugar levels. Now, this is all well and good if we are legitimately being chased by a lion! However, most of us on a daily basis are not – we are simply going about our daily routine, but our nervous systems are activated as though that lion is lurking around every corner!

Rest, Digest and Restore

What we really need is for the other branch of our nervous system to be active – our parasympathetic. The role of the parasympathetic nervous system is to regulate or restore our body to resting state, it allows us to rest, digest and repair. The vagus nerve is a long and complex nerve that comes from the brain and wanders through the body (also known as the “Wandering Nerve”) regulating our organs as it goes before finally finishing in the gut. It is also the largest contributor to our parasympathetic nervous system.

The Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve controls many of our vital biological functions, including mood regulation, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. Often due to increased amounts of stress we find ourselves operating in a sympathetic autonomic state, where we are constantly engaged in an aroused state of fight or flight. This dysregulation of the nervous system results in many mental and physical ailments such anxiety, depression and stomach and digestive issues. A healthy parasympathetic nerve response, which is governed by the vagus nerve, is essential for our mental wellbeing and physical health. When we support this parasympathetic nerve response, we can repair, digest and absorb the nutrients in our food properly and regenerate.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can support and increase your vagal tone and we at Evolve are here to help.

CranioSacral Therapy

Healing the nervous system takes time and support. CranioSacral therapy works directly with the nervous system and vagus nerve, assisting us to shift from states of ‘fight or flight’ into states where we feel emotionally and physically safe. Each time we experience this shift we strengthen the nervous system pathways that encourages this transition to occur naturally. Over time this increased vagal tone ‘rewires’ our nervous system and restores a healthy balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts.

You can book in with one of our skilled practitioners here at Evolve easily via our online booking system.

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Deep Breathing

Deep belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing is something that you can do at any time to instantly stimulate the vagus nerve and lower your stress responses. A simple technique is square breathing. You can begin by inhaling for the count of four, holding for the count of four, exhaling for four and holding for four and continuing this.

Need a little extra help with your breathing? One of our Evolve therapists, Karen Leo, specialises in the Buteyko Breathing Method and retraining optimal breathing patterns. Buteyko Breathing Method is a therapeutic approach to breath retraining. As you learn to breath more slowly, calmly, and effectively a variety of common challenges begin to reduce. These include asthma, anxiety, and sleep concerns – it also stimulates the vagus nerve supporting a sense of overall calm and connection.

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Gut Health

Research shows clear link between healthy gut bacteria and increased vagal tone. We can support a healthy gut biome by eating an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables and incorporating fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut which are rich in good bacteria. Additionally, it is often beneficial to include a daily probiotic such as Metagenics Ulta Flora or BioCeuticals Ultra Biotics both of which are available from the Evolve Clinic.

Meditation

Meditation is a wonderful way to reset the nervous system and can offer individuals a science-backed way to reduce anxiety in the present moment.

One of our favourite mediations here at Evolve is Practicing Gentle Kindness toward Ourself by Sarah Blondin and can be easily accessed via the Insight Timer App.

Feeling a little flat? Time for a natural pick me up

by Evolve Manual Therapy

Life is a roller coaster of emotions – full of extreme highs and the inevitable lows. Life is unpredictable, yesterday’s highlight can easily become tomorrow’s challenge. As humans, we tend to pack our lives full of people, work, activities, hobbies and a long list of things we ‘should do’. But what happens when despite all our efforts, we feel flat, uninspired and isolated?

We’re genetically programmed to connect and for the most part, have some form of interdependence on one another. Profoundly shaped by our social environment, humans suffer when our social connections are severed, and social pain has been scientifically proven to translate into real pain. We have evolved in such a way that being social, has become a necessity, not just a luxury. We live busy lives in fast paced world and it’s increasingly common for us to feel under the weather, to not really enjoy the life we’re living, even if we’re not sure what’s causing our low mood. The advent of social distancing and isolation with COVID has induced two distinct personas – one is perfectly happy to snuggle down in pyjamas at home, revelling in the slower pace of life and the chance to do the jobs they’ve been putting off for a while. The other has become a little unravelled with the lack of contact and socialising, easily recognised by the constant calls and desperate attempts to find a coffee shop that’s open. Both are perfectly normal responses to what has been an uncertain and unprecedented time.

The power of connection shouldn’t be underestimated. At Evolve Manual Therapy, many of our clients have been coming to us feeling the disconnect between their body and the connection with themselves and others. Clients typically come into our clinic aware that they’re feeling low and a little flat but unsure how to restore their natural vibrance and a happier demeanour. Many are missing the healing power of touch – an essential feeling which ground us from day dot – a parent with their child, a couple in love, a Grandparent with their grandchild – we’ve been raised to enjoy, and even need human touch. Isolation over the past few months has deprived many people from the joy of human touch and has impacted upon the health and wellbeing of countless others. Medical research has proven that Neuroscience has shown touch lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases the amount of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone.

Raising your mood, gently and effectively

At Evolve, we practice a gentle, hands on approach called CST (CranioSacral Therapy) which is a delicate manipulation of the cranial bones and sacrum. It’s non-invasive and works by helping the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system to be normalised and removes blockages or tension, enabling the body to heal. The relaxation of the body and brain during CST can have a positive effect on the regulation of mood and on the reduction of stress. As your body secretes the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, your body is flooded with a feeling of wellbeing and calmness.

It’s a natural way of lifting yourself up, no cocktails of chemicals required, only a regular appointment with your favourite therapist.

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Breathe Easy and Find Your Calm

by Evolve Manual Therapy

Innovative technique helps you to breathe easy

Evolve Therapist, Karen Leo is passionate about all things related to the jaw, mouth and breathing. Through her own experiences of the impact of tongue-tie on her life, Karen has spent many years pursuing training in Yoga, Breathwork, Orofacial Myotherapy, Buteyko Breathing Method and is also now returned to the university campus to complete a degree in Speech Pathology!

Working with the mouth and jaw not only assists with pain and dysfunction in these areas, restoring easy breathing patterns is essential to finding your calm and having a well regulated nervous system!

The Breath

Breathing is the life-force of a human being. From the moment we’re born, until the moment we leave this Earth, we breathe. Such an important essence is critical to maintain a good quality of life and stay connected with our physical body and the present moment. Many people assume that their breathing is fine (‘I’m still alive’) and don’t connect the worrying or frustrating symptoms they may suffer as a result of ‘not being fine’. Dysfunctional breathing can have an enormous impact on your wellbeing, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a medical condition.

Have you noticed yourself snoring, yawning when you’re not tired, sniffing or sighing more frequently? Do you suffer from reflux, gastrointestinal symptoms or anxiety? All could be a sign your breathing is sub-optimal.

Karen’s role as a BBT therapist is to positively impact your breathing, and therefore your health.

Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT)

The Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT) is a set of breathing techniques and tools designed to assist people with breathing issues, to learn how to correct and remedy their breathing. It teaches people how to ‘breathe less,’ whilst still concentrating on their overall health and wellbeing and is currently a technique used in the National Health Service (NHS) in England to teach patients to take control of their asthma symptoms or breathing problems. We’re thrilled that Karen is one of very few qualified practitioners in South Australia! Especially helpful for people with asthma, hay fever, poor sleep quality or sleep apnoea, as well as oral restrictions such as tongue tie, BBT is also fantastic for other serious respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), hyperventilation, bronchitis and emphysema.

What to expect

In your initial consultation, Karen will assess your overall health and wellbeing to help in identifying if this technique can help you. You’ll learn the Buteyko Breathing Techniques (BBT) over a period of weeks, much like a gentle crash course in breathing. Each subsequent week will build on your brain’s ability to learn and change (neuroplasticity) until your breathing changes and adapts to the new rhythm. Your BBT training will start with Karen educating you on the following:

+ How to breathe through your nose: Whilst this sounds simple, it’s a technique many still need to master!
+ Relaxed breathing: Let Karen teach you how to slow and control your breathing.
+ The control pause: A simple breath test to provide feedback on your symptoms.
+ Restricted mouth breathing: Mouth breathing is often just a bad habit – BBT shows you how to decongest the nose by holding your breath, retraining your brain to breathe correctly through your nose permanently.
+ The Stop Cough: Learn gentle techniques to control your breathing and stop a cough or a full-blown asthma attack

Video Consultations Available

What’s really exciting is the ability to conduct consultations online, over zoom after your first initial meeting with Karen. Perfect for those who are busy with work, have little children at home or just want the convenience of no travel. Learning and practicing Buteyko Breathing Techniques can permanently correct your breathing difficulties and can be practiced anywhere – on your morning walk, your commute to the office or in bed at night before you settle down to sleep.

At Evolve, our highly trained therapists treat your whole body and address the root cause of your issues, not just find a quick bandaid fix that doesn’t last. BBT is a holistic, natural and safe way to improve your breathing and your quality of life. There are few problems we haven’t seen before and we love working with you to make your own wellness journey, that little bit easier. Call 0406 249 221 today or book an appointment with Karen online.