The 10th Cranial Nerve is called the Vagus Nerve (Latin: the Wanderer). It’s called so because as our longest nerve, it stretches from brain stem to colon, and diverges to many other areas along the way. It is thought to be primarily responsible for our interoception and somatic awareness - our mind-body connection. .
Why should we care about this? Well, CN-X is also responsible for vocal fold motion. The two smaller innervating nerves that make your voice work (recurrent laryngeal and superior laryngeal) are branches of the Vagus Nerve. These neural fibers are connected to our Fight/Flight/Freeze/Force vs Rest/Relax/Renew/Repair Nervous System. X is also responsible for offshoot facial nerves, soft palate, our hearing and our breathing! .
In other words, just about EVERYTHING to do with singing is governed by our friend, CN-X Vagus Nerve. This is why the issues listed below can subtly or profoundly affect a singer’s technique, and why this knowledge can make a massive difference to singers and to all of us.
😁👍🧠 .
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Therapeutic stimulation of CN-X Vagus Nerve has been shown or is suspected to help with:
- Anxiety / Panic Attacks
- Asthma / COPD / Sinusitis .
- Depression / Anger
- Voice & Singing Issues
- Poor Posture
- Neck / Jaw / Tongue Issues
- Dizziness / Fainting
- Headaches / Migraines
- Inflammation / Low Immune System
- Indigestion / Acid Reflux / IBS / Gastroparesis
- Chronic Pain / Chronic Fatigue
- Sleep Issues
- Earaches .
- Weak Diaphragm / Pelvic Floor Issues
- Food Sensitivities .
- Gum Disease / Tooth Decay
- Lack of Emotional / Physical Stability
- Foggy Thinking / Poor Memory
- Heart Palpitations
- Autism
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
Vagus Nerve dysfunction is related to possibly hundreds of seemingly unrelated problems that we erroneously sub-classify as “physical”, “mental” or “emotional” (see post 1/3). These symptomatic distinctions are unhelpful - they lead us away from understanding that the underlying causes and therefore effective therapies are the same. .
This post’s final picture names the greatest challenges I see students facing in their Performing Arts classes (notice “improving skills” is not listed). I find working these directions first much more rewarding and effective: skills then flourish, as the talent was inside the students all along waiting to be unleashed. .
Our integrative well-being is dependent on a functional and adaptive nervous system, which relates to everything about the Performing Arts. Internal and external social engagement patterns dictate everything, from how the singer will hit the high note, to the actor connecting to her audience, to how stable and grounded the dancer’s leap across the stage will be. .
Perhaps we might change our thinking and find the correct map. Our sense of health, well-being, voice lessons and acting classes are too often based on symptom-stomping. We need to, literally, get to the core of things. .
😁👍🧠 .
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Possible Causes of CN-X Vagus Nerve Dysfunction:
- Kyphosis (neck hunched forward)
- Poor posture
- Mouth Breathing
- Too much thinking
- Excessive anger
- Stress / Anxiety
- Too many spicy foods
- Too much alcohol / caffeine .
- Too much / late night screen time .
- Excessive worrying
- Insufficient alone time
- Insufficient community
- Extreme heat (internal or external)
- Fright / Fear
- Emotional / Physical Trauma
- Diabetes
- Poor sleep patterns
- Abdominal Surgery
- Hiatal Hernia
- Lack of Diaphragmatic Breathing
According to studies, increasing your vagal tone activates your parasympathetic (rest, relax, renew, repair) nervous system branch. Higher vagal tone allows you to down-regulate faster during or after anxiety and panic attacks. .
In 2010, researchers discovered a two-way feedback loop between high vagal tone, and positive mental, emotional and physical health. They found that the more you increase your vagal tone, the more your health will improve, and vice versa. .
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“The vagal response reduces stress. It reduces our heart rate and blood pressure. It changes the function of certain parts of the brain, stimulates digestion, all those things that happen when we are relaxed.” ~ Dr. Mladen Golubic, MD, Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic
The good news: there are many DIY activities that have been shown to have a positive influence on the Vagus and other Cranial Nerves. 😁👍🧠 .
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Positive CN-X Vagus Nerve Stimulation Activities (Vagal Toning):
- Meditation
- Restorative yoga .
- Nostril Breathing
- Moment-to-Moment Awareness
- Singing / Humming / Chanting
- Diaphragmatic Breathwork (Wilson Method’s Power Inhalations and Surrender Sigh Exhalations work well)
- Wilson Method Breath Balls abdominal massage .
- Laughter
- Gargling
- Aromatherapy .
- Massage
- Probiotics .
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (found mostly in fish)
- Cold Water Bathing
- Cold temperature exposure (You have my permission to take a 30-second naked run around your back yard twice a week this winter - you’re welcome)
- Exercise, if you’re breathing properly
- Colour Therapy
- Weighted blanket
- Community (pets included)
- Isolation
- Listening to Classical Music
- Any unrushed, relaxing activity you love
