Your Body’s Calm Switch and Understanding and Supporting the Vagus Nerve
Updated: Sep 16
Written by Tere Beard, Health Coach
Tere Beard is a Health Coach and helps professionals and executives improve their health and enhance their well-being. She specializes in techniques such as Brain Gym®, FDN®, Pranic Healing, and Functional Neurology, among others, to naturally and non-invasively balance the different systems of our body.
Calm is not simply something we think our way into. It also involves what is happening in our bodies: our breathing, our heartbeat, our digestion, and the signals traveling between the main organs and the brain.
Understanding this connection offers a different way to approach everyday stress. Rather than demanding that we “just relax,” we can make room for habits that support recovery, comfort, and a greater sense of well-being.
Meet the vagus nerve
The vagus nerve extends from the brainstem into the body, connecting with organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, and digestive tract. It is a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system, often described as the “rest and digest” system. Many of its fibers carry information from the body toward the brain, making it an important pathway for two-way communication.
The vagus nerve is like a switch that turns the alarm and recovery states on and off. During a stress response, the heart may beat faster, and breathing may become quicker. As that response settles, the body can return toward a state more compatible with rest and digestion.
Although the nervous system is more complex than a single on-off switch, it is a simple way to understand that we need both activation and recovery. The goal is not to eliminate every stress response but to support flexibility between the demands of activity and the opportunity to rest.
What does “vagal tone” mean?
Vagal tone refers to the vagus nerve’s influence on bodily functions, particularly the heart and digestive system, and is associated with the idea of “bouncing back easily” after stress. It is not a single score for overall health or emotional resilience. Remember, since there are many organs connected to this nerve, two main areas are measured: the heart and lungs through heart rate variability (HRV), and the digestive system.
HRV describes variation in the time between heartbeats. Certain HRV measurements can provide information about cardiac parasympathetic activity, but they are also affected by breathing, age, medications, health conditions, and measurement methods.
A wearable reading should therefore be treated as one piece of information, not a diagnosis of an “underactive” vagus nerve or proof that a wellness practice is working.
On the other hand, the digestive system’s overall performance can be measured by taking a spoonful of sesame seeds and waiting to see how many hours pass before seeing them in the stool. If the seeds pass within 12 to 24 hours, the system is performing well. Seeds that take more than 24 hours are indicative of slow vagal tone.
Listen to symptoms without jumping to conclusions
Feeling “wired but tired,” struggling to settle after a demanding day, digestive discomfort, and restless sleep are among the experiences that may be related to a vagus nerve that needs support. It is important to remind readers that these are symptoms; poor sleep does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with the vagus nerve.
These symptoms can have many causes. Persistent, new, or worsening symptoms deserve assessment by a qualified healthcare professional rather than being attributed automatically to low vagal tone. When one supports vagus nerve function, positive outcomes may be expected.
Start with small, repeatable practices
Make supportive habits part of ordinary life. Start with one change, and slowly it will become a habit rather than a sacrifice.
Make space for comfortable breathing. Try a few gentle, unforced breaths when you notice tension. Allow the exhale to lengthen slightly if that feels natural. Avoid straining or prolonged breath-holding, and return to normal breathing if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable. Breathing exercises are not to be confused with the way you breathe all day long.
Move in ways you enjoy. A short walk, gentle stretching, yoga, or dancing can create a welcome break from a demanding day.
Make connection a priority. An unhurried conversation, shared laughter, or time with someone you trust can be part of a restorative routine.
Protect time to wind down. A quieter evening and a regular sleep schedule offer a practical foundation for well-being.
These are supportive habits, not diagnostic tests or guaranteed ways to change vagal tone.
The tools I offer and the goal behind them
My goal is to help people build a more supportive relationship with their bodies and explore practical approaches to everyday well-being. I use noninvasive tools and therapies that have helped me and my clients in many ways.
Alongside foundational habits, I provide tools such as Rezzimax®, BrainTap®, Brain Gym®, and AO Scan™ for people interested in complementary wellness approaches. These offerings are intended to support the vagus nerve and can be discussed in the context of your goals, preferences, and any relevant medical guidance.
In my experience, migraines and sinus congestion are relieved when using Rezzimax®. BrainTap® allows the brain to vibrate at the proper frequencies, supporting overall wellness while lowering stress. Brain Gym® exercises are simple and effective when you need to focus and lower stress. AO Scan™, which can be used remotely, helps identify how emotions affect the body’s frequencies before conditions manifest in the physical body.
Supporting your nervous system begins with informed choices, realistic expectations, and consistent care.
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Read more from Tere Beard
Tere Beard, Health Coach
As a passionate Health Coach, Tere specializes in helping people explore how stress is impacting their nervous system and establishing an all-natural approach to help them restore wellness to their lives. Her empathic approach and her corporate expertise allow her to understand and help professionals improve their productivity as well as their health.
This article is for general education and does not replace individualized medical advice.
