THE VAGUS NERVE: A SACRED GATEWAY TO HEALING
The vagus nerve—also called the "wandering nerve"—is the longest cranial nerve in the autonomic nervous system and holds profound wisdom for those on a path of embodied healing and spiritual awakening.
As a bi-directional communication pathway between the body and brain, the vagus nerve orchestrates top-down (mind to body) and bottom-up (body to mind) processes. These internal dialogues influence our emotions, stress responses, immune system, and even our ability to experience pleasure.
When we activate and tone the vagus nerve through conscious practices, we don't just regulate stress—we expand our capacity to feel safe, connected, and alive in our bodies.
“Simply noticing what you feel fosters emotional regulation, and it helps you to stop trying to ignore what is going on inside you”.
James Van Der Kolk
WHAT IS VAGAL TONING?
Vagal toning refers to strengthening the tone and responsiveness of the vagus nerve. A well-trained vagus nerve helps calm the body after stress, enhances emotional regulation, and improves heart rate variability (HRV)—a key marker of nervous system health. Vagal toning is any process that puts stress upon the body and is met by the regulation of the breath through the autonomic nervous system.
We tone the vagus nerve through practices that integrate breath, movement, and mindful awareness. These include:
Top-down processes like meditation, visualization, and guided breathwork
Bottom-up processes such as yoga, dance, ritual movement, and martial arts
Ritual dance, in particular, harmonizes both approaches. The dancer tunes into breath and intention (top-down), while responding through movement and sensation (bottom-up). This sacred reciprocity between the inner and outer world cultivates vagal resilience and anchors the body in presence.
THE BREATH: A PORTAL TO REGULATION
Breathwork is one of the most accessible tools for vagal toning. Dr. Nicole LePera explains that when we consciously slow our breath in moments of stress, we send a signal to the brain that we are safe. This reduces sympathetic arousal and reactivates the parasympathetic state—the space where healing, digestion, and pleasure occur.
Intentional breath during challenging movements not only tones the vagus nerve but also builds capacity to meet life’s stressors with grace. The ability to remain calm while the body is under duress creates a physiological and emotional resilience that radiates into everyday life.
PLEASURE AS A NERVOUS SYSTEM SKILL
Pleasure is not just a spontaneous sensation—it’s a skill we develop as we build nervous system safety. Without a regulated vagus nerve, the body may remain too hypervigilant to fully relax into sensuality or joy. Vagal toning opens the door to embodied pleasure by teaching the body how to move out of defense and into receptivity.
As we tone the vagus nerve, we increase our ability to experience intimacy, joy, rest, and aliveness without shutting down or dissociating. This is foundational for feminine embodiment, relational intimacy, and sacred sexuality—all core values of the Lalita Soma path.
Vagal toning is more than a wellness trend—it is a spiritual and physiological reclamation of your body’s innate wisdom. When you engage in body-centered practices that honor breath, rhythm, and intention, you become an active participant in your own healing.
I recognize the body as sacred and the nervous system as the foundation for accessing deeper states of pleasure, connection, and vitality. Through ritual, movement, and embodied practice, we support your journey to wholeness—one breath at a time.
with love,
Sabrina dokas
Resources
LePera, Nicole Ph.D- “How to Do the Work”
Magliocco, Sabina Ph.D- “Introduction: Ritual Creativity, Emotions and the Body”
Der Kolk, James- “The Body Keeps the Score”
