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clear search termsThe Parasympathetic Nervous System and the Vagus Nerve: For Practitioners
Hi!
Although you may already be a savvy practitioner, I am certain you will learn something new in this video about The Parasympathetic Nervous System and the Vagus Nerve: For Practitioners. You’ll walk away with pages of notes and practical pearls you can use in your practice right away.
Here are some of the things we’ll be discussing:
- The X-factor for sympathetic/parasympathetic balance – and why it’s unfortunately almost always overlooked!
- Why the PNS and Vagus are even More important for practitioners embrace during the pandemic (and its aftermath). This one is key.
- The What and Why of Vagal Tone. Any why you Really need to Know! Plus the fun, simple hacks anyone can do to improve it.
- Parasympathetic good; Sympathetic bad. Right? Not really. You need to remember this important devil-in-the-detail.
- Surprising measures that can shed light on autonomic nervous system health.
- Easy but oh-so effective hacks for improving autonomic balance.
- How and why this area of physiology is intimately tied to digestion, detoxification, and immunity. Do You know the mechanisms?
- The Biggest practitioner mistakes when talking to patients about stress.
Done-for-you patient handouts that can be helpful in encouraging your patients to explore the effects of stress and making tangible steps in reducing its impact can be found here and here.
Thank you very much for joining in the fun and learning! Please share your thoughts (please be thorough) in the “Ask a Question” area below about what inspired you in this presentation! Include what type of practitioner you are, so that we can all see your unique perspective.
P.S. If you are passionate about transforming healthcare through the power of functional medicine, we encourage you to learn more about SAFM’s practitioner training programs. Enrollment for our next cohort is now open!
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196 Questions for “The Parasympathetic Nervous System and the Vagus Nerve: For Practitioners”
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Katie says:
Thank you for this important information. Such a strange thing that people one up each other on stress. Simple but so important to remember to take the time to do breathing exercises.
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Rosemary Maina says:
I was inspired by learning the importance of Vague nerve in relationship to stress management. That its the key to healthy balance in stress. Also learning the simple things that can contribute to relaxation and in relation to the vague nerve such a music, my environment and food. Its interesting to learn the basic things that we so much ignore can be great contributors to our ultimate health instead of going overboard with expensive intervention. Thank you so much!
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Sree says:
Thanks Tracy for this wonderful session! Love love love all your videos, I have learned so much in the past few months from you! I am a FM health coach!
Shift in perspective is everything and I have realised it from my own experience and the gratitude journaling! Going into the details of why I am grateful for x, y, z brings in a hugeeee shift! -
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Lucy Coppes says:
As usual, great talk! I beleive that the effects of stress on the body and how it can slow down or even stop normal body function is neglected to our own peril. I loved the tips and tricks that you gave and I am going to habe to try gargling! As always, thank you for sharing!
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Jennifer Lin says:
It truly was a great reminder that our thoughts can significantly impact our parasympathetic nervous system and that’s simple breathing exercises can make a difference in shutting off the lizard brain. I need to stress to my patients just how powerful the breath can be. Your FB live today reminded me of Buddha’s teaching. “ “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
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Linda S Mansfield says:
Great presentation.. it was fascinating to hear that the anti inflammatory response of the immune system is driven by the parasympathetic nervous system via the Vagas nerve. So calming the nervous system can calm the immune system.. being able to ground and soothe oneself is a great help to your immune system and health..
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patrick carrano says:
Excellent talk, loved the timer for breathing and being weird or different. and talking time out for yourself, so important . self talk and self sabotage and negative self talk is so damaging, thank you for all the great tips and information i can give my clients.
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Natalia C says:
Thank you Tracy! it is very important to hear yourself and reframe that negative thoughts. The situation is just a situation and we make it positive or negative.
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Lina Kay says:
I am physician assistant in GI practice, seeing patients with IBS,, gratitude journaling and breathing techniques could be easily taught to patients and could be utilized by practitioner as well ! Thank you for informative talk !
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Sandrina Rodrigues says:
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! Mind body connection is so important. What we say to ourselves is fundamental to achieving health and wellness. I had found myself in that social media comparison which just brought me down. Having recognized that, I completely gave it up (except for SAFM forum of course!) and it not only gave me mental peace but also more hours in my day! :). There’s a quote I learned from you months ago that I repeat to myself and share with others…..”life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it”. Thank you again for another great video.
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Jennifer Parker says:
What a wonderful session! Stress seems to be prevalent in most people’s lives and 2020 really caused it to skyrocket. One pearl I took from the lecture was to provide, as a practitioner, progressive recommendations to stimulate the Vagus nerve and subsequently reduce stress. If our clients already live in a sympathetic state, they may be clueless as to where to start and if we tell them to do too much too quickly, that may only set them up for failure and more stress. Thank you again for the wonderful session!
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Melissa Wardhaugh says:
This is my all time favorite subject to bring up and a topic I hope continues to be spread far and wide with much openness . How many of us have clients that have worked tirelessly and done protocols to the T but still stuck in a state of dis-ease?? Or even ourselves?? Great reminders that we can do all the “right things” on paper but true healing can not and will not occur if we are not working on the narration of our stories . Beautifully done as always ???
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Katherine Zbodula says:
I am an Adult Nurse Practitioner, my background is primary care/geriatrics. However I consider myself more of a holistic provider. I thoroughly enjoyed your talk. This particular talk is so needed especially with what the world is going through. My clients, who reside in long term settings, have had off the chart stress levels since Covid had hit. Telemed was my main source of communication with my clients. Fortunately , knowing my clients for many years had allowed telemedicine to work for me. I was able to see if their behavior was normal for them. We just heard recently that we will probably going back physically into the buildings. I’m looking forward to seeing my clients face to face and utilizing some of your suggestions/techniques. Looking forward to listening to more of your talks. I will share this with my colleagues.
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Karema NP says:
There are many spiritual and cultural practices, mediations which encompasses stimulating the vagus nerve; it is just now chiropractors, FM, integrative practitioner are talking about it. It is very enthralling how much health benefits these have.
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Jen says:
Thank you for a wonderful talk! The reminder that our stress comes from our thoughts, and we can react as need be, positively or negatively. We control our stress.
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Roula Hawasli says:
I work in Primary care and would love to learn more about Functional medicine. This is so informational, so much health can be achieved by mere exercising the Vagal nerve.
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Smriti Kochar says:
Hi Tracy,
Wonderful session. I think what I loved the most in this talk is that we can choose our response to stress and take responsibility, and this is what we need to teach our clients too, and make them more mindful. What is also fascinating is that stress impacts our bone health, and I would love it if you could elaborate on that some more or maybe do another live session on this topic.
Regards
Smriti -
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Reema Rou says:
I have been practicing FM for several years. This is a great field, I always learn something new from Tracy. Thank you for everything.
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Holly Flaker says:
I so wish I could be a full time student to fully listen, re-listen, and listen again to all of your great teachings and pearls. I have learned a little bit about the importance of the vagus nerve; however, my learning today has taken me even deeper. The significance of breath work on the vagus nerve is, wow! And, gargling? I want to go back and listen again to this FB live as I am certain I missed some nuggets. Thank you!!
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Thank you Tracy. Oxidative stress is very prevalent especially with the state of Covid and it’s long standing existence. I like how you say we can’t beat the stress (our bodies can’t be tricked and the stress takes its toll. I love the concept of the mind and body connection with yoga and stretching. It’s a great way to take back some control.