benefits
Discover how the vagus nerve resets and SKY Breath Meditation improves stress resilience, boosts vagal tone, and supports calm, balance, and well-being.
Updated on: 21st October 2025
Posted on: 21st October 2025
The vagus nerve is one of the most influential components of the human nervous system. This article explores the anatomy and function of the vagus nerve, providing a detailed examination of its role in the brain and nervous system and its impact on overall health. Stretching from the brainstem through the heart and into the gut, this remarkable nerve acts as the main communication pathway between the brain and body. The tenth cranial nerve originates in the brainstem and has an extensive reach throughout the body, connecting the brain and nervous system to multiple organs. It helps regulate vital involuntary processes like heart rate, digestion, and respiration, making it a cornerstone of both physical and mental health. The vagus nerve innervates major organs, including the lungs, liver, spleen, stomach, and intestines, highlighting its profound influence on physical well-being.
The vagus nerve is also a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) — the “rest and digest” system — which counterbalances the stress-oriented sympathetic nervous system (SNS) or “fight-or-flight” response. As part of the system, the vagus nerve supports calm, digestion, and recovery, helping to maintain homeostasis in the body.
When stimulated through breath, movement, or relaxation, the vagus nerve enhances what scientists call vagal tone — a measure of how well your body can return to calm after stress. A healthy vagal tone is associated with improved emotional regulation, sharper cognitive performance, and greater resilience under pressure.
Vagal tone refers to the activity and responsiveness of the vagus nerve. Higher vagal tone is associated with balanced mood, strong immunity, and efficient stress recovery, while low vagal tone has been linked to challenges like anxiety, depression, IBS, and autoimmune conditions. High vagal tone supports relaxation, recovery from stress, and overall well-being, while conversely, low vagal tone is linked to increased stress reactivity and difficulty managing stress efficiently.
The PNS and SNS constantly work together to maintain balance within the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The vagus nerve plays a central role in regulating the ANS by regulating its various functions, ensuring your body can shift easily between stress and rest states when it functions optimally.
Practices like mindfulness meditation, SKY Breath Meditation, and deep diaphragmatic breathing have been scientifically shown to enhance vagal tone. These techniques encourage present-moment awareness, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and help reset the body’s natural rhythm of calm. By improving vagal tone, these practices also enhance stress resilience and support mental health, particularly in managing stress and anxiety.
Benefits of improved vagal tone include balanced mood, strong immunity, efficient stress recovery, cognitive function, and stress resilience.
The vagus nerve plays a profound role in the gut-brain connection. It regulates digestive enzymes, gastric acid, and intestinal movement, influencing how efficiently the body processes nutrients. The gut-brain axis plays a crucial part in connecting gastrointestinal health with psychological well-being, highlighting the impact of vagal tone on mental resilience and stress management. When vagal tone is low, digestion can slow down, leading to discomfort and disorders such as acid reflux or gastroparesis.
The vagus nerve also helps regulate the immune system. Research indicates that stimulating this nerve can reduce inflammation by activating anti-inflammatory pathways in the body — a critical factor in preventing chronic disease. The importance of the vagus nerve lies in its ability to regulate inflammation and support overall health, making it essential for maintaining a balanced immune response.
Because of its connection to the gut-brain axis, vagus nerve health directly impacts mental well-being. Stimulation of the nerve has been shown to ease anxiety, elevate mood, and support recovery from stress. The vagus nerve plays a central role in mood regulation, stress response, and promoting relaxation, which improves mental resilience. Even brief exposure to cold, such as taking a cold shower or splashing cold water on your face, can activate the vagus nerve and trigger a calming parasympathetic response.
The vagus nerve also influences blood flow by redirecting blood flow to various organs, supporting heart rate regulation, organ function, and overall autonomic balance.
The human body relies on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to maintain a delicate balance between action and relaxation. This complex and intricately connected system is divided into two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is responsible for the classic “fight or flight” response, rapidly increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy to help you respond to immediate challenges. In contrast, the PNS, with the vagus nerve a key player, promotes rest, recovery, and restoration.
The vagus nerve is central to the PNS, regulating involuntary physiologic processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. When the vagus nerve is activated, it helps the body shift out of the stress-driven state of the SNS and into a mode of calm and healing. This shift not only supports physical relaxation but also enhances your ability to manage stress, regulate mood, and achieve better cognitive performance, particularly in demanding situations. By learning to stimulate the vagus nerve and promote vagal tone, you empower your nervous system to maintain balance, recover from stress, and support overall well-being.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can be achieved through both medical and natural methods. Clinically, VNS involves electrical impulses that activate the vagus nerve, an FDA-approved treatment for treatment-resistant depression and epilepsy. VNS directly activates the vagus nerve and increases vagus nerve activity, which can help regulate heart rate, mood, and inflammation.
Non-invasive approaches, however, are accessible to everyone and have shown similar benefits. These include controlled breathing, meditation, chanting, and cold therapy. Such techniques promote vagal nerve tone and strengthen vagal tone naturally, promoting deep relaxation and emotional balance.
The benefits of vagus nerve stimulation include:
In essence, VNS helps the mind and body recover faster from stress, supporting long-term resilience and inner stability.
Stimulating the vagus nerve doesn’t require medical equipment — it can be done through everyday wellness practices. Here are some proven methods:
Understanding and tracking your vagal tone is a powerful way to take charge of your physical and mental health. One of the most reliable ways to measure vagal tone is through heart rate variability (HRV)—the subtle variation in time between each heartbeat. HRV serves as a window into the balance of your autonomic nervous system, reflecting how effectively your body can switch between stress and relaxation.
A higher HRV is generally a sign of robust vagus nerve function and a healthy autonomic nervous system. It indicates that your body is resilient, adaptable, and able to recover quickly from stress. Vagus nerve stimulation, whether through deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness practices, or other techniques, has been shown to improve HRV and, by extension, vagal tone.
Today, wearable devices and mobile apps make it easy to monitor HRV in real time, allowing you to see how lifestyle choices and wellness practices impact your nervous system. This is especially valuable for individuals managing conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), acid reflux, or gastroparesis, where autonomic nervous system balance plays a crucial role. By measuring and working to enhance your vagal tone, you can support your body’s natural healing processes, reduce stress, and promote lasting physical and mental health.
A vagus nerve reset fact: A vagus nerve reset involves using specific techniques to intentionally “reboot” the body’s stress response, but it’s important to note that not all popular methods, like specific massages or supplements, are supported by scientific evidence.
A vagus nerve reset refers to using these techniques intentionally to “reboot” the body’s stress response. Just as a computer sometimes needs a restart, the nervous system also benefits from periodic resets.
These resets help reduce stress, enhance mood, and stabilize emotional responses, making them particularly effective for managing anxiety and depression. When practiced consistently, vagus nerve resets promote deep relaxation, better sleep, and stronger immunity.
By incorporating a daily vagus reset ritual — such as five minutes of slow breathing, a cold splash, or a short SKY Breath session — individuals can strengthen their resilience to everyday stressors and support long-term well-being.
Incorporating vagus nerve resets into your lifestyle is a proactive, empowering step toward holistic mental and physical health.
The vagus nerve is a remarkable bridge between the body and mind — a pathway of calm, resilience, and connection. When nurtured through intentional practices like deep breathing, meditation, and mindful movement, it helps the body return to balance and strengthens emotional stability.
Among the most effective ways to activate and reset the vagus nerve is SKY Breath Meditation, a scientifically validated technique taught by The Art of Living Foundation. Through rhythmic breathing cycles, SKY harmonizes the nervous system, enhances vagal tone, and naturally resets the body’s stress response. Practitioners often experience deeper calm, emotional clarity, and a renewed sense of vitality — benefits that extend far beyond the meditation mat.
Incorporating SKY Breath Meditation into your daily life is like giving your nervous system a loving reset each day — training your mind and body to respond to life with ease instead of tension. Over time, this practice strengthens your vagal tone, boosts resilience, and cultivates the inner peace that defines true well-being.
Experience the transformative power of SKY Breath Meditation with The Art of Living Foundation. Join a Part 1 Course to learn the breath-based techniques that awaken joy, calm the mind, and reset the vagus nerve naturally.
