Qigong for Neck Tension & Vagus Nerve Activation | 10-Minute Routine

Hello our citizens, welcome to Brain Education TV. My name is Chris and today we're going to do some Qigong for our vagus nerve. This is the second video in my series where we're working on helping us to release our stress and tension to create a healing environment in our body through our vagus nerve. Now there are many many techniques for stimulating the vagus nerve but many techniques lack the sense of energy. The sense of energy is the essence of Qigong. So when we can feel energy we start to shift the nervous system automatically. So we want to bring that connection to our body. In the first video we focused on breathing and sound to help us rinse the genital stress and tension. But many of us have more intense stress and tension, greater blockage where our body's a little too tight, our mind's a little too busy, our emotions are too turbulent and we can't quite get there with just a basic technique. So we need to be able to identify our current condition, how intense our practice needs to be to be able to get through the resistance to be able to really truly stimulate the vagus nerve to allow us to get the full benefits of the practice and the relaxation. So many of us have a lot of neck tension from our posture, from our work, from too much thinking that creates stimulation and blocks the relaxation around the vagus nerve. It creates stress and tension. So today we're going to utilize breathing, a little bit of sound and some movement and some exercises to help open this space up to help us get to the energy sense more deeply. So first I want to check in on my neck condition. So just start to turn your head side to side. I'm sitting with my spine fairly straight, pressing down on the floor or the chair or whatever you're sitting on and then just turn your head side to side. Some of you will feel it's very comfortable, some of you will feel a bit of stiffness, tightness, resistance. So you can shake your head a little faster, you can shake your head a little bit more soft. I want you to get an idea on a scale of one to ten. Ten being really tight, really stiff, really terrible and one being an amazing neck. Where are you? So we're going to try to soften that tension up with my breath. I want to breathe in through my nose and as I exhale, I want to make a little sound. The humming allows the vibration to also stimulate the vagus nerve. If you saw the first video, we use this technique a lot. So you can breathe in through your nose, exhale with some sound. The key is to make the exhale longer than the inhale. So if you breathe in for two seconds, exhale for four. Feel that vibration around the throat, feel the tension in the neck starting to melt. Good. Now slowly stop. So what's your score? Is your neck a one or is it a ten? So we're going to show you some very basic technique to help release some of that tension. The focus will come into the back of the neck here on these sides that we're going to try to release. So very simple but a little coordination. So from here, head neutral. I'd like you to lift your chin up and then I want you to look to the right and then I want you to tip your head to the left. Now you may feel some tension on the side that's being tipped towards you. You might feel it on the stretching side. You want to hold for two breaths. Make a little sound on the exhale. Lips can be closed to feel the vibration deeper or if you have a lot of release, you can open the mouth but release that stress and tension. Good. Now bring your head back to neutral. But this time we're going to lift our chin. This time we're going to look to the left and then we're going to tip our head to the right. Notice where the tension is. Breathe in and out with some sound. We're going to do two more times. So you can hold from five to ten seconds. Two or three breaths. But you're trying to wring out some of that tension in that space. Use as much or as little humming as you like. Bring your chin back to neutral. We're going to lift our chin. Look to the right. Tip to the left. Notice any changes. Take two breaths. You can make as little or as much sound as you need. Good. Coming back to neutral. Lift your chin. Look to the left. Tip your head to the right. Wring out that tension. Two breaths. Breathe in. Exhale longer. Bring your head back to neutral. We're going to do one more time to each side. Lifting your chin up. Looking to the right. Tipping to the left. Is it starting to feel some release already? Two breaths. Back to neutral. Lift the chin. Look to the left. Tipping to the right. Two breaths. So the breathing, the focus in the neck helps us to bring our mind in to feel the condition of our body. Now gently start to shake your head again side to side. Notice any change. Has that number improved? The more you're assessing the condition, the more your mind is inside, the less thinking, the less emotions, the more sense, the more you're going to shift the nervous system over. Now bringing your breath in, you can keep turning your head side to side, especially if your tension is high. Breathe in through your nose. Try to expand your belly. Exhale, making some sound. So we want to try to do deep belly breathing. So set your hands on your abdomen. Breathe in. Let your belly expand. You can shake your head vigorously or gently. This is where each of us, recognizing our energy condition, can determine how intense or how gentle our practice needs to be today. Feel the belly begin to expand more and more. You may become aware of tension in the chest or the solar plexus area where the energy is blocked. We're going to be able to find ways to release that tension more and more. Some days we need more physical practice. We need to get into the body a little bit more. Some days breathing is sufficient. Some days the sounding is sufficient. Some days we can simply do a little energy meditation. Good job. Now slowly stop moving the head and the neck. Reach your crown for the sky. Let your hands float off of your belly. Now breathing into your nose, feel your belly. Let the energy expand into your palms, becoming more energy meditation. Exhale with some sound. Inhale, expand your belly. So continue to stay in this energy sense, closing your eyes, bringing your focus down to your lower abdomen, feeling the energy expanding through your belly, pushing your palms away. When we start to do energy practice, one of the major benefits is the shifting of the nervous system. This focus through the vagus nerve, the wandering nerve, that stimulates and addresses many organs, many systems of the body, has value. Now allow your palms to simply face each other. Feel the between your palms. As you inhale, your belly still expands, but your palms expand. This is one of our core brain education energy meditations called Jigam. When you get to Jigam, your mind is stopped. Your emotions have settled. You are in a healing state. Opening through the neck, opening through the body allows us to get here, especially on the days we're extra stressed, extra tense. Once you get to this state of Jigam, of energy meditation, you're welcome to stay as long as you choose. Allows the body to refresh and recharge. Allows the mind to relax, to clear. Allows the emotions to become very calm. Slowly open your eyes. You can rub your palms. Feel how the change of your palms has. Feel the tension in your neck. Turn it side to side. Can you feel that it's had a release? So gentle exercises, stretching, gentle shaking can help rinse. Some days a gentle rinse will be fine. Some days you may need those stretches to wring out more tension. Depending on my stress level, I have to use the tools that will help me release the most tension to help me get to this energy sense sooner so that I can have the maximum benefits. So with that, we'll finish our practice today. Thank you. If you'd like to continue to deepen this practice in bright education, check the link in the description. You can find access to our free online community where you'll find on-demand classes, future webinars and workshops where you can practice with us more regularly, more deeply and you can continue to self-improve through brain education. I hope to meet you in the circle.