The Essential Vagus Nerve: Achieving Nervous System and Whole Health Balance

The balance of the nervous system is central to our well-being and to the proper functioning of pretty much all the systems of the body. Learning how to upregulate and downregulate the nervous system is an important component of learning how to deal constructively with stress. Stress, as most people know, contributes to numerous diseases, including as cardiovascular disease a d cancer, as well as autoimmune, inflammatory, digestive, endocrine and psychological disorders.

In this online course, yoga therapist and physical therapist Ginger Garner explores the role of the vagus nerve in facilitating a balanced nervous system function. In recent years, increasing research has documented the importance of the vagus nerve in regulating the stress response. The vagus nerve is the largest nerve in the autonomic nervous system, extending all the way from the brain to the colon, and it plays a key role in heart, lung and digestive function. We now know that a strong vagal tone helps us cope more effectively with stress, while weak vagal tone has been linked to disorders like chronic inflammation, which in turn, is associated with chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.

In this course, Ginger will show how yoga practices and philosophy provide us with a unique lens through which to understand how to work with the nervous system. We will explore how the practice of yoga can help us to promote vagal tone and build greater nervous system balance.

What You Will Learn

• How the vagus nerve impacts mind-body health

• How an understanding of vagal function impacts our approach in yoga

• Critical components of polyvagal theory

• Key self-assessment and yoga techniques 

• How to create awareness for optimizing vagal function 

• Tools for teaching trauma-sensitive yoga

• Boundary setting as a yoga teacher or yoga therapist

• When to refer to a healthcare provider 

This Premium Course also Includes These Bonuses:

• Yoga practice video: Enjoy a yoga practice video that Ginger created for this course on yoga for enhancing vagal tone.

• Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of all webinar sessions - both MP3 (downloadable) and MP4 (streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.

• Transcripts of All Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the webinar sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.

This course qualifies for 3 non-contact hours CEs with Yoga Alliance.