Ways to Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Written By Aiden Murtagh

Your nervous system is always communicating.
Subtly. Constantly. Quietly.

It tells you when you are safe.
It tells you when you are overwhelmed.
It tells you when to expand — and when you need to rest.

But in the modern world, many of us live in a near-continuous state of fight-or-flight.

The body is braced.
The breath is shallow.
The mind is fast.
The muscles are holding more than we realize.

This is not because something is wrong with you.
It’s because your system has adapted to the pace and pressure around you.

To feel grounded, calm, present, clear — you need the parasympathetic system online:

  • The state of rest and digest

  • The state of repair, integration, and emotional recovery

  • The state where you come home to yourself

The practices below help the body shift out of survival mode and into safety mode — where healing, clarity, connection, and emotional balance become possible again.

These are not trends or hacks.
These are nervous system retraining tools.

Take your time.
Choose one or two to begin.
Let your body remember what calm feels like.

1. Restorative Yoga

Video: https://youtu.be/SGZdaH_fVNE?si=Khv48IYUc3bElqua

Restorative yoga uses long-held, fully supported poses to signal to the body that it no longer needs to protect, brace, or perform. Props (pillows, blankets) do the work — your body simply releases into stillness.

Why it works:
It lowers cortisol, releases muscular tension stored from stress, and allows the vagus nerve to downshift the nervous system into calm.

Try: 20 minutes in the evening instead of scrolling.
Let the body soften. The mind will follow.

2. Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep)

Guided Practice: https://youtu.be/8mM5Oks8yZc?si=159fd4mTWGvHOI9N

Yoga Nidra guides you through layers of awareness while the body rests deeply.
It’s not sleep — it’s conscious deep rest.

What happens:
Brainwaves shift into theta and delta — states linked to restoration, memory repair, and emotional integration.

Good for:

  • Burnout recovery

  • Anxiety

  • Emotional overwhelm

  • Sleep difficulties

20–30 minutes can feel like hours of rest.

3. Extended Exhale Breathing

Demo: https://youtube.com/shorts/gnQ5kvlri2o?si=1Vc6lSiyrr6zSa27

Your exhale is directly tied to the vagus nerve.
When you lengthen the exhale, you send a signal to your nervous system:

“We are safe now.”

Simple practice:
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6–8.
3–5 minutes.

This is one of the fastest ways to exit fight-or-flight.

4. Buteyko Breathing

Demo: https://youtube.com/shorts/e87vLndwzUw?si=V3f--iyY4VT0bbdi

Many of us over-breathe without realizing it.
Buteyko retrains slower, nasal, CO₂-tolerant breathing, which improves oxygen efficiency and calms the system at the chemical level.

Benefits:

  • Reduces anxiety

  • Stabilizes energy

  • Improves emotional regulation

  • Strengthens parasympathetic tone

Try gentle nasal breathing throughout the day — especially when stressed.

5. Binaural Beats

Two tones played in each ear create a third perceived frequency — guiding brainwaves into desired states.

  • Alpha → relaxed, grounded awareness

  • Theta → emotional release + subconscious processing

  • Delta → deep rest and sleep

Use during:

  • Work (alpha)

  • Journaling / reflection (theta)

  • Rest / sleep (delta)

Headphones required.
Your brain learns to soften.

6. Cold Water Exposure (Face, Neck, or Shower)

Cold activates the mammalian dive reflex — a powerful vagus nerve response.

This lowers:

  • Heart rate

  • Cortisol

  • Adrenal activation

And increases:

  • Alertness

  • Stress resilience

  • Emotional stability

Start small:
10–20 seconds of cold at the end of a shower
or splash cold water on your face.

This is not toughness — this is nervous system training.

7. Somatic Discharge (Shaking)

Animals shake after stressful events to discharge excess activation.
Humans don’t — so the tension stays stored.

Gentle shaking for 3–5 minutes:

  • Releases adrenaline

  • Signals “threat resolved”

  • Reduces emotional overwhelm

  • Restores groundedness

This is not dramatic — it is simple, light tremor release.

Your body knows how to let go.
You are just giving it permission.

8. Vagus Nerve Activation Techniques

These act directly on the nervous system’s calm-and-restore circuitry.

Breath Hold Exercise

Demo: https://youtube.com/shorts/2d1IyISFb0A?si=4Qjd4T_a3P87J8s0
Short breath holds increase CO₂ and stimulate vagus tone, reducing anxiety and nervous arousal.

Abdominal / Belly-Button Stimulation

Guide: https://youtu.be/zUx5kLFyx-M?si=dD_h59e43Vyk2tU2
Gentle pressure around the navel massages internal vagal pathways — very calming.

Voo Hum

Demo: https://youtu.be/0bBOgmc45Cs?si=s0NmXUI6MtZB1ggo
Low-pitched humming vibrates the vagus nerve through the vocal cords — incredibly grounding.

These are especially helpful before bed, after conflict, or anytime anxiety rises.

9. Supportive Supplements (Not Solutions — Support)

Supplements do not heal burnout alone — but they support the system while you rebalance lifestyle, pace, and emotional load.

Adaptogens (stress resilience)

  • Ashwagandha: lowers cortisol, improves sleep

  • Ginseng: sustained energy, mental stamina

  • Rhodiola: clarity + fatigue reduction

Mood & Brain Support

  • Saffron: mood balance, reduces anxiety

  • Lion’s Mane: neuroplasticity + cognitive clarity

  • Chaga: immune + adrenal support

Core Nutrients

  • B Vitamins: energy metabolism, adrenal function

  • Magnesium Glycinate: nervous system calming

  • Omega-3s: mood & inflammation regulation

  • Vitamin D: energy, mood stabilization

Start low.
Go slow.
Support, don’t override.

The Key Principle: Safety Before Change

Your nervous system does not heal through force.
It heals through safety.

The moment your body feels:

  • Supported

  • Unrushed

  • Unjudged

  • Allowed to feel

It will begin to release what it’s been holding.

The goal is not to become “calm all the time.”
The goal is to be able to return home to yourself again and again.

A Closing Reflection

You are not meant to live in constant urgency.
You are not meant to carry your stress alone.
Your body is not the enemy — it’s the messenger.

The signal is not: “You are failing.”
The signal is:
“You need gentleness, not pressure.”

You deserve a life where your nervous system feels safe inside your own skin.

If You Want Help Re-Regulating Your System

I work with people who are:

  • Burned out

  • Overwhelmed

  • Emotionally overloaded

  • Trying to find their way back to themselves

We’ll take a nervous-system-first approach to recovery:

  • Safety

  • Regulation

  • Identity repair

  • Meaning

  • Joy

Aiden Murtagh
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