That’s the title of a great article in The Guardian about the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is a two-way communication channel, linking the brain with the heart, lungs and a number of other vital organs. This pathway helps to control involuntary processes, such as breathing, digestion and immune response. Over 200 years ago, scientists first noticed how they could use this nerve to calm irregular brain activity.
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In present day, our understanding has developed even further, and vagus nerve stimulation is being investigated as a support tool for those with treatment-resistant mental health issues, with the hope that a future can be forged in which we can breathe or hum to support our health.
You can read the Guardian article here – heavy on the use of electrical stimulators, but you can also see other mechanisms and discussion about it here in my Vagus Factsheet. I wrote that because I was mentioning vagus work so often to patients, it was easier to get it down on paper! It’s a fascinating subject – and holds such a lot of potential, especially for those with chronic gut, pain and anxiety problems.