Healing Through the Vagus Nerve

In Healing Through the Vagus Nerve, join Amanda Armstrong (Rise as We) for a complete guide to understanding and working with your nervous system, including specific exercises and strategies to improve vagal tone.


Books like The Body Keeps the Score have become mainstream references for the somatic approach to treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. Recent studies also show that 80% of mind-body communication is in the direction of body to brain-using the vagus nerve as the superhighway. Healing Through the Vagus Nerve walks you through how the nervous system and the vagus nerve function, with approachable, non-academic language and helpful illustrations. You'll learn about vagal tone as well as what contributes to low and high tone. Then, a variety of exercises and practices provide an adaptable approach to improving nervous system function:
Breathing techniques including diaphragmatic breathing, physiological sigh, voo breath, and the Valsalva technique
Massage techniques for the ear, neck, and abdomen
Visual techniques including lateral eye stretches, eye push ups, orienting, eye cupping, and gaze opening
Physical techniques including cold exposure, yoga, and more


Featuring client stories/case studies, key details of the author's own journey healing her nervous system, and a selection of templates and prompts to help engage with the process, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve is a complete guide to improving your stress response through your relationship with your vagus nerve and nervous system.

Amanda Armstrong is the founder and CEO of Rise As We, an integrative mental health practice with a specialty in helping clients struggling with anxiety and depression. Amandas unique approach combines her certified professional and trauma-informed coach training with a masters degree in kinesiology, focused in exercise psychology, and a previous career in the corporate wellness space at Google HQ. She draws on all this experience to help her clients heal through a nervous system-based approach that gives mental and physical health an equal seat at the table.

In addition to her private practice, Amanda is a wife, mother, podcast host, and speaker who puts on workshops and lectures on nervous system-based mental health support.

You can connect with her and learn more at riseaswe.com.

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