It Starts at Vagus: Holistic Tips to Manage Stress and Anxiety
Welcome to It Starts at Vagus – the ultimate podcast for women ready to reclaim their calm and reset their health, starting from the root cause: the vagus nerve. Here, we dive deep into holistic strategies, natural remedies, and actionable tips to support your body's natural healing process. Whether you’re managing stress, anxiety, or just looking to improve your overall well-being, our expert insights and practical advice are designed to help you feel empowered and connected. Subscribe for weekly content on the mind-body connection, lifestyle tips, and simple yet effective practices to bring more peace, relaxation, and balance into your life. It all starts here – with your vagus nerve.
Episodes
Calm isn't a state we can simply decide to feel but rather a skill we develop through consistent practice, similar to building a muscle. When we understand that our stress responses are patterns developed over time, we can begin to retrain our nervous system by exercising our vagus nerve - the calm switchboard of the body.
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Massage isn't just about working muscles—it's a profound "brain game" that retrains our nervous system to recognize and release tension we didn't even know we were carrying. In this enlightening conversation with returning guest Melissa Kary, we explore the fascinating challenge many people face: achieving relaxation during a massage session but struggling to recreate that state independently....
Your emotions feeling out of control? Your reactions a bit over the top? Before you blame yourself, check your sleep quality. That irritability, anxiety, and emotional rawness might not be character flaws—they're classic signs of a sleep-deprived vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve—that remarkable communication superhighway linking brain and body—thrives during deep, restorative sleep.
But there's...
This mini episode is to reply to the phone number with 9518 from California.
Also, to give Stephanie a big THANK YOU!
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Thank you!! I really appreciate your support 💗
Click the link to learn how to reset your vagus nerve to decrease stress & anxiety 👉🏻 https://mailchi.mp/itstartsatvagus/vagusreset<...
Your vagus nerve—essentially your body's emotional thermostat—responds remarkably well to green spaces. When you step outside mindfully, cortisol levels drop, heart rate variability improves, and your body receives the safety signals it needs to shift into healing mode. The beautiful truth is that you don't need elaborate protocols or expensive supplements to support vagal tone; sometimes the medicine is rig...
Ever feel like your body's stuck in stress mode no matter what you do? The secret might be hiding in plain sight: your vagus nerve. This fascinating "wandering nerve" serves as your body's superhighway to calm—when it's functioning well. But modern life stacks the deck against it.
You don't need to overhaul your entire life to support your nervous system. Small, consistent a...
Your pulse races. Your mind spirals. But strangely, this isn't happening during a crisis—it's happening during those rare moments when everything is finally calm. Sound familiar?
As a neuromuscular massage therapist, I've noticed an alarming trend: people whose bodies physically reject relaxation. Clients report feeling most anxious when their to-do lists shrink, or experiencing heart palpitati...
Our urgency to heal can keep us trapped in sympathetic nervous system dominance, preventing the very healing we seek. The pressure of constantly adding more wellness practices often backfires when it creates another stressful to-do list that triggers fight-or-flight responses instead of facilitating rest and recovery.
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Your vagus nerve is quietly begging you to slow down, and science proves it's one of the smartest moves you can make for your physical and mental wellbeing. This episode reveals why choosing simplicity isn't laziness—it's a biologically sound approach that your entire nervous system craves.
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We explore what happens when well-meaning people say the wrong things about anxiety and how those dismissive comments impact your nervous system. Learn practical strategies to protect your wellbeing when others minimize your experience, from vagus nerve activation to powerful self-advocacy techniques.
Remember, wellness starts at Vegas. New episodes are released every Tuesday, so subscribe for notificati...
Persistent fatigue despite doing everything "right" often stems from an overtaxed nervous system rather than physical exhaustion.
The vagus nerve, focused solely on survival, diverts energy to keeping us alive when it perceives even subtle threats in our environment.
Listen to methods that help put the vagus nerve back into "rest and restore" mode.
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Are you trapped in the cycle of reaching for quick fixes to calm your stressed nervous system? That third cup of coffee, mindless scrolling, or end-of-day glass of wine might offer temporary relief, but they're actually teaching your body to outsource its sense of safety rather than build it from within.
The truth is, many of us have mastered the art of "borrowed calm" – those external solution...
Feeling like you're carrying invisible bricks all day long? When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, even the most well-intentioned self-care practices can feel like unwelcome demands rather than relief. "You want me to do a full morning routine with juicing, exercising, and journaling? I'm still trying to survive that last group text!"
This episode cuts through the noise of ove...
Your body is throwing an emergency brake while you're still trying to climb uphill—that's burnout. And the most alarming part? Most women don't realize they're experiencing burnout until their bodies physically force them to stop.
Burnout isn't a badge of honor or a sign that you're working hard enough. It's a clear signal that your nervous system has been running a marathon...
Bring creative joy into your day (without adding anything else to your plate).
Creativity is essential for women to reconnect with themselves and express who they are in a world that often tells them to be quiet and helpful. This episode explores simple ways to incorporate creativity into daily life without adding pressure, helping regulate your nervous system and rediscover your voice.
Ever finally sit down after a long day only to find yourself more tense than before? Your racing mind and clenched jaw aren't signs of failure—they're evidence of your body's remarkable survival system working overtime.
The truth about rest is both fascinating and frustrating: your nervous system doesn't automatically know when danger has passed. So when you finally pause, instead of rel...
The quiet background hum of your mental to-do list gets louder right when you're trying to relax—that's mental load fatigue, and it's hitting women particularly hard. This phenomenon isn't about a lack of organization or efficiency; it's the invisible burden of constant thinking, planning, anticipating, and emotional caretaking that never seems to pause.
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Anxiety manifests physically throughout your body, affecting everything from swallowing to nutrient absorption when your nervous system gets stuck in survival mode. We explore how stress creates a domino effect in your digestive system and share practical solutions to activate your parasympathetic "rest and digest" response.
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The path to healing often begins when we feel safe—when our nervous system can finally relax and let down its guard. In this intimate conversation, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow massage therapist Melissa Kary to explore the transformative power of therapeutic touch for trauma survivors.
Melissa opens up about her own unexpected battle with anxiety. Despite being a wellness professional, she initia...
Have you ever felt "fine" while your body was silently screaming for help? That was my reality – the calm, high-functioning massage therapist whose world came crashing down with a debilitating gallbladder attack on Thanksgiving Day.
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