Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism

Unlock lasting healing through the power of the vagus nerve—the bestselling guide to understanding how vagus nerve dysfunction and trauma impact inflammation, emotional health, autoimmune disease, and more

With practical exercises and body-based tools for regulating your nervous system, balancing your fight-or-flight response, and restoring body and mind

Dr. Stanley Rosenberg, PhD, offers an easy-to-understand overview of the vagus nerve—and helps you regulate your body’s innate capacity to heal from stress, trauma, anxiety, and injury.

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve dispels long-held myths about the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and offers readers a map to three neural circuits that are integral to whole-body healing and emotional wellness: the ventral vagal complex, the sympathetic nervous system, and the dorsal vagal complex. Based on Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory, this book shows how each circuit shapes our sense of safety, connections with others, and resilience to stress, trauma, and inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

You’ll learn:

• How to identify—and heal from—symptoms of ANS dysfunction
• Somatic self-help exercises that are safe, effective, and easy to learn
• Neurofascial release, migraine massage, and other hands-on techniques
• Polyvagal applications for stress, anxiety, ADHD, fibromyalgia, PTSD, chronic pain, and more
• How restoring health to the vagus nerve can enhance function throughout your whole body

This book is written for therapists, bodyworkers, trauma survivors, parents, and anyone struggling with chronic, embodied stress. Grounded in neurobiology research, clinical stories, and easy-to-follow exercises, this book gives you the tools to bring your body back into a state of safety, balance, and optimal functioning.