What is the Vagus Nerve and Why It Matters for Your Healing?

Written by Paulius Jurasius | Founder, JANMI Soft Tissue Therapy, Marylebone

Introduction: A Gentle Invitation to the Forgotten Nerve

In the quiet rhythm of a healing room, there is a presence that often goes unnamed. It does not crack or pop. It does not demand attention like a sore joint or a tight hamstring. And yet, it is there – whispering calm into your organs, slowing your heart when you're safe, helping you digest more than just food.

This is the vagus nerve. At JANMI Soft Tissue Therapy in Marylebone, we have learned to listen to its whispers. We have learned that pain and healing are not just in the muscles and bones, but in the orchestra of signals that travel through your body every second. The vagus nerve is the conductor of your body's symphony of calm.

This blog is a gentle, scientific, and nature-inspired deep dive into what the vagus nerve is, why it matters, how modern life dulls its song, and how we at JANMI now offer specialised techniques — including our new JANMI Integrated Therapy Plus — to support and awaken this vital healing pathway.

Chapter 1: The Wandering Nerve of Life

The word vagus comes from Latin, meaning "wandering." And that is exactly what this nerve does. Starting from the base of your brain, it wanders down through your neck, across your chest, into your abdomen, touching your heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and even your liver.

It is the longest cranial nerve in your body, and one of the most important.

Where most people think of nerves as things that carry pain, the vagus nerve is different. It carries relief. It is the main component of your parasympathetic nervous system — the system responsible for rest, digestion, recovery, and healing.

In a world of overstimulation, the vagus nerve is your built-in escape route to calm.

Chapter 2: Why the Vagus Nerve Matters More Than Ever

Pain is not just physical. Chronic stress, poor sleep, digestive issues, anxiety, and muscle tension are all interconnected.

At JANMI, we see this daily. Clients with tight necks also struggle with gut issues. Clients with low back pain often reveal sleep disorders, jaw tension, or fatigue. The vagus nerve links it all.

When the vagus nerve is strong and active (called high vagal tone), your body can regulate inflammation, keep your heart rate steady, digest food efficiently, and return to a calm state after stress.

When vagal tone is low, the body stays stuck in "fight-or-flight."

Chapter 3: Signs Your Vagus Nerve May Need Support

You might not hear your vagus nerve, but your body tells its story:

Persistent neck and shoulder tension
Trouble digesting or bloating after meals
Anxiety or panic symptoms
Irregular heartbeat or breathlessness
Chronic fatigue
Poor sleep or shallow breathing
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed

These symptoms are not just random. They are signals. And they tell us it’s time to nurture the vagus nerve.

Chapter 4: Ancient Healing Meets Modern Science

From the perspective of evolutionary biology, the vagus nerve is ancient. Long before we had conscious thoughts, this nerve regulated how we survived.

It is deeply responsive to nature: to breath, movement, temperature, light, sound, and touch.

This is why the JANMI Method integrates elements of nature-based therapy into our approach:

Hands-on vagal stimulation through specific neck and thorax techniques
Grounded breathing during therapy to tone the nerve
Natural sound, silence, and rhythm to calm the autonomic system

These are not random actions. They are ancestral.

Chapter 5: Introducing JANMI Integrated Therapy Plus

To deepen our clients’ healing experience, we now offer JANMI Integrated Therapy Plus — an advanced treatment tailored to modern life disorders of the nervous and fascial systems.

What it includes:

Everything in our original JANMI Integrated Therapy (deep tissue, trigger point, myofascial release)
Counterstrain-Inspired Techniques for sensitive areas
Vagus Nerve-Calming and Stimulating Manual Methods
Joint Mobilisation and Decompression Techniques for long-held joint restrictions

This therapy is ideal for:

Chronic pain clients
Nervous system fatigue
Jaw, diaphragm, gut, or pelvic tension
Those needing more subtle but profound touch

We created this because pain is no longer just muscular. It is systemic. And we need systemic healing.

Chapter 6: Natural Ways to Support Your Vagus Nerve

Healing doesn't end on the table. At JANMI, we offer practical aftercare rooted in biology and simplicity:

Deep nasal breathing (inhale 4s, exhale 8s)
Cold water facial splashes in the morning
Humming or chanting softly to yourself
Slow nature walks, barefoot if possible
Lying flat with hands on the belly while breathing slowly

These aren’t hacks. They are reminders of how your body wants to function.

Chapter 7: A Personal Message From Paulius

When I began studying soft tissue therapy, I thought healing was about pressure, precision, and muscle knowledge. Over time, I realised the body is not a machine. It is a garden.

The vagus nerve is the gardener.

At JANMI, we don’t just want you to feel better. We want your body to return to its natural rhythm — the rhythm of nature, of breathing, of calm strength.

JANMI Integrated Therapy Plus is not a premium label. It is a response to what I see every day: bodies needing softness, not just strength; stimulation, not just silence.

Come try it. Bring your nervous system. Bring your story.