In a world that constantly pushes us into action, deadlines, and doing, the greatest act of self-care might just be learning how to be. At the heart of this shift lies one of the body’s most profound healing mechanisms: the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) — your built-in pathway to peace, rest, and restoration.
How It’s Changed Me
In the busiest moments of my life — running a wellness brand, managing complex work challenges, and being a mother to a spirited 2-year-old boy — it’s been these slow, inward practices that have
truly anchored me.
Motherhood in these early years is a mirror. It reflects everything — our pace, our triggers, our presence. Through Yin Yoga and breathwork, I began shifting into mindful parenting, becoming more aware, more present with my son. I learned to hold space for his emotions while regulating my own. The breath became my anchor; the pause, my power.
This is where yoga lives not just on the mat, but in how we listen, how we respond, how we show up when it matters most. The art of living is already within us, in every ordinary moment made sacred through presence.
Your Inner Wiring: The Autonomic Nervous System Vagal Tone
Our body is constantly processing information even when we’re not consciously aware of it. This is the role of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which governs automatic functions like the heart rate, digestion, breath, and emotional response.
It has two primary branches:
At the heart of the parasympathetic system lies a powerful nerve: the vagus nerve, a long cranial nerve that connects the brain to key organs like the heart, lungs, and gut. The quality of your vagal
tone of how efficiently your vagus nerve works plays a major role in your resilience.
A strong vagal tone allows you to:
The best part? Vagal tone can be strengthened. Through conscious practices like slow breathing, humming, chanting, cold exposure, and yin yoga, we begin to train the nervous system to recognize safety — and shift more easily into parasympathetic dominance.
A few simple breath practices that support the PNS:
Yin Yoga Poses to Calm the Nervous System
Butterfly Pose –
Targets: Inner thighs, lower back, Kidney & Liver meridians
Hold: 3–5 mins
Benefits: Calms the heart, grounds survival energy, encourages inward focus
Caterpillar Pose –
Targets: Spine, hamstrings, Bladder meridian
Hold: 3–6 mins
Benefits: Activates the body and backline, releases tension, supports emotional detox
Reclining Twist –
Targets: Spine, Liver & Gallbladder meridians
Hold: 3–5 mins each side
Benefits: Massages internal organs, soothes digestive system, quiets the mind
Final Reflection
In every quiet pose, every deep exhale, we are rewriting our relationship with the nervous system, telling it: you can soften now. We don’t need to do more. We simply need to pause, breathe, and feel. That’s where the magic begins.
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