The Cabral Concept 3567: Struggling to Swallow, Speak, or Breathe Easily? The Vagus Nerve Connection (TWT)
Nov 11, 2025
Discover how the vagus nerve impacts everyday functions like swallowing, speaking, and breathing. Explore the connection between chronic stress and low vagal tone, leading to throat tightness and shallow breathing. Learn about practical techniques to improve vagal tone, such as humming, gargling, and gentle movement. Delve into the importance of gut-brain communication and the effects of trauma on the nervous system. Plus, find out about essential tests for assessing stress and inflammation for a holistic approach to health.
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Vagus Nerve Links Throat, Heart, Lungs, Gut
- The vagus nerve connects the brainstem to throat, heart, lungs, and digestive tract and mediates rest vs. stress signals.
- Gut inflammation and infections can send stress signals up this axis and worsen swallowing, speaking, and breathing.
Stress Blocks The Rest-and-Digest Mode
- Chronic sympathetic (fight-or-flight) dominance prevents the body from entering parasympathetic rest needed for eating and digestion.
- Being stressed while eating impairs peristalsis and promotes reflux and IBS.
Symptoms Reflect Nervous System State
- Low vagal tone or vagus overwhelmed by sympathetic input causes globus sensation, throat tightness, shallow breathing, and weak voice.
- These symptoms reflect nervous system state more than structural throat problems.
