Your Body Is Listening:

7 days ago

7 min read

The Soul Muscle, the Vagus Nerve and the Art of Letting Go

Gentle massage during savasana: third eye, neck, ears and shoulders

At the end of each yoga class, I like to offer my students a few moments of gentle massage while they rest in Savasana.

It is a small ritual, but one that I believe can make a meaningful difference to how we finish our practice.

Using a natural massage oil, I begin by gently pressing the acupressure points around the third eye and forehead. I then move towards the back of the neck and around the ears, softly stretching the earlobes and the upper edges of the ears. I finish with a delicate lifting of the hair and gentle pressure on the shoulders, inviting the last traces of physical effort to soften.

These simple gestures are intended to soothe, comfort and create a feeling of safety.

But there is something deeper that interests me about this ritual.

Why can something as simple as gentle touch make us feel so profoundly relaxed? And what is happening in our body when we begin to let go?

To explore this, I would like to introduce two fascinating parts of our anatomy:

the vagus nerve and a muscle often referred to as the soul muscle.

The Vagus Nerve:

A Pathway Between Body and Mind

The vagus nerve is one of the most remarkable communication pathways in the human body.

Beginning in the brainstem, it travels through the neck and chest towards many of our internal organs, including the heart, lungs and digestive system.

Its name comes from the Latin word vagus, meaning , reflecting its extraordinary "journey through the body".

The vagus nerve plays an important role in our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps regulate essential functions such as digestion, heart rate and recovery.

While our sympathetic nervous system prepares us for action and challenge, our parasympathetic nervous system helps support the processes that allow us to rest and restore.

Both systems are essential. We need energy to engage with life, just as we need the capacity to recover afterwards.

The aim of yoga is not to remain permanently calm, but to develop a more flexible and balanced response to life's changing circumstances.

Illustration of the VAGUS nerve and the organs "touched"

Why I Include Massage Around the Ears

One fascinating feature of the vagus nerve is that a small branch reaches parts of the outer ear.

This branch, called the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, supplies sensation to particular areas, especially within the central bowl-shaped region of the ear.

Researchers have been investigating whether stimulation of these areas might influence nervous system activity.

It is important to distinguish this research, which often uses specialised electrical stimulation, from gentle massage. We cannot yet say that pulling the earlobes or massaging around the ears directly activates the vagus nerve in the same way.

Nevertheless, these areas are rich in sensory nerves, and gentle touch can be experienced as deeply comforting.

For me, the value of the closing massage is not only about stimulating a particular nerve. It is about the whole experience: the warmth of the oil, the gentle rhythm of touch, the quiet atmosphere and the opportunity to surrender the effort of the practice.

A few moments in which there is nothing more to achieve.

The Soul Muscle:

Understanding the Psoas

Yes, the psoas is widely called the "muscle of the soul" (or "seat of the soul"), and it is directly hardwired into your body’s instinctual survival response to run from danger.

Why is it called the "Muscle of the Soul"?

The term originates from somatic therapies, Eastern traditions (like Taoism), and yoga practice. It is given this deeply spiritual nickname for several distinct physiological and emotional reasons.

The Ultimate Connector: The psoas is the only muscle that directly connects your upper body to your lower body (attaching from your lower spine, running through the pelvis, to your thigh bone). Because it anchors your central core, it serves as the physical center of gravity and energy.
The Emotional Recorder: Unlike superficial muscles that you actively choose to flex, the psoas is deeply tied to the autonomic nervous system. When you experience trauma, prolonged stress, or fear, the psoas instinctively tightens and stays contracted. Somatic practitioners note that it "stores" unprocessed emotional stress and trauma long after the mind has moved on.
The Breathing Connection: The psoas is physically woven together with your diaphragm (the main muscle used for breathing) via connective tissue (fascia). When you are anxious, a tight psoas constricts your diaphragm, forcing shallow breathing and trapping your mind in a continuous loop of anxiety.

The Muscle Used to Run from Danger

The psoas is often referred to by physiologists as the primary "fight-or-flight" muscle.

When your brain perceives a threat, it activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers an immediate surge of adrenaline. The psoas is your body's first responder. It instantly tightens to prepare you for two specific survival actions:

Flight (Running): As the body's strongest hip flexor, it is the primary muscle responsible for lifting your leg forward. It acts like a coiled spring, ready to launch you into an explosive sprint away from danger.
Protection (The Fetal Position): If running or fighting is not an option, the psoas aggressively contracts to curl your spine and knees inward into a protective, fetal-like "brace" position. This is an evolutionary reflex designed to shield your throat, groin, and vital internal organs from an attacker.

Because modern stress (like work pressure or traffic) triggers the same survival response as a physical predator, many people live with a chronically tight psoas. This frequently manifests as unexplained lower back pain, tight hips, or a subtle, perpetual feeling of being "on edge."

For releasing tension in the psoas, I would prioritise gentle, supported yoga postures over deep stretching like those below:

1. Supported Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

with bricks/blocks or books under your hands for support

BEST FOR LENGTHENING THE PSOAS

Gently tuck the pelvis under and engage the glute of the back leg. Move the hips slightly forward without arching the lower back.

Hold: 30–60 seconds per side.

2. Reclined Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)

This restorative posture invites the hips and pelvis to settle without effort.

Lie comfortably on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to fall gently outward. Place cushions or yoga blocks beneath your thighs for support.

Rest your hands on your abdomen and notice the natural movement of your breathing.

Although this posture is not a direct psoas stretch, it offers an opportunity to release unnecessary muscular effort around the hips and pelvis.

Remain for one to three minutes, or as long as feels comfortable.

Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

Bring your right knee forward and extend your left leg behind you.

Support your right hip with a folded blanket or block if necessary.

Keep your torso upright, with your hands resting on blocks if helpful.

Gently lengthen through the front of your left hip without forcing the lower back into extension.

Hold for 30–60 seconds, then change sides.

4. Supported Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Place a yoga block at a comfortable height beneath your sacrum, not your lower back.

Relax your pelvis onto the block. Keep the knees bent, or gradually extend the legs if comfortable.

Hold: 1–2 minutes.

Extending the hips can gently lengthen the hip flexors, while the support allows the body to rest. Avoid excessive arching of the back.

Your Body Is Listening

Our body and mind are not two separate worlds.

Our thoughts influence our breathing. Our emotions can affect our posture. Our movements and sensory experiences can influence how we feel.

The vagus nerve is one of the physical pathways involved in this continuous communication. Our muscles, including the psoas, are part of how we express and respond to the world around us.

And yoga offers a beautiful opportunity to bring awareness to this relationship.

Perhaps this is something we can take beyond the yoga mat.

Throughout the day, pause occasionally and notice:

Am I holding tension somewhere without realising it?
Is my breathing comfortable, or am I unconsciously restricting it?
Can I soften my shoulders, relax my jaw or simply allow myself a moment of stillness?

Not because we need to be relaxed all the time, but because awareness gives us more freedom in how we respond.

And perhaps that is where the real practice begins.

Your body is always listening. Maybe yoga is our opportunity to listen back.

Humming Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama)

One simple way to invite the nervous system to settle is through Bhramari Pranayama, also known as Humming Bee Breath.

This traditional yogic breathing practice involves making a soft humming sound as we exhale. The gentle vibration can create a soothing sensation around the face, throat and chest, while the slow exhalation encourages us to ease into a calmer rhythm.

Humming Bee Breath works on this nerve through a powerful combination of physiology and sound:

Vocal Cord Vibration (The Physical "Massage"): The vagus nerve passes directly through your vocal cords and larynx (throat). When you perform the low-pitched "Mmmm" sound of the Bee Breath, the physical vibrations create a mechanical resonance that literally massages the nerve branches in your neck. This physical stimulation prompts the vagus nerve to fire, slowing your heart rate.
The Extended Exhale (The Vagal Brake): When you hum, your out-breath naturally becomes significantly longer than your in-breath. Physiologically, inhaling speeds the heart up slightly (sympathetic), while exhaling slows the heart down (parasympathetic) via a mechanism called the "vagal brake". A prolonged, humming exhale maximizes this slowing effect.
Nitric Oxide Boost: Scientific studies show that humming increases nasal nitric oxide production 15-fold. Nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator, which relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and promotes an systemic feeling of physical ease.

Linking the Vagus Nerve Back to the Psoas

These two systems are completely connected.

As long as your brain feels threatened, your sympathetic nervous system tells the psoas muscle to brace, tighten, and prepare to flee.
By practicing Humming Bee Breath, you stimulate the vagus nerve to broadcast a biological "all clear" signal to the entire body.
Once the vagus nerve drops your heart rate and signals safety, the chemical alarms shut off, allowing the chronically tense psoas muscle to finally let go and relax.