When helping my patients recover from mold illness, I zero in on the big hitters: leaving behind the moldy environment, detoxing your body, and making dietary changes. 

Those steps are absolutely crucial!

But there are other powerful tools in your recovery toolbox. Enter the vagus nerve.

This incredible nerve is like your body’s superhighway for healing. It’s crucial for calming inflammation, supporting detox pathways, and helping your body switch into repair mode. (1)

When you focus on vagus nerve toning, somatic therapy, and brain training, you can take your recovery to the next level. 

Let’s look at some simple, actionable ways to boost your vagus nerve, release tension, and retrain your brain – because healing from mold illness is not just about what you eat or how you detox; it’s about supporting your whole body and mind on this journey.

What Is the Vagus Nerve and Why Is It Key in Mold Recovery?

The vagus nerve is like your body’s superhighway for healing, sending signals back and forth between your brain and vital organs – think heart, lungs, and gut. It’s constantly working behind the scenes, helping to regulate digestion, heart rate, and inflammation levels. (2)

But its real magic comes from its role in activating your parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” mode your body needs to repair and recover. (3)

When mold invades your system, it’s not just your immune response that goes haywire. Chronic inflammation can keep your body stuck in survival mode, also known as fight-or-flight. 

When your vagus nerve is working well (we call that having good vagal tone), it acts like a signal to flip the switch back to calm, rest, and healing (4). But if your vagus nerve is struggling, your body can stay trapped in that hypervigilant state, unable to fully recover. 

Boosting vagal tone helps shift your body out of this constant alarm state, turning off the inflammation, supporting detox pathways, and restoring balance to your immune system. (5) 

Why Vagus Nerve Health Matters

So, what exactly does good vagal tone mean for your overall health?

It’s about much more than just feeling calm; it’s linked to a host of vital functions, including:

• Decreasing Blood Pressure
• Reducing Heart Rate
• Lowering Inflammation or Pain
• Managing Stress and Anxiety
• Regulating Mood
• Transferring Sensory Information
• Delivering Information Between the Brain and Gut
• Regulating Swallowing and Speech 

Basically, nurturing your vagus nerve is a holistic approach to health that can profoundly impact your recovery from mold illness. Focusing on improving your vagal tone addresses your symptoms and supports your body’s ability to heal itself.

Symptoms and Causes of Poor Vagal Tone

When vagal tone is low, it means the vagus nerve isn’t functioning at its best. This can leave your body stuck in a fight-or-flight mode, making it difficult to recover from mold illness and other chronic conditions. 

Common symptoms of poor vagal tone include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Digestive issues like bloating, constipation, or poor digestion
• Anxiety or depression
• High or irregular heart rate
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Poor stress tolerance
• Frequent headaches or migraines
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating

These symptoms indicate that the vagus nerve isn’t communicating effectively between the brain and the body, keeping you in a constant state of stress and inflammation.

Causes of Poor Vagal Tone

Several factors can contribute to poor vagal tone, including:

• Chronic stress: Prolonged stress can weaken the parasympathetic nervous system, leaving the vagus nerve unable to properly regulate relaxation and healing.
• Inflammation: Mold exposure, chronic illness, or gut imbalances can trigger ongoing inflammation, impairing vagus nerve function.
• Trauma: Physical or emotional trauma can disrupt the body’s ability to maintain proper vagal tone.
• Poor gut health: Since the vagus nerve is a key player in the gut-brain axis, issues like leaky gut or dysbiosis can negatively affect vagal tone.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity can weaken vagal tone over time, as movement stimulates the vagus nerve and promotes a healthy parasympathetic response.
• Toxin exposure: Ongoing exposure to environmental toxins, including mold, can disrupt vagus nerve signaling and keep the body in a heightened state of stress.

How to Improve Vagal Tone and Support Mod Recovery

Now that you understand the vital role the vagus nerve plays in mold illness recovery – and how poor vagal tone can hold you back – it’s time to focus on practical steps you can take to boost your vagal tone. 

Here are some highly effective, actionable ways to tone your vagus nerve and accelerate recovery.

Breathwork and Diaphragmatic Breathing
Slow, deep breathing from your diaphragm is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to activate your vagus nerve. (6, 7)

Aim for slow, controlled breaths where your belly expands on each inhale. This type of breathing signals to your body that it’s safe to relax, promoting parasympathetic activity.

Try this: Practice 4-7-8 breathing – inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. Repeat for several minutes daily to help reduce stress and improve vagal tone.

Cold Exposure

Exposing your body to cold temperatures can stimulate the vagus nerve and improve tone. (8)

Start small by splashing cold water on your face, or take short cold showers to get your body used to the sensation. Over time, this practice can help your body better regulate its stress responses.

Try this: End your shower with 30 seconds of cold water. Gradually increase the time as you get used to the cold.

Humming, Chanting, or Singing

The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords, so activities like humming, chanting, or singing can stimulate the nerve and promote relaxation. (9) These exercises can also help relieve tension in the neck and throat, which can affect vagus nerve function.

Try this: Sing along to your favorite song, or hum softly for a few minutes a day. Chanting “Om” is another option to directly activate the vagus nerve.

Garling

It may sound simple, but gargling water vigorously can stimulate the vagus nerve. The action triggers a gag reflex, which sends signals along the nerve to help tone it over time.

Try this: Gargle with water for 30 seconds once or twice a day, especially after brushing your teeth.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation practices help reduce stress and anxiety, promoting parasympathetic activity and calming the nervous system. Regular meditation can improve vagal tone over time by encouraging your body to stay relaxed more often. (10)

Try this: Start with just 5 minutes of mindfulness meditation each day, focusing on deep, slow breathing and bringing your attention to the present moment. Gradually increase your time as it becomes part of your routine.

Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy focuses on reconnecting your mind and body to release stored tension, trauma, and stress that disrupt vagal tone. (11) By incorporating movement-based practices such as yoga, tai chi, or somatic experiencing, you can help calm the nervous system and improve the body’s ability to heal.

Try this: Start a simple yoga or tai chi practice at home, or work with a somatic therapist to identify exercises that help release stress and improve vagal tone.

Brain Retraining

Brain training techniques are designed to help you recover from chronic stress, trauma, and illness by rewiring maladaptive stress and trauma responses in the brain. 

Retraining programs teach your brain to shift away from ingrained stress patterns, which can directly improve vagus nerve function and overall resilience.

Try this: Explore brain retraining programs like Primal Trust, which guide you through daily exercises that help reprogram the brain’s stress response and promote healing. 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve and improve parasympathetic function, making it a valuable tool for those looking to boost their vagal tone. (12) This traditional therapy can help regulate the body’s stress responses, reduce inflammation, and support overall recovery.

Try this: Find a qualified acupuncturist experienced in vagus nerve stimulation to add this practice to your recovery toolkit.

Integrating Vagus Nerve Toning into Your Mold Recovery

Vagus nerve toning can be a game changer for mold recovery. To get started, focus on small, easy steps you can fit into your daily routine. Here’s how:

Start Small

Pick one or two practices, like deep breathing or cold exposure. Consistency is key, so aim for short, daily practice to gradually improve your vagal tone.

Combine with Habits

Incorporate vagus nerve exercises into things you already do. For example, gargle after brushing your teeth or hum while doing chores. Little actions can make a big difference over time.

Somatic Therapy for Release

Working with a certified somatic therapist can be incredibly effective in releasing stored stress and promoting deep relaxation. While simple movements like yoga or stretching are a great start, having expert guidance can help you navigate the deeper layers of stored trauma and tension. Personally, I incorporate somatic therapy into my own healing practice and have found it to be a powerful tool for resetting my nervous system.

Try Brain Retraining

Brain retraining programs like Primal Trust help rewire stress responses that may linger after mold exposure. Set aside just 15 minutes a day to practice rewiring your brain.

Prioritize Rest

Rest is essential for vagal health. Add in mindfulness or meditation for a few minutes each day to reset your nervous system and support recovery.

Track Progress

Keep a journal of how you feel after each vagus nerve toning session. Over time, you’ll likely notice improvements in your stress levels and overall well-being.

Empower Your Recovery with Vagus Nerve Healing

Healing from mold illness is about more than just removing the exposure – it’s about supporting your body’s recovery systems, including your vagus nerve. By incorporating simple, actionable steps to improve vagal tone, you can promote better healing, reduce stress, and start feeling more like yourself again.

Ready to dive deeper into your mold recovery journey? 

Schedule a consultation to explore how vagus nerve toning and other personalized strategies can help you overcome mold illness and achieve lasting wellness.

Curious if mold is affecting your health? 

Take my FREE Mold Quiz to discover your risk and learn how a tailored plan can help you regain your vitality.

Resources

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5859128/
2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23266-parasympathetic-nervous-system-psns
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4107166/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9093220/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19249921/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334714/
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099099/
10. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201602/mindfulness-meditation-and-the-vagus-nerve-share-many-powers
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10686263/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24359451/