10 Day Nervous System Challenge

Video tutorials
4 x Workbooks
Neural exercises
Worksheets

Posture Reset for Regulation

G R O W Y O U R M I N D - B O D Y M U S C L E

Part 2
 SITTING POSTURE CORRECTION

After watching video two you can practice changing

your posture in sitting. Using a mirror can be really
helpful for building postural awareness and growing your
mind-body muscle.

1. Notice the baseline of your body and the baseline of

your mind before you start.

Body - Restless/ Body - Lethargic/

hyperactive 10
● 1 Heavy/Fatigue

Mind - Racing/anxious 10 1 Mind - Slow thoughts

2. Experiment with moving into a rigid posture. Straighten

your back and stick your chest out. Pull your shoulders
down. Feel the resistance, activation, bracing and rigidity.
What happens to your thoughts?

What do you notice happens to the sensations in your

body?
 SITTING POSTURE CORRECTION

Correct this with the exercise provided in the video.

What do you notice happens to the sensations in

your body?

What happens to your thoughts?

What happens to the baseline of your mind and body?

Body - Restless/ Body - Lethargic/
hyperactive 10
● 1 Heavy/Fatigue

Mind - Racing/anxious 10 1 Mind - Slow thoughts

Reflection: When seated, can you think of times that you

move into a rigid position?

Does this feel familiar or remind you of times in the past?

 SITTING POSTURE CORRECTION

After watching video two you can practice changing

your posture in sitting. Using a mirror can be really
helpful for building postural awareness and growing your
mind-body muscle.

1. Notice the baseline of your body and the baseline of

your mind before you start.

Body - Restless/ Body - Lethargic/

hyperactive 10 1 Heavy/Fatigue

Mind - Racing/anxious 10 1 Mind - Slow thoughts

Experiment with moving into a slumped posture. Let your mid-

body collapse, your shoulders round and your head come
forward. Is there a sense of helplessness and flatness.?

What happens to your thoughts?

What do you notice happens to the sensations in your

body?
 SITTING POSTURE CORRECTION

Correct this with the exercise provided in the video.

What do you notice happens to the sensations in

your body?

What happens to your thoughts?

What happens to the baseline of your mind and body?

Body - Restless/ Body - Lethargic/
hyperactive 10
● 1 Heavy/Fatigue

Mind - Racing/anxious 10 1 Mind - Slow thoughts

Reflection: When seated, can you think of times that you

move into a slumped position

Does this feel familiar or remind you of times in the past?

 POSTURE AND THE BREATH

The lungs have no skeletal muscles of their own.

The work of breathing is done by the diaphragm, the
muscles between the ribs (the intercostal muscles), the
muscles in the neck, and the abdominal muscles.
How these muscles are used depends on the activation of
your nervous system, the position of the spine and the
ribs and your breathing demands, for example exercising
versus relaxing

The diaphragm is attached to the base of the sternum

(breastbone), the lower parts of the rib cage, and the
spine. As the diaphragm contracts, it expands the length
and diameter of the chest cavity and thus expands the
lungs. The intercostal muscles help move the rib cage and
thus assist in breathing.

 You can also notice the link between the breath

and your posture.
The primary inspiratory (breathing in) muscles are the
diaphragm and external intercostals. Relaxed normal
expiration (breathing out) is a passive process from the
elastic recoil of the lungs and surface tension.
However there are a few muscles that help in forceful
expiration (the internal intercostals, intercostalis intimi,
subcostals and the abdominal muscles).
The muscles of inspiration elevate the ribs and sternum,
and the muscles of expiration depress them.

Experiment: Take a deep breath in: do you notice how it

straightens your spine and lifts your chest?
Next, try a very long, long exhalation: do you notice
how your spine slightly flexes?

Accessory muscles are used when we take a deep breath,

when we hyperventilate or exercise.
The accessory muscles for breathing in are the
sternocleidomastoid, the scalenes, pectoralis major and
minor, serratus anterior and latissimus dorsi.

The accessory expiratory muscles are the abdominal

muscles: rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal
obliques, and transversus abdominis.
 Noticing the link between the breath and your
posture.

Our nervous system, breath and our posture will change

together when we face stressors.

When anxious, agitated and wound up we may move into

the sympathetic nervous system and take on an upper
chest breathing pattern. There's often tension in the
neck and shoulders, excess muscle activation and a
shallow breathing pattern. In this state the muscles are
often overworking and sending bottom-up signals to the
brain that there's a threat.

As mentioned, the vagal brake withdraws from the

sinoatrial node and the rate increases, and so too the
number of breaths we take per minute, or our respiratory
rate. We may notice talking and taking breaths between
every few words. It may feel like we can’t take a deep
breath in as though it’s restricted. It may feel choked,
sharp, irregular, tight or forced, especially if we move
towards panic.
Your breath and posture will mirror your

to
nervous system. By paying attention

them you can build autonomic awareness

and have the power to re-regulate it.
 You can also notice the link between the breath
and your posture.

When we feel helpless, flat, shut-down we may move into

the dorsal vagal state. This system brings immobilisation
or energy conservation as a protective response and the
heart rate and blood pressure decreases. In extreme shut-
down or collapse when we face life threatening situations,
there will bradycardia and respiration slows down.

Blood pressure also decreases so we may notice we feel

faint (or do so in the case of vaso-vagal syncope), dizzy or
vague. The breath may feel: slow, missing, flat, empty,
weak, unsatisfying.

Next, we're going to work on changing the posture and your

breathing. You'll move your pelvis like a fulcrum to change your
spine and in-turn your muscles for breathing.
 SETTING UP POSTURE TO OPTIMISE YOUR
BREATHING.

The following exercises help bring your muscles in

balance so they’re not overworking or underworking:

·Start out by paying attention to your breath, in

whatever posture you are in. What do you notice about
your breath?

Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. You may need
to use a foot-rest to support yourself if you can’t reach
the floor.
·Find a small pillow or rolled up towel to use underneath
your pelvis – you’re going to use it to lift the back part,
underneath the sitting bones.
·You want to sit on the edge of the cushion, rather than in
the middle.
·Ideally, your hips are now slightly higher than your knees.
What do you notice about your breath now?
Posture practice
Gently press your feet into the ground and notice how your spine lengthens. Soften the jaw, neck
and shoulders. Let your belly relax. Bring your hands on to your pelvis.

What do you notice about your breathing now?

Imagine that your pelvis is a bowl of honey that you can move. Now move the pelvis so that the
honey tilts to the back of the bowl by tucking your tail-bone under, so you’re in a slightly slumped
posture. Your fingers will be higher than your thumbs. Stay here for 10 breaths.
What do you notice about your breath in this posture?

How does it change?

Does it change how you feel? Are there any sensations and emotions that arise?

Return to the mid-point again, gently stacking one vertebrae on top of the other. Sense a
lengthening through the crown of your head towards the ceiling and relax your jaw, shoulders and
belly.
Stay here for 10 breaths.
What do you notice about your breath in this posture?

How does it change?

Does it change how you feel? Are there any sensations and emotions that arise?

Now tilt your pelvis forward so and that the honey moves to the front of the bowl, your sitbones
lift off the pillow and your thumbs are higher than your fingers. Do you notice tension or tightness
in your shoulders and clenching of your jaw? Does your belly feel restricted?
Stay here for 10 breaths.
What do you notice about your breath in this posture?

How does it change?

Does it change how you feel? Are there any sensations and emotions that arise?
 Getting to know your sitting posture.
Ask someone to take a photo of you with and without
support under your pillow. What do you notice?

Day four of the challenge will be optimising your work

station so that it's as friendly to your mind-body system
as possible. You'll receive an email tomorrow that will
walk you through this process.


DISCLAIMER:
This training is not a substitute for medical advice, it's
for educational purposes only.

This training is subject to copyright.

Please do not copy or re-use this material.

Keen to learn more?

All the details on the next Vagus Nerve Program
can be found at:
www.jessicamaguire.com/vagus-nerve-program