Introduction in english

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Hello and welcome to this blog dedicated to the relationship between the voice and the vagus nerve!

If the vagus nerve is increasingly known to the general public, as evidenced by the numerous articles and videos that are now found on the web, its intimate relationship with singing is still relatively unknown.

Many people recommend singing among the activities that can stimulate the vagus nerve in a positive way, but the opposite, stimulating the vagus nerve to sing better, is still a, let's say, vague concept.
For my personal journey with this nerve, I refer you to the article on this blog “How I became interested in the vagus nerve”.

Let's move on to some explanations:

The vagus nerve is the tenth of our twelve cranial nerves. Three of its branches, the pharyngeal branch, the inferior laryngeal nerve (also called the recurrent nerve) and the superior laryngeal nerve, are responsible for fundamental elements of singing such as movements of the soft palate and the back of the tongue, the opening and closing of the vocal cords, and their tension and elongation. We therefore understand its importance for the voice. Here you find an article in English on the vagus nerve and its relationship to singing.

The vagus nerve is a very long nerve, which runs from the head to the lower abdomen, hence its name, it is a wandering nerve. It is also called the pneumogastric nerve. It is the most important nerve of our parasympathetic nervous system which belongs, with the sympathetic nervous system, to our autonomic nervous system. Autonomous, therefore responsible for automatic activities of our functioning.

Which explains why singing cannot be learned like other instruments, many elements escape our conscious will.

The autonomic nervous system is beyond our control but is influenced by our emotions. Dangers, real or imaginary, can thus overstimulate the sympathetic system: its function is precisely to allow us to "fight or flight", as we say in English, "to fight or flee", when faced with danger.

Conversely, the parasympathetic system takes care of our rest and digest situations.

We therefore understand that since the vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic system and since it has a very great importance in voice production, it will work better if we are calm and relaxed.
It is therefore important that people who sing have techniques to find inner calm, especially when they have to perform in public, a situation which will stimulate the sympathetic system.

But cultivating a state of inner calm may not be enough. Physiological responses to stress can be so ingrained that the vagus nerve can be impeded in several places, from its exit from the skull to the lower abdomen, when it is surrounded by constantly contracted muscles. However, any blockage has a negative effect on its general functioning.

Take the example of tunnel vision and tubal catarrh, two reactions to stress. These reactions involve a constriction of the facial muscles, particularly those of the soft palate, and thus hinder its proper functioning for singing.

For people who are affected by these reactions to stress, I recommend the practice of peripheral vision, which will help regain balance in the autonomic nervous system; the feeling of relaxation at the level of the soft palate can then be immediate. Given the importance of a soft soft palate for singing, vocal production can be immediately optimized. Note, however, that stress is not necessarily the only factor responsible for a vagus nerve hampered by contracted muscles: posture habits, for example, can play an important role.

And as the vagus nerve is very involved in digestion, states of hunger or satiety can, depending on the person, influence its functioning. Some people can only sing well on an empty stomach, others on the contrary need a meal before performing in public. I offer various exercises in the article "What can I do to make my vagus nerve work as well as possible?" But above all, I advise you to do your own research, to take the knowledge that I bring here, to deepen it and to find your own ways of influencing your vagus nerve. Gathering as much information as possible about the autonomic nervous system allows you to develop your own solutions, which necessarily vary from one person to another. It is also obvious that you have already developed several of them, without necessarily knowing that you were balancing your autonomic nervous system. Wishing you a safe journey on this exciting path!