Aromatherapy for the Vagus Nerve

Do you remember the coffee jingle… “the best part of waking up – is Folgers in your cup”?

While a coffee connoisseur could argue the brand isn’t the best part…

…I’d argue that it’s the smell of coffee.

What does the smell of coffee brewing evoke for you?

The sense of smell is fascinating as your reactions to it are instantaneous.

A smell can have you reminiscing over a fond memory or it can trigger a craving for a certain food. 

It can also signal danger is lurking.

Such as the smell of something burning and rotten food!

Smells tap right into your vagus nerve, mission control for fight or flight and rest, digest and chill mode. 

Hence it’s the quickest way to get to a relaxed parasympathetic state or a hyper focused energized state. 

It’s so simple that it’s often overlooked as a powerful tool to support the body.

When paired with breath work, meditation or any other stress relieving activity you can ascend to a new level of chill. 

And when used during the workday or during a mid-afternoon slump aromatherapy can offer a pick me up for a tired nervous system. 

I recently interviewed Jessica Frandson, co-owner of CAMPO Beauty, an essential oil aromatherapy and beauty oil line. (click HERE to listen).

CAMPO has blends with the intention of whisking you away to the ocean, desert, and woods.

And there are ones for sleep, focus, energy and manifestation too.

They even offer their Flight blend and aromatherapy collection to ease the stress of travel at the John Wayne airport in California.  

After the podcast it hit me how important scents are to the health of the vagus nerve.

Your vagus nerve spends most of the time in fight or flight due to the flow of modern society. 

It needs a little kick to get it out of it’s hyper vigilant fight or flight stressed state.

Aromatherapy could be the thing.

Case in point…the one thing that many of my clients tell me is “doc, I will do all the lifestyle changes you ask but don’t take away my coffee!”

Coffee is a ritual, it brings pleasure and has a stimulating aroma. 

The olfactory system (that’s the nerve in your nose) has direct connection to the vagus nerve.

If every morning you’re waking up dragging and coffee is your bright spot of the day…could it be the aromatherapy effect not the caffeine that gets you going?

Same thing for the afternoon coffee “pick me up”?

I don’t drink coffee but love smelling it and going to coffee shops. 

There is something warm and cozy about the smell that makes me want to find a shop, crack open my lap top and write for a bit.

The first friend I made in my tiny Wisconsin town?… the owner of the coffee shop!

Take a moment right now to reminisce on your favorite smells…

…cookies, bread or apple pie in the oven, fresh made waffle cones, burgers on the grill, pine trees on a hike, lilacs, Lilly of the Valley, salty ocean air at the beach?

Now you know some of mine. 

Can you identify any scents that bring you calm, focus or energy?

If not, this is where playing with different blends of essential oils and aromatherapy scents comes in.

Now if you have favorite synthetic scents in Yankee candles, Glade plug-ins, laundry soap, Bath and Body Works products, perfumes…you get the idea…

.. the synthetic scents you like can guide you toward what might be an amazing non-toxic essential oil blend for you. 

Save your liver and cells and throw out those toxic scents – they really do trash your body and I can prove it on labs!

Once you’ve found some scents that you like, carry them with you and use them when you need energy, focus or calm and see what works for you.

If you need some inspiration CAMPO Beauty has options as do Rocky Mountain Essential Oils, Young Living, Doterra and a lot of other brands.

The key here is to be very picky about how the oils are sourced and made.

I go into this with Jessica in my podcast. 

Keep in mind, good quality essential oils and blends sourced with the best non-toxic ingredients are going to be more expensive. 

The beauty of essential oils is that they last a while and a little goes a long way. 

Investing in a vaporizer for the home not only helps improve indoor air health it doubles as a mood lifter, chill or focus enhancer.

Find scents that you like and then see what benefit they have for your nervous system. 

Target the scents to different times of the day and your needs.

I’ll be having Jessica Frandson from CAMPO Beauty on the podcast again to talk more about aromatherapy, breath work and the vagus nerve!

Right now I’m waiting for her oils to arrive to test them out so by our second podcast you’ll hear all about what I learned from my interaction with CAMPO Beauty. 

For now, check out our podcast intro to aromatherapy – click HERE – and happy “scent-sing” your world to find the scents that benefit you the most!

Here’s to your health,

Dr. J

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