Nervous System Support: Eye Movement, Courage, and your Vagus Nerve

This short shares a fascinating bit of research from Dr. Andrew Huberman (Stanford neuroscientist) about the role of eye movements in facilitating the release of dopamine which helps us to have courage in the face of difficulty. I offer a brief practice to engage in the Basic Exercise from Stanley Rosenberg's book, The Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve, and some guided eye movements to integrate between left and right sides of your body and brain. Enjoy!
More resources can be found at: drarielleschwa...

[@girlwithflowers8058]

For anyone not feeling anything while doing the basic exercise that dr Schwartz presented, please don't worry. Especially if you're someone who dissociates. What you're looking for is any sort of release, which can be a swallow or yawn like the good doctor said, but it could also be a sigh, a deeper exhale, a very subtle change of energy, or nothing at all. It doesn't mean you're failing if none of the usual responses apply to you 😊 It took me about two years to even start feeling my body again after a lifetime of dissociating. The courage the doctor mentioned is allowing yourself to try and trust the process!

[@eugeneano285]

I was just going to ask a similar question here. I don't feel anything though I am well aware of my body. Dissociation is still possible cause

[@ZhekaTrololo]

I'm a huge dissociator too! Please tell what you was doing to overcome dissociation? What methods, practices, exercises, technics?

[@sharynbailey4235]

I took a deep breath almost immediately when looking to the right. Took quite a bit longer looking to the left but felt great afterwards. Have recently been doing Brainspotting with my therapist which I've found to be super powerful. And several years ago I had six EMDR sessions around the memory of an especially traumatic event. I've never had the memory again. Thanks so much for sharing this 🙏

[@AmeliaRose1212]

Thank you. This exercise usually stops panic attacks for me before they are full blown.

[@cathyulrich8817]

Crazy to feel the tightness in muscles, fascia just from 👀 looking right or left. Learning body awareness is crucial! Thank you 🙏 Cathy U.

[@kirsty1997]

I cannot thank you enough for this video - for me, it's been the most effective 'antidote' for my anxiety than almost anything else I've tried. So grateful for your work 🙏🏼

[@Sup_Man1]

❤ I love your gentle way of teaching

[@lynnromenesko3140]

Thank you. I had a huge release of crying after putting my hand over my heart & looking side to side. My body needed that.

[@emilyjohnson285]

I have read and incorporated Dr. Rosenberg's exercises in my life, but I appreciate following along with you. Thank you for modeling the seated position and providing self-reflective questions to further deepen the practice.

[@barbarajones7522]

Oh wow, that was very interesting. I felt my heart rate increase when I looked to the right and then after the left, I too felt very calm, thank you for sharing this!

[@fionaperkins2524]

Felt nauseus which was interesting. With stress it's my digestive system that suffers the most. And I felt relaxed afterwards once I reset my vagus nerve. Will be doing this more...thank you

[@DinaMadi23]

Thank you Dr Schwartz! I have been doing this exercise quite often in the past year but always lying down so it was really nice to know that doing it seated is also an option. Your explanations were very useful and I also loved the integration part. Blessings ✨

[@cherylwilsherlimberlife7210]

Enjoying combing the exercise with tuning in, makes more sense to do this

[@dr.arielleschwartz913]

Yes, awareness is so key, it allows you to register the changes as a new “somatic marker” for positive change!

[@dr.arielleschwartz913]

Cheryl, I tried to reply…but I think it went into another comment below, thank you for writing about your experience!

[@constantinmihailpopescu2772]

Many thanks with gratitude !

[@anitaorton681]

Dr Arielle thank you for sharing with us, I will definitely use it with my clients and also a good practice for me 🌼

[@SkinMaMi]

This was wonderful, what a great way to calm down in the middle of the day.

[@SusanAndrews-Baud]

Thank you for this. This is the first of your videos I have watched and I really enjoyed it. I am autistic and struggle to feel anything by way of changes in my nervous system. I am hoping that by subscribing and following your videos I can gradually learn to feel more.

[@dreamweavings6946]

Beautiful, thanks for sharing 🤍love Andrew’s work 🙌🏼

[@norahstuff8327]

I wish all of your videos were as crisp and high resolution as this one is. So much easier on the eyes when videos aren't blurry. All of your content is FANTASTIC but sometimes the video quality is a little rough!

[@inluminance]

What a wonderful technique! Thank you very much for sharing.

[@veerleverkeerd8183]

Thank you so much for yet another amazing video

[@wren1114]

Thank you Dr. Schwartz

[@user-bd4bo4tb8u]

So good! I learn so much from Huberman Lab podcast.

[@jennifersdaydream]

This is so helpful; thank you so much 🙏🏻

[@erwinvarga]

Greetings dear Arielle. Congratulations! I have had a meteosensitivity for several years. Do you think that the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve have to do with meteosensitivity? Thank you very much. God bless you. ☺

[@kymstine6633]

This was very challenging holding static right. My body began to panic. With left I wanted to swallow but could not. I am now exhausted.

[@kymstine6633]

I was in a MVA 7 years ago w autonomic NS dysfunction. Have slowly been adding in breathing and balance. This exercise maybe too much? Feel like I’m in recalibrate wonky-ville…

[@valdinealycia6041]

Yes I found it challenging as well.

[@mindyhardy5426]

@@kymstine6633 these made you feel bad?

[@kymstine6633]

​@@mindyhardy5426 if I remember ... it triggered my sympathetic system. My eyes where really messed up from the impact of the accident as well as auditory and vestibular systems

[@RK-qk7ow]

@@kymstine6633 Same, this practice ungrounds me due to symptoms that arise in my head, eyes. I had ANS issues in childhood due to trauma. Perhaps with gentle practice and some time, the effect gets milder?..

[@PropheticCoachTheresa]

WOW amazing, thank you!

[@kimayacarvalho7345]

Thank you ❤

[@emmas2771]

Thank you Dr Schwartz. I did this with my husband whose eyes were operated upon when he was a child to correct strabismus and found it uncomfortable in the eyes. Is there any modification you might recommend?

[@carolineatmer7415]

Thank you so very much 🙏🏼❤️

[@jacquibuckley6015]

What does it mean if you can't keep your eyes to either side for any length of time? I can move my eyes to both sides but they won't stay there.

[@KatherineAnnabella]

Fascinating

[@SandraJ-v9u]

woah. that made me very, very dizzy. but i did emdr about an hour ago, then some tappying, so maybe that has something to do with it. woah.

[@martinamartina5919]

Hi, is normal that after few days of eye exercises - left and right looking i started look double on one eye?.. Can it be because i was pushing too much when trying to look on side as múch as possible?

[@ommanipadmehung3014]

brilliant

[@maxi2406]

Will this help someone in extreme fight/flight/freeze, based on how I function and ANS test.

[@valdinealycia6041]

Thank you

[@desperadopharaoh2361]

when i do this move my eyes to the side and blink i feel a quick pulse or loss of consciousness idk what that is

[@arodriguez1813]

As easy as this seems it is hard for me! I almost feel stressed staring off to the side..

[@rafideep6246]

Voice is very slow.Iam unable to hear so speak loudly

[@anderz64]

EMDR /Forced eye movements can be damaging -flowing eyes combined with mental deactivation /contemplation heals trauma. Still, be careful because trauma erupts and creates pain all the way through the spine into the head. … I know!!!

[@Delphinus_96]

i did that standing... i got dizzy and kinda high!

[@phyllisboyle1162]

I feel all my Muscles letting go.

[@leahsephton3231]

I felt soooooo dizzy omg 😬

[@KllswtchOvrDrv]

Wow! What witchcraft is this??! I feel great!

[@dr.arielleschwartz913]

@@KllswtchOvrDrv lol! So glad it worked for you!

[@surfside-hj2ue]

Thanks.

[@FS-pc9os]

Thank you♥️