Your Nervous System Doesn't Need a Reset. It Needs Retraining. | Jane Ollis

In this conversation, Les Raymond sits down with biochemist and entrepreneur Jane Ollis to explore the science of chronic stress, the autonomic nervous system, the vagus nerve, and the emerging field of non-invasive neuromodulation. Jane explains why nervous-system regulation is better understood as a process of retraining and recalibration, using different tools to help build greater capacity and resilience over time.

In this episode..

• Why chronic stress can make it harder for the nervous system to return to baseline

• The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system

• Why the vagus nerve plays such an important role in regulation

• How the ear provides access to a branch of the vagus nerve • Why nervous-system regulation isn't as simple as hitting a “reset” button

• How we may be able to gradually retrain and recalibrate our response to stress

• Why different nervous systems respond differently to the same practices

• Heart rate variability, or HRV, and what it can tell us about resilience and recovery

• Why your individual HRV trends may matter more than comparing your number with someone else's

• The relationship between chronic stress, sleep, energy, and recovery

• Why stress can contribute to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

• Jane's experience with menopause, disrupted sleep, and nervous-system regulation

• How vagus nerve stimulation works

• Why stimulation doesn't necessarily need to feel strong to have an effect

• The emerging science of pairing vagus nerve stimulation with breathing, meditation, movement, or learning

• Neuroplasticity and the nervous system's ability to adapt

• What researchers are still learning about neuromodulation

• Why there may never be one nervous-system tool that works equally well for everyone

• Simple ways to support regulation, including breathing, meditation, music, humming, connection, and other practice

s • How technology may become another tool in a much larger nervous-system toolkit

Les also shares his experience using Sona and what he has noticed after experimenting with several different vagus nerve stimulation devices.

One of the most important ideas in this conversation is that regulation isn't necessarily about eliminating stress.It's about developing greater "capacity". The goal is to help the nervous system become more flexible so that stress can rise when it's needed and settle when the challenge has passed.And that process may look different for each of us. Meditation, slow breathing, sleep, movement, relationships, time for recovery, and emerging technologies such as vagus nerve stimulation can all become pieces of a larger toolkit for supporting the nervous system.

Les and The Mindful Movement have an affiliate relationship with Sona. If you choose to purchase through our link, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

CHECK OUT THE SONA DEVICE HERE

*This conversation is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Research into non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and neuromodulation continues to evolve, and some potential applications discussed in this episode remain preliminary or anecdotal. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your individual circumstances.*#NervousSystem #VagusNerve #ChronicStress #StressRelief #NervousSystemRegulation #Sleep #HRV #Neuroplasticity #Mindfulness #TheMindfulMovement
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Thanks so much for all of your support!

With gratitude,

Les and Sara

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