As a GP, I understand the science behind vagus nerve stimulation. I know the vagus nerve is the body’s master regulator, that it connects the brain to the body, and that it governs that all-important shift from ‘fight-or-flight’ into ‘rest-and-digest’. I know the mechanism, but I don’t think I really expected the impact.

I definitely wasn’t prepared for how much of a difference I would feel.

How I yōjō

My routine is simple.

Every night, when I go to bed, I grab my yōjō. I apply the gel to the earpiece and pop it in my ear. I find a comfortable intensity and then just let the gentle electrical pulses do their thing.

I also use it during the day when I remember. This is becoming more frequent because the benefits have become harder to ignore.

The sensation took a little getting used to — little electrical zaps that you have to set to your comfort level — but it quickly became something I looked forward to rather than something I had to remind myself to do.

What surprised me most

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

I’ve always been someone who can lie awake, mind whirring, tossing and turning for hours before finally dropping off. In the first few days of using yōjō, I noticed I was falling asleep faster.

At first, I put this down to coincidence, a good few days, or a placebo effect. But now, several months in, I can say with confidence that it is none of these.

On the nights I use yōjō versus the nights I don’t, there is a noticeable difference.

My Garmin data backs this up, too: sleep quality has genuinely improved, not just my perception of it. And that matters to me as someone who values having objective data alongside improvements in how I feel.

Getting to sleep faster has been the biggest win.

Anyone who knows that particular frustration of lying in the dark, wide awake, brain refusing to switch off, will easily understand just how significant this has been.

A shift in how I think about my nervous system

Something I didn’t anticipate was how using yōjō would make me more intentional about my parasympathetic nervous system more broadly.

Understanding something intellectually and actively working on it are two different things. yōjō has brought vagal tone into my daily awareness in a way that’s spilled over into other habits.

I now use the physiological sigh regularly — a double inhale through the nose followed by a long exhale — which is one of the fastest ways to manually activate your parasympathetic nervous system. It’s the kind of technique I’ve always known about, but yōjō has made me more motivated to layer these practices together.

I feel more in control of my own nervous system regulation, and that feeling of agency is something I hadn’t expected to value as much as I do.

Would I recommend it?‍

I started this journey curious. I’m continuing it as a genuine convert.

Whether you’re someone who struggles to wind down at night, feels chronically overstimulated, or simply wants to feel more grounded in your own body, yōjō offers something that is both accessible and, in my experience, genuinely effective.

The science was always there. And now I’ve felt it for myself.

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Does stress ever feel like a real, physical threat to you? Nothing has actually happened, no danger is in the room, yet your body acts like something is about to attack you.

As strange as it may seem, to your nervous system, that reaction makes sense because, to your nervous system, the threat is real.

Your brain scans for danger all the time. A small almond-shaped part of the brain called the amygdala flags anything that might be a threat. It then signals another region, the hypothalamus, to get the body ready to respond. The hypothalamus turns on two stress systems at once. The first is the sympathetic nervous system, which releases adrenaline. The second is the HPA axis, which releases cortisol.

This is the fight-or-flight response. Your heart speeds up, blood pressure rises, muscles tense up, digestion slows, and focus sharpens.

The body runs this same response whether the trigger is a wild animal, an injury, or a short message from your boss.

Research suggests physical and psychological threats activate the same two stress pathways — the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis — releasing the same core hormones, even though the brain processes each kind of threat a little differently.

Physical threats are handled quickly by lower brain regions. Psychological threats involve higher-thinking areas — the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. That's because they need to be interpreted. A deadline is only taken to be dangerous once you’ve decided it is. Your body then reacts to it as if it had teeth.

Why modern life confuses your stress system

Fight-or-flight evolved for one kind of problem: short, physical, and over quite quickly. A predator shows up, you run, fight, or freeze, and within minutes the threat ends. If you survive, your body powers down and gets back to normal.

The scientist Robert Sapolsky explains this in his book Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. A zebra escapes a lion and returns to grazing within minutes. It does not sit under a tree worrying about the next attack.

Humans do. We ruminate. Cows are called ruminants because they chew cud. We chew the cud of our minds — endlessly replaying past mistakes or worrying about the future.

We can create a threat just by thinking about one. A deadline three weeks away, a text someone hasn't replied to, a meeting tomorrow, a vague message that could mean two things. Your nervous system treats each of these like real danger, but unlike a predator, they do not go away … they stretch out for hours, days, weeks.

Scientists call this an evolutionary mismatch. Your ancient threat system has not caught up to the modern world it is running in.

Why notifications, meetings, and deadlines feel so heavy

Modern stress has three features that make it especially hard on the nervous system.

It is anticipated.

Your body reacts to threats that have not happened yet. The dread before a meeting can feel as physical as the meeting itself.

It is social.

Conflict at work, feeling left out, or unclear messages can activate the same circuits as physical danger. Research suggests social pain and physical pain use some of the same brain pathways.

It is always-on.

Notifications, group chats, open inboxes, and constant availability mean your nervous system rarely gets the all-clear signal. The threat never fully ends.

A predator encounter ends, an inbox doesn’t.

What this does to your body over time

When the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis stay active for too long, the body builds up what researchers call allostatic load — the wear and tear from being on alert too often.

Long-term cortisol dysfunction affects heart health, immune function, sleep, memory, and metabolism. Sapolsky’s research shows that chronic stress also weakens the parasympathetic nervous system, the part that calms the body down. Over time, the body has a harder time switching off even after the stress is gone.

How to read your stress response differently

Understanding the biology gives you new options.

If a tight chest before opening an email is a flaw, the only fix is to try harder, care less, or push through. None of those work, because none of them deal with the system causing the reaction.

But if a tight chest is your amygdala doing its job in the wrong environment, the question changes. How do you help your system finish the response and return to a calm state?

This is what nervous system regulation means. There’s no need to suppress your stress response when you can support your rest and recovery response.

Slow exhales activate your vagus nerve, which calms your body. Short pauses between stressful moments let your system register safety more often. Sleep, movement, and steady recovery habits train your nervous system to settle down more easily over time.

Evidence indicates regulation is trainable. Vagal tone — a measure of how well your parasympathetic nervous system works, often tracked through heart rate variability (HRV) — improves with steady, repeated practice. The goal is to handle stress by giving your body the signal that the threat has passed.

Vagus nerve stimulation is a precision-engineered and convenient way to do that every day.

The takeaway

When your body reacts to an email like it is a predator, don’t think of it as overreacting. It is a survival response, largely out of your hands. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it evolved to do: spot a threat, ready reserves for action, protect you.

The mismatch is in the environment, not in you.

What do you think of when you think of yoga? Really supple people bending themselves into impossible shapes? Incense-filled rooms with rows of people lying down with their eyes closed? A gong? Is yoga slow and stretchy to you, or hot and hard? Plain and simple, or a complex mix of movement and Sanskrit?

The point is, yoga isn’t really one thing. It consists of multiple styles. Each instructor brings their own flair, wisdom, and understanding to each class. And it takes place in every imaginable setting.

Whatever you think yoga is, there will be an example out there to prove you right. But if you say “yoga is not for me”, you are almost certainly wrong.

While yoga is an ancient practice, it has many practical applications and benefits for the modern world. There are three ways yoga can support your daily life.

Yoga is a good exercise

Yoga’s physical exercises are called asanas. Asanas help develop strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, stability, and flexibility. Regular practise develops power, speed, agility, coordination, and balance. As a result, yoga can improve your heart and musculoskeletal health, protect against injury, and improve sports performance.

Like all forms of exercise, yoga boosts endorphins (feel-good hormones) and reduces cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones). It also improves brain function by promoting the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis), increasing blood flow, and boosting connections between neural networks in your nervous system (neural connectivity).

Yoga promotes healthy breathing

In yoga, movement is linked with breath (pranayama), and deep breathing is encouraged. Deeper breathing brings more oxygen to your muscles, enabling them to work more effectively. It also fuels your brain, helping to maintain focus. Controlled deep breathing also activates the rest-and-digest part of your nervous system (parasympathetic nervous system), shifting your body into calm mode and promoting better nervous system regulation.

The breathing you practice during yoga sessions can move into your everyday life. Deeper, more efficient breathing becomes second nature, and, when feeling overwhelmed, you are more likely to turn to breathing to restore calm and regain a sense of control.

Yoga is relaxing

While many types of yoga are far from relaxing, savasana (relaxation) is a core principle in yoga because the ability to rest and recover is essential to living a balanced life.

Rest is necessary for our brains and bodies to repair and rebuild. Resting refills our batteries and calms our minds, enabling us to refocus on what’s important and giving us the energy to achieve our goals.

In today’s fast-paced world of constant stimulation and pressure to achieve, many of us need to learn how to relax. Regardless of style or purpose, most yoga classes will end with a period of savasana, whether it’s just a couple of minutes of quiet time or a longer period of guided meditation.

This often feels strange or difficult to begin with, especially if you have ADHD, are a fidgeter, or tend towards constant busyness. But like all skills, we improve with practice. And savasana is not about clearing or ignoring our thoughts; its purpose is physical rest, nervous system rejuvenation, and the observation of thoughts without dwelling on them.

Yoga can be a space for simply being present, without the pressure to ‘do’.

Finding the right style

First, look for a class, in person or online, that fits your goals and personality.

If you like challenges and want to make big fitness gains, try Vinyasa, Flow, Ashtanga, or Power yoga. These classes will include exercises such as push-ups, arm balances, and explosive movement to build strength and power, and allow only minimal rest to increase your heart rate and build stamina. These classes can be as physically challenging as CrossFit or HIIT.

If you want to learn the fundamentals of yoga and get an all-round workout, plus some relaxation, look for Hatha yoga. Hatha classes are accessible to all levels and usually include strength, balance, and flexibility.

If you are a bit of a perfectionist or like to delve deep into the technical aspects of things, try Iyengar classes, where the focus is on alignment, with lots of detailed cueing and props to help you achieve the best version of each position. Iyengar can also be helpful if you have an injury or chronic condition, as it’s unlikely you will push too hard and make it worse.

If you love to sweat, Hot or Bikram yoga is done in a heated room. This style warms the muscles and connective tissues for deeper stretches. It also increases your heart rate, bringing great cardiovascular benefits.

If you’re looking to focus on activating your parasympathetic nervous system, seek out restorative classes. Restorative yoga encourages passivity and stillness, relying on soft props (bolsters and blankets) to reduce the physical exertion needed to achieve poses.

Finally, Yin yoga is a slow-paced class where poses are held for several minutes. This targets deep connective tissues, improving flexibility and circulation. The challenge of Yin yoga is both physical and mental: holding yourself at the edge of discomfort while avoiding fidgeting or distraction.

Giving it a go

Yoga is for you. You only have to spend some time finding the style, teacher, and community that appeal to you.

Do you want a relaxed atmosphere where students and teachers interact during class, or do you prefer a silent practice to allow you to focus only on yourself? Are you open to the spiritual side of yoga, or is it all about the science of the exercises?

Before joining a class, check out the instructor or studio’s website and social media, and don’t be afraid to contact them for clarity on what’s on offer. Online classes and apps are a great way to explore different styles, and they give you the flexibility of practicing when and for how long you want.

yōjō offers simple movement activities on our app. They only take a few minutes, are mostly drawn from yoga, and can be the perfect way to start experiencing its benefits.

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