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Stanley Rosenberg

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism Paperback – Illustrated, December 5, 2017

by Stanley Rosenberg (Author), BENJAMIN SHIELD (Foreword), Stephen W. Porges (Foreword)

4.6 2,408 ratings

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The bestselling guide to the vagus nerve, now in 20+ languages: unlock the self-healing power of Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory

Vagus exercises for reducing anxiety, healing trauma, and rebalancing your autonomic nervous system

This comprehensive guide offers an easy-to-understand overview of the vagus nerve—and helps you unlock your body’s innate capacity to heal from stress, trauma, anxiety, and injury.

Dr. Stanley Rosenberg, PhD, dispels long-held myths about the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and offers up-to-date research on how our physical health, emotional wellness, and the vagus nerve are all interconnected. Most importantly, he shows how these insights can help you heal your ANS—and live a less stressed, more balanced, and emotionally regulated life. This book offers:

An in-depth overview of Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory
Step-by-step self-help techniques for regulating the vagus nerve
Vagus exercises to relieve emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms
Real-life case studies and stories from the author’s clinical practice
Insights into the vagus nerve’s role in social behavior
An overview of what happens in our bodies when we get stuck in stress states—and how to heal them
Simple, research-backed recommendations for initiating deep relaxation, improving sleep, healing from trauma, and stimulating recovery from illness and injury

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve is written for therapists, bodyworkers, trauma survivors, parents, and anyone struggling with chronic stress. Grounded in neurobiology research, clinical stories, and easy-to-follow exercises, this book gives you the tools to bring your body back into a state of safety, balance, and optimal functioning.

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Print length

296 pages
Language

English
Publisher

North Atlantic Books
Publication date

December 5, 2017
Dimensions

6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1623170249
ISBN-13

978-1623170240
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Somatic Exercises For Nervous System Regulation: 35 Beginner – Intermediate Techniques To Reduce Anxiety & Tone Your Vagus Nerve In Under 10 Minutes A Day (FeelWell Series)

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Customer reviews

2,408 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides good information on manual therapy and overall health. They find it easy to read and understand, with clear explanations and easy-to-do exercises. The exercises are described clearly and are effective in regulating the nervous system. Readers appreciate the clear pictures for the exercises. However, some customers received a copy with very large print, which is difficult to read.

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Information quality Readability Ease of use Language Anxiety level Pictures Print size

78 customers mention "Information quality"74 positive4 negative

Customers find the book informative and helpful. They say it provides good insight into manual therapy and overall health. The book is a useful resource for practitioners who work with trauma patients.

"I really loved this book about the Vagus Nerve! I learned a lot. It is truly amazing...." Read more

"This is one of those rare books I will likely return to again and again as reference as a neuromuscular therapist following a nervous system approach..." Read more

"...I use for relocating the Atlas, so he does have good insight regarding manual therapy...." Read more

"great to know concerning the CNS...." Read more

34 customers mention "Readability"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read with clear illustrations and exercises. They find it informative and helpful for understanding complex concepts.

"...I learned a lot. It is truly amazing. He offers exercises that can really improve your pain level and stiffness, among many other things...." Read more

"Love this book!" Read more

"I loved this book...." Read more

"...It also has an index which is nice. The book is written so it is very engaging...." Read more

28 customers mention "Ease of use"24 positive4 negative

Customers find the exercises in the book simple and easy to do. They appreciate the clear instructions, illustrations, and step-by-step directions. The exercises are quick and effective for regulating the nervous system.

"...The exercises are well described, so the we can do them ourselves! Highly recommended!" Read more

"...The exercises are, for the most part, quick, quite easy to learn and perform, and effective. 5 stars...." Read more

"...The exercises are simple and amazingly helpful in keeping me functioning on an even keel as God intended...." Read more

"...It's simple enough that it's easy to repost and people have made youtube videos about it...." Read more

25 customers mention "Language"18 positive7 negative

Customers find the book's language clear and engaging. It explains everything clearly and optimistically for both laymen and health professionals. The basic exercise is described in detail, and it helps about 50% of the time. The book is written for any audience, no degree needed.

"...The author describes the polyvagal theory thoroughly and explains some ways of improving your autonomic state from stress or dorsal vagal to social..." Read more

"...book explains many things about the all important vagus nerve, in well written, easy to understand wording. It is a great guide...." Read more

"Just so poorly written it is almost unreadable. Repetitive and not well-organized--such a slog...." Read more

"...don't give it one star is because I did find his explanation of polyvagal theory pretty interesting." Read more

19 customers mention "Anxiety level"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for reducing anxiety levels and improving social interactions. They appreciate the simple techniques to regulate the nervous system, improve posture, and reduce migraines. The exercises are effective in helping calm one's autonomic nervous system, reducing overall tension and occipital muscle tension.

"...I did love his focus on using manual therapy to make changes in a person’s physiological state as using an anatomical perspective is obviously a..." Read more

"...because of the amazing insights it provided me into the God-given bodily mechanisms that are so little thought about but which have such a..." Read more

"...I myself had a 30% decrease in migraine pain after using the salamander). The exercises, however, comprise only about 18% of the book's text...." Read more

"...exercise" is said to be so amazing that it can treat a huge range of difficult to treat ailments, with a 100% success rate...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pictures"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the clear pictures and descriptions provided for the exercises in the book. They find it useful and informative, with easy-to-follow instructions.

"...theory for the lay person and it’s great that there are pictures for the exercises. A +++" Read more

"...and regularly reference it as it has tons of info and exercises with pictures and descriptions." Read more

"...He provides clearly-drawn pictures and excellent, easy-to-do exercises." Read more

"Looks like an interesting book with bunch of pictures, I am still researching it." Read more

4 customers mention "Print size"0 positive4 negative

Customers dislike the print size. They say it's too large for them.

"...The book is in large print (which i did not like), but gives fairly good descriptions of the exercises; I would follow it up by watching videos for..." Read more

"...What the heck?! One last thing- the copy I received is in very large print, like for a visually impaired person, though I did not request this...." Read more

"...Looks like the paperback version is only large print - and it's too large for me. I will be returning and finding a book with a smaller text size." Read more

"THIS IS THE LARGE PRINT VERSION..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

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Spotter
Loved this book! Very eye opening!
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
I really loved this book about the Vagus Nerve! I learned a lot. It is truly amazing. He offers exercises that can really improve your pain level and stiffness, among many other things. Stanley Rosenberg is extremely intelligent. He tried to write this book so everyone could understand. The exercises are well described, so the we can do them ourselves! Highly recommended!

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18 people found this helpful

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N.V.
A great addition to my professional library
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024
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This is one of those rare books I will likely return to again and again as reference as a neuromuscular therapist following a nervous system approach, helping people with musculoskeletal issues.

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5 people found this helpful

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Liz Grothjan
Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2024
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Love this book!

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PTdoctor
I bought this book as I am on a quest to help my son with Aspergers.
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
This author does an excellent job of describing the Polyvagal Theory for manual therapists. If you are not a manual therapist, you may still see some benefit from reading this book. The author describes the polyvagal theory thoroughly and explains some ways of improving your autonomic state from stress or dorsal vagal to social engagement.

I came across this book title while searching for info on Dr. Porges and the Polyvagal Theory. I am a doctor of physical therapy and own a physical therapy practice called Muscle IQ. I have been in practice for over twenty years and use manual therapy techniques during every patient visit. So, I was able to quickly implement his recommended techniques. The Basic Exercise is one he thought up one night before addressing a group that was not licensed to touch clients. It is similar to the muscle energy technique I use for relocating the Atlas, so he does have good insight regarding manual therapy.

The author Mr. Rosenberg is a highly skilled and experienced massage therapist that started a "school" to teach other massage therapists in Denmark some osteopathic techniques. I did love his focus on using manual therapy to make changes in a person’s physiological state as using an anatomical perspective is obviously a perfect match for me as a manual therapist.

In the book he introduced me to the potential of the esophagus tightening up being a cause of the sensation of tightening in the chest that we might call anxiety. Using the technique he described in the book for this condition helped a patient of mine with COPD reduce some of his symptoms. But it was not a cure like the case he mentions in the book.

I have been trying his method to turn the Vagus Nerve on with most all of my patients (and with my son). After following his precise instructions to perform the Basic Exercise (over the last 4 weeks) I have to say that I am disappointed in the results. I have not seen a big change in the uvula lift in most all of my patients (maybe I didn’t get them to yawn enough times).

I am skeptical regarding the validity Mr. Rosenberg's assumptions. In physical therapy school we learned that some tests are what my professor called subjectively objective. This means that even though the test seems to qualify as objective, there is a good probability of the introduction of experimenter bias.

I have to admit that this is one of the difficulties inherent to manual therapy. Especially in craniosacral therapy where ESP (yes, extra-sensory perception) is professed to be the way many practitioners determine whether a patient has positive results. So, I applaud Mr. Rosenberg’s attempt to use different measurements of palpating asymmetry, observation of the uvula lift, and palpation of tension in soft tissues. But again, experimenter bias is easily introduced in these subjectively objective measures.

What’s more, how do we know that being able to lift the uvula demonstrates validity (of being in a social engagement state)? Validity in data collection means that your findings truly represent the phenomenon you are claiming to measure.

Validity in what the author suggests in the book would be the following: If an individual passes the uvula test, then he/she should not have any of the chronic problems the author lists (e.g., my son’s autism is therefore cured) because the ventral vagus is active.

Furthermore, how do we know what Stanley Rosenberg means when he repeatedly states that the client improved after performing the Basic Exercise? He does not quantify the improvement beyond his observation of change. Can the vagus nerve test be quantified? Can the uvula lift be graded like other muscle tests: 0 to 5 out of 5)?

Another issue that should be addressed is yawning (one of the steps in the Basic Exercise that is repeated). Yawning causes the uvula to lift and retract until it almost disappears. So, is that just a warm up exercise that makes it easier to perform the uvula lift during the retest?

He also claims to be able to tell whether someone has low or high heart rate variability by palpating a pulse while observing breathing and breath out. This may be true (or not) but how does he quantify the change. He has a training school so why has he not employed proper equipment to do data collection and publish it.

I am on a quest to find help for my son with autism. The book title includes the word “Autism” but then he transitions to telling about a case study of an autistic client who received more than what is offered in the book. He has an example on YouTube of a student of his (in his two year program) who used craniosacral therapy (taught in the book) on his autistic brother. In a video on YouTube the bother states (contrary to what is in the book) that the main benefits and the cure came after multiple treatments by Mr. Rosenberg.

So, there may be a conflict of interest with his claims of cures.

I am highly skeptical regarding the validity Mr. Rosenberg's assumptions. It is well know that there are experimenter biases in regards to comparing the before and after measurements with observation and palpation. Because of this practitioners and massage therapists are convinced that they always get positive results.

I have found that it is common for manual therapy gurus who teach their methods to over-state the effects of their techniques. "All will be cured with my technique in one visit." It is sometimes called "cherry picking" as one guru recommended that we charge a lot for two or three visits with the marketing ploy that the novel method we were using was better than any other.

My conclusion is that much more is needed (than what the author describes in this book, specifically the Basic Exercise) to "pump up" vagal tone. And, the autism spectrum is more complicated than just poor blood flow to the brain stem. I have found other methods that are helping to down regulate my sons "mobilize with fear" state. I think a combination of a variety of stimuli for the vagus nerve (Rezzimax tuning device for example provided greater observable changes in uvula lift), self-talk therapy (especially with guided imagery), manual therapy in the cranial field, diet changes (keto is helpful, search "keto Dr. Berg" in YouTube or avoiding toxic food and MSG, search Katherine Reid unblindmymind.com), yoga breathing (specifically Breathwalk--which is synchronizing steps with segmented breaths of 4 sniffs and 4 puffs), kundalini breath of fire, therapist or parent using a prosodic voice, creating safe environments, EFT meridian tapping, and smile rehab exercises. In other words, more work than most people will be willing to do on their own (especially those who are trapped in a defense states of fear).

I hope this review helps those who are also on a similar quest to help those we love to live a happy, peaceful, untroubled life.

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James M. Good
The Miracle of the CNS
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
great to know concerning the CNS. Everyone should learn about the miracle of our nervous system and benefit from then being able to improve ones health.

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3 people found this helpful

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REJ
A thorough, well written book
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book explains many things about the all important vagus nerve, in well written, easy to understand wording. It is a great guide.
I purchased it with exercise balls, for fascia and headache release for my hard-working hairstylist daughter, on the recommendation of a friend. It turns out that that section is rather short. Nonetheless, it had enough information for her to do the exercises.
I recommend this book for anyone and everyone of age and education level to understand the terminology, as the vagus nerve serves the vast majority of the human body, and can be compromised so easily in many ways.

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15 people found this helpful

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KKY
Still reading
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2024
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It will take some time because it’s not one you can rush through but priceless info

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One person found this helpful

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Ruth
Poorly organized and edited; valuable information
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
It’s rare, but I’m giving this book both one star and five stars.

The information Mr. Rosenberg provides here about the social cranial nerves and their function is extremely illuminating. The exercises are, for the most part, quick, quite easy to learn and perform, and effective. 5 stars.

2 stars for it’s repetition, extraneous information, and wandering style. It even states on page 20 that the trapezius attaches to the mastoid bone and the SCMs, to the occipital. (It’s the other way ‘round). I’m on my seventh tour through the book in an effort to internalize a good structure to the information, and it shouldn’t take that many tries to do so.

On the whole —definitely buy this book for the way it will help you and those you work with. Just expect to spend a lot of time extracting the help from the wandering style.

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107 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Life changing
Reviewed in Canada on March 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
As a book it's a bit awkwardly written but the content is top tier.
Changed my entire perspective on the human body, and honestly changed my life. I do these exercises everyday now and it feels like I've woken up from a life-long coma.
Also, the analogy of the Hydra is very fitting.

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katherine
Woww
Reviewed in Germany on October 24, 2023
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Amazing and insightful book, with scientific knowledge and practical excersises anyone can try at home, easy to understand and digest !
Loved it !!!

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katherine

Woww
Reviewed in Germany on October 24, 2023
Amazing and insightful book, with scientific knowledge and practical excersises anyone can try at home, easy to understand and digest !
Loved it !!!

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Amanda Pereira
Life Chaning
Reviewed in Spain on October 3, 2023
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Life Chaning

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Michel Menier
essentiel
Reviewed in France on August 12, 2023
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Nerd to read as the begining for another reading of another author to ne more involvef intuís new vision of thé body contrôle

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Rachel Harris
Very very interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2022
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Highly recommend this book which has been very interesting in a journey of health recovery I am in. I think this is a untapped area with the NHS and one that chiropractors or non mainstem tend to be more involved with. This chap actually found somebody get healed from autism with his techniques. The book itself really focused on one central technique that you can do at home and the rest you really would need somebody who was a practitioner. It's not one therapy. But it is very interesting and I found some tremendous benefit even from the one exercise. Don't just YouTube the exercise you'll find the book extremely informative. Worth the investment.

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