Does it feel like we are going at ‘neck’ break speed, [name]? 😂
No worries if it’s feeling like too much. There’s an easy solution. You aren’t meant to do everything I share. Do only those things that stick out and you think, ‘That might work!’ The rest, you leave. That information isn’t meant for you at this time.
Remember on Day 6 (Cooling Neck Techniques: An Unexpected Path to Slumber), it was mentioned that the vagus nerve runs in the area below the ear. Today, we’ll do a simple massage to awaken the vagus nerve a bit more.
Whether it is you or your child, hands will be placed around the neck, fingertips to the back and the heels of the hands towards the front but not along the front.
Move your hands like they are inchworms with your fingertips staying stationary and the heel moving over the vagus nerve area below your ears.
Putting on lotion can help the hand to slide. Using lavender-scented lotion could help prepare for sleep even more.
If that position isn’t comfortable (it wasn’t for me), then alternate with the left hand massaging the right side of the neck, and the right hand massaging the left side of the neck.
Put your fingers of right hand under the left side of your jawbone, beginning about halfway between your chin and the end of the jaw bone. Lightly move your hand towards your center back of your neck. Repeat on the other side. You can alternate between the sides or do it several times with one hand and then several times with the other hand.
Remember, these techniques all build on each other to make the switch between the fight, flight, or freeze system and the rest-and-digest/heal-and-connect system happen more quickly and at appropriate times. Part of the ability to regulate involves moving from alert to relaxed as needed. Everything in this series is another tool in a toolkit. However, not every tool will work for you. Pick the ones that work best for your situation.
Tomorrow: Day 9: The Nose Knows About Relaxation