I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I am, in theory, a lover of self-help and wellness books. I'm also a believer that the vast majority of these books always have at least one helpful theory, practice, or idea. I've read about the vagus nerve in a number of other books, so I was pretty excited to read an entire book about it. Unfortunately, I didn't find it very helpful. I found that the major focus of the book was background information, and the practical information and exercises came at the very end. I did find the information about zones of regulation and ways to respond to each very informative (it makes perfect sense that it would help to move your body when you are filled with nervous energy rather than trying to force yourself to stay still - thank you for this!), but there just wasn't enough of this kind of information in the book.

I also found some of the claims dubious. I don't doubt the science about the importance of the vagus nerve, but it did stretch credibility for me to believe that honing the vagus nerve could help prevent or treat a number of complex conditions. Overall, I think if you're looking for a detailed overview of the vagus nerve and a little bit of practical exercises, this is the book for you.

Excellent practical guide
Recently it has become clearer and clearer that healing on a physical and mental level is so much easier and at times only possible if you integrate your nervous system esp. the Vagus Nerv. If you think about it and the author makes a very good point: the stressful living in a modern world is not what the human body was made for. And to balance our nervous system in a way that supports a natural state of health you have to work with the system and its most important nerve, the Vagus nerv.
There are quite a few good books around this one excels because it is easy to read and very practical. As a Covid longhauler I can attest that Armstrong‘s explanations and practical exercises are excellent.
The author puts all the important information out there. The good thing: The information is in a nutshell and easy to understand. She does not skimp but nails the important points. Armstrong makes it totally clear why you need the foundations: depending on the state of your nervous the interventions may differ. And the exercises she proposes are easy as well. I loved how she encourages to start very small and gives lots of practical advice how to implement the change. I very much recommend this book.

received an ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.

If you have ended up on the high cortisol side of Tiktok like me, then this book will be perfect for you! I have been interested in learning more about vagal toning and this book walks you through everything you need to know and then gives you practical exercises to get started. Everything was explained in a way that made the information easy to understand, while also not being too long winded or boring. The formatting and illustrations were also beautiful and helpful for understanding. I can see myself referring to this book often, especially while learning the exercises at the end of the book.

4.75/5

Thank you Amanda Armstrong and NetGalley for this ARC!

This did a great job of giving me a foundational understanding of my nervous system and how to heal it. It's a good intro to this topic, and I'd definitely recommend it to folks who want to makes sense of their nervous system instead of continuing to feel like something's wrong with them.

Even though the wellness and spiritual world could not be more popular right now, I’m willing to bet there are very few people who could locate the Vegus nerve in their body! It’s very surprising to me that there is such little literature available explaining why it’s so important to understand more about it. Amanda Armstrong excellent job of explaining where it is ,why it’s important [fight flight freeze mode] And how we can learn to regulate it With meditation and breath work etc.
As a health and spirituality writer I will keep this book in my proverbial back pocket for future articles…
This is a beautifully laid out book and deserves its place on the bookshelves of anyone curious about Wellness and also wellness practitioners. Thoroughly recommend

This book was jam packed full content! There is so much information in here.
I loved the diagrams, as they weren't just there to 'look pretty' - but they really added to my understanding on the topic. They also helped to break up the big blocks of writing, that on the face of it could look quite daunting.

Despite the sheer amount of info - it never felt overwhelming.
Great book for beginners to the topic, as well as those wanting to expand their existing knowledge!

Definitely recommend.

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape of form.

Healing through the Vagus Nerve, by Amanda Armstrong, is a self-help book that a details the biology of how our body deals with short term and long term stressors in our lives. Armstrong gives a brief description of the polyvagal theory, which discusses how we can tap into our body’s nervous system to help limit the use of maladaptive coping strategies, and provides different reasonings as to why common mental health illnesses affect us the way they do, including anxiety and depression.

I found the first few chapters of the book extremely helpful, especially with how Armstrong breaks down the human nervous system. I used to be pre-med before transitioning to counseling, so this was a welcome review for me. Moreover, Armstrong’s approach to mental healing reminds me of books such as The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk and My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem with how often it focuses on the body. The therapy I’m currently learning and training in now, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, has a mindfulness component that I feel connects well with the neuropsychological aspects of stress and trauma. The questions are nice, and it gives people pause as to how they can improve their lives from a “scientific” standpoint.

That being said, I don’t think I’ll use this book aside from with a few clients. Many of the clients I see are homeless and are more focused on getting stable housing and food rather than learning about their brain. And for those who are wanting to learn more about their trauma and why they “can’t get over it”, I can see them getting turned off by the jargon Armstrong uses. If the book could be broken down even further I could see myself practicing these coping skills with them. But for right now, I’ll stick with other supplemental materials.

Aside from that, I do like how Armstrong positively rephrases common mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. For all the stigma these two phrases carry, its nice that someone is seeing and incorporating them into our survival instincts. It reminds me of an idea about PTSD, where the symptoms you experience have helped you survive at one point, but now are maladaptive and costing you precious moments in the present.

This was an interesting read. I found it very easy to digest and informative on the subject. I liked the visuals that break up the text. I also liked the format of being informative in the beginning and then transitioning to learning the various tools and how to incorporate them into our routine. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a way to manage their stress.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I am so glad I picked up this book, from my previous books and studies I knew the importance of the Vagus Nerve in regulation and tackling trauma but this is my first in depth look into it. I appreciated how the book started off with explaining all about the nerve and its importance to give a more holistic view before looking into healing it and the illustrations for things such as the phases of healing and the zones makes it easier to visualise these theories. I was also pleasantly surprised with the representation in the illustrations with a mix of genders and races being depicted and even people like long hair and stubble together or wearing a headscarf which can easily be overlooked when making less image dense books like this. I also appreciated the end having recommendations for rise as we are and wearable tech recommendations as well as further reading and the references.

Favourite Quote:
"It's also important to note that trauma isn't universal; it isn't what happened but instead how you experienced it."

Very informative read! Great education on the nervous system and how to heal. The book includes many exercises readers can engage in to find healing.

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I read this book, but thought I would give it a go with having a form of autonomic dysfunction. While there are obviously some parts of this book that cannot apply to me due to my health condition, there is plenty of information that is very helpful. I feel I have a better understanding of the Vagus nerve and what it is supposed to do. As said before, while some aspects clearly cannot be applied to myself, it has provided me with invaluable information and knowledge to better understand my own disability and ways to look after myself on a bad day. I truly believe anyone with autonomic dysfunction should read this book. It won't prove a miracle cure, but it will provide knowledge and understanding. As for people without a disability or damaged vagus nerve, I can only assume this book would be like a bible to good health! It's refreshing seeing a book on the vagus nerve, and as it says in the book, seeing that someone else identifies the vagus nerve and its not 'all in my head'!
Thank you for this wonderful experience of being seen!
I

Healing Through the Vagus Nerve by Amanda Armstrong. An excellent educational guide that is user-friendly, with clear instructions and helpful visuals. Recommended for individuals with anxiety and stress, offering helpful exercises that stimulate the vagus nerve, including laughing, gargling, and cold conditions. The blueprint portion is a really useful place to start. I plan on purchasing the hardcover copy for future reference once it is published.

Thank you to the author, ‎ Fair Winds Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

With this being something I was unfamiliar in, I appreciated the soft illustrations and easier understanding.

I plan to revisit this one to get an even better grasp!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher...

I found this to be the most thorough and well explained approach to vagal toning that I have read. The importance of good vagal tone for good health and recovery is now widely recognised. For me it was a very important part of my recovery from Long Covid. This book explains the structure and function of the vagus nerves in a very easy to understand way before going through the various techniques for improving vagal tone and suggesting routines to build it into your day. What made this book stand out from others was the range of interventions it covers, the easy to follow explanations and ways of fitting in short practices in your day that are easy to achieve. I wish this book had been around when I was ill - I think it would have been invaluable.

This book has a relaxing shade pattern for the colors. The art uses a variety of people for a nice diversity. The author explains things in detail but in ways you can understand. The best part of the book is the exercises to help you with the Vagus Nerve.

Learned a lot reading this book. I loved it. Definitely a lot of info but all important and useful. I’ve already recommended it to a lot of people: I will be referring back to this book again and again.

I have been hearing about the role of the vagus nerve in regard to the mind and body connection and was interested in learning more. When I was given the opportunity to read and review Amanda Armstrong's book, Healing Through The Vagus Nerve, I was delighted.

I found this book to be a valuable source of information and tools to improve the mind and body connection. The author provides the groundwork education about the nervous system and the role of the vagus nerve. I appreciated that at the end of each chapter she provides a summary of the key takeaways.

I found the tools to tone the vagal nerve to be easy to understand, accessible, and effective. As an educator in an elementary school I foresee using many of these tools to help children assess how they are feeling and address feelings of stress. I also foresee using many of these techniques on myself when I am feeling dysregulated.

The final chapter guides the reader to develop a daily plan to incorporate tiny habits into the day to heal the vagal nerve. I appreciated the sample day schedule provided as well as progressively adding habits to the daily schedule. I look forward to adding many of these habits to my day and am optimistic about improved ability to handle stress.

The vagus nerve has always been something that interested me as a person who works in mental health, but I had not read a ton on it. This book was a great way to learn more about the vagus nerve and how it affects us! The book was easy to read and follow, and is a great informational resource! Absolutely loved it and plan to share with some colleagues.

This is a topic I am becoming increasingly interested in, and I love that I have had the opportunity to read this book. The vagus nerve affects so much and I don't think people truly realize its impact. This is a great introductory guide that is very informative and helpful. If someone is struggling with their nervous system and how to improve mental health and physical health, then this is the book for them. It's revolutionary and can answer so many questions and help a person begin to find answers and help themselves so that they can be happy and healthy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Armstrong, and Fair Winds Press for the eARC of this book.

The vagus nerve, a sensory superhighway connecting the brain to vital organs, regulates functions from digestion to heart rate. Its intricate structure, consisting of approximately 160,000 nerve fibers, is being mapped to understand its wide-ranging impacts better, including mood regulation, immune response, and inflammation control. I see more of this popping up on social media to educate and help us understand how vital the vagus nerve plays in our day-to-day lives. This book captured so much complex background information into a digestible format to allow a reader to know how it works, what it can impact, and what you can do to cope. Kudos to the author for a fantastic job along with the wonderful illustrations. Wellness is such an important aspect that hopefully becomes easier to keep in the forefront of our minds.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds, Fair Winds Press, and of course the author, Amanda Armstrong for this wonderful ARC.