The Vagal Nerve Is the Real Target
Every time you hold a long exhale in pranayama, you are directly stimulating the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, running from the brainstem through the heart, lungs, and gut. The vagus nerve is the primary highway of the parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for rest, digestion, and recovery. Yoga, particularly breath-led yoga, trains this nerve the way a runner trains their cardiovascular system: with repetition, load, and recovery cycles.
