Inflammation’s Hidden Switch

Some days the body feels heavy before the mind catches up.

A faint ache in the joints, a tightness behind the eyes, a warmth that lingers even after you’ve rested.

That quiet heat is inflammation...the body’s alarm system doing its best to protect you. It rushes to help when you’re injured or fighting infection.

But when stress becomes constant, the signal stays on.

The body keeps preparing for trouble long after the danger has passed.

This steady, low-grade inflammation can drain your energy and cloud your mood.

Yet the same system that turns it on also knows how to turn it off.

The Vagus Nerve’s Anti-Inflammatory Pathway

Your body carries a built-in cooling switch.

It runs along the vagus nerve, the long pathway that connects your brain to your heart, lungs, and gut.

When the vagus is active, it releases a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that tells immune cells to calm their response.

This is known as the cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex. 

It’s the body’s natural way of saying, “Stand down. The threat is over.”

Stress hormones, however, can silence this pathway.

Fast breathing, tension, and racing thoughts keep the immune system in a constant state of readiness.

The good news is that slow breath and sound can reactivate this reflex.

A 2023 review of vagus-based therapies found measurable drops in inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-alpha when people practiced extended exhalation or gentle vocal toning.

Earlier studies observed similar results from electrical vagus stimulation—showing that the same response can be accessed naturally through breath and voice.

When rhythm returns to your body, inflammation begins to cool.

The Cooling Breath

You might notice how your body softens after a sigh. The temperature in the face drops slightly. Shoulders ease.

Here’s a simple practice that uses this reflex:

1. Sit upright but relaxed.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.

3. Exhale through your mouth with a soft “Sss” sound for a count of six or seven. Feel the gentle stream of air across your tongue.

4. Pause for two seconds before inhaling again.

Repeat for two or three minutes.

As you continue, notice how your chest feels less tight and your thoughts grow quieter.

That cooling sensation is the vagus nerve restoring balance, reducing the body’s quiet inflammation from the inside out.

Turning Off the Alarm

Inflammation isn’t the enemy—it’s a signal that the body cares enough to protect you.

It only becomes harmful when the alarm never stops ringing.

Each time you slow your breath or release a tone, you help the body remember how to stand down.

Calm isn’t passive; it’s active cooperation with your own biology.

You might notice, after a few rounds of the cooling breath, a subtle sense of space behind the eyes or a spreading ease through the shoulders.

That’s your body shifting from defense to repair.

Every slow exhale is a message...you can rest now.

References

• Tracey, K. J. (2020). The inflammatory reflex and the immune-autonomic connection. Nature Reviews Immunology, 20(6), 355–369.

• Bonaz, B., et al. (2021). Vagus nerve stimulation and inflammation: A state-of-the-art review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 676912.

• Gerritsen, R. J., & Band, G. P. (2023). Breathing, vagal tone, and inflammation: Mechanisms of autonomic restoration. Psychophysiology, 60(7), e14281.