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Welcome to Grounded Wellness, 
your go to podcast for 

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simplified and trusted 
information on how to live a 

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more non-toxic and holistic 
life. 

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We're your hosts. 
I'm Bethany McDaniel, founder of

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Primarily Pure biohacking 
enthusiast and mom of three. 

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And I'm Courtney O'Connor, 
holistic esthetician with over 

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15 years experience in the 
healing power of touch and 

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holistic skin care rituals. 
Let's dig in. 

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Hello, welcome to Grounded 
Wellness. 

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I'm Courtney Primary, Paris 
holistic aesthetician. 

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This isn't a common conversation
in the skin Care World, but the 

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nervous system is intricately 
connected to the state of your 

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skin. 
Today I'm so excited to 

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highlight the importance of the 
nervous system and how 

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reconnecting with your body's 
command center can be a catalyst

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for skin healing. 
The nervous system is an 

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intricate and highly intelligent
system within the body that 

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helps you process and regulate 
stress, and stress is a huge 

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precursor to inflammation, and 
inflammation is at the root of 

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almost every skin condition or 
disease within the body. 

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I believe that many skin 
conditions we experience are 

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more connected to the internal 
state of our nervous system than

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the external state of our skin. 
With a little bit of context and

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how to, you'll discover how 
healing from chronic stress and 

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the skin conditions that 
accompany it can start with 

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simple practices that support 
your parasympathetic nervous 

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system. 
And when you learn to activate 

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this rest and digest phase, 
healing happens here and it 

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begins to multiply. 
Today we are taking a deeper 

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look at how you can support your
nervous system and discover its 

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ripple effect for your skin 
health. 

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There are so many tips I'm 
excited to share so that you can

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begin to regulate the system and
reveal healthier skin from the 

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inside out. 
It all begins with this 

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awareness of the inner outer 
connection, this mind body 

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connection, and to help you 
experience the rest and 

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restoration and glowing skin 
that you were designed for, 

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let's dig in. 
So the nervous system is the 

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body's command center made-up of
your brain, your spinal cord, 

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and a network of nerves. 
So let's break it down a bit. 

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Your nervous system has 2 main 
components, the central nervous 

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system and the peripheral 
nervous system. 

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So I like to think of our 
nervous system as a tree and the

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central nervous system is the 
trunk which is your spinal cord 

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and your brain and the 
peripheral nervous system are 

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like the branches which are this
these network of nerves. 

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And further breaking down the 
peripheral nervous system, it 

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also contains 2 main components,
your somatic nervous system or 

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your voluntary movements and 
your autonomic nervous system, 

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which are your involuntary 
activities. 

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And this is where we're going to
focus a lot of our time today 

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because as we learn to tune into
this undercurrent of the body, 

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we are able to reset and heal 
from the inside out. 

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Then looking at the autonomic 
nervous system even further, 

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this is also broken down into 
two components, the sympathetic 

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nervous system, which is known 
as the fight or flight system 

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and the parasympathetic nervous 
system, the rest or digest 

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phase. 
And I like to consider the 

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sympathetic nervous system as 
surviving and the 

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parasympathetic nervous system 
as thriving. 

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Before we get into how to 
activate this rest and digest 

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phase, I want to talk about each
aspect of the autonomic nervous 

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system. 
This context gives us insight 

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into how the state of our mind, 
body and soul truly are all 

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connected, including your skin, 
the sympathetic nervous system, 

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or your flight fight phase is 
activated. 

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In a state of stress or 
perceived threat, survival truly

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becomes the only priority. 
Cortisol levels rise, heart rate

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increases, and cellular repair 
is disrupted. 

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Energy is diverted from 
regulating processes like 

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digestion and cognitive 
function, social connection and 

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skin healing. 
The whole priority of this state

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of your nervous system is 
survival and to compensate for 

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this heightened sense of panic 
it's experiencing. 

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While this system serves our 
bodies and helps us survive life

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threatening events, too often we
find ourselves in the state of 

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chronic compounding stress due 
to our fast-paced Society of 

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hustle, hurry, and even harmful 
ingredients on our plate and in 

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our products. 
Our bodies were not designed to 

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sustain prolonged sympathetic 
activation and it can be 

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depleting and even dangerous to 
our health if we remain in this 

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dysregulated state. 
So now let's talk about the 

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sympathetic nervous system and 
skin connection. 

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An overwhelming number of 
circumstances can cause the body

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and brain to remain in this 
fight or flight mode, inhibiting

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the skin's ability to repair and
regenerate. 

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Stress from lack of sleep, 
financial struggles, physical 

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sickness, even final exams, job 
interviews, relational turmoil 

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or trauma can all stimulate the 
sympathetic nervous system, 

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triggering cascade of emotions 
like worry, fear, anxiety and 

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anger and inflammatory skin 
conditions like eczema, 

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psoriasis, dermatitis and acne. 
As a holistic aesthetician, I 

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actually deeply believe that 
chronic stress and too much 

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activation of the sympathetic 
nervous system is the number one

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cause of premature aging. 
Not sun damage, which is an 

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unpopular opinion I know, but 
living with this overactive 

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sympathetic nervous system truly
has a detrimental effect on the 

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skin. 
It disrupts skin barrier 

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function, impacting lipid ratios
and trans epidermal water loss, 

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leading to dry, flaky skin. 
And as we know, aging is simply 

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drying out. 
It also impacts fibroblast and 

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collagen production, leading to 
less firmness and elasticity. 

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It also exacerbates inflammatory
skin conditions like psoriasis, 

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eczema, and acne. 
It impairs wound healing. 

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It constricts blood vessels and 
decreases circulation. 

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It contributes to tense or rigid
muscles, which also inhibits 

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flow of lymphatic fluid, and it 
increases melanin production and

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pigmentation. 
So healing the skin begins by 

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sedating the sympathetic nervous
system and promoting a 

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parasympathetic regulation. 
The body is innately designed to

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heal, it just needs the proper 
support and space to support the

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parasympathetic response. 
This rest and digest mode helps 

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to maintain balance and 
homeostasis within the body. 

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Body temperature cools, heart 
rate slows down, and our bodies 

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enter a more relaxed, resilient 
and less reactive state. 

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Energy returns to regulate 
processes like digestion and 

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cognitive function, relational 
connection, and skin healing. 

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It prioritizes repair and health
and homeostasis, while also 

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enhancing feelings of safety, 
peace, connection, and clarity. 

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To engage the parasympathetic 
nervous system and to begin to 

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truly heal your skin, it's 
essential to give the nervous 

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system signals of safety so that
it can reset to a state of rest.

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And the most effective way to 
send these signals is through 

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the vagus nerve. 
The vagus nerve has gotten a bit

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more attention in the Wellness 
world, but if you're unfamiliar 

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with this vital part of your 
nervous system, it is about to 

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change your life and of course, 
your skin. 

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The main component of the 
parasympathetic nervous system 

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is the vagus nerve. 
It's essentially like this chill

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out button for your body and it 
has a direct link to the 

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parasympathetic system. 
It controls the mind, body 

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connection and plays an integral
and integrative part in the 

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body's ability to self heal. 
It helps relax the body after 

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experiencing stress, 
overstimulation, or danger, 

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moving from fight or flight to 
rest and digest. 

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It is the longest cranial nerve 
in the body and contains 3/4 of 

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the tissue in the 
parasympathetic nervous system 

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traveling from the brain all the
way down to the digestive tract.

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This is also known as the gut 
brain axis, and it connects to 

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almost every vital organ within 
the body. 

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The vagus nerve regulates many 
of the body's main functions 

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like heart rate, immunity, 
digestion, blood pressure, mood,

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inflammation, and overall 
homeostasis. 

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Poor vagal nerve function can 
contribute to a variety of 

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health issues, including 
digestive disorders, sleep 

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disruption, fatigue, and 
feelings of anxiety. 

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So engaging the parasympathetic 
nervous system by stimulating 

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the vagus nerve returns the 
autonomic nervous system to a 

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regulated state, slowing the 
heart rate, reducing emotional 

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stress, and lowering 
inflammation levels. 

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Many holistic doctors reference 
vagal tone. 

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It's similar to muscle tone, so 
it can actually build over time 

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and essentially is the health 
status of your vagus nerve. 

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So vagal tone is connected to 
our capacity to regulate our 

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stress response and it 
contributes to more resilient 

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health in body and mind. 
So higher vagal tone equals a 

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healthier internal world and of 
course, healthier skin. 

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Now let's unpack some practical 
ways that you can strengthen 

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your vagus nerve for vibrant 
skin. 

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Vagus nerve exercises are 
practices that kick start your 

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parasympathetic nervous system 
and they help your brain and 

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body enter a state of rest and 
calm. 

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So first is one of the easiest 
practices that you can implement

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and it's deep breathing. 
Diaphragmatic breathing or belly

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breathing actually massages your
internal organs and has a 

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profound and immediate effect on
your nervous system. 

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And this is a practice that is 
so beautiful because you can do 

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it at any time, anywhere. 
We can even do it right now 

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together. 
So place your hand on your belly

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and as you inhale you should 
feel your belly expand like a 

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balloon, and as you exhale you 
should feel it deflate and lower

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towards your spine. 
To stimulate the vagus nerve 

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even further, exhale twice as 
long as you inhale. 

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So inhaling for a count of four 
and exhaling for a count of 

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eight with your belly on your 
hand and feeling it expand, 

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breathing in for four. 
And exhaling for 8 as your belly

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contracts towards your spine. 
So a way I like to easily 

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remember this practice of an 
extended exhale is because often

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we can find ourselves if we're 
stressed or scared, we have that

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short, shallow gasp like that 
inhale that's super quick and 

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sharp. 
So that inhale is linked to the 

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sympathetic nervous system. 
However, when you're feeling 

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relaxed or you're unwinding or 
settling into a comfortable 

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space, we let out this soft sigh
and this extended exhale, and 

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this exhale is linked to the 
parasympathetic nervous system. 

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The next vagus nerve practice 
that you can implement is 

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meditation and mindfulness. 
So studies have shown that this 

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practice has a direct connection
to the vagus nerve because it 

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naturally causes your breathing 
to slow, your heart rate to 

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decrease, and it activates a 
relaxed state more 

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intentionally. 
You can easily download one of 

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the many apps available on your 
phone to guide you in a 

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meditation practice, or you can 
also just take 5 minutes in the 

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morning to sit in stillness and 
begin to build resiliency for 

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the day ahead. 
So the next one is by far my 

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favorite as a holistic 
aesthetician, and that is 

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massage. 
So the most incredible yet 

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overlooked aspect of your 
nervous system is that we have a

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direct link through touch. 
When we touch our skin, we are 

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touching our nervous system. 
Touch also stimulates oxytocin, 

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which is the antidote to the 
stress hormone cortisol. 

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Facial tools like guashaw, 
cupping and dry brushing are 

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also easy, effective ways to 
help to regulate your nervous 

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system. 
Rhythmic movements and somatic 

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practices like massage, 
especially when you're massaging

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your shoulders, neck, ears, or 
scalp, can stimulate your vagus 

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nerve even without any facial 
tools. 

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Here is a simple massage and 
stretch that you can do at any 

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time from anywhere to help to 
activate your parasympathetic 

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nervous system. 
For this vagus nerve massage, 

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simply tilt your head to the 
side, lowering your ear towards 

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your shoulder, feeling that nice
stretch on the side of your 

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neck. 
And I like to take my opposite 

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hand and applying a bit of 
pressure on the opposite 

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shoulder, enhancing that 
stretch. 

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And to further activate the 
vagus nerve, twist your head, 

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looking down to your shoulder 
while still holding the stretch,

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and then twisting your head to 
look up to the sky and holding 

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and repeating for as long as it 
feels good. 

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And then alternating to the 
other side, tilting the opposite

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ear to the other shoulder, using
the opposite hand to apply a bit

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of pressure on the shoulder, and
then twisting your gaze down to 

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your shoulder and then up to the
sky. 

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And again doing that for as long
and as often as it feels good. 

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And then coming up for a simple 
ear massage. 

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This ear massage is everything. 
I always include an ear massage 

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in my facial treatments. 
And if I just need a little 

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reset, the ear massage makes an 
immediate shift in how I feel. 

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So massaging the outer rim of 
the ear, you can even tug a 

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little bit up, tug out and tug 
down and then moving to the 

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inner area of the ear and 
actually massaging your ear in a

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Figure 8 motion, the Infinity 
sign. 

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This really helps to engage your
parasympathetic nervous system. 

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And then coming up above the 
ear, beginning to massage into 

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the scalp. 
And there's really no rhyme or 

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reason here. 
It's quite intuitive and just 

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tuning in to discover what feels
the most supportive. 

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And that is a simple 62nd Vegas 
nerve massage that you can 

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implement at any point during 
your day just for that exhale 

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and reset. 
The next vagus nerve exercise 

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that you can implement into your
day-to-day is aromatherapy. 

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So essential oils derived from 
plants contain positive and 

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immediate benefits to support 
your nervous system. 

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It has a beneficial impact on 
your emotional body and your 

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mental processes. 
And I find we can often when we 

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just take that inhalation of an 
aromatherapy oil, we can feel 

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that immediate sense of calm and
rest within our bodies. 

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A few of my favorite oils for 
aromatherapy are lavender, blue 

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tansy, geranium, neroli, and 
frankincense. 

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Next is vocal cord vibration. 
So any activity that it 

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initiates your vocal cords or 
your vocal box, like a gargling 

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water or humming or singing, has
a beneficial impact on your 

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vagus nerve. 
So singing along to your 

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favorite song in the car, or 
humming along while you're doing

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dishes or cleaning the house, or
gargling when you grab your 

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water bottle midday can have a 
profound effect on your nervous 

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system. 
Next is sound therapy. 

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Research has shown that 
listening to soothing music has 

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a profound impact on our nervous
system, leading to positive 

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physiological benefits. 
Next is hydrotherapy. 

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Harness the healing powers of 
hydrotherapy by taking a cold 

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shower which reduces your heart 
rate to preserve oxygen and it 

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activates your parasympathetic 
nervous system. 

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You can also draw a warm foot 
soak or a hot bath with minerals

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and essential oils to enhance 
proper vagal nerve function as 

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well. 
And lastly, stress relieving 

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practices. 
So set aside time to prioritize 

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stress relieving practices that 
serve you personally, whether 

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it's coloring or gardening, 
journaling or simply sitting and

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just staring at the ocean. 
Whatever brings you joy with no 

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agenda. 
This is a simple place to start 

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to prioritize the health of your
vagus nerve and your 

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parasympathetic nervous system. 
And over time, you'll begin to 

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see how it builds resiliency and
helps to resolve long standing 

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conditions in your skin. 
Clearly, we have a powerful role

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in regulating our own nervous 
systems. 

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Yet we can also play a role in 
regulating the nervous system of

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others. 
This is called Co regulation. 

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This is a supportive process 
between two people where one 

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nervous system actually helps to
calm the other, to restore 

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homeostasis and rebalance their 
emotional body and overall 

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well-being. 
A quote from Caroline Leaf, 

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who's actually a neuroscientist,
on our primarily pure expert 

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panel beautifully explains how 
Co regulation works and how this

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healing tool takes effect. 
She says that as you Co regulate

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with someone, their mirror 
neurons in their brain are 

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activated and this enables the 
person in the deregulated state 

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to literally mirror your 
calmness. 

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Co regulation has been shown to 
a positively improve Wellness in

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00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,520
patients where caregivers show 
true compassion and connection, 

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making it a powerful healing 
tool. 

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Being in the presence of someone
who truly cares and creates the 

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sense of safety and peace allows
your senses to fall and the 

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parasympathetic nervous system 
to engage. 

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I love that I have the privilege
of offering this healing tool to

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our facial gas at our spa. 
And as I regulate my own nervous

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system to a state of calm, as a 
professional, I can help to Co 

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regulate my facial gas and 
facilitate and foster that calm 

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within them as well. 
Whether you're in a professional

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00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,000
setting or simply holding space 
for a friend, we hold the power 

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00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,720
to reset the nervous system of 
another and create a ripple 

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effect of Wellness. 
Around us and that is the impact

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00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,400
of our nervous system on our 
skin, in our health within and 

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in the world in which we live. 
Thank you for joining me on 

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00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,680
today's episode as we dig a bit 
deeper into the nervous system 

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skin connection. 
I hope today's episode has 

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00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,360
inspired you and reminded you 
that you truly have the tools to

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tap into your body's self 
healing capabilities, to soothe 

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00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,160
your fight or flight response, 
and to calm and heal skin 

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conditions from the inside out.