The Vagus Nerve Explained: Calm Your Body & Rewire Stress | SONA Founder Jane Ollis

takeaways

1. Jane Olis, a medical biochemist and environmental scientist, discussed decoding stress in a personalised way, noting that our nervous systems and brains are wired uniquely to each person.

2. The conversation explored the vagus nerve as the longest nerve in the body and a 'communication superhighway', with 80% of its work sending information to the brain, and a branch (the auricular branch) accessible via the ear.

3. Jane explained that vagus nerve stimulation has been used clinically for nearly 30 years via implants to treat epilepsy, and that patients also saw reductions in depressive symptoms.

4. The discussion covered the two arms of the nervous system — sympathetic (fight or flight, cortisol) and parasympathetic (rest, recovery) — and how chronic stress leaves them dysregulated, showing up as poor sleep, low mood, irritability, tummy aches and tension headaches.

5. Jane described building Sona, an AI-powered personalised vagus nerve stimulation device worn on the left ear, that measures heart rate variability, heart rate and respiration in real time, with reported benefits including more energy, increased HRV and better sleep.

6. The episode touched on complementary, low-cost ways to support the nervous system, including slow-paced breathing (roughly 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out), singing, humming, exercise and social connection.

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