Vagus Reset Morning
Designed by Bearmore
Inspired by Jessica MaguireWhat if you could wake up the body in the way that works for it?
Start in a calmer state before the day gets spiky. A morning Burst inspired by Jessica Maguire's vagus nerve work: slow breathing to settle, a brief cold shower a short body scan, and a stretch to wake up the body.
The runsheet
Slow exhale
Jessica teaches the slow exhale as the entry point to the parasympathetic system. Fifteen minutes of nasal breath with longer exhales than inhales. No counting required; the breath is doing the work, not the maths.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing breath work before cold showers
This is a strong combination because controlled breathing primes you to meet cold water with composure instead of a gasp, making the shower invigorating.
Cold exposure
Jessica names brief cold exposure as one of the fastest vagus-nerve interventions you can run. Two to three minutes cold at the end of an otherwise normal shower.
3 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing cold showers before body scan
This can be a good pairing because the heightened body awareness from cold could carry over into vivid, attentive scanning.
Body scan
Jessica's body scan is witnessing what is already there rather than an attempt to fix it. Fifteen minutes moving attention through the body, naming sensations without trying to change them. The noticing is the practice.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing body scan before stretching
This is a strong combination because the scan tells you which spots actually need attention, so stretching lands where it matters and stops short of strain.
Somatic mobility
Her mobility work is more about felt presence than range. Ten minutes moving through positions slowly enough that the body actually shows up. Hips, shoulders, jaw. Notice the tension and work with it, don’t try and get rid of it.
10 min activityTime well spent.
1h 11m that belonged to you — not the inbox, not anyone else.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Jessica Maguire is an Australian physiotherapist, somatic practitioner, and bestselling author of Nervous System Reset. Has taught over 20,000 people through her online courses and books on vagal tone, breath work, and the polyvagal-informed approach to wellbeing. Posts daily on @repairing_the_nervous_system (277K).