Autumn Qi Chats | Week 6
Vibration for Immunization
This week’s Qi Time chat leads us to talk
about how applied neurology can lessen inflammation and improve immunity!
Did you know that Vitamins are not the only steps towards boosting your immune system?
We have entered the season when cold and flus creep their way into our bodies and we have to give into the illness for a week or so. For many of us, we want to prevent illness and so we take extra precautions. Vitamins and supplements tend to be the MOST used form of prevention. But what if I were to tell you that you could tap into the parasympathetic nervous system (your Yin) and boost the immune system even more!
Neurology + Qiology for Immunity
From a neurological perspective, sound, vibration, and gentle tapping act as non-threatening sensory inputs that signal the brain to shift from a defensive state (sympathetic dominance) into a state of safety (parasympathetic regulation).
Techniques like chanting and humming stimulate the vagus nerve through its pharyngeal and laryngeal branches, lowering heart rate, reducing inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α), and improving heart rate variability; key indicators of nervous system resilience.
Rhythmic tapping and vibration function as “sensory anchors,” providing predictable input through the skin and fascia that stabilize cortical maps, redirect attention from external threat scanning toward internal awareness, and modulate limbic reactivity.
This combination not only down regulates pain and threat responses but also sets the stage for immune restoration. On a cellular level, mechanotransduction within fascia transmits these vibratory forces to fibroblasts, shifting gene expression toward anti-inflammatory states, showing how profoundly sensory practice can shape physiology.
In Qigong and classical Chinese medicine, sound, vibration, and tapping are time-honored methods to “Tonify Qi and Blood” (补气补血) nourishing and circulating vital energy rather than dispersing it.
Each of the Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue 六字诀) corresponds to specific organ systems, using breath, resonance, and intention to regulate internal Qi flow; for example, the “Xu” sound supports Lung Qi and calms the Po, releasing stagnation in the chest.
Gentle tapping along meridians acts like an internal massage, waking tissues and driving Qi into the channels to enhance circulation. In Chinese physiology, Qi moves Blood, so rhythmic Qi movement supports microcirculation, reducing the internal “stagnations” often associated with inflammatory states.
When Shen is calm, Wei Qi circulates properly, much like a regulated vagal tone enhances immune surveillance.
Different languages (neurology and Qigong) describe the same underlying phenomenon: structured sensory input organizes the nervous system, tonifies the internal landscape, and builds a foundation for resilience and health.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Vibrate the blues away!
Vibratory Auricular Stimulation – Use of a Z Vibe [click here for purchase] or other gentle vibration generating device on the concha of the right ear. (2-5 minutes 2/day)
Go beyond. Try singing/humming as you brush your teeth or wash your hands.
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
Reference:
Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain–gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:44.
Schleip R, Hedley G, Yucesoy CA. Fascia as a sensory organ: A target of mechanotransduction. Curr Res Transl Med. 2019;67(2):50–56.
