Turning heads

Why fitness instructors say the things they do—and why your body needs it.

Your dorsal vagal nerve runs up the back of your neck. It’s part of your parasympathetic nervous system—the one that brings you back to calm after chaos. Back to softness.

And one of the most powerful ways to activate it?
Vibration.

Deep sounds.
Chanting.
A bass guitar rhythm that hums in your chest.
A sudden drum beat that matches your heart rate.
A long exhale with an “mmm” at the end, focused through your throat.

This is ancient.
Civilizations used to sing, chant, drum, dance together—not for spectacle, but for survival. To reset.
Because rhythm restores. Because vibration activates your parasympathetic nervous system and tells the body: you are safe.

Which is why music doesn’t just “lift your mood.” It re-aligns you.
Why sound baths work.
Why the right guitar line can undo your jaw tension.
Why your favorite song at the exact right moment can make you feel emotional.

Your neck, your shoulders, your jaw—these are the places where modern life gathers.
So when you massage your scalp, rub oil into your traps, or run your fingers over someone’s temple—it’s not indulgence. It’s repair.
It’s signaling the parasympathetic nervous system: here’s a little relief.

If you’ve ever had an injury—say, a torn labrum in your left shoulder, or a tight neck from desk posture or traffic—you know the body protects itself subconsciously.
You don’t even realize you’re clenching until someone—a teacher, a friend, a sweet voice—cues you to let it go.
To drop your shoulder.
To soften your jaw.
To come back into the space you're standing in.

That’s the magic of movement cues.

When you start going to fitness classes, the teachers can sometimes sound silly or intimidating when they give you cues:
“Breathe into your ribs.”
“Slide your shoulder blades down your back.”
“Let your pelvis be heavy.”
“Can I adjust you.”

But what they’re really doing is guiding you back into your body—
Helping your nervous system feel safe enough to relax, so that you can engage. To visualize instead of overthink.
Because a muscle can’t activate fully if the body is stuck in defense mode. It’s not about you looking weird or doing it wrong, they’re noticing areas in your body that might be overworking by accident.

Sometimes it’s about form.
But most of the time?
Hands-on cues, soft touch, a voice reminding you to breathe into forgotten places—these are vibrations, too.
Signals of presence.
Of care.
Of being witnessed without tension.

The nervous system doesn’t need drama.
It needs rhythm.
And the beautiful thing is—you can give it to yourself.

At the end of the day, you don’t need an hourlong class or a 90-minute massage.
- You can rub the space between your collarbones.
- Stretch your jaw wide, then hum on the exhale.
- Trace your fingers along your hairline.
- Gently trail your nails up and down your arms until goosebumps rise.
- Let your hips sway while brushing your teeth to fun music.
- Play one song and let your chest catch the beat on a walk.
- Lay on the floor with your legs up against the wall and play a sound bath video.

These are small movements.
Tiny rituals.
Turning heads in the right direction.