Breathing and meditation, effects on the vagus nerve and inflammation A question from a client about why we do breathing exercises prompted me to do a little research. Here are the results About the vagus nerve The vagus nerve starts in the brainstem and travels down the neck into the chest and abdomen. It links to most of the major organs and is a two way messenger passing signals between the organs and the brain. The vagus nerve is active when you breathe out, and switche