Start Voo-in’ Mothaf*ckah!

Feeling scared, and don’t know how to settle your system?  Here’s a simple tool that can help.

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Years ago, I was traveling with a colleague on a flight to Reno, Nevada, and as we started our descent, we headed into really heavy turbulence. You know the kind – when the captain tells the flight attendants to take their seats because they can’t predict how bumpy it’s going to be. Well, Reno is not a fun airport to fly into under normal conditions, because while the surrounding mountains are gorgeous, they also make for really windy weather.

And on this particular day, the winds were about 25 miles an hour and it was raining. Hard. As we bounced and bounced around during our descent, I started to feel more and more anxious, which is a really polite way of saying I was terrified. Sometimes when I’m in heavy turbulence and I feel scared, I use a Somatic Experiencing® technique that I want to teach you, called vooing.

It’s a simple exercise where you take in a deep breath and on the out breath, you make a deep Voo – It’s V as in Victor OO – sound that goes all the way through the breath, and is meant to sound like a foghorn. And what that does is it allows the belly to resonate and that calms the vagus nerve.

Now the vagus nerve is a huge nerve in your body that runs from the base of your brain down the spine. And among other things, it affects the heart, the lungs, the diaphragm and the digestive tract. Vooing can consciously help us take a deep breath, and have a long exhale, and that sends a signal to the vagus nerve that we’re not in immediate danger. So it allows us to calm the nervous system.

So in moments of big fear, it really helps tremendously for me to practice this very simple but incredibly powerful technique. One thing I know about fear is that when I’m in it, it helps to admit it out loud to someone else, because then I don’t feel so alone. I happened to be traveling with this colleague who knew about vooing.

And he was cool as a cucumber in this heavy turbulence. This is a guy who skydives on a regular basis. So, I looked him right in the eye and I said, “I just need to tell you, I’m really scared right now.”

Well, he looked back at me without missing a beat and said, in his best, head bobbing, attitude filled voice, “Well then start voo-in’, Mothaf*ckah. And after I finished laughing out loud – which, by the way, is another great way to release fear – I did what he said. I started vooing and vooing and vooing and vooing.

And before long, my body had calmed down. And when we landed, I didn’t have an overwhelming hangover of anxiety. 

Even if you’re not in big fear, but you’re feeling a little discombobulated, vooing can help ground you and feel much more centered and calm.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t know anyone who can’t use more of that in their life. So if you’re an anxious flyer like I am, it can really help to voo. And in case you’re worried about looking weird if you try it, don’t be. The plane engines are so loud, no one’s going to hear you. 

I’ve flown many times since then, and every time we’re in turbulence, I find myself hearing my colleague’s voice in my head, and I laugh out loud, and then I start voo-in’, Mothaf*ckah. 

Let yourself take a moment right now and voo. Take a deep breath, and on the exhale, you’re going to voo. Again, it goes all the way through the breath, and it’s a deep, low register sound like a foghorn. 

Deep breath in. And vooooooooooooo…..

And then just let it settle for a moment in your nervous system…feeling your feet on the ground, and just notice what happens.

I tend to do these in groups of three in my morning meditation, or I do it anytime I’m feeling anxious. So what I will leave you with is: if there a situation in your life that is anxiety-provoking, let yourself take a moment and voo…or do a few voo’s.

Maybe you do it before you go into an uncomfortable discussion or meeting. 

Or maybe you’re somewhere and you realize, “Wow, I could really benefit from vooing right now,” but you can’t actually do it in that moment, here’s the good news. You can imagine doing it. 

The imagination is incredibly powerful. You might even imagine that a group of people are doing it with you, so that you can feel extra support. You can visualize yourself with your safe people, and imagine vooing all together.

Or you could also voo after the situation to help yourself ground back into your body. 

So, when in doubt
When under pressure
When you need to settle your system…

”Start Voo-in’, Mothaf*ckah!”