Health and wellness blog

Affiliation between Neuvana and Align For Performance

Published On - 29 July, 2022By Alina Butunoi

By now, you have likely heard me talk excitedly about the amazing and powerful “wandering” vagus nerve. So you know that the Vagal function is so critical to living a healthy and active life.

While there are a number of ways to work with the vagus nerve, one of the more exciting ones aught is transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tAVNS).

We recommend the use of a vagus nerve stimulating devices such as the much more user-friendly tAVNS device that is now available from Neuvana (https://neuvanalife.com)

Over the last two years, Neuvana redesigned its device and app from the ground up. We are happy to say that we have had the privilege of testing the new device and we really enjoyed the look and appreciated the features. We think that you will too.

Now for the great news!

After much discussion and negotiation, we are excited to announce an official affiliation between “Neuvana” and “Align For Performance”.

As a result of this new affiliation, our community will now benefit from a 15% discount on Neuvana’s bestselling packages from the international store. The discount can be applied on any of the box set (U.S only) and all bundles. The discount on the bundle is available to you now.

Please check out the products here: https://neuvanalife.com/collections/international-shop and use the promo code ALIGN at checkout for the discount!

Xen 101: Session Expectations & How to Measure Results

Endorsement of Xen by Neuvana

A few years ago, at one of my Z-training courses with Dr. Eric Cobb, Z Health Performance Solutions, the highlight of the class was the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve provides the first-line defence against infection and inflammation in the periphery to restore homeostasis via conducting information to/from the brain to regulate the immune system.

Also during this course, I was introduced to Xen by Neuvana, a tool known as the transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). As soon I became acquainted with it I was eager to learn how to help myself and my clients by using this tool which delivers stimulation to the vagus nerve via earbuds

As a brain-based practitioner, knowing how intricate the vagus nerve pathways are at conveying information into the insular cortex as critical contributors to the interoception maps for pain inhibition, breathing patterns, mood and energy, I realized that I wanted to dive deeper and experience the tVNS.

My Personal Experience

For almost three years, I have been using the Xen by Neuvana unit twice a day as a recovering tool.

Every morning after I finish neurocentic training drills I add a session for 20 minutes to integrate the new stimulation for improved brain function, to decompress, to improve clarity of my daily task, to keep myself calm and focused so that I can deliver optimal results for my clients.

The second session, also for 20 minutes, is after I finished work when I seek to unwind and recharge my brain function.

Each session delivers different results based on what’s happening in my world. Sometimes I need to stay focused on studying. Other times, I want to channel my energy to design programs and to create content. While at other times, I need to rest and rejuvenate and set myself up so that I sleep better.

For me, having this tool (in my pocket) for self-health care has been like a fresh breath of resilience to carry me through the whole day.

How I Use Xen by Neuvana with Clients

When working with clients I always use Xen in context and always make it individualized (the same rule applies to all my clients).

We conduct a self-assessment every morning like a tracking journal with different markers such as sleep hours, quality of sleep, joint stiffness, soreness, bloating, mood, fatigue, heart rate, and breathing. Based on the score of the self-assessment we can decide the dose for the vagus nerve stimulation.

Remember, if you are not assessing you are guessing (most of the time the feedback may not be an accurate interpretation of how you are feeling). We place an emphasis on the “assess re-assess approach” to know how to interpret the data collection.

Every client’s Xen experience is different. For a person who has chronic post-concussion symptoms 25 minutes, maybe too much stimulation for the vagus nerve versus another person who is an elite athlete or competitive hockey player 25 minutes might work best as recovery time may be optimal.

My only wish is that anyone who has unanswered questions about how to help themselves and wants to understand more about the brain and gut connection will be curious enough to ask for my professional assistance.

Outcomes Experienced

I have been working on case studies for vestibular migraine, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation and I have noticed stable long-lasting results for ameliorating these conditions.

We were using Xen twice daily for 20 minutes in conjunction with brain rehabilitation drills for an active neuromodulation effect on cardiovascular adaptation, increase stamina, and mental clarity.

Our program, which is designed specifically for each client’s needs, uses Xen by Neuvana as a tool to help seal the results for constantly rewiring the brain functions.

Xen by Neuvana is “a therapeutical tool” and when you pair it with brain training you can see a boost in divergent thinking, quality of life, mood enhancement and sleep improvement.

As a therapist I will tell you Xen by Neuvana is one option of many when considering different alternative medicine tools. If you identify yourself with what I described as a “person seeking positive outcomes” then you can decide for yourself which tool(s) are worth using.

It has been and continues to be, a privilege to have the opportunity to work with the Neuvana Team.

I highly recommend Xen by Neuvana for people who are searching to close the gap between brain and body connections. I know from personal and professional experience that it is an invitation to fresh beginnings for healing and self-care.

If you are intrigued by vagus nerve stimulation, book an appointment today. You’ll feel the difference in pain management and brain training services.

About Author

Alina Butunoi

Alina Butunoi is one of Ottawa's most respected brain training and pain management practitioners. A previous nominee for the Ottawa 40 Under 40 business leaders, she is also a certified Movement Neurology Specialist with Z-Health, a cutting-edge neuro-exercise system that helps improve health, alleviate pain and maximize athletic performance.

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