Nervous System Regulation for Clear Vision
If you’ve ever tried eye exercises and thought, “Why isn’t this working?”—you’re not alone. And here’s something that might surprise you: the problem often isn’t the vision practices themselves.
It’s that you’re trying to improve your vision while your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
I recently sat down with Jodi Cohen, founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, and what she shared confirmed how I think about vision improvement. Because here’s what I see again and again in my practice: people diligently doing their eye exercises while their bodies are in fight-or-flight stress mode.
And when you’re in that state, you literally cannot improve your eyesight, no matter how great that eye exercise or technique might be.
How Your Nervous System Impacts Your Vision
Your autonomic nervous system has two basic gears. The sympathetic branch says “alert”—resources get allocated to survival, blood flows to your arms and legs for fighting or fleeing, your pupils dilate and your peripheral field narrows, making you hyper focused on what’s just ahead. Your visual acuity will suffer, so vision is more blurry.
Then there’s the parasympathetic branch, where all restoration occurs. Blood flow routes back to your vital organs and viscera (think digestion), your pupils naturally relax into a constricted state (which actually helps you see sharper), and your peripheral vision expands.
The main driver between these two states? Your vagus nerve which bilaterally communicates from eyes, ears, throat down to heart, lungs and gut.
And this is where Jodi’s work gets fascinating. She discovered that by topically applying specific essential oil blends to the area where the vagus nerve is most accessible—right behind the earlobe on the mastoid bone—you can actively shift it into a restorative, parasympathetic state.
I’ve been using her Parasympathetic essential oil blend for years, and I can tell you: it’s changed my level of calm even when chaos surrounds me. And not just for me personally, but for my clients who’ve been stuck in that chronic stress pattern that undermines every vision improvement effort they make.
The Pattern That’s Sabotaging Your Vision
Here’s what chronic nervous system dysregulation looks like when struggling with vision issues:
- Tight jaw and facial tension
- Constricted, tight neck muscles
- Shallow chest and neck breathing
- Forward head posture
- Braced-for-danger tightness in the whole body
Sound familiar?
This tension doesn’t just affect how you feel. It directly impacts blood flow to your brain, lymphatic drainage from your head, and your ability to access the relaxed, peripheral awareness that’s essential for healthy vision.
According to research from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, stress and activation can significantly impact various aspects of eye health, including intraocular pressure (glaucoma) and visual processing.
An amblyopic client came to me after a year of vision therapy with minimal, if any results. We started with Step 1 of my Naturally Clear Vision® Method and my Roll & Relax myofascial release before touching a single vision exercise.
Within weeks, some of those exercises that “didn’t work” before started producing remarkable changes.
The exercises didn’t change much. Her nervous system state did.
Vagus Nerve Activation: The Game-Changer for Your Nervous System
Apply any oil you love behind your earlobe, in that little divot where your mastoid bone sits. This is where the vagus nerve—the main nervous system regulator—is most accessible.
You can do one side or both—whatever feels right to you.
This simple application point can shift your entire nervous system from fight-or-flight into the relaxed state your eyes desperately need.
Read more about the vagus nerve and 10 ways to relax.
The Lymph-Vision-Nervous System Connection Nobody Talks About
One-third of your lymph nodes are in your neck. When lymphatic flow gets congested there, it compromises your function and bathes your eyes in what Jodi calls “dirty water.”
Jodi shared something I find critical for anyone serious about eye health: when your nervous system is compromised by congested lymph, it creates what health experts call “vagus nerve toxicity.”
Think of your neck like an aquarium. When the water’s murky, the fish get sick. When your neck’s congested, your nervous system struggles—and so do your eyes.
Apply Lymph essential oil blend right along your collarbone and on the neck. The natural soft rubbing motion you use? That’s the perfect amount of pressure for lymphatic drainage. You don’t need to dig in deep or to worry about “doing it wrong.”
One hundred percent of your lymph drains through your collarbone area. If it’s congested there, it backs up into your brain, affecting your nervous system and with it, your vision.
Fascial Release for Nervous System Freedom
Fascia is the connective tissue that winds around your entire body. When it’s tight, it restricts blood and lymph flow, mobility, nerve function and even strength.
Here’s what’s happening in your neck: we brace for impact when danger appears. But often, even after the danger passes, we stay in that braced posture. This chronic tension creates myofascial adhesions that can trap you into a state of sympathetic dominance.
Apply Fascia Release essential oil blend anywhere tension lives: jaw, neck, around the eyes, even your hips. I combine this with the Roll & Relax facial massage work I teach using Tune Up® Fitness balls, and the combination powerfully supports muscular relaxation and ‘slide-and-glide’ in the fascia.
Smell: Brain Training for Cognitive Function
Did you know that loss of smell is often the first sign of cognitive decline?
Why? Because the olfactory bulb has a direct connection to your memory and emotional centers, the amygdala and the hippocampus.
To save and improve your cognitive function and sensory abilities, Jodi recommends this simple smell training: inhale different essential oils a couple times daily. Peppermint and rosemary have the most research for cognitive support and balance.
When you can’t smell something anymore (like a burnt toast or freshly brewed coffee), that’s all you need. You’re literally training your nervous system and brain with each deep smell session.
The olfactory sense connects so directly to your nervous system that it can trigger immediate state changes. One nostril breathing technique Jodi shared: if you’re having anxiety (right frontal lobe overactive), gently use one finger to close your right nostril and smell through your left nostril. It goes directly to the left frontal lobe and balances your system.
Strategic Timing for Maximum Nervous System Support
Keep oils in your bathroom or on your nightstand. Connect this new practice to an existing habit.
Apply the oil before bed to support the deep healing that happens during sleep, when your body drops into restorative, parasympathetic mode. This is when brain and body repair and discard old cells. Mitophagy the process for mitochondrial renewal.
The retina has the highest energy demand and more mitochondria that any other cell in the brain and body. As we get older, our mitochondria degenerate but we need to get rid of those “zoombie” mitochondria.
Sleep is when your body repairs, restores, and heals. Anything you can do to help drop into parasympathetic state before bed amplifies this natural healing process.
Morning application works beautifully too: Starting your day with nervous system regulation sets the tone for how you respond to stress throughout the day.
What Happens When You Balance Your Nervous System
When you’re stuck in sympathetic dominance, you get tunnel vision, literally and figuratively. Your visual acuity declines. Your peripheral visual field diminishes. Even your ability to respond calmly to life’s stressors shrinks.
But when you can regulate your nervous system through sleep, massage, oils, breath work, and emotional work, you begin to optimize all functions in brain and body.
You can see more. You respond rather than react. And your vision has the space it needs to improve.
I’ve seen it happen over and over: Clients who were frustrated and stuck suddenly making progress they thought was impossible, all because we addressed their nervous system state first.
Jodi put it perfectly: “We can’t control anything in our environment, but we can control our response.” When you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, you’re able to regulate yourself even when someone’s trying to provoke you. It makes life so much easier. And vision improvement much more effective.
The Foundation Your Eyes Need: Nervous System Health
Vision improvement isn’t just about eye exercises, though those matter. It’s about creating the nervous system conditions where your eyes can actually start to see clearly
That means:
- Regular parasympathetic nervous system activation
- Healthy lymphatic drainage in your neck
- Release of myofascial tension that restricts blood and lymph flow and limits muscle mobility and strength
- Supporting your body’s natural nervous system healing capacity
- Staying calm to make healthy decisions
- Emotional regulation through chaotic times
When these foundations are in place, the vision exercises you do become exponentially more effective.
Dr. Christine Schaffner, a Naturopathic Doctor friend of Jodi’s who treats chronically ill clients, asks every patient the same essential questions: Are you sleeping? Can you activate your parasympathetic nervous system? Is your lymph draining?
These fundamentals matter more than any advanced protocol. Get your nervous system functioning optimally, and healing becomes possible.
Your Practical Nervous System-Vision Action Plan
If this resonates and you want to try this approach, here’s your simple starting protocol:
Morning Routine:
- Apply Parasympathetic essential oil blend behind ears after brushing teeth
- Notice how your nervous system feels throughout the day
- Use before any vision exercises for better results
Evening Routine:
- Lymph essential oil blend on collarbone and neck before bed
- Fascia Release on any areas of tension
- Parasympathetic essential oil blend behind ears again to signal sleep time
As Needed:
- Parasympathetic essential oil blend before stressful situations
- Limbic Reset for emotional regulation
- Small Intestine Support for healthy boundaries
- Liver Support when anger arises
Trust Your Nose: If an oil smells amazing to you, your nervous system probably needs that support right now. When it smells less appealing or neutral, you might not need it. Your body knows what it needs—just like craving chocolate during certain times signals magnesium needs.
The Oils That Support Your Nervous System Best
While Jodi has created an entire line of essential oil blends, certain ones specifically target nervous system regulation:
Parasympathetic Blend: The foundation. Clove and lime applied behind the ear to directly stimulate vagus nerve activation and shift your nervous system into healing mode.
Lymph Blend: Contains spearmint and other ingredients that move lymphatics, clearing the terrain around your nervous system so it can function optimally.
Fascia Release Blend: Works quickly to release adhesions that trap your nervous system in chronic tension patterns. Focus on the neck especially.
Histamine Balance: For mold exposure or histamine issues that stress your nervous system. Can even be mixed with salt and left in hotel rooms to clean the air.
You can use them individually or in combination. There’s something about using three at once that creates a synergistic effect. Just like having protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates on your plate.
Ready to Transform Your Nervous System and Vision?
Your vision struggles might not be just about your eyes. They might be about the nervous system environment your eyes are trying to function in.
Change that environment, and you might be surprised what becomes possible.
If you want to try Vibrant Blue Oils, use code WELCOME10 if you’re new to their products. Start simple with my favorite, the Parasympathetic blend. It’s the foundation that all other oils builds on.
And remember: This isn’t about adding more pressure to “do it right.” It’s about giving your nervous system simple, supportive tools that help it shift into the state where healing naturally occurs.
The connection between your nervous system and your vision is undeniable. Support one, and you support the other. It’s that beautifully interconnected.
Watch the full episode Expert Tips on Nervous System Regulation for Vision Improvement
