The Vagus Nerve: Live Webinar & On-Demand Course

The Vagus Nerve: Live Webinar with Laurie VanCott

Live Session: Saturday, November 7, 2026 Time: 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST 

This is a one-time live event. There are currently no additional dates scheduled, so this is your one chance to join Laurie live and ask questions in real time. It is recommended that you watch the on-demand course before attending the live session. Registration includes access to both. 

This registration includes:

• Live 1-hour interactive session with Laurie VanCott: clinical discussion, case examples, and live Q&A
• Full access to the 2-hour on-demand course (available on October 5th, 2026)
• A recording of the live session if you can't attend in person
• Downloadable clinician and patient handouts
• Certificate of completion

The Vagus Nerve: Building Capacity Through Somatic Therapies & Manual Treatment

Persistent pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, trauma, chronic stress, and many complex health conditions are increasingly understood through the lens of nervous system regulation. As healthcare providers, we are uniquely positioned to help patients move beyond symptom management by understanding how the autonomic nervous system influences healing, movement, resilience, and recovery.

This course introduces the vagus nerve as a key regulator of the parasympathetic nervous system and explores its role in pain modulation, breathing, digestion, heart rate, bowel and bladder function, immune health, emotional regulation, and overall nervous system balance. Participants will gain an evidence-informed understanding of vagus nerve anatomy, physiology, vagal tone, Polyvagal Theory, and the clinical relevance of autonomic nervous system regulation.

Bridging neuroscience with clinical practice, this course integrates manual therapy, somatic movement, breathing, yoga-based movement, and patient education with practical self-management strategies that can be implemented immediately in clinical practice. Through video demonstrations and clinical examples, participants will learn assessment methods and evidence-informed interventions that support nervous system regulation while remaining within their professional scope of practice.

Rather than simply teaching techniques to calm the nervous system, this course focuses on helping clinicians build their patients' capacity for recovery. Participants will learn how to foster interoceptive awareness, expand a patient's window of tolerance, improve autonomic flexibility, and develop individualized treatment plans that encourage resilience and long-term adaptation. By the end of the course, clinicians will have practical tools to educate patients, guide meaningful behavior change, and support lasting recovery through movement, manual therapy, breathing, and nervous system retraining.

Learning Objectives

In this live webinar, we will:

1. Explain the anatomy, physiology, and function of the vagus nerve and its role within the autonomic nervous system.
   
   
2. Describe the neurophysiological foundations of vagal tone and autonomic nervous system regulation, and explain their clinical relevance for persistent pain, pelvic health, trauma recovery, emotional regulation, and stress-related disorders.
   
   
3. Explain current evidence supporting the biopsychosocial model, Polyvagal Theory, and somatic approaches as they relate to rehabilitation and whole-person care.
   
   
4. Recognize signs of autonomic nervous system dysregulation and identify assessment strategies appropriate to their professional scope of practice.
   
   
5. Apply evidence-informed manual therapy, breathing, movement, yoga-based movement, and somatic interventions that support nervous system regulation and help build recovery capacity.
   
   
6. Develop strategies to improve interoception, expand a patient's window of tolerance, and promote greater autonomic flexibility and resilience.
   
   
7. Integrate trauma-informed principles into patient assessment, communication, education, and treatment planning.
   
   
8. Teach patients simple, practical self-management strategies that encourage nervous system regulation, improve body awareness, and support long-term recovery outside the clinic.
   
   
9. Incorporate nervous system regulation into the management of individuals with persistent pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, bowel and bladder disorders, trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and other complex presentations.
   
   
10. Apply clinician self-regulation strategies that enhance therapeutic presence, reduce burnout, and promote sustainable clinical practice.

Audience

This course is designed for physiotherapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, athletic therapists, kinesiologists, physicians, nurses, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, counsellors, yoga therapists, yoga instructors, and other healthcare professionals interested in integrating nervous system regulation into clinical practice.

It is particularly relevant for clinicians working with persistent pain, pelvic health, trauma, concussion, orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation, chronic stress, or patients presenting with complex multisystem conditions. Whether you are new to nervous system regulation or looking to expand your current clinical toolbox, this course provides practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be applied immediately in practice.

Why This Course Matters

Many rehabilitation approaches continue to focus primarily on structural impairments, despite growing evidence that the autonomic nervous system plays a fundamental role in persistent pain, trauma recovery, pelvic health, stress-related disorders, and movement dysfunction.

This course moves beyond a symptom-driven approach to provide clinicians with a practical framework for understanding how nervous system regulation influences healing, movement, and overall well-being. Rather than simply helping patients down-regulate, participants will learn strategies that build nervous system capacity: the ability to respond to life's physical and emotional demands with greater flexibility, resilience, and adaptability.

By integrating current neuroscience with manual therapy, breathing, somatic movement, yoga-based interventions, and patient education, clinicians will gain practical tools that empower patients to improve interoception, widen their window of tolerance, strengthen self-regulation skills, and become active participants in their own recovery.

Whether you work with persistent pain, pelvic health, neurological conditions, orthopedic injuries, chronic stress, or trauma, this course provides immediately applicable strategies to enhance clinical reasoning, expand treatment options, and support meaningful, long-term recovery. Patients leave with more than symptom relief. They gain the skills and confidence to build resilience for the future, while clinicians gain a comprehensive framework for delivering whole-person, evidence-informed care.

Pricing

• Regular: CA$95
• Early bird: CA$75 (Ends Sept 18th 2026)
• Embodia members: CA$70

This is a one-time live event. There are currently no additional dates scheduled, so this is your one chance to join Laurie live and ask questions in real time.

What Happens After the Live Webinar

Once the live session wraps up on November 7, the recording will be added to the on-demand course, and this on-demand course will open for individual purchase. If you register for the live webinar, you keep lifetime access to the full course, both the on-demand content and the recording of the live session, regardless of whether you attend live.

FAQs

Will I be able to attend if I can't make the live session on November 7?

Yes. A recording of the live session will be available to you afterward, along with the full on-demand course.

What happens if I don't register before November 7?

The live webinar is a one-time event with no additional dates currently scheduled. After November 7, the on-demand course (without the live session) will become available for individual purchase.

Is the early bird price available the whole time, or just for a limited window? 

Yes, early-bird pricing ends September 18th, 2026

Is this course relevant if I don't specialize in pelvic health?

Yes. The vagus nerve and autonomic regulation apply across persistent pain, orthopaedic, neurological, and trauma-informed practice, not just pelvic health.

Do I need prior training in Polyvagal Theory or somatic approaches?

No. The course builds your understanding from the anatomy and physiology up, so no prior training is required.

Is a certificate of completion included?

Yes, a certificate of completion is generated once you've completed the course and can be downloaded at any time.