Yawning is universal and so simple. When we’re under threat, we don’t yawn. Yawning signals to your body that you are safe enough to relax.
You might set off a chain reaction, which is not a problem. Your nervous system deserves a good yawn.
Think of a cat, yawning with its entire body. Reach your arms up, lengthening one side as you breathe in through a wide mouth. Exaggerate the movement. Then, do the other side.
We are socialized to think there’s something impolite about yawning. Our culture tells us to suppress our yawns. Drop that belief for now. Here, yawning is encouraged.
You have just given your nervous system a tune up by activating your vagus nerve and stimulating the ‘attend and befriend’ response of your nervous system. Please note how you feel after the Yawn.
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Simple & Profound: A Good Yawn