Sometimes simple, everyday activities can go unappreciated. But yawning will have its day.
It can be a practice of both awakening and activating as well as calming and settling your nervous system.
Need a reset, a personal reboot?
Try this, intentionally yawn.
Make it a practice and notice the outcome. For you, for your nervous system.
Enjoy your practice…
Length 4:50ActivateJust MoveStandingSittingMoving
Yawn Practice
You may choose to stand or sit.
Wherever you are, make sure you have space around you. Allow your arms to drop to your sides.
Now alternate tight fists and open hands.
Open and close tight a few times.
Pause.
Breathe in as you raise your shoulders up toward your ears.
Breath out as you let them go back and then down.
Repeat these shoulder lifts two times with breath, breathing in to go up, breathing out to go down and back.
If you are yawning already, that’s fine, keep yawning…
Now make a fist again with your right hand. Lengthen your arm at a 45 degree angle up and out, keep the strong fist.
Press your left fist with your extended arm down and at an angle. Essentially your arms create a diagonal line.
Allow your upper body to stretch wide.
Maybe tilt your head to the right side toward your right shoulder.
Open your mouth, close your eyes, breathe in through your mouth and see if a yawn comes.
If it doesn’t that is okay.
Release and relax. Your arms can return to your sides. Hands are soft. Eyes are open.
Although the goal may seem to be to yawn, know that the process is valuable without the yawn. The opening of the body, the fresh air from the in-breath and full, complete out-breath can create a shift. That in itself can be a helpful practice of increasing energy from the inside.
Now try the opposite movement.
Your left hand makes a fist. Your left arm extends up at a 45 degree angle. Your right hand and arm do the opposite, downward at an angle.
Gently tilt your head to the left, eyes might close.
Open your mouth, enjoy a big breath in.
Again let a big yawn occur or not. It’s all good.
Release and soften.
Arms come down, hands can rest in your lap.
Eyes might close or look down at a spot on the floor.
Breathe in big through your nose.
Exhale slowly out.
Repeat.
Enjoy.
At any time, in any space that may allow for the Yawn Practice, go ahead and yawn. It can be a valuable tool to shift how you feel from the inside.
Length 4:50ActivateJust MoveStandingSittingMoving