Let’s be honest: are you tired of me going on about the benefits of yoga and exercise?
For a change, I’m going to encourage you to…. yawn!
Yes, that’s right. I’m talking about this involuntary wide opening of the mouth, with a deep inhale through the mouth and nose and a slow exhale.
I’ve always been a keen ‘yawner’ but I often felt embarrassed about it as it sometimes happens at what seems the wrong moment, like when my husband is telling me about his day!!!!
So, I was thrilled to read in Dan BrulĂ©’s book Just Breathe that “yawning has to do with energy, balancing the nervous system, releasing toxins… and science is finally beginning to take a more serious look at this phenomenon.” But I was even happier when I learnt that apparently, the yawning reflex lights up the part of our brain that is associated with empathy, bonding, play and creativity. It allows us to connect to another’s feelings! Phew, if I yawn when Peter is telling me about his day, I can now tell him I’m just feeling more empathy đ In fact, the less empathy a person has, the less likely he or she is to catch a yawn, which is why as Dan BrulĂ© wrote, sociopaths donât yawn when others do.
Not only is yawning good for us but we should actually create a daily yawning routine: 10 minutes, twice a day is what Dan Brulé recommends!
Are you ready? As you breathe in, open your mouth, wiggle your jaw to trigger the yawning reflex. And if possible, stretch while you yawn. Keep yawning till you cry.
Just writing about it makes me yawn!
Let’s yawn together
