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The Deliberate Yawn

A practice card

A big, exaggerated yawn on purpose — mouth wide, eyes watering — used as a quick way to settle a wired body.

When

When you're wired or restless in your head and want a fast, physical way to downshift.

How

Open your mouth wide and stretch your face, as if a huge yawn were starting, even if none comes.

Breathe in slowly and deeply through the open mouth, the way the front half of a real yawn feels.

Let the breath go loose and long, with a sigh if one wants to come out.

Keep faking it. A real yawn often follows after a few tries.

Now

begin

2:00

Breathe in wide and slow. Let it go long and loose.

After

A long exhale like this is thought to help settle an alert body, though no one is fully certain why yawning does what it does. Notice if your jaw or shoulders feel any looser now.

This is a teaching, not treatment. If you’re struggling, a doctor or therapist can help. If you’re in danger right now, call your local emergency number or a crisis line (in the US, call or text 988).

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