Things I Wish I Would Have Known About a Yawn

awareness empathy energy grounding nervous system nervous system regulation somatic yawning May 01, 2025

Warning...reading about yawns and why they are so cool might make you yawn! Next time you are in a meeting and you start yawning, you can tell everyone these fun facts when they start giving you the look. Bonus: You no longer have to feel guilty about letting one out. They are SO good for you!

Yawning might seem simple or even like a sign of boredom, but it’s actually a powerful tool for the body and brain.

Here's a breakdown of the surprising and science-backed benefits of a yawn—from a nervous system, brain, and somatic perspective:

1. Nervous System Regulation

Yawning activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part responsible for rest, repair, and digestion. This helps:

Calm the body down after stress
Shift you out of "fight or flight" into "rest and digest"
Reset your autonomic nervous system when dysregulated

Bonus tip: Many somatic therapists use yawning as a sign of nervous system discharge—your body literally releasing tension.

2. Brain Cooling & Alertness

A yawn cools the brain like a fan. When your brain is overheated (due to stress, overthinking, or high energy output), yawning helps:

Lower brain temperature
Increase clarity, alertness, and focus
Support cognitive performance and executive functioning

Yawning isn't just about sleep—it's about resetting brain function.

3. Oxygenation & Detoxification

Yawning draws in a deep breath, allowing:

Increased oxygen intake
A deeper exhale to release CO₂
Boosted circulation, which can help remove metabolic waste in the brain and body

It's like hitting the refresh button on your internal environment.

4. Fascial Release & Jaw Relaxation

A big yawn stretches your facial, jaw, and neck muscles, promoting:

Reduced jaw tension or TMJ symptoms
Release of fascial tension (connective tissue)
Overall muscular relaxation, especially in the upper body and head

This is incredibly helpful in trauma recovery work, where tension can be stored subtly in these areas.

5. Emotional Release & Somatic Reset

In somatic experiencing, yawning is often a sign of the body processing and discharging emotional energy. It can mean:

You're releasing stuck energy
You're moving through or completing a stress response
Your body is integrating a past trauma or calming an overactive state

6. Mirror Neuron Activation & Empathy

Yawning is contagious for a reason—it activates your mirror neurons, which are tied to empathy and social connection. This serves to:

Build attunement between people (especially in group or therapeutic settings)
Enhance social bonding and trust
Reflect nervous system syncing between individuals

7. Sleep Preparation & Circadian Rhythm Support

Yawning increases in the evening because it's your body's natural signal that it's time to downshift. It:

Stimulates melatonin production
Prepares the brain and body for rest
Helps align you with your circadian rhythm

8. Somatic Intelligence & Self-Awareness

Intentional yawning (yes, you can practice it on purpose) increases interoceptive awareness—your ability to sense what's happening inside your body. This makes yawning a:

Simple somatic tool to re-ground yourself
Gentle entry point into more regulated states
Natural way to notice where tension still lives in the body