Why I Sometimes Encourage My Clients to Yawn During Therapy

Have you ever apologised for yawning during a therapy session?

If so, please don’t.

My response is usually:

“Let’s yawn with the whole face.”

Not a polite little hidden yawn. Not a swallowed one. A full-face yawn. Jaw softening, eyes relaxing, shoulders dropping, breath moving. And you know that I will join you in your yawning session 😁

Because sometimes the body doesn’t need more pressure to calm down. It needs permission.

Yawning is something we often associate with tiredness or boredom, but it is far more fascinating than that. Although scientists are still discovering exactly why we yawn, research suggests it serves several important functions within the body rather than having just one purpose.

As an integrative counsellor, I often notice yawning appearing at meaningful moments in therapy. It may happen after someone has spoken about a painful memory, during breathwork, while connecting with an emotion they have held inside for years, or simply when they begin to feel safe enough to soften.

I don't see every yawn as carrying deep meaning. Sometimes we're simply tired. But sometimes it feels as though the nervous system is gently letting go of something it has been holding onto.

Rather than brushing past it, I become curious.

"What did you notice just before the yawn?"

"What feels different now?"

"Has anything shifted in your body?"

Very often, clients tell me their breathing feels deeper, their shoulders have relaxed, their jaw feels softer, or they simply feel more present than they did a few moments before.

What happens in the body?

When we experience stress or anxiety, our sympathetic nervous system prepares us for action. Our breathing becomes quicker and shallower. Our jaw tightens. Our shoulders lift. Our muscles prepare to protect us.

A yawn naturally interrupts that pattern.

It involves one long, deep inhalation followed by a slower exhalation. The mouth opens widely, the jaw stretches, muscles around the face, throat and neck lengthen, and the chest expands. Afterwards, many people notice their breathing has become slower and easier.

One fascinating study also found that spontaneous yawning was accompanied by a temporary reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity together with signs of increased parasympathetic influence, including a small reduction in blood pressure. While this was a small physiological study and more research is needed, it offers an interesting glimpse into why yawning may sometimes accompany feelings of relaxation.

This is one reason I never rush to stop a client from yawning.

Sometimes it is simply the body doing what bodies have evolved to do.

More than just feeling sleepy

For many years people believed yawning happened because we needed more oxygen. We now know the picture is much more complex.

Current research suggests yawning may help regulate alertness, support transitions between different states of arousal, widen the airway through coordinated muscle movements and possibly help cool the brain by increasing blood flow around the head and encouraging heat exchange. Scientists continue to investigate these theories, and no single explanation has been proven to account for every yawn.

Researchers have also noted that yawning appears closely linked with the autonomic nervous system, the system responsible for balancing activation and recovery within the body. Because of this relationship, yawning has become an area of growing interest in neuroscience and psychophysiology.

A gentle exercise to try

Find a comfortable place to sit.

Allow your shoulders to soften.

Place your fingertips around your jaw joints and massage gently.

Slowly open and close your mouth, noticing any areas of tension.

Then invite your mouth to open a little wider.

Take a slow, easy breath in.

If a yawn begins to appear, don't hold it back.

Let your whole face join in.

Let your jaw stretch.

Let your eyes soften.

Let your shoulders drop.

If a sigh comes afterwards, let that happen too.

Then simply notice.

Has your breathing changed?

Does your jaw feel different?

Are your shoulders a little lighter?

Has your mind become even slightly quieter?

There is nothing to force.

Your body already knows how to regulate itself.

Sometimes it simply needs permission.

One of the things I love most about yawning is that it reminds us healing doesn't always begin with words.

Sometimes it begins with a breath.

Sometimes with a softer jaw.

Sometimes with a yawn.

If this resonates with you...

If this gentle, body-based way of working speaks to something in you, you are very welcome to book an initial consultation with me.

Together, we'll explore not only your thoughts and emotions, but also what your body has been carrying, how your nervous system has been trying to protect you, and what might help you feel more grounded, safe and connected again.

You can book your initial consultation here:

You can book your initial consultation here: https://www.fresha.com/book-now/soul-healing-cpu5chqu/services?lid=148247&eid=434440&oiid=sv%3A19941798&share&pId=138005

thank you

Alicja 🌱 and Ember 🐾