Pandiculation : the act of stretching oneself and yawning, especially upon waking. However, our automatic pandicular response has far more significance than simply prompting us to stretch and yawn. Pandiculation is our nervous system’s natural way of waking up our sensory-motor system and preparing us for movement.
From “Take Advantage of Nature’s ‘Reset Button’”
With intentional practice, you can make a big impact on how you experience your body. Regular voluntary pandiculation enables your nervous system to re-learn healthy movement patterns — helping you to feel more relaxed, improve mobility and optimize your overall health.
Here’s how you do it:
A voluntary muscle contraction — focus on a muscle and squeeze it a little tighter than its existing state.
A slow, controlled release — maintain control as you intentionally lengthen your muscles.
A complete relaxation — return to a neutral resting position.
As long as you mindfully follow each step — muscle contraction, slow release, and complete relaxation — you can actually turn any of your favourite stretches or movements into a pandiculation.
In her short video, movement educator Martha Peterson provides a great example of a simple pandiculation. She also explains how pandiculation is different from traditional stretching, and how it restores voluntary muscle control to release tension, soreness and pain.
