Pandiculation
Written by - Maria Holm
“Pandiculation is the involuntary stretching of the soft tissues, which occurs in most animal species and is associated with transitions between cyclic biological behaviors, especially the sleep-wake rhythm.” (Walusinski, 2006)
What is pandiculation exercise?
Pandiculation is the act of yawning-and-stretching. Pandiculation exercises are what we do within our system and methods, on the machines, chair and mat. We even have the yawning as a breath and as names for many exercises.
If you spend any time around cats or dogs you'll see pandiculation in action multiple times a day whenever they arch their back after sleep. This is something we as human beings have moved away from, “forgotten” in our daily life, but is something we truly could reclaim and bring back, just studying and mimic pets and small children around us.
The action and natural instinct of our bodies is something we use in our practise, doing the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® methods and exercises, and something our whole method has in its base. It’s not just stretching and strengthening, it’s always with a quality of yawning in the body, breathing the body, movements and breath, like a cat. Contracing muscle and tissue, while stretching, in a shivering-like deeper feeling. A deep massage for our whole system.
Most traditional stretching is passive, not actively using the muscle, merely pulling on it, trying to affect change from the outside in. During pandiculation you are actively using the muscle and your brain is involved in the process. You are trying to affect change from the inside out.
Pandiculation is our nervous system's natural way of waking up our sensorimotor system and preparing us for movement, and moving more fully, in a deeper more connected way. Humans, along with all vertebrate animals, tend to automatically pandiculate when we wake up or when we've been sedentary for a while.
So next time you feel a yawn coming, yawn it out fully and with your whole body. Bring that sensation with you to your session and through out your day. Next time you are on the machines and mats, see how far your body can yawn, and feel the benefits of pandiculation fully!
