Pandiculation is the act of stretching and yawning, performed by vertebrate animals, including humans, upon awakening. It prepares the body and brain for normal sensing and movement, resulting in relaxation and increased energy. Pandiculation is an active stretching movement that involves contracting and gradually relaxing muscles. It is promoted by Hanna Somatic Education® practitioners as a way to achieve pain relief through conscious, voluntary control of movement.
Pandiculation refers to the act of stretching and yawning, usually done upon awakening. It is performed by vertebrate animals, including humans, as a way to awaken the sensorimotor cortex of the brain to prepare the body and brain for normal sensing and movement. Pandiculating will result in a feeling of relaxation and increased energy.
Throughout the vertebrate kingdom, animals like mammals, birds, and even fish start each day with a morning stretch. Human fetuses as young as 11 weeks will exhibit yawning behavior. Pregnant women have reported experiencing slow extension movements of the babies in their womb that are different from normal kicks.
Pandiculation is an instinctive movement, but it is not the passive stretching of the muscles. Passive stretching involves taking a specific position and holding it for a few moments with the help of another part of the body or a piece of equipment. An example would be stretching your triceps by holding your arm over your head and touching your shoulder.
Conversely, active stretching involves taking a position and holding it without any help. An example of active stretching would be to lift the leg and hold it without other assistance. Yoga movements and pandiculation are considered active stretching.
When people pandiculate, they normally make a fist while slowly extending their arms above their heads, throwing their heads back, extending their legs, and ending with a big yawn. When people do this, they actually contract their muscles and then gradually relax them. The act of pandiculation raises your blood pressure and heart rate, making you feel more alert.
Long-lasting repetitive movements like typing in front of a computer cause muscles to tighten and lock themselves in a contracted state, leading to aches and pains. Voluntarily contracting the muscles beyond the point where they are locked allows them to fully relax. The end result is an overall feeling of refreshment.
The benefits of pandiculation towards creating a feeling of well-being have long been appreciated. In 1900, a machine called the Pandiculator was manufactured and marketed by one company, claiming that 15 minutes of stretching using the device would refresh, rejuvenate and energize the user. While pandiculation does lead to such benefits, the machine didn’t actually work to pandiculate the user. Instead, it functioned as a tool that passively stretched the body. A fraud was later declared and the product banned from being sent through the United States Post Office.
Today, pandiculation is promoted by Hanna Somatic Education® practitioners as one of the ways individuals can achieve pain relief through conscious, voluntary control of movement. The practitioner helps the novice through a process called assisted pandiculation, which involves the client contracting the affected area while the therapist provides resistance. This teaches the body how to perform the action correctly. Next, the therapist instructs the client in self-pandiculation to achieve pain and stress relief.
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