your body speaks

Ep16: Why You Can’t Stop Yawning: What Your Body Is Trying to Release Without Words

• Dr. Brook Sheehan • Season 2 • Episode 4

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You keep yawning…
 But you’re not even tired.
 So what gives?

In this episode of your body speaks, Dr. Brook Sheehan invites you to look at yawning through an entirely new lens. Beyond boredom or fatigue, yawning is actually one of your nervous system’s most sophisticated tools for regulation and release.

Whether it’s a subtle cry for oxygen, a digestive distress signal, or an emotional reset your body is begging for, excessive yawning is never random.

This episode explores the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual layers of this quiet but powerful body cue—and how the bodyOS™ framework can help you finally decode it.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The surprising root causes of excessive yawning (oxygen deprivation, blood sugar crashes, low stomach acid)
  • What your nervous system is trying to do every time you yawn
  • How yawning becomes emotional release when words can’t be expressed
  • Mental overload, digital overwhelm, and the role of overstimulation in yawning
  • Why your yawns may be a spiritual whisper of surrender and safety
  • How to use bodyOS™ to determine what your body is asking for
  • Daily practices to support release, reset, and nervous system regulation

🛠️ Resources & Tools Mentioned:

🕊️ Gentle Reminder from This Episode:

“Yawning isn’t something to fix. It’s something to listen to. Your body is seeking regulation, release, and reset. Honor the message, and healing begins.”

Welcome back to your
body speaks, where we
decode the hidden messages
your body sends you
every single day.
I am, your host, Dr.
Brook, and today we are
talking about a symptom
that most people ignore
or even laugh off.
Yawning.
This is episode four
of season two, and we're
asking the big question.
What is your body trying
to release without words?
You're probably thinking,
I'm just tired, or, that
meeting was boring, or,
I just need more sleep.
But what if that yawn
was your body trying
to release something
that words couldn't?
What if that moment you try
to stifle is actually
your nervous system?
Whispering Please
help me regulate.
Please help me breathe.
Most of us dismiss
yawning as simple
fatigue or boredom.
But yawning is actually one
of your nervous system's
most sophisticated tools
for regulation,
for release, and for reset.
And when you can't stop
yawning, especially
when you're not tired,
your body is trying
to tell you something
extremely important.
Today we're going to dive
deep into the world of
nervous system regulation
and unconscious tension
patterns through the lens
of body OS framework and
the four pillars,
physical, spiritual,
emotional and mental.
Because yawning isn't
just one thing.
It's a complex signal
that touches every
aspect of your being.
And when we understand it,
through this integrated
approach, we can finally
decode what your body is
really trying to tell you.
Let's start with
the physical foundation.
Because if your body's
basic needs aren't met,
everything
else becomes difficult.
There are several physical
causes of excessive yawning
that often go unchecked
and addressing these first
can make a huge difference.
First thing,
oxygen deprivation.
When your brain isn't
getting enough oxygen, it
triggers a yawn to pull
in a deep breath.
This often happens when
we're breathing shallowly,
especially during stress.
Your rib cage gets tight,
your diaphragm doesn't move
fully, and your body has
to force a big, bigger
breath through yawning.
The second one,
low stomach acid.
This one surprises most
people, but your body
can actually respond to
poor digestion, especially
low stomach acid,
by triggering yawns.
Why?
Because when your body is
under stress trying to
break down food, yawning
helps regulate the
nervous system and can
stimulate the vagus
nerve to support
digestive function.
Now the third one.
Blood sugar imbalances.
A sudden drop in your
blood sugar can make
your body feel weak,
foggy, or unstable.
You may yawn as your
body tries to cope
with the energy crash,
even without realizing
what's happening.
And another one.
That nervous
system overload.
Yawning helps reset your
vagus nerve, the very
nerve that tells your
body, we're safe.
Now, when your nervous
system is overwhelmed,
yawning becomes
a natural reset button.
So if you're yawning
throughout the day,
start here.
Check your breathing.
Are you taking shallow
chest breaths or deep
belly breaths?
How's your digestion?
Are you eating regularly
to maintain
stable blood sugar?
These physical foundations
matter more than you think.
Now, here are some immediate
physical supports.
You can try add trace
minerals or a pinch
of sea salt to your water
for better hydration.
Practice deeper breathing.
Try inhaling for four
seconds, holding for
seven, and exhaling
for eight seconds.
And here's a simple
digestive support.
Rub just below your left
breast, right along your
rib cage for about 30
seconds to help stimulate
your digestive system.
Now, here's what's
fascinating.
Even when we address
all these physical
factors, some people
still find themselves
yawning excessively.
That's when we need
to look deeper into
an emotional layer.
Yawning is communication.
It's not just physiological,
it's emotional.
Your body uses yawning
to process what you cannot
process with words.
To release what feels
too big or too unsafe
to express directly.
Think about when you
yawn most frequently.
Is there an emotion you
haven't fully processed?
Suppressed frustration
that you've been
carrying around?
Grief that has never
had a proper outlet?
Nervous energy that
you've bottled up because
you didn't know what
to do with it?
Your body is
incredibly intelligent.
And when emotions get
stuck, when you can't
cry, can't scream, can't
shake off the stress,
yawning becomes one of
the ways your nervous
system tries to create
movement to soften that
emotional edge.
I worked with someone who
was constantly yawning
during family gatherings.
Not because she was tired,
but because she was
holding back so much.
Years of family dynamics
where she felt like she
couldn't speak her truth,
couldn't express her real
feelings, couldn't set
the boundaries she needed.
Her body found yawning
as a way to release
some of that pent
up emotional energy.
And what we discovered was
so profound, when she
started expressing herself
more authentically, having
real conversations instead
of surface ones, setting
gentle boundaries,
allowing herself to feel
her emotions fully instead
of pushing them down, that
excessive yawning
decreased dramatically.
Your emotions need movement.
They need expression.
We don't want them
trapped in the body.
And.
And when you constantly
swallow your words, when
you smile, when you want
to cry, when you stay
quiet, when you want to
speak up, that energy has
to go somewhere, and
sometimes it comes out as
yawning.
So here's what you can try.
The next time you find
yourself yawning
repeatedly, ask yourself,
what are you feeling that
you haven't acknowledged?
What would you say if
you could say anything
without consequences?
What emotion is asking
for attention?
You don't have to act
You don't have to act
on it immediately,
but acknowledging
what's there can be
incredibly relieving.
Try shaking or gentle
movement to help your
stuck emotions move
through your body.
Use journaling to explore
what might be happening
emotionally before
the yawning started.
And as a quick, shameless
plug, I have created a free
My Body's Whispers Journal
to help you really navigate
and move through these and
ask proper questions when
you're doing that
journaling.
And remember, there are no
wrong emotions.
Anger, sadness,
frustration, fear.
They're all valid parts
of this human experience.
It's just the way we
learn to deal with them
and walk them out.
Now, let's talk about
mental overload, because
this is huge, huge
in our current world.
Is your brain constantly
running, scrolling
endlessly through
feeds, juggling multiple
decisions, analyzing
everything, trying
to keep track
of countless details
and responsibilities?
I get it.
That yawn might be your
body's way of saying,
I need less input.
I need a break.
I need space to process
what's already here.
We live in an age
of unprecedented
mental stimulation.
Your nervous system
wasn't designed for that
amount of information
we process daily.
Every notification,
every decision,
every piece of input
requires mental energy.
And when your brain gets
overwhelmed, yawning
becomes a natural reset
button, forcing a pause,
creating a moment
of slow stillness.
Pay attention to when
your yawning increases.
Is it after long
screen sessions?
During busy, chaotic days
when you're trying to make
multiple decisions at once,
when you're consuming too
much news or social media?
Your body is literally
trying to create
breathing room in your
Mental space space.
And here's what's
interesting.
Yawning forces a moment
of presence.
You can't really yawn
while multitasking.
It demands a pause,
a breath, a moment.
You are not doing
anything else.
Your body might be creating
these forced breaks
because you're not
taking voluntary ones.
So here are some mental
support strategies.
Set boundaries
around your input.
Turn off screens for one
full hour every evening.
Give yourself 10
minutes of silence with
your eyes closed.
No thinking required,
just being.
Try grounding affirmations.
Like it's safe to slow down.
I don't need to figure
it all out right now.
God's got me.
Practice what I call
mental decluttering.
Just like you might clean
out a messy room, sometimes
your mind is need space
to organize and process
what's already there.
Yawning might be your
body's way of saying,
stop adding more.
Let me work with
what we have.
And when we create space
mentally, something
beautiful often happens.
We become more available
to the deeper wisdom
that's always present,
but often gets drowned out
by the mental noise.
And this brings us
to the space spiritual
dimension of yawning.
Here's something very
beautiful about
yawning that most people
never consider.
Sometimes yawning happens
in stillness.
You finally sit down
after a busy day.
You pause in prayer
or meditation.
You're in the moment
of quiet reflection.
And then your body lets
out a long, slow yawn.
This isn't fatigue.
It's, surrender.
It's your body's way
of letting go, of releasing
of releasing the need
to control,
of softening into trust.
And I believe there's
something sacred
about yawning.
It's involuntary.
You can't force a real
yawn, and you can't easily
stop one once it starts.
In that way, it's
like grace.
It happens to you,
through you, often when
you most need it.
And maybe yawning is your
body's way of creating
space for something bigger
to move through you.
An invitation to rest,
not just physically,
but spiritually.
A reminder that you don't
have to hold everything
together by force of will.
Alone.
When you, When you yawn,
in moments of stillness,
what if your body
is trying to say it's
safe to let go now?
You can stop holding
on so tightly.
You can trust that
you've been held
by something greater than
your own efforts.
This connects to
the spiritual truth
that your body was
divinely designed.
a part of an Every system,
every response, every
seemingly automatic
function is
part of an intricate design
that knows how to regulate,
heal, and restore itself.
God did that.
And yawning might be one
of the ways that your body
remembers its own wisdom.
Try this the next
time you yawn.
Instead of apologizing or
feeling embarrassed,
take it as an invitation
to pause, place a hand
over your heart, and
silently say, thank you,
body, for this moment of
release.
Thank you, God, for this
beautiful masterpiece
you built for me.
What do you need me
to know right now?
Sometimes the answer will be
practical rest, boundaries,
better nutrition.
Sometimes it will be
emotional, expressing
feelings, having
difficult conversations,
releasing old hurts.
And sometimes it will
be spiritual, trusting
more, controlling, less
surrendering to the wisdom
that's already
present within you.
So here's what I want
you to remember.
Yawning isn't something
to be embarrassed
about or hide.
It's your body's
sophisticated way
of seeking regulation,
release, and reset across
all the four pillars
of your being.
Start with the physical.
Check your breathing,
support your digestion,
stabilize your blood sugar,
Honor the emotional,
ask what feelings
need expression
or acknowledgement.
Address the mental, create
space, reduce overwhelm,
allow for processing time,
and embrace the spiritual.
See yawning as an invitation
to surrender and trust.
If you want to dive deeper
into tracking these
body signals across all
four pillars, Grab My Body's
Whispers Journal.
It's specifically designed
to help you decode
what your body is
trying to tell you.
And check out my Talk to
Me Body card deck.
63 cards written from
the voice of your body
to take you out of fear
and into faith that your
body was divinely designed.
The question isn't
how to stop yawning.
It's how to honor
what your yawns are
trying to tell you.
Your body's always speaking.
The question is,
are you listening?
Next episode, we're
diving into when
your gut goes quiet,
Exploring constipation,
bloating, and what truths
you're holding in
that need to move.
Until then, listen
to your body.
Trust its wisdom
and transform the way you
care for your health.
See you next time.