Did you Pandiculate today?

Pan-di-cu-late.

Say each syllable, then let the whole word roll off your tongue like a wave.

This is a brand new word for me, having heard it just a month ago while viewing Mary Bond’s Google Talk: The New Rules of Posture: How to Sit, Stand, and Move in the Modern World. Turns out, every cat and dog pandiculates, and so do humans, but if you aren’t familiar with the word then you likely have no idea when you are pandiculating.

S - T - R - E - T - C - H - I - N - G

It’s that simple. Stand and stretch. Raise your arms as high as you are able, pressing your fingers away from your shoulders. Perhaps roll onto your tiptoes and let them hug the ground, lifting your heels as if to take off. Sit and stretch. Let your arms hang long and press your fingers towards the ground. Extend your legs and lift your feet just enough to press your heels away from your legs. Or better yet, find whatever position is available for you and stretch your limbs as comfortably and firmly as you are able. Simply stretch!

Then add a yawn, and maybe even some sound, to stretch your jaw!

There you have it. Pandiculating.

Like saying each syllable separately, a stretch awakens each part of your body. Like the word rolling off your tongue, a full body stretch sends a wave of energy and alertness throughout your being. If you’re curious about this simple yet powerful action, check out What is pandiculation?

(Thumbnail image is a screenshot from Mary Bond’s Google Talk; image below is of a counter in my kitchen, where for weeks this reminder sat until it finally became part of my daily movement.)