Open your mouth as wide as you can. Just getting in position to yawn can be enough to prompt an actual yawn to form. Tighten the muscles at the back of your throat. These muscles naturally contract a little when you yawn.

Heart problems—If yawning excessively is accompanied by chest pain or an irregular heartbeat, it could be a sign of a heart condition. Stroke—Sudden, severe yawning could be a warning sign of an impending stroke. Brain tumor—In rare cases, yawning excessively can be a symptom of a brain tumor.

She yawned, and stretched lazily. They looked bored and yawned at the speeches. Rosanna stifled a huge yawn. The debate was a mockery.

One is that when we are bored or tired, we just don't breathe as deeply as we usually do. As this theory goes, our bodies take in less oxygen because our breathing has slowed. Therefore, yawning helps us bring more oxygen into the blood and move more carbon dioxide out of the blood.