Common collocations: 扬起头 (raise the head - confidence/pride), 扬起手 (raise the hand), 扬起尘土 (kick up dust), 扬起风帆 (hoist sails), 扬起眉毛 (raise eyebrows). The 起 directional complement emphasizes the upward motion.
memory
扬 (扌 hand radical + 昜 sun rising) shows hand + rising sun - perfect picture of "raise up." 起 reinforces "up / start." The pair is built for things going from low to high.
