Ridecamp: [RC] Yawning-not a boring subject

And how about yawning having something to do with the body needing MORE
OXYGEN?
Very, very often, when I am doing my equine sports massage therapy work,
the horse's tight area loosens up, and he/she begins nonstop yawning.  I
have often given up counting the yawns.  They often come with sleepy
eyes, dropped head, and a deep breath here and there.  Then, when I move
to another area, they "wake up" and have all their spunk back into them. 
Muscles have "memories", and I think that the "yawning" areas represent
old tension.  

I have asked many other professionals what they think of yawning, and
some of the answers are:  relaxation - (the parasympathetic system?),
endorphins, muscles that have been tight for a long time finally "letting
go", loosening the TMJ -- which, by the way, relates to the hips - equine
and human! (When I first start a massage session, I palpate their jaw
hinges - if they react on either right and/or left side, it relates to
hip problem on the related side.  Ex:  if the right side of the jaw
elicits a pain reaction, I betcha the right hip is also ouchy.  It might
involve a choking response, but horses yawn a LOT around me and my hands!
  We yawn.  Why do WE yawn?  It is not usually due to choking with us, is
it?

My personal, "gut" feeling, is that lactoseand toxins are released from
tight muscle, overloading the the blood stream, requiring a need for more
oxygen, i.e. yawn.  Often the horse I am working on is very tense, and
NOT relaxed, but keeps yawning.  This says to me that it is not solely
relaxation.  And, think about it, have you folks been massaged?  How do
you respond?  If nothing else, it is a mechanical reaction to something
probably chemical.  It is a fascinating subject which sounds incredibly
"underworked".  Yawning is common, everyone does it and we don't know the
why(s)?  I am surprised a by seeming lack of convincing data on this
subject.

Karen Zelinsky
ESMT

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