Yawning

Have you pandiculated recently? Probably you have. The word describes the act of yawning and stretching at the same time.
I’ve been thinking about yawning and laughing, two things most of us do with regularity yet do not completely understand. I’m not sure what a yawn is or just exactly what is laughter. So, I’ve looked them up, and here’s what I found.
A “yawn” is a reflex of simultaneous inhalation of air and stretching of the eardrums, followed by exhalation of breath. Tiredness or sleepiness triggers a yawn. So does seeing someone else yawn. Inactivity or boredom can cause the phenomenon. It seems to be perfectly natural and spontaneous, because babies yawn. Animals–even fish–yawn. The cause and the purpose of yawning are mysteries. Lots of ideas but nothing proved. Like the song says, we’re “a doin’ what comes naturally.”
Laughter is also a human activity not fully understood. The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called “gelotology.” Scientific explanations for the nature and causes of laughter abound, and seemingly more is known about laughing than yawning. Like yawning, it is contagious. It nearly always makes us feel refreshed and invigorated. It may indicate a good sense of humor, which helps to keep us healthy; as the Bible says, “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

Does it seem weird to you that we know so little about these common activities of ours? We know we yawn and laugh; beyond that, we really don’t have to know how or why. Like so many things in life, we can enjoy them without being able to explain them.