,,power ,,through ,,repose  ,,by        
,,annie ,,payson ,,call  ,new ,edition  
with ,additions    ,personality         
binds--universality expands4            
,,francoise ,,delsarte4   ,when the body
 is perfectly adjusted1 perfectly       
supplied with force1 perfectly free and 
works with the greatest economy of      
expenditure1 it is fitted to be a       
perfect instrument alike of impression1 
experience1 and expression4  ,w4 ,r4    
,,alger4       ,i4  ,,the ,,guidance    
,,of ,,the ,,body      ,,the literature 
relating to the care of the human body  
is already very extensive4 ,much has    
been written about the body's proper    
food1 the air it should breathe1 the    
clothing by which it should be          
protected1 the best methods of its      
development4 ,that literature needs but 
little added to it1 until we1 as        
rational beings1 come nearer to obeying 
the laws which it discloses1 and to     
feeling daily the help which comes from 
that obedience4  ,it is of the better   

use1 the truer guidance of this machine1
 that ,i wish especially to write4      
,although attention is constantly called
 to the fact of its misuse1--as in      
neglected rest and in over-strain1--in  
all the unlimited variety which the     
perverted ingenuity of a clever people  
has devised1 it seems never to have come
 to any one's mind that this strain in  
all things1 small and great1 is         
something that can be and should be     
studiously abandoned1 with as regular a 
process of training1 from the first     
simple steps to those more complex1 as  
is required in the work for the         
development of muscular strength4 ,when 
a perversion of ,nature's laws has      
continued from generation to generation1
 we1 of the ninth or tenth generation1  
can by no possibility jump back into the
 place where the laws can work normally 
through us1 even though our eyes have   
been opened to a full recognition of    
such perversion4 ,we must climb back to 
an orderly life1 step by step1 and the  

compensation is large in the constantly 
growing realization of the greatness of 
the laws we have been disobeying4 ,the  
appreciation of the power of a natural  
law1 as it works through us1 is one of  
the keenest pleasures that can come to  
man in this life4  ,the general         
impression seems to be that common-sense
 should lead us to a better use of our  
machines at once4 ,whereas1 common-sense
 will not bring a true power of guiding 
the muscles1 any more than it will cause
 the muscles' development1 unless having
 the common-sense to see the need1 we   
realize with it the necessity for       
cutting a path and walking in it4 ,for  
the muscles' development1 several paths 
have been cut1 and many who are in need 
are walking in them1 but1 to the average
 man1 the road to the best kind of      
muscular development still remains      
closed4 ,the only training now in use is
 followed by sleight-of-hand performers1
 acrobats1 or other jugglers1 and that  
is limited to the professional needs of 

its followers4  ,again1 as the muscles  
are guided by means of the nerves1 a    
training for the guidance of the muscles
 means1 so far as the physique is       
concerned1 first1 a training for the    
better use of the nervous force4 ,the   
nervous system is so wonderful in its   
present power for good or ill1 so       
wonderful in its possible power either  
way1 and so much more wonderful as we   
realize what we do not know about it1   
that it is not surprising that it is    
looked upon with awe4 ,neither is it    
strange that it seems to many1          
especially the ignorant1 a subject to be
 shunned4 ,it is not uncommon for a     
mother1 whose daughter is suffering1 and
 may be on the verge of nervous         
prostration because of her misused      
nerves1 to say1 ,i do not want my       
daughter to know that she has nerves4   
,the poor child knows it already in the 
wrong way4 ,it is certainly better that 
she should know her nerves by learning a
 wholesome1 natural use of them4 ,the   

mother's remark is common with many men 
and women when speaking of              
themselves1--common with teachers when  
talking to or of their pupils4 ,it is of
 course quite natural that it should be 
a prevailing idea1 because hitherto the 
mention of nerves by man or woman has   
generally meant perverted nerves1 and to
 dwell on our perversions1 except long  
enough to shun them1 is certainly       
unwholesome in the extreme4       ,,ii4 
,,perversions ,,in ,,the ,,guidance ,,of
 ,,the ,,body      ,,so evident are the 
various1 the numberless perversions of  
our powers in the misuse of the machine1
 that it seems almost unnecessary to    
write of them4 ,and yet1 from another   
point of view1 it is very necessary2 for
 superabundant as they are1 thrusting   
their evil results upon us every day in 
painful ways1 still we have eyes and see
 not1 ears and hear not1 and for want of
 a fuller realization of these most     
grievous mistakes1 we are in danger of  
plunging more and more deeply into the  

snarls to which they bring us4 ,from    
nervous prostration to melancholia1 or  
other forms of insanity1 is not so long 
a step4  ,it is of course a natural     
sequence that the decadence of an entire
 country must follow the waning powers  
of the individual citizens4 ,although   
that seems very much to hint1 it cannot 
be too much when we consider even       
briefly the results that have already   
come to us through this very misuse of  
our own voluntary powers4 ,the          
advertisements of nerve medicines alone 
speak loudly to one who studies in the  
least degree the physical tendencies of 
the nation4 ,nothing proves better the  
artificial state of man1 than the       
artificial means he uses to try to      
adjust himself to ,nature's laws1--means
 which1 in most cases1 serve to assist  
him to keep up a little longer the      
appearance of natural life4 ,for any    
simulation of that which is natural must
 sooner or later lead to nothing1 or    
worse than nothing4 ,even the           

rest-cures1 the most simple and harmless
 of the nerve restorers1 serve a        
mistaken end4 ,patients go with nerves  
tired and worn out with                 
misuse1--commonly called over-work4     
,through rest1 ,nature1 with the warm1  
motherly help she is ever ready to bring
 us1 restores the worn body to a normal 
state2 but its owner has not learned to 
work the machine any better1--to drive  
his horses more naturally1 or with a    
gentler hand4 ,he knows he must take    
life more easily1 but even with a       
passably good realization of that       
necessity1 he can practise it only to a 
certain extent2 and most occupants of   
rest-cures find themselves driven back  
more than once for another rest4        
,nervous disorders1 resulting from      
overwork are all about us4 ,extreme     
nervous prostration is most prevalent4  
,a thoughtful study of the faces around 
us1 and a better understanding of their 
lives1 brings to light many who are     
living1 one might almost say1 in a      

chronic state of nervous prostration1   
which lasts for years before the break  
comes4 ,and because of the want of      
thought1 the want of study for a better1
 more natural use of the machine1 few of
 us appreciate our own possible powers4 
,when with study the appreciation grows1
 it is a daily surprise1 a constantly   
increasing delight4  ,extreme nervous   
tension seems to be so peculiarly       
,american1 that a ,german physician     
coming to this country to practise      
became puzzled by the variety of nervous
 disorders he was called upon to help1  
and finally announced his discovery of a
 new disease which he chose to call     
,americanitis4 ,and now we suffer from  
,americanitis in all its unlimited      
varieties4 ,doctors study it2 nerve     
medicines arise on every side2 nervine  
hospitals establish themselves2 and     
rest-cures innumerable spring up in all 
directions1--but the root of the matter 
is so comparatively simple that in      
general it is overlooked entirely4      

,when illnesses are caused by           
disobedience to the perfect laws of     
,nature1 a steady1 careful obedience to 
these laws will bring us to a healthful 
state again4  ,nature is so wonderfully 
kind that if we go one-tenth of the way1
 she will help us the other nine-tenths4
 ,indeed she seems to be watching and   
hoping for a place to get in1 so quickly
 does she take possession of us1 if we  
do but turn toward her ever so little4  
,but instead of adopting her simple laws
 and following quietly her perfect way1 
we try by every artificial means to gain
 a rapid transit back to her dominion1  
and succeed only in getting farther away
 from her4 ,where is the use of taking  
medicines to give us new strength1 while
 at the same time we are steadily       
disobeying the very laws from the       
observance of which alone the strength  
can come8 ,no medicine can work in a    
man's-body while the man's habits are   
constantly counteracting it4 ,more harm 
than good is done in the end4 ,where is 

the use of all the quieting medicines1  
if we only quiet our nerves in order    
that we may continue to misuse them     
without their crying out8 ,they will cry
 out sooner or later2 for ,nature1 who  
is so quick to help us to the true way  
of living1 loses patience at last1 and  
her punishments are justly severe4 ,or1 
we might better say1 a law is fixed and 
immovable1 and if we disobey and        
continue to disobey it1 we suffer the   
consequences4       ,,iii4  ,,rest ,,in 
,,sleep      ,,how do we misuse our     
nervous force8 ,first1 let us consider1 
,when should the body be completely at  
rest8 ,the longest and most perfect rest
 should be during sleep at night4 ,in   
sleep we can accomplish nothing in the  
way of voluntary activity either of mind
 or body4 ,any nervous or muscular      
effort during sleep is not only useless 
but worse1--it is pure waste of fuel1   
and results in direct and irreparable   
harm4 ,realizing fully that sleep is    
meant for rest1 that the only gain is   

rest1 and that new power for use comes  
as a consequence1--how absurd it seems  
that we do not abandon ourselves        
completely to gaining all that ,nature  
would give us through sleep4  ,suppose1 
instead of eating our dinner1 we should 
throw the food out of the window1 give  
it to the dogs1 do anything with it but 
what ,nature meant we should1 and then  
wonder why we were not nourished1 and   
why we suffered from faintness and want 
of strength4 ,it would be no more       
senseless than the way in which most of 
us try to sleep now1 and then wonder why
 we are not better rested from eight    
hours in bed4 ,only this matter of      
fatiguing sleep has crept upon us so    
slowly that we are blind to it4 ,we     
disobey mechanically all the laws of    
,nature in sleep1 simple as they are1   
and are so blinded by our own immediate 
and personal interests1 that the habit  
of not resting when we sleep has grown  
to such an extent that to return to     
natural sleep1 we must think1 study1 and

 practise4  ,few who pretend to rest    
give up entirely to the bed1 a dead     
weight1--letting the bed hold them1     
instead of trying to hold themselves on 
the bed4 ,watch1 and unless you are an  
exceptional case 7of which happily there
 are a few71 you will be surprised to   
see how you are holding yourself on the 
bed1 with tense muscles1 if not all     
over1 so nearly all over that a little  
more tension would hardly increase the  
fatigue with which you are working      
yourself to sleep4  ,the spine seems to 
be the central point of tension--it does
 not give to the bed and rest there     
easily from end to end2 it touches at   
each end and just so far along from each
 end as the man or woman who is holding 
it will permit4 ,the knees are drawn up1
 the muscles of the legs tense1 the     
hands and arms contracted1 and the      
fingers clinched1 either holding the    
pillow or themselves4  ,the head1       
instead of letting the pillow have its  
full weight1 holds itself onto the      

pillow4 ,the tongue cleaves to the roof 
of the mouth1 the throat muscles are    
contracted1 and the muscles of the face 
drawn up in one way or another4  ,this  
seems like a list of horrors1 somewhat  
exaggerated when we realize that it is  
of sleep1 ,tired ,nature's sweet        
restorer1 that we are speaking2 but     
indeed it is only too true4  ,of course 
cases are not in the majority where the 
being supposed to enjoy repose is using 
all these numerous possibilities of     
contraction4 ,but there are very few who
 have not1 unconsciously1 some one or   
two or half-dozen nervous and muscular  
strains2 and even after they become     
conscious of the useless contractions1  
it takes time and watchfulness and      
patience to relax out of them1 the habit
 so grows upon us4 ,one would think that
 even though we go to sleep in a tense  
way1 after being once soundly off       
,nature could gain the advantage over   
us1 and relax the muscles in spite of   
ourselves2 but the habits of inheritance

 and of years are too much for her4     
,although she is so constantly gracious 
and kind1 she cannot go out of her way1 
and we cannot ask her to do so4  ,how   
simple it seems to sleep in the right   
way2 and how wholesome it is even to    
think about it1 in contrast to the wrong
 way into which so many of us have      
fallen4 ,if we once see clearly the     
great compensation in getting back to   
the only way of gaining restful sleep1  
the process is very simple1 although    
because we were so far out of the right 
path it often seems slow4 ,but once     
gained1 or even partially gained1 one   
great enemy to healthful1 natural nerves
 is conquered1 and has no possibility of
 power4  ,of course the mind and its    
rapid and misdirected working is a      
strong preventive of free nerves1       
relaxed muscles1 and natural sleep4 ,if 
,i could only stop myself from thinking 
is a complaint often heard1 and reason  
or philosophy does not seem to touch it4
 ,even the certain knowledge that       

nothing is gained by this rapid thought 
at the wrong time1 that very much is    
lost1 makes no impression on the        
overwrought mind1--often even excites it
 more1 which proves that the trouble1 if
 originally mental1 has now gained such 
a hold upon the physique that it must be
 attacked there first4 ,the nerves      
should be trained to enable the body to 
be an obedient servant to a healthy     
mind1 and the mind in giving its        
attention to such training gains in     
normal power of direction4  ,if you     
cannot stop thinking1 do not try2 let   
your thoughts steam ahead if they will4 
,only relax your muscles1 and as the    
attention is more and more fixed on the 
interesting process of letting-go of the
 muscles 7interesting1 simply because   
the end is so well worth gaining71 the  
imps of thought find less and less to   
take hold of1 and the machinery in the  
head must stop its senseless working1   
because the mind which allowed it to    
work has applied itself to something    

worth accomplishing4  ,the body should  
also be at rest in necessary reclining  
in the day1 where of course all the laws
 of sleep apply4 ,five minutes of       
complete rest in that way means greater 
gain than an hour or three hours taken  
in the usual manner4 ,i remember        
watching a woman resting on a lounge1   
propped up with the downiest of pillows1
 holding her head perfectly erect and in
 a strained position1 when it not only  
would have been easier to let it fall   
back on the pillow1 but it seemed       
impossible that she should not let it   
go2 and yet there it was1 held erect    
with an evident strain4 ,hers is not an 
unusual case1 on the contrary quite a   
common one4 ,can we wonder that the     
,german doctor thought he had discovered
 a new disease8 ,and must he not be     
already surprised and shocked at the    
precocious growth of the infant monster 
which he found and named8 ,so prone are 
mortals to their own damnation1 it seems
 as though a devil's use were gone4     

,there is no better way of learning to  
overcome these perversions in sleep and 
similar forms of rest1 than to study    
with careful thought the sleep of a     
wholesome little child4 ,having gained  
the physical freedom necessary to give  
perfect repose to the body1 the quiet1  
simple dropping of all thought and care 
can be made more easily possible4 ,so we
 can approach again the natural sleep   
and enjoy consciously the refreshment   
which through our own babyhood was the  
unconscious means of giving us daily    
strength and power for growth4  ,to take
 the regular process1 first let go of   
the muscles1--that will enable us more  
easily to drop disturbing thoughts2 and 
as we refuse1 without resistance1       
admittance to the thoughts1 the freedom 
from care for the time will follow1 and 
the rest gained will enable us to awaken
 with new life for cares to come4 ,this1
 however1 is a habit to be established  
and thoughtfully cultivated2 it cannot  
be acquired at once4 ,more will be said 

in future chapters as to the process of 
gaining the habit4       ,,iv4  ,,other 
,,forms ,,of ,,rest      ,,do you hold  
yourself on the chair1 or does the chair
 hold you8 ,when you are subject to the 
laws of gravitation give up to them1 and
 feel their strength4 ,do not resist    
these laws1 as a thousand and one of us 
do when instead of yielding gently and  
letting ourselves sink into a chair1 we 
put our bodies rigidly on and then hold 
them there as if fearing the chair would
 break if we gave our full weight to it4
 ,it is not only unnatural and          
unrestful1 but most awkward4 ,so in a   
railroad car4 ,much1 indeed most of the 
fatigue from a long journey by rail is  
quite unnecessary1 and comes from an    
unconscious officious effort of trying  
to carry the train1 instead of allowing 
the train to carry us1 or of resisting  
the motion1 instead of relaxing and     
yielding to it4 ,there is a pleasant    
rhythm in the motion of the rapidly     
moving cars which is often restful      

rather than fatiguing1 if we will only  
let go and abandon ourselves to it4     
,this was strikingly proved by a woman  
who1 having just learned the first      
principles of relaxation1 started on a  
journey overstrained from mental        
anxiety4 ,the first effect of the motion
 was that most disagreeable1 faint      
feeling known as car-sickness4          
,understanding the cause1 she began at  
once to drop the unnecessary tension1   
and the faintness left her4 ,then she   
commenced an interesting novel1 and as  
she became excited by the plot her      
muscles were contracted in sympathy     
7so-called71 and the faintness returned 
in full force1 so that she had to drop  
the book and relax again2 and this      
process was repeated half-a-dozen times 
before she could place her body so under
 control of natural laws that it was    
possible to read without the artificial 
tension asserting itself and the        
car-sickness returning in consequence4  
,the same law is illustrated in driving4

 ,i cannot drive1 it tires me so1 is a  
common complaint4 ,why does it tire you8
 ,because instead of yielding entirely  
and freely to the seat of the carriage  
first1 and then to its motion1 you try  
to help the horses1 or to hold yourself 
still while the carriage is moving4 ,a  
man should become one with a carriage in
 driving1 as much as one with his horse 
in riding4 ,notice the condition in any 
place where there is excuse for some    
anxiety1--while going rather sharply    
round a corner1 or nearing a railroad   
track4 ,if your feet are not pressed    
forcibly against the floor of the       
carriage1 the tension will be somewhere 
else4 ,you are using nervous force to no
 earthly purpose1 and to great earthly  
loss4 ,where any tension is necessary to
 make things better1 it will assert     
itself naturally and more truly as we   
learn to drop all useless and harmful   
tension4 ,take a patient suffering from 
nervous prostration for a long drive1   
and you will bring him back more        

nervously prostrated2 even the fresh air
 will not counteract the strain that    
comes from not knowing how to relax to  
the motion of the carriage4  ,a large   
amount of nervous energy is expended    
unnecessarily while waiting4 ,if we are 
obliged to wait for any length of time1 
it does not hurry the minutes or bring  
that for which we wait to keep nervously
 strained with impatience2 and it does  
use vital force1 and so helps greatly   
toward ,americanitis4 ,the strain which 
comes from an hour's nervous waiting1   
when simply to let yourself alone and   
keep still would answer much better1 is 
often equal to a day's labor4 ,it must  
be left to individuals to discover how  
this applies in their own especial      
cases1 and it will be surprising to see 
not only how great and how common such  
strain is1 but how comparatively easy it
 is to drop it4 ,there are of course    
exceptional times and states when only  
constant trying and thoughtful          
watchfulness will bring any marked      

result4  ,we have taken a few examples  
where there is nothing to do but keep   
quiet1 body and brain1 from what should 
be the absolute rest of sleep to the    
enforced rest of waiting4 ,just one word
 more in connection with waiting and    
driving4 ,you must catch a certain      
train4 ,not having time to trust to your
 legs or the cars1 you hastily take a   
cab4 ,you will in your anxiety keep up  
exactly the same strain that you would  
have had in walking1--as if you could   
help the carriage along1 or as if       
reaching the station in time depended   
upon your keeping a rigid spine and     
tense muscles4 ,you have hired the      
carriage to take you1 and any activity  
on your part is quite unnecessary until 
you reach the station2 why not keep     
quiet and let the horses do the work1   
and the driver attend to his business8  
,it would be easy to fill a small volume
 with examples of the way in which we   
are walking directly into nervous       
prostration2 examples only of this one  

variety of disobedience1--namely1 of the
 laws of rest4 ,and to give             
illustrations of all the varieties of   
disobedience to ,nature's laws in       
activity would fill not one small book1 
but several large ones2 and then1 unless
 we improve1 a year-book of new examples
 of nervous strain could be published4  
,but fortunately1 if we are nervous and 
short-sighted1 we have a good share of  
brain and commonsense when it is once   
appealed to1 and a few examples will    
open our eyes and set us thinking1 to   
real and practical results4       ,v4   
,,the ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,brain          
,,let us now consider instances where   
the brain alone is used1 and the other  
parts of the body have nothing to do but
 keep quiet and let the brain do its    
work4 ,take thinking1 for instance4     
,most of us think with the throat so    
contracted that it is surprising there  
is room enough to let the breath        
through1 the tongue held firmly1 and the
 jaw muscles set as if suffering from an

 acute attack of lockjaw4 ,each has his 
own favorite tension in the act of      
meditation1 although we are most        
generous in the force given to the jaw  
and throat4 ,the same superfluous       
tension may be observed in one engaged  
in silent reading2 and the force of the 
strain increases in proportion to the   
interest or profundity of the matter    
read4 ,it is certainly clear1 without a 
knowledge of anatomy or physiology1 that
 for pure1 unadulterated thinking1 only 
the brain is needed2 and if vital force 
is given to other parts of the body to  
hold them in unnatural contraction2 we  
not only expend it extravagantly1 but we
 rob the brain of its own4 ,when1 for   
purely mental work1 all the activity is 
given to the brain1 and the body left   
free and passive1 the concentration is  
better1 conclusions are reached with    
more satisfaction1 and the reaction1    
after the work is over1 is healthy and  
refreshing4  ,this whole machine can be 
understood perhaps more clearly by      

comparing it to a community of people4  
,in any community1--,church1 ,state1    
institution1 or household1--just so far 
as each member minds his own business1  
does his own individual work for himself
 and for those about him1 and does not  
officiously interfere with the business 
of others1 the community is quiet1      
orderly1 and successful4 ,imagine the   
state of a deliberative assembly during 
the delivery of a speech1 if            
half-a-dozen of the listeners were to   
attempt to help the speaker by rising   
and talking at the same time2 and yet   
this is the absurd action of the human  
body when a dozen or more parts1 that   
are not needed1 contract in sympathy    
with those that have the work to do4 ,it
 is an unnecessary brace that means loss
 of power and useless fatigue4 ,one     
would think that the human machine      
having only one mind1 and the community 
many thousands1 the former would be in a
 more orderly state than the latter4    
,in listening attentively1 only the     

brain and ears are needed2 but watch the
 individuals at an entertaining lecture1
 or in church with a stirring preacher4 
,they are listening with their spines1  
their shoulders1 the muscles of their   
faces4 ,i do not refer to the look of   
interest and attention1 or to any of the
 various expressions which are the      
natural and true reflection of the state
 of the mind1 but to the strained       
attention which draws the facial        
muscles1 not at all in sympathy with the
 speaker1 but as a consequence of the   
tense nerves and contracted muscles of  
the listener4 ,i do not understand why  
,i have this peculiar sort of asthma    
every ,sunday afternoon1 a lady said to 
me4 ,she was in the habit of hearing1   
,sunday morning1 a preacher1 exceedingly
 interesting1 but with a very rapid     
utterance1 and whose mind travelled so  
fast that the words embodying his       
thoughts often tumbled over one another4
 ,she listened with all her nerves1 as  
well as with those needed1 held her     

breath when he stumbled1 to assist him  
in finding his verbal legs1 reflected   
every action with twice the force the   
preacher himself gave1--and then        
wondered why on ,sunday afternoon1 and  
at no other time1 she had this nervous  
catching of the breath4 ,she saw as soon
 as her attention was drawn to the      
general principles of ,nature1 how she  
had disobeyed this one1 and why she had 
trouble on ,sunday afternoon4 ,this case
 is very amusing1 even laughable1 but it
 is a fair example of many similar      
nervous attacks1 greater or less2 and   
how easy it is to see that a whole      
series of these1 day after day1 doing   
their work unconsciously to the victim1 
will sooner or later bring some form of 
nervous prostration4  ,the same         
attitudes and the same effects often    
attend listening to music4 ,it is a     
common experience to be completely      
fagged after two hours of delightful    
music4 ,there is no exaggeration in     
saying that we should be rested after a 

good concert1 if it is not too long4    
,and yet so upside-down are we in our   
ways of living1 and1 through the        
mistakes of our ancestors1 so accustomed
 have we become to disobeying ,nature's 
laws1 that the general impression seems 
to be that music cannot be fully enjoyed
 without a strained attitude of mind and
 body2 whereas1 in reality1 it is much  
more exquisitely appreciated and enjoyed
 in ,nature's way4 ,if the nerves are   
perfectly free1 they will catch the     
rhythm of the music1 and so be helped   
back to the true rhythm of ,nature1 they
 will respond to the harmony and melody 
with all the vibratory power that ,god  
gave them1 and how can the result be    
anything else than rest and             
refreshment1--unless having allowed them
 to vibrate in one direction too long1  
we have disobeyed a law in another way4 
,our bodies cannot by any possibility be
 free1 so long as they are strained by  
our own personal effort4 ,so long as our
 nervous force is misdirected in        

personal strain1 we can no more give    
full and responsive attention to the    
music1 than a piano can sound the       
harmonies of a sonata if some one is    
drawing his hands at the same time      
backwards and forwards over the strings4
 ,but1 alas6 a contracted personality is
 so much the order of the day that many 
of us carry the chronic contractions of 
years constantly with us1 and can no    
more free ourselves for a concert at a  
day's or a week's notice1 than we can   
gain freedom to receive all the grand   
universal truths that are so steadily   
helpful4 ,it is only by daily patience  
and thought and care that we can cease  
to be an obstruction to the best power  
for giving and receiving4  ,there are1  
scattered here and there1 people who    
have not lost the natural way of        
listening to music1--people who are     
musicians through and through so that   
the moment they hear a fine strain they 
are one with it4 ,singularly enough the 
majority of these are fine animals1 most

 perfectly and normally developed in    
their senses4 ,when the intellect begins
 to assert itself to any extent1 then   
the nervous strain comes4 ,so noticeable
 is this1 in many cases1 that nervous   
excitement seems often to be from       
misdirected intellect2 and people under 
the control of their misdirected nervous
 force often appear wanting in quick    
intellectual power1--illustrating the   
law that a stream spreading in all      
directions over a meadow loses the force
 that the same amount of water would    
have if concentrated and flowing in one 
channel4 ,there are also many cases     
where the strained nerves bring an      
abnormal intellectual action4           
,fortunately for the saving of the      
nation1 there are people who from a     
physical standpoint live naturally4     
,these are refreshing to see2 but they  
are apt to take life too easily1 to have
 no right care or thought1 and to be    
sublimely selfish4  ,another way in     
which the brain is constantly used is   

through the eyes4 ,what deadly fatigue  
comes from time spent in picture        
galleries6 ,there the strain is         
necessarily greater than in listening1  
because all the pictures and all the    
colors are before us at once1 with no   
appreciable interval between forms and  
subjects that differ widely4 ,but as the
 strain is greater1 so should the care  
to relieve it increase4 ,we should not  
go out too far to meet the pictures1 but
 be quiet1 and let the pictures come to 
us4 ,the fatigue can be prevented if we 
know when to stop1 and pleasure at the  
time and in the memory afterwards will  
be surprisingly increased4 ,so is it in 
watching a landscape from the car       
window1 and in all interests which come 
from looking4 ,i am not for one instant 
condemning the natural expression of    
pleasure1 neither do ,i mean that there 
should be any apparent nonchalance or   
want of interest2 on the contrary1 the  
real interest and its true expression   
increase as we learn to shun the shams4 

,but will not the discovery of all this 
superfluous tension make one            
self-conscious8 ,certainly it will for a
 time1 and it must do so4 ,you must be  
conscious of a smooch on your face in   
order to wash it off1 and when the face 
is clean you think no more of it4 ,so   
you must see an evil before you can shun
 it4 ,all these physical evils you must 
be vividly conscious of1 and when you   
are so annoyed as to feel the necessity 
of moving from under them               
self-consciousness decreases in equal   
ratio with the success of your efforts4 
,whenever the brain alone is used in    
thinking1 or in receiving and taking    
note of impressions through either of   
the senses1 new power comes as we gain  
freedom from all misdirected force1 and 
with muscles in repose leave the brain  
to quietly do its work without useless  
strain of any kind4 ,it is of course    
evident that this freedom cannot be     
gained without1 first1 a consciousness  
of its necessity4 ,the perfect freedom1 

however1 when reached1 means freedom    
from self-consciousness as well as from 
the strain which made self-consciousness
 for a time essential4       ,,vi4      
,,the ,,brain ,,in ,,its ,,direction    
,,of ,,the ,,body      ,,we come now to 
the brain and its direction of other    
parts of the body4  ,what tremendous and
 unnecessary force is used in           
talking1--from the aimless motion of the
 hands1 the shoulders1 the feet1 the    
entire body1 to a certain rigidity of   
carriage1 which tells as powerfully in  
the wear and tear of the nervous system 
as superfluous motion4 ,it is a curious 
discovery when we find often how we are 
holding our shoulders in place1 and in  
the wrong place4 ,a woman receiving a   
visitor not only talks all over herself1
 but reflects the visitor's talking all 
over1 and so at the end of the visit is 
doubly fatigued4 ,it tires me so to see 
people is heard often1 not only from    
those who are under the full influence  
of ,americanitis1 but from many who are 

simply hovering about its borders4 ,of  
course it tires you to see people1 you  
see them with1 so much superfluous      
effort1 can almost without exception be 
a true answer4 ,a very little simple    
teaching will free a woman from that    
unnecessary fatigue4 ,if she is         
sensible1 once having had her attention 
brought and made keenly alive to the    
fact that she talks all over1 she will  
through constant correction gain the    
power of talking as ,nature meant she   
should1 with her vocal apparatus only1  
and with such easy motions as may be    
needed to illustrate her words4 ,in this
 change1 so far from losing animation1  
she gains it1 and gains true expressive 
power2 for all unnecessary motion of the
 body in talking simply raises a dust1  
so to speak1 and really blurs the true  
thought of the mind and feeling of the  
heart4  ,the ,american voice--especially
 the female voice--is a target which has
 been hit hard many times1 and very     
justly4 ,a ladies' luncheon can often be

 truly and aptly compared to a          
poultry-yard1 the shrill cackle being   
even more unpleasant than that of a     
large concourse of hens4 ,if we had once
 become truly appreciative of the       
natural mellow tones possible to every  
woman1 these shrill voices would no more
 be tolerated than a fashionable        
luncheon would be served in the kitchen4
  ,a beautiful voice has been compared  
to corn1 oil1 and wine4 ,we lack almost 
entirely the corn and the oil2 and the  
wine in our voices is far more inclined 
to the sharp1 unpleasant taste of very  
poor currant wine1 than to the rich1    
spicy flavor of fine wine from the      
grape4 ,it is not in the province of    
this book to consider the physiology of 
the voice1 which would be necessary in  
order to show clearly how its natural   
laws are constantly disobeyed4 ,we can  
now speak of it only with regard to the 
tension which is the immediate cause of 
the trouble4 ,the effort to propel the  
voice from the throat1 and use force in 

those most delicate muscles when it     
should come from the stronger muscles of
 the diaphragm1 is like trying to make  
one man do the work of ten2 the result  
must eventually be the utter collapse of
 the one man from over-activity1 and    
loss of power in the ten men because of 
muscles unused4 ,clergyman's sore throat
 is almost always explainable in this   
way2 and there are many laymen with     
constant trouble in the throat from no  
cause except the misuse of its muscles  
in talking4 ,the old philosopher said   
the seat of the soul was in the         
diaphragm4 ,however that may be1 the    
word begins there1 soul and body2 but   
you squeeze the life out of it in your  
throat1 and so your words are born dead6
 was the most expressive exclamation of 
an able trainer of the voice4  ,few of  
us feel that we can take the time or    
exercise the care for the proper        
training of our voices2 and such        
training is not made a prominent        
feature1 as it should be1 in all        

,american schools4 ,indeed1 if it were1 
we would have to begin with the         
teachers2 for the typical teacher's     
voice1 especially in our public schools1
 coming from unnecessary nervous strain 
is something frightful4 ,in a large     
school-room a teacher can be heard1 and 
more impressively heard1 in common      
conversational tones2 for then it is her
 mind that is felt more than her body4  
,but the teacher's voice mounts the     
scale of shrillness and force just in   
proportion as her nervous fatigue       
increases2 and often a true enthusiasm  
expresses itself--or1 more correctly1   
hides itself--in a sharp1 loud voice1   
when it would be far more effective in  
its power with the pupils if the voice  
were kept quiet4 ,if we cannot give time
 or money to the best development of our
 voices1 we can grow sensitive to the   
shrill1 unpleasant tones1 and by a      
constant preaching of lower your voices1
 speak more quietly1 from the teacher to
 herself1 and then to her pupils1 from  

mother to child1 and from every woman to
 her own voice1 the standard ,american  
voice would change1 greatly to the      
national advantage4  ,i never shall     
forget the restful pleasure of hearing a
 teacher call the roll in a large       
schoolroom as quietly as she would speak
 to a child in a closet1 and every girl 
answering in the same soft and pleasant 
way4 ,the effect even of that daily     
roll-call could not have been small in  
its counteracting influence on the      
shrill ,american tone4  ,watch two      
people in an argument1 as the excitement
 increases the voice rises4 ,in such a  
case one of the best and surest ways to 
govern your temper is to lower your     
voice4 ,indeed the nervous system and   
the voice are in such exquisite sympathy
 that they constantly act and react on  
each other4 ,it is always easier to     
relax superfluous tension after lowering
 the voice4  ,take the bone and flesh   
sound from your voice is a simple and   
interesting direction4 ,it means do not 

push so hard with your body and so      
interfere with the expression of your   
soul4 ,thumping on a piano1 or hard     
scraping on a violin1 will keep all     
possible expression from the music1 and 
in just the same proportion will        
unnecessary physical force hide the soul
 in a voice4 ,indeed with the           
voice--because the instrument is        
finer--the contrast between ,nature's   
way and man's perversion is far greater4
  ,one of the first cares with a nervous
 invalid1 or with any one who suffers at
 all from overstrained nerves1 should be
 for a quiet1 mellow voice4 ,it is not  
an invariable truth that women with     
poorly balanced nerves have shrill1     
strained voices4 ,there is also a rigid 
tone in a nervously low voice1 which1   
though not unpleasant to the general    
ear1 is expressive to one who is in the 
habit of noticing nervous people1 and is
 much more difficult to relax than the  
high pitched voices4 ,there is also a   
forced calm which is tremendous in its  

nervous strain1 the more so as its owner
 takes pride in what she considers      
remarkable self-control4  ,another      
common cause of fatigue with women is   
the useless strain in sewing4 ,i get so 
tired in the back of my neck is a       
frequent complaint4 ,it is because you  
sew with the back of your neck is       
generally the correct explanation4 ,and 
it is because you sew with the muscles  
of your waist that they feel so         
strangely fatigued1 and the same with   
the muscles of your legs or your chest4 
,wherever the tired feeling comes it is 
because of unnatural and officious      
tension1 which1 as soon as the woman    
becomes sensible of it1 can be stopped  
entirely by taking two or three minutes 
now and then to let go of these wrongly 
sympathetic muscles and so teach them to
 mind their own business1 and sew with  
only the muscles that are needed4 ,a    
very simple cause of over-fatigue in    
sewing is the cramped1 strained position
 of the lungs2 this can be prevented    

without even stopping in the work1 by   
taking long1 quiet1 easy breaths4 ,here 
there must be no exertion whatever in   
the chest muscles4 ,the lungs must seem 
to expand from the pressure of the air  
alone1 as independently as a rubber ball
 will expand when external pressure is  
removed1 and they must be allowed to    
expel the air with the same             
independence4 ,in this way the growth of
 breathing power will be slow1 but it   
will be sure and delightfully restful4  
,frequent1 full1 quiet breaths might be 
the means of relief to many sufferers1  
if only they would take the trouble to  
practise them faithfully1--a very slight
 effort compared with the result which  
will surely ensue4 ,and so it is with   
the fatigue from sewing4 ,i fear ,i do  
not exaggerate1 when ,i say that in nine
 cases out of ten a woman would rather  
sew with a pain in her neck than stop   
for the few moments it would take to    
relax it and teach it truer habits1 so  
that in the end the pain might be       

avoided entirely4 ,then1 when the       
inevitable nervous exhaustion follows1  
and all the kindred troubles that grow  
out of it she pities herself and is     
pitied by others1 and wonders why ,god  
thought best to afflict her with        
suffering and illness4 ,thought best6   
,god never thought best to give any one 
pain4 ,he made ,his laws1 and they are  
wholesome and perfect and true1 and if  
we disobey them we must suffer the      
consequences6 ,i knock my head hard     
against a stone and then wonder why ,god
 thought best to give me the headache4  
,there would be as much sense in that as
 there is in much of the so-called      
,christian resignation to be found in   
the world to-day4 ,to be sure there are 
inherited illnesses and pains1 physical 
and mental1 but the laws are so made    
that the compensation of                
clear-sightedness and power for use     
gained by working our way rightly out of
 all inheritances and suffering brought 
by others1 fully equalizes any apparent 

loss4  ,in writing there is much        
unnecessary nervous fatigue4 ,the same  
cramped attitude of the lungs that      
accompanies sewing can be counteracted  
in the same way1 although in neither    
case should a cramped attitude be       
allowed at all ,still the relief of a   
long breath is always helpful and even  
necessary where one must sit in one     
position for any length of time4 ,almost
 any even moderately nervous man or     
woman will hold a pen as if some unseen 
force were trying to pull it away1 and  
will write with firmly set jaw1         
contracted throat1 and a powerful       
tension in the muscles of the tongue1 or
 whatever happens to be the most        
officious part of this especial         
individual community4 ,to swing the     
pendulum to another extreme seems not to
 enter people's minds when trying to    
find a happy medium4 ,writer's          
paralysis1 or even the ache that comes  
from holding the hand so long in a more 
or less cramped attitude1 is easily     

obviated by stopping once in an hour or 
half hour1 stretching the fingers wide  
and letting the muscles slowly relax of 
their own accord4 ,repeat this          
half-a-dozen times1 and after each      
exercise try to hold the pen or pencil  
with natural lightness2 it will not take
 many days to change the habit of       
tension to one of ease1 although if you 
are a steady writer the stretching      
exercise will always be necessary1 but  
much less often than at first4  ,in     
lifting a heavyweight1 as in nursing the
 sick1 the relief is immediate from all 
straining in the back1 by pressing hard 
with the feet on the floor and thinking 
the power of lifting in the legs4 ,there
 is true economy of nervous force here1 
and a sensitive spine is freed from a   
burden of strain which might undoubtedly
 be the origin of nervous prostration4  
,i have made nurses practise lifting1   
while impressing the fact forcibly upon 
them by repetition before they lift1 and
 during the process of raising a body   

and lowering it1 that they must use     
entirely the muscles of the legs4 ,when 
once their minds have full comprehension
 of the new way1 the surprise with which
 they discover the comparative ease of  
lifting is very pleasant4 ,the whole    
secret in this and all similar efforts  
is to use muscular instead of nervous   
force4 ,direct with the directing power2
 work with the working power4           
,,vii4  ,,the ,,direction ,,of ,,the    
,,body ,,in ,,locomotion      ,,lifting 
brings us to the use of the entire body1
 which is considered simply in the most 
common of all its movements1--that of   
walking4  ,the rhythm of a perfect walk 
is not only delightful1 but restful2 so 
that having once gained a natural walk  
there is no pleasanter way to rest from 
brain fatigue than by means of this     
muscle fatigue4 ,and yet we are         
constantly contradicting and interfering
 with ,nature in walking4               
,women--perhaps partly owing to their   
unfortunate style of dress--seem to hold

 themselves together as if fearing that 
having once given their muscles free    
play1 they would fall to pieces         
entirely4 ,rather than move easily      
forward1 and for fear they might tumble 
to pieces1 they shake their shoulders   
and hips from side to side1 hold their  
arms perfectly rigid from the shoulders 
down1 and instead of the easy1 natural  
swing that the motion of walking would  
give the arms1 they go forward and back 
with no regularity1 but are in a chronic
 state of jerk4 ,the very force used in 
holding an arm as stiff as the ordinary 
woman holds it1 would be enough to give 
her an extra mile in every five-mile    
walk4 ,then again1 the muscles of the   
throat must help1 and more than anywhere
 else is force unnecessarily expended in
 the waist muscles4 ,they can be very   
soon felt1 pushing with all their       
might--and it is not a small            
might--officiously trying to assist in  
the action of the legs2 whereas if they 
would only let go1 mind their own       

business1 and let the legs swing easily 
as if from the shoulders1 they might    
reflect the rhythmic motion1 and gain in
 a true freedom and power4 ,of course   
all this waste of force comes from      
nervous strain and is nervous strain1   
and a long walk in the open air1 when so
 much of the new life gained is wrongly 
expended1 does not begin to do the good 
work that might be accomplished4 ,to    
walk with your muscles and not use      
superfluous nervous force is the first  
thing to be learned1 and after or at the
 same time to direct your muscles as    
,nature meant they should be            
directed1--indeed we might almost say to
 let ,nature direct them herself1       
without our interference4 ,hurry with   
your muscles and not with your nerves4  
,this tells especially in hurrying for a
 train1 where the nervous anxiety in the
 fear of losing it wakes all possible   
unnecessary tension and often impedes   
the motion instead of assisting it4 ,the
 same law applies here that was         

mentioned before with regard to the     
carriage1--only instead of being quiet  
and letting the carriage take you1 be   
quiet and let your walking machine do   
its work4 ,so in all hurrying1 and the  
warning can hardly be given too many    
times1 we must use our nerves only as   
transmitters--calm1 well-balanced       
transmitters--that our muscles may be   
more efficient and more able servants4  
,the same mistakes of unnecessary       
tension will be found in running1 and1  
indeed1 in all bodily motion1 where the 
machine is not trained to do its work   
with only the nerves and muscles needed 
for the purpose4 ,we shall have         
opportunity to consider these motions in
 a new light when we come to the        
directions for gaining a power of       
natural motion2 now we are dealing only 
with mistakes4       ,,viii4  ,,nervous 
,,strain ,,in ,,pain ,,and ,,sickness   
,,there is no way in which superfluous  
and dangerous tension is so rapidly     
increased as in the bearing of pain4    

,the general impression seems to be that
 one should brace up to a pain2 and very
 great strength of will is often shown  
in the effort made and the success      
achieved in bearing severe pain by means
 of this bracing process4 ,but alas1 the
 reaction after the pain is over--that  
alone would show the very sad misuse    
which had been made of a strong will4   
,not that there need be no reaction2 but
 it follows naturally that the more     
strain brought to bear upon the nervous 
system in endurance1 the greater must be
 the reaction when the load is lifted4  
,indeed1 so well is this known in the   
medical profession1 that it is a        
surgical axiom that the patient who most
 completely controls his expression of  
pain will be the greatest sufferer from 
the subsequent reaction4 ,while there is
 so much pain to be endured in this     
world1 a study of how best to bear it   
certainly is not out of place1          
especially when decided practical       
effects can be quickly shown as the     

result of such study4 ,so prevalent is  
the idea that a pain is better borne by 
clinching the fists and tightening all  
other muscles in the body               
correspondingly1 that ,i know the       
possibility of a better or more natural 
mode of endurance will be laughed at by 
many1 and others will say1 ,that is all 
very well for those who can relax to a  
pain1--let them gain from it1 ,i cannot2
 it is natural for me to set my teeth   
and bear it4 ,there is a distinct       
difference between what is natural to us
 and natural to ,nature1 although the   
first term is of course misused4  ,pain 
comes from an abnormal state of some    
part of the nervous system4 ,the more   
the nerves are strained to bear pain1   
the more sensitive they become2 and of  
course those affected immediately feel  
most keenly the increased sensitiveness1
 and so the pain grows worse4 ,reverse  
that action1 and through the force of   
our own inhibitory power let a new pain 
be a reminder to us to let go1 instead  

of to hold on1 and by decreasing the    
strain we decrease the possibility of   
more pain4 ,whatever reaction may follow
 pain then1 will be reaction from the   
pain itself1 not from the abnormal      
tension which has been held for the     
purpose of bearing it4  ,but--it will be
 objected--is not the very effort of the
 brain to relax the tension a nervous   
strain8 ,yes1 it is1--not so great1     
however1 as the continued tension all   
over the body1 and it grows less and    
less as the habit is acquired of bearing
 the pain easily4 ,the strain decreases 
more rapidly with those who having      
undertaken to relax1 perceive the       
immediate effects2 for1 of course1 as   
the path clears and new light comes they
 are encouraged to walk more steadily in
 the easier way4  ,i know there are     
pains that are better borne and even    
helped by a certain amount of bracing1  
but if the idea of bearing such pain    
quietly1 easily1 naturally1 takes a     
strong hold of the mind1 all bracing    

will be with a true equilibrium of the  
muscles1 and will have the required     
effect without superfluous tension4     
,one of the most simple instances of    
bearing pain more easily by relaxing to 
it occurs while sitting in the dentist's
 chair4 ,most of us clutch the arms1    
push with our feet1 and hold ourselves  
off the chair to the best of our        
ability4 ,every nerve is alive with the 
expectation of being hurt4  ,the fatigue
 which results from an hour or more of  
this dentist tension is too well known  
to need description4 ,most of the       
nervous fatigue suffered from the       
dentist's work is in consequence of the 
unnecessary strain of expecting a hurt  
and not from any actual pain inflicted4 
,the result obtained by insisting upon  
making yourself a dead weight in the    
chair1 if you succeed only partially1   
will prove this4 ,it will also be a     
preliminary means of getting well rid of
 the dentist fright1--that peculiar     
dread which is so well known to most of 

us4 ,the effect of fright is nervous    
strain1 which again contracts the       
muscles4 ,if we drop the muscular       
tension1 and so the nervous strain1 thus
 working our way into the cause by means
 of the effect1 there will be no nerves 
or muscles to hold the fright1 which    
then so far as the physique is concerned
 cannot exist4 ,so far as the physique  
is concerned1--that is emphatic2 for as 
we work inward from the effect to the   
cause we must be met by the true        
philosophy inside1 to accomplish the    
whole work4 ,i might relax my body out  
of the nervous strain of fright all day2
 if my mind insisted upon being         
frightened it would simply be a process 
of freeing my nerves and muscles that   
they might be made more effectually     
tense by an unbalanced1 miserably       
controlled mind4 ,in training to bring  
body and mind to a more normal state1   
the teacher must often begin with the   
body only1 and use his own mind to      
gently lead the pupil to clearer sight4 

,then when the pupil can strike the     
equilibrium between mind and body1--he  
must be left to acquire the habit for   
himself4  ,the same principles by which 
bearing the work of the dentist is made 
easier1 are applicable in all pain1 and 
especially helpful when pain is         
nervously exaggerated4 ,it would be     
useless and impossible to follow the    
list of various pains which we attempt  
to bear by means of additional strain4  
,each of us has his own personal        
temptation in the way of pain1--from the
 dentist's chair to the most severe     
suffering1 or the most painful          
operation1--and each can apply for      
himself the better way of bearing it4   
,and it is not perhaps out of place here
 to speak of the taking of ether or any 
anaesthetic before an operation4 ,the   
power of relaxing to the process easily 
and quietly brings a quicker and        
pleasanter effect with less disagreeable
 results4 ,one must take ether easily in
 mind and body4 ,it a man forces himself

 to be quiet externally1 and is         
frightened and excited mentally1 as soon
 as he has become unconscious enough to 
lose control of his voluntary muscles1  
the impression of fright made upon the  
brain asserts itself1 and he struggles  
and resists in proportion4  ,these same 
principles of repose should be applied  
in illness when it comes in other forms 
than that of pain4 ,we can easily       
increase whatever illness may attack us 
by the nervous strain which comes from  
fright1 anxiety1 or annoyance4 ,i have  
seen a woman retain a severe cold for   
days more than was necessary1 simply    
because of the chronic state of strain  
she kept herself in by fretting about   
it2 and in another unpleasantly amusing 
case the sufferer's constantly expressed
 annoyance took the form of working     
almost without intermission to find     
remedies for herself4 ,without using    
patience enough to wait for the result  
of one remedy1 she would rush to another
 until she became--so to speak--twisted 

and snarled in the meshes of a cold     
which it took weeks thoroughly to cure4 
,this is not uncommon1 and not confined 
merely to a cold in the head4  ,we can  
increase the suffering of friends       
through sympathy given in the same      
mistaken way by which we increase our   
own pain1 or keep ourselves longer than 
necessary in an uncomfortable illness4  
,,ix4  ,,nervous ,,strain ,,in ,,the    
,,emotions      ,,the most intense      
suffering which follows a misuse of the 
nervous power comes from exaggerated1   
unnecessary1 or sham emotions4 ,we each 
have our own emotional microscope1 and  
the strength of its lens increases in   
proportion to the supersensitiveness of 
our nervous system4 ,if we are a little 
tired1 an emotion which in itself might 
hardly be noticed1 so slight is the     
cause and so small the result1 will be  
magnified many times4 ,if we are very   
tired1 the magnifying process goes on   
until often we have made ourselves ill  
through various sufferings1 all of our  

own manufacture4  ,this increase of     
emotion has not always nervous fatigue  
as an excuse4 ,many people have         
inherited emotional magnifying glasses1 
and carry them through the world1       
getting and giving unnecessary pain1 and
 losing more than half of the delight of
 life in failing to get an unprejudiced 
view of it4 ,if the tired man or woman  
would have the good sense to stop for   
one minute and use the power which is   
given us all of understanding and       
appreciating our own perverted states   
and so move on to better1 how easy it   
would be to recognize that a feeling is 
exaggerated because of fatigue1 and wait
 until we have gained the power to drop 
our emotional microscopes and save all  
the evil results of allowing nervous    
excitement to control us4 ,we are even  
permitted to see clearly an inherited   
tendency to magnify emotions and to     
overcome it to such an extent that life 
seems new to us4 ,this must be done by  
the individual himself1 through a       

personal appreciation of his own        
mistakes and active steps to free       
himself from them4 ,no amount of        
talking1 persuading1 or teaching will be
 of the slightest service until that    
personal recognition comes4 ,this has   
been painfully proved too often by those
 who see a friend suffering             
unnecessarily1 and in the short-sighted 
attempt to wrench the emotional         
microscope from his hand1 simply cause  
the hold to tighten and the magnifying  
power to increase4 ,a careful1 steady   
training of the physique opens the way  
for a better practice of the wholesome  
philosophy1 and the microscope drops    
with the relaxation of the external     
tension which has helped to hold it4    
,emotions are often not even exaggerated
 but are from the beginning imaginary2  
and there are no more industrious imps  
of evil than these sham feelings4 ,the  
imps have no better field for their     
destructive work than in various forms  
of morbid1 personal attachment1 and in  

what is commonly called religion1--but  
which has no more to do with genuine    
religion than the abnormal personal     
likings have to do with love4  ,it is a 
fact worthy of notice that the two      
powers most helpful1 most strengthening1
 when sincerely felt and realized1 are  
the ones oftenest perverted and shammed1
 through morbid states and abnormal     
nervous excitement4 ,the sham is often  
so perfect an image of the reality that 
even the shammer is deceived4  ,to tell 
one of these pseudo-religious women that
 the whole attitude of her externally   
sanctified life is a sham emotion1 would
 rouse anything but a saintly spirit1   
and surprise her beyond measure4 ,yet   
the contrast between the true1          
healthful1 religious feeling and the    
sham is perfectly marked1 even though   
both classes follow the same forms and  
belong to the same charitable societies4
 ,with the one1 religion seems to be an 
accomplishment1 with a rivalry as to who
 can carry it to the finest point2 with 

the other1 it is a steadily growing     
power of wholesome use4  ,this nervous  
strain from sham emotions1 it must be   
confessed1 is more common to the        
feminine nature4 ,so dangerously        
prevalent is it that in every girls'    
school a true repression of the sham and
 a development of real feeling should be
 the thoughtful1 silent effort of all   
the teachers4 ,any one who knows young  
girls feels deeply the terrible harm    
which comes to them in the weakening of 
their delicate1 nervous systems through 
morbid1 emotional excitement4 ,the      
emotions are vividly real to the girls1 
but entirely sham in themselves4 ,great 
care must be taken to respect the sense 
of reality which a young girl has in    
these mistakes1 until she can be led out
 so far that she herself recognizes the 
sham2 then will come a hearty1 wholesome
 desire to be free from it4  ,a school  
governed by a woman with strong         
magnetism1 and an equally strong love of
 admiration and devotion1 can be kept in

 a chronic state of hysteria by the     
emotional affection of the girls for    
their teacher4 ,when they cannot reach  
the teacher they will transfer the      
feeling to one another4 ,where this is  
allowed to pervade the atmosphere of a  
girls' school1 those who escape floods  
of tears or other acute hysterical      
symptoms are the dull1 phlegmatic       
temperaments4  ,often a girt will go    
from one of these morbid attachments to 
another1 until she seems to have lost   
the power for a good1 wholesome         
affection4 ,strange as it may seem1 the 
process is a steady hardening of the    
heart4 ,the same result comes to man or 
woman who has followed a series of      
emotional flirtations1--the perceptions 
are dulled1 and the whole tone of the   
system1 mental and physical1 is         
weakened4 ,the effect is in exact       
correspondence in another degree with   
the result which follows an habitual use
 of stimulants4  ,most abnormal         
emotional states are seen in women--and 

sometimes in men--who believe themselves
 in love4 ,the suffering is to them very
 real4 ,it seems cruel to say1 ,my dear1
 you are not in the least in love with  
that man2 you are in love with your own 
emotions4 ,if some one more attractive  
should appear1 you could at once        
transfer your emotional tortures to the 
seemingly more worthy object4 ,such     
ideas need not be flung in so many words
 at a woman1 but she may be gently led  
until she sees clearly for herself the  
mistake1 and will even laugh at the     
morbid sensations that before seemed to 
her terribly real4  ,how many foolish1  
almost insane actions of men and women  
come from sham emotions and the nervous 
excitement generated by them1 or from   
nervous excitement and the sham emotions
 that result in consequence6  ,care     
should be taken first to change the     
course of the nervous power that is     
expressing itself morbidly1 to open for 
it a healthy outlet1 to guide it into   
that more wholesome channel1 and then   

help the owner to a better control and a
 clearer understanding1 that she may    
gain a healthy use of her wonderful     
nervous power4 ,a gallop on horseback1 a
 good swim1 fresh air taken with any    
form of wholesome fun and exercise is   
the way to begin if possible4 ,a woman  
who has had all the fresh air and       
interesting exercise she needs1 will    
shake off the first sign of morbid      
emotions as she would shake off a rat or
 any other vermin4  ,to one who is      
interested to study the possible results
 of misdirected nervous power1 nothing  
could illustrate it with more painful   
force than the story by ,rudyard        
,kipling1 ,in the ,matter of a ,private4
  ,real emotions1 whether painful or    
delightful1 leave one eventually with a 
new supply of strength2 the sham1       
without exception1 leave their victim   
weaker1 physically and mentally1 unless 
they are recognized as sham1 and        
voluntarily dismissed by the owner of   
the nerves that have been rasped by     

them4 ,it is an inexpressibly sad sight 
to see a woman broken1 down and an      
invalid1 for no reason whatever but the 
unnecessary nervous excitement of weeks 
and months of sham emotion4 ,hardly too 
strong an appeal can be made to mothers 
and teachers for a careful watchfulness 
of their girls1 that their emotions be  
kept steadily wholesome1 so that they   
may grow and develop into that great    
power for use and healthful sympathy    
which always belongs to a woman of fine 
feeling4  ,there is a term used in      
college which describes most            
expressively an intense nervous         
excitement and want of control1--namely1
 dry drunk4 ,it has often seemed to me  
that sham emotions are a woman's form of
 getting drunk1 and nervous prostration 
is its delirium tremens4 ,not the least 
of the suffering caused by emotional    
excitement comes from mistaken sympathy 
with others4 ,certain people seem to    
live on the principle that if a friend  
is in a swamp1 it is necessary to plunge

 in with him2 and that if the other man 
is up to his waist1 the sympathizer     
shows his friendliness by allowing the  
mud to come up to his neck4 ,whereas1 it
 is evident that the deeper my friend is
 immersed in a swamp1 the more sure ,i  
must be to keep on firm ground that ,i  
may help him out2 and sometimes ,i      
cannot even give my hand1 but must use a
 long pole1 the more surely to relieve  
him from danger4 ,it is the same with a 
mental or moral swamp1 or most of all   
with a nervous swamp1 and yet so little 
do people appreciate the use of this    
long pole that if ,i do not cry when my 
friend cries1 moan when my friend moans1
 and persistently refuse to plunge into 
the same grief that ,i may be of more   
real use in helping him out of it1 ,i am
 accused by my friend and my friend's   
friend of coldness and want of sympathy4
 ,people have been known to refuse the  
other end of your pole because you will 
not leave it and come into the swamp    
with them4  ,it is easy to see why this 

mistaken sympathy is the cause of great 
unnecessary nervous strain4 ,the head   
nurse of a hospital in one of our large 
cities was interrupted while at dinner  
by the deep interest taken by the other 
nurses in seeing an accident case       
brought in4 ,when the man was put out of
 sight the nurses lost their appetite   
from sympathy2 and the forcible way with
 which their superior officer informed  
them that if they had any real sympathy 
for the man they would eat to gain      
strength to serve him1 gave a lesson by 
which many nervous sympathizers could   
greatly profit4  ,of course it is       
possible to become so hardened that you 
eat your dinner from a want of feeling1 
and to be consumed only with sympathy   
for yourself2 but it is an easy matter  
to make the distinction between a       
strong1 wholesome sympathy and selfish  
want of feeling1 and easier to          
distinguish between the sham sympathy   
and the real4 ,the first causes you to  
lose nervous strength1 the second gives 

you new power for wholesome use to      
others4  ,in all the various forms of   
nervous strain1 which we study to avoid1
 let us realize and turn from false     
sympathy as one to be especially and    
entirely shunned4  ,sham emotions are1  
of course1 always misdirected force2 but
 it is not unusual to see a woman       
suffering from nervous prostration      
caused by nervous power lying idle4     
,this form of invalidism comes to women 
who have not enough to fill their lives 
in necessary interest and work1 and have
 not thought of turning or been willing 
to turn their attention to some needed  
charity or work for others4 ,a woman in 
this state is like a steam-engine with  
the fire in full blast1 and the boiler  
shaking with the power of steam not     
allowed to escape in motive force4  ,a  
somewhat unusual example of this is a   
young woman who had been brought up as a
 nervous invalid1 had been through      
nervous prostration once1 and was about 
preparing for another attack1 when she  

began to work for a better control of   
her nervous force4 ,after gaining a     
better use of her machine1 she at once  
applied its power to work1--gradually at
 first and then more and more1 until she
 found herself able to endure what      
others had to give up as beyond their   
strength4  ,the help for these1 and     
indeed for all cases1 is to make the    
life objective instead of subjective4   
,look out1 not in2 look up1 not down2   
lend a hand1 is the motto that must be  
followed gently and gradually1 but      
surely1 to cure or to prevent a case of 
,americanitis4  ,but again1 good sense  
and care must be taken to preserve the  
equilibrium2 for nervous tension and all
 the suffering that it brings come more 
often from mistaken devotion to others  
than from a want of care for them4 ,too 
many of us are trying to make special   
,providences of ourselves for our       
friends4 ,to say that this short-sighted
 martyrdom is not only foolish but      
selfish seems hard1 but a little thought

 will show it to be so4  ,a woman       
sacrifices her health in over-exertion  
for a friend4 ,if she does not distress 
the object of her devotion entirely out 
of proportion to the use she performs1  
she at least unfits herself1 by         
over-working1 for many other uses1 and  
causes more suffering than she saves4   
,so are the great ends sacrificed to the
 smaller4  ,if you only knew how hard ,i
 am trying to do right comes with a     
strained face and nervous voice from    
many and many a woman4 ,if she could    
only learn in this case1 as in others1  
of vaulting ambition that o'er-leaps    
itself and falls upon the other side2 if
 she could only realize that the very   
strained effort with which she tries1   
makes it impossible for her to gain1--if
 she would only relax to whatever she   
has to do1 and then try1 the gain would 
be incomparable4  ,the most intense     
sufferers from nervous excitement are   
those who suppress any sign of their    
feeling4 ,the effort to hold in         

increases the nervous strain immensely4 
,as in the case of one etherized1 who   
has suppressed fright which he feels    
very keenly1 as soon as the voluntary   
muscles are relaxed the impression on   
the brain shows itself with all the     
vehemence of the feeling1--so when the  
muscles are consciously relaxed the     
nervous excitement bursts forth like the
 eruption of a small volcano1 and for a 
time is a surprise to the man or woman  
who has been in a constant effort of    
suppression4  ,the contrast between true
 self-control and that which is merely  
repressed feeling1 is1 like all contrast
 between the natural and the artificial1
 immeasurable2 and the steadily         
increasing power to be gained by true   
self-control cannot be conveyed in      
words1 but must be experienced in actual
 use4  ,many of us know with what       
intense force a temper masters us when1 
having held in for some time1 some      
spring is touched which makes silence   
impossible1 and the sense of relief     

which follows a volley of indignant     
words4 ,to say that we can get a far    
greater and more lasting relief without 
a word1 but simply through relaxing our 
muscles and freeing our excited nerves1 
seems tame2 but it is practically true1 
and is indeed the only way from a       
physical standpoint that one may be sure
 of controlling a high temper4 ,in that 
way1 also1 we keep the spirit1 the      
power1 the strength1 from which the     
temper comes1 and so far from being     
tame1 life has more for us4 ,we do not  
tire ourselves and lose nervous force   
through the wear and tear of losing our 
temper4 ,to speak expressively1 if not  
scientifically1 ,let go1 and let the    
temper slip over your nerves and        
off1--you do not lose it then1 for you  
know where it is1 and you keep all the  
nervous force that would have been used 
in suppression or expression for better 
work4  ,that1 the reader will say1 is   
not so easy as it sounds4 ,granted1     
there must be the desire to get a true  

control of the temper2 but most of us   
have that desire1 and while we cannot   
expect immediate success1 steady        
practice will bring startling results   
sooner than we realize4 ,there must be a
 clear1 intelligent understanding of    
what we are aiming at1 and how to gain  
it2 but that is not difficult1 and once 
recognized grows steadily as we gain    
practical results4 ,let the first       
feeling of anger be a reminder to let   
go4 ,but you will say1 ,i do not want to
 let go1--only because your various     
grandfathers and grandmothers were      
unaccustomed to relieving themselves in 
that manner4 ,when we give way to anger 
and let it out in a volley of words1    
there is often a sense of relief1 but   
more often a reaction which is most     
unpleasant1 and is greatly increased by 
the pain given to others4 ,the relief is
 certain if we relax2 and not only is   
there then no painful reaction1 but we  
gain a clear head to recognize the      
justice or injustice of our indignation1

 and to see what can be done about its  
cause4  ,petty irritability can be met  
in the same way4 ,as with nervous pain  
it seems at first impossible to relax to
 it2 but the ,rubicon once crossed1 we  
cannot long be irritable1--it is so much
 simpler not to be1 and so much more    
comfortable4  ,if when we are tempted to
 fly into a rage or to snap irritably at
 others we could go through a short     
process of relaxing motions1 the effect 
would be delightful4 ,but that would be 
ridiculous2 and we must do our relaxing 
in the privacy of the closet and recall 
it when needed outside1 that we may     
relax without observation except in its 
happy results4 ,i know people will say  
that anything to divert the mind will   
cure a high temper or irritability4     
,that is only so to a limited extent2   
and so far as it is so1 simply proves   
the best process of control4 ,diversion 
relieves the nervous excitement1 turning
 the attention in another               
direction1--and so is relaxing so far as

 it goes4  ,much quicker and easier than
 self-control is the control which      
allows us to meet the irritability of   
others without echoing it4 ,the         
temptation to echo a bad temper or an   
irritable disposition in others1 we all 
know2 but the relief which comes to     
ourselves and to the sufferer as we     
quietly relax and refuse to reflect it1 
is a sensation that many of us have yet 
to experience4 ,one keeps a clear head  
in that way1 not to mention a charitable
 heart2 saves any quantity of nervous   
strain1 and keeps off just so much      
tendency to nervous prostration4        
,practically the way is opened to this  
better control through a physical       
training which gives us the power of    
relaxing at will1 and so of maintaining 
a natural1 wholesome equilibrium of     
nerves and muscles4  ,personal          
sensitiveness is1 to a great degree1 a  
form of nervous tension4 ,an individual 
case of the relief of this              
sensitiveness1 although laughable in the

 means of cure1 is so perfectly         
illustrative of it that it is worth     
telling4 ,a lady who suffered very much 
from having her feelings hurt came to me
 for advice4 ,i told her whenever       
anything was said to wound her1 at once 
to imagine her legs heavy1--that relaxed
 her muscles1 freed her nerves1 and     
relieved the tension caused by her      
sensitive feelings4 ,the cure seemed to 
her wonderful4 ,it would not have done  
for her to think a table heavy1 or a    
chair1 or to have diverted her mind in  
any other way1 for it was the effect of 
relaxation in her own body that she     
wanted1 which came from persistently    
thinking her legs heavy4 ,neither could 
her sensitiveness have taken a very deep
 hold1 or mere outside relaxation would 
not have reached it2 but that outside   
process had the effect of greatly       
assisting in the power to use a higher  
philosophy with the mind4               
,self-consciousness and all the personal
 annoyances that come with or follow it 

are to so great an extent nervous       
tension1 that the ease with which they  
may be helped seems sometimes like a    
miracle to those who study for a better 
guidance of their bodies4  ,of worries1 
from the big worries with a real        
foundation to the miserable1 petty1     
nagging worries that wear a woman's     
nervous system more than any amount of  
steady work1 there is so much to be said
 that it would prove tedious1 and indeed
 unnecessary to recount them4 ,a few    
words will suggest enough toward their  
remedy to those who are looking in the  
right direction1 and to others many     
words would be of no avail4  ,the petty 
worries are the most wearing1 and they  
fortunately are the most easily helped4 
,by relaxing the muscular contractions  
invariably accompanying them we seem to 
make an open channel1 and they slip     
through1--which expression ,i am well   
aware is not scientific4 ,the common    
saying1 ,cares roll off her like water  
off a duck's back1 means the same thing4

 ,some human ducks are made with backs  
eminently fitted for cares to slip from2
 but those whose backs seem to be made  
to hold the cares can remould themselves
 to the right proportions1 and there is 
great compensation in their appreciation
 of the contrast4  ,never resist a      
worry4 ,it is increased many times by   
the effort to overcome it4 ,the strain  
of the effort makes it constantly more  
difficult to drop the strain of the     
worry4 ,when we quietly go to work to   
relax the muscles and so quiet the      
nerves1 ignoring a worry1 the way in    
which it disappears is surprising4 ,then
 is the time to meet it with a broad    
philosophizing on the uselessness of    
worry1 etc41 and clinch our freedom1 so 
to speak4  ,it is not at the first      
attempt to relax1 or the second1 or the 
ninth1 that the worry will disappear for
 many of us1 and especially for         
worriers4 ,it takes many hours to learn 
what relaxing is2 but having once       
learned1 its helpful power is too       

evident for us not to keep at it1 if we 
really desire to gain our freedom4  ,to 
give the same direction to a worrier    
that was so effective with the woman    
whose feelings were easily hurt1 may    
seem equally ridiculous2 but in many    
cases it will certainly prove most      
useful4 ,when you begin to worry1 think 
your legs heavy4 ,your friends will     
appreciate the relief more than you do1 
and will gain as you gain4  ,a recital  
of all the emotional disturbances which 
seem to have so strong a hold on us1 and
 which are merely misdirected nervous   
force1 might easily fill a volume2 but a
 few of the most common troubles1 such  
as have been given1 will perhaps suffice
 to help each individual to understand  
his own especial temptations in that    
direction1--and if ,i have made even    
partially clear the ease with which they
 may be relieved through careful        
physical training1 it is all ,i can hope
 for4  ,the body must be trained to obey
 the mind2 the mind must be trained to  

give the body commands worth obeying4   
,the real feelings of life are too      
exquisite and strengthening in their    
depth and power to be crowded out by    
those gross forms of nervous excitement 
which ,i can find no better name for    
than sham emotions4 ,if we could only   
realize this more broadly1 and bring up 
the children with a wholesome dread of  
morbid feeling what a marked change     
would there be in the state of the      
entire race6  ,all physicians agree that
 in most cases it is not overwork1 it is
 not mental strain1 that causes the     
greater number of cases of nervous      
disturbance1 but that they are more     
often brought on by emotional strain4   
,the deepest grief1 as well as the      
greatest joy1 can be met in a way to    
give new strength and new power for use 
if we have a sound philosophy and a     
well-guided1 wholesome body to meet it4 
,but these last are the work of years2  
and neither the philosophy nor the      
physical strength can be brought to bear

 at short notice1 although we can do    
much toward a better equilibrium even   
late in life4  ,various forms of        
egotism1 if not exactly sham emotions1  
are the causes of great nervous strain4 
,every physician knows the intense      
egotism which often comes with nervous  
prostration4 ,some one has very aptly   
said that insanity is only egotism gone 
to seed4 ,it often seems so1 especially 
when it begins with nervous prostration4
 ,we cannot be too careful to shun this 
nervous over-care for self4  ,we inherit
 so strongly the subjective way of      
living rather than the objective1 that  
it impresses itself upon our very       
nerves2 and they1 instead of being open 
channels for the power always at our    
command to pass freely to the use for   
which it is intended1 stop the way by   
means of the attention which is so      
uselessly turned back on ourselves1 our 
narrow personal interests1 and our own  
welfare4 ,how often we see cases where  
by means of the nervous tension all this

 has increased to a disease1 and the    
tiresome ,ego is a monster in the way of
 its owner and all his would-be friends4
 ,i cannot bear this4 ,i shall take     
cold4 ,if you only knew how ,i suffered4
 ,why should we know1 unless through    
knowing we can give you some relief8    
,and so it goes1 ,i--,i--,i--forever1   
and the more the more nervous           
prostration4  ,keep still1 that all     
which is good may come to you1 and live 
out to others that your life may broaden
 for use4 ,in this way we can take all  
that ,nature is ready to give us1 and   
will constantly give us1 and use it as  
hers and for her purposes1 which are    
always the truest and best ,then we live
 as a little child would live1--only    
with more wisdom4       ,x4  ,,nature',s
 ,,teaching      ,,nature is not only   
our one guide in the matter of physical 
training1 she is the chief engineer who 
will keep us in order and control the   
machine1 if we aim to fulfil her        
conditions and shun every personal      

interference with the wholesome working 
of her laws4  ,here is where the        
exquisite sense of growing power comes4 
,in studying ,nature1 we not only       
realize the strength that comes from    
following her lead1 but we discover her 
in ourselves gently moving us onward4   
,we all believe we look to ,nature1 if  
we think at all2 and it is a surprise to
 find how mistaken we are4 ,the time    
would not be wasted if we whose duties  
do not lead us to any direct study of   
natural life for personal reasons1 would
 take fifteen minutes every day simply  
to think of ,nature and her methods of  
working1 and to see at the same time    
where1 so far as we individually are    
concerned1 we constantly interfere with 
the best use of her powers4 ,with all   
reverence ,i say it1 this should be the 
first form of prayer2 and our ability to
 pray sincerely to ,god and live in     
accordance with ,his laws would grow in 
proportion to our power of sincere      
sympathy with the workings of those laws

 in ,nature4  ,try to realize the quiet 
power of all natural growth and         
movement1 from a blade of grass1 through
 a tree1 a forest of trees1 the entire  
vegetable growth on the earth1 the      
movement of the planets1 to the growth  
and involuntary vital operations of our 
own bodies4  ,no words can bring so full
 a realization of the quiet power in the
 progress of ,nature as will the simple 
process of following the growth of a    
tree in imagination from the working of 
its sap in the root up to the tips of   
the leaves1 the blossoms1 and the fruit4
 ,or beginning lower1 follow the growth 
of a blade of grass or a flower1 then a 
tree1 and so on to the movement of the  
earth1 and then of all the planets in   
the universe4 ,let your imagination     
picture so vividly all natural          
movements1 little by little1 that you   
seem to be really at one with each and  
all4 ,study the orderly working of your 
own bodily functions2 and having this   
clearly in mind1 notice where you1 in   

all movements that are or might be under
 the control of your will1 are          
disobeying ,nature's laws4  ,nature     
shows us constantly that at the back of 
every action there should be a great    
repose4 ,this holds good from the       
minutest growth to the most powerful    
tornado4 ,it should be so with us not   
only in the simple daily duties1 but in 
all things up to the most intense       
activity possible to man4 ,and this     
study and realization of ,nature's      
method which ,i am pleading for brings a
 vivid sense of our own want of repose4 
,the compensation is fortunately great1 
or the discouragement might be more than
 could be borne4 ,we must appreciate a  
need to have it supplied2 we must see a 
mistake in order to shun it4  ,how can  
we expect repose of mind when we have   
not even repose of muscle8 ,when the    
most external of the machine is not at  
our command1 surely the spirit that     
animates the whole cannot find its      
highest plane of action4 ,or how can we 

possibly expect to know the repose that 
should be at our command for every      
emergency1 or hope to realize the great 
repose behind every action1 when we have
 not even learned the repose in rest8   
,think of ,nature's resting times1 and  
see how painful would be the result of a
 digression4  ,our side of the earth    
never turns suddenly toward the sun at  
night1 giving us flashes of day in the  
darkness4 ,when it is night1 it is night
 steadily1 quietly1 until the time comes
 for day4 ,a tree in winter1 its time   
for rest1 never starts out with a little
 bud here and there1 only to be frost   
bitten1 and so when spring-time comes1  
to result in an uneven looking1         
imperfectly developed tree4 ,it rests   
entirely in its time for rest2 and when 
its time for blooming comes1 its action 
is full and true and perfect4 ,the grass
 never pushes itself up in little1      
untimely blades through the winter1 thus
 leaving our lawns and fields full of   
bare patches in the warmer season4 ,the 

flowers that close at night do not half 
close1 folding some petals and letting  
others stay wide open4 ,indeed1 so      
perfectly does ,nature rest when it is  
her time for resting1 that even the     
suggestion of these abnormal actions    
seems absolutely ridiculous4 ,the less  
we allow ourselves to be controlled by  
,nature's laws1 the more we ignore their
 wonderful beauty2 and yet there is that
 in us which must constantly respond to 
,nature unconsciously1 else how could we
 at once feel the absurdity of any      
disobedience to her laws1 everywhere    
except with man8 ,and man1 who is not   
only free to obey1 but has exquisite and
 increasing power to realize and enjoy  
them in all their fulness1 lives so far 
out of harmony with these laws as ever  
to be blind to his own steady           
disobedience4  ,think of the perfect    
power for rest in all animals4 ,lift a  
cat when she is quiet1 and see how      
perfectly relaxed she is in every       
muscle4 ,that is not only the way she   

sleeps1 but the way she rests2 and no   
matter how great or how rapid the       
activity1 she drops all tension at once 
when she stops4 ,so it is with all      
animals1 except in rare cases where man 
has tampered with them in a way to      
interfere with the true order of their  
lives4  ,watch a healthy baby sleeping2 
lift its arm1 its leg1 or its head      
carefully1 and you will find each       
perfectly relaxed and free4 ,you can    
even hold it on your outspread hands1   
and the whole little weight1 full of    
life and gaining new power through the  
perfect rest1 will give itself entirely 
to your hands1 without one particle of  
tension4 ,the sleep that we get in      
babyhood is the saving health of many4  
,but1 alas6 at a very early age useless 
tension begins1 and goes on increasing2 
and if it does not steadily lead to     
acute ,americanitis1 it prevents the    
perfect use of all our powers4 ,mothers1
 watch your children with a care which  
will be all the more effective because  

they will be unconscious of it2 for a   
child's attention should seldom be drawn
 to its own body4 ,lead them toward the 
laws of ,nature1 that they may grow in  
harmony with them1 and so be saved the  
useless suffering1 strain1 and trouble  
that comes to us ,americans4 ,if we do  
not take care1 the children will more   
and more inherit this fearful misuse of 
the nervous force1 and the inheritance  
will be so strong that at best we can   
have only little invalids4 ,how great   
the necessity seems for the effort to   
get back into ,nature's ways when we    
reflect upon the possibilities of a     
continued disobedience6  ,to be sure1   
,nature has ,repose itself and does not 
have to work for it4 ,man is left free  
to take it or not as he chooses4 ,but   
before he is able to receive it he has  
personal tendencies to restlessness to  
overcome4 ,and more than that1 there are
 the inherited nervous habits of        
generations of ancestors to be          
recognized and shunned4 ,but repose is  

an inmost law of our being1 and the     
quiet of ,nature is at our command much 
sooner than we realize1 if we want it   
enough to work for it steadily day by   
day4 ,nothing will increase our         
realization of the need more than a     
little daily thought of the quiet in the
 workings of ,nature and the consequent 
appreciation of our own lack4 ,ruskin   
tells the story with his own expressive 
power when he says1 ,are not the        
elements of ease on the face of all the 
greatest works of creation8 ,do they not
 say1 not there has been a great effort 
here1 but there has been a great power  
here8  ,the greatest act1 the only      
action which we know to be power in     
itself1 is the act of ,creation4 ,behind
 that action there lies a great ,repose4
 ,we are part of ,creation1 we should be
 moved by its laws4 ,let us shun        
everything we see to be in the way of   
our own best power of action in muscle1 
nerve1 senses1 mind1 and heart4 ,who    
knows the new perception and strength1  

the increased power for use that is open
 to us if we will but cease to be an    
obstruction8  ,freedom within the limits
 of ,nature's laws1 and indeed there is 
no freedom without those limits1 is best
 studied and realized in the growth of  
all plants1--in the openness of the     
branch of a vine to receive the sap from
 the main stem1 in the free circulation 
of the sap in a tree and in all         
vegetable organisms4  ,imagine the      
branch of a vine endowed with the power 
to grow according to the laws which     
govern it1 or to ignore and disobey     
those laws4 ,imagine the same branch    
having made up its vegetable mind that  
it could live its own life apart from   
the vine1 twisting its various fibres   
into all kinds of knots and snarls1     
according to its own idea of living1 so 
that the sap from the main stem could   
only reach it in a minimum quantity4    
,what a dearth of leaf1 flower1 and     
fruit would appear in the branch6 ,yet  
the figure is perfectly illustrative of 

the way in which most of us are         
interfering with the best use of the    
life that is ours4  ,freedom is         
obedience to law4 ,a bridge can be built
 to stand1 only in obedience to the laws
 of mechanics4 ,electricity can be made 
a useful power only in exact obedience  
to the laws that govern it1 otherwise it
 is most destructive4 ,has man the      
privilege of disobeying natural laws1   
only in the use of his own individual   
powers8 ,clearly not4 ,and why is it    
that while recognizing and endeavoring  
to obey the laws of physics1 of         
mechanics1 and all other laws of ,nature
 in his work in the world1 he so        
generally defies the same laws in their 
application to his own being8  ,the     
freedom of an animal's body in obeying  
the animal instincts is beautiful to    
watch4 ,the grace and power expressed in
 the freedom of a tiger are wonderful4  
,the freedom in the body of a baby to   
respond to every motion and expression  
is exquisite to study4 ,but before most 

children have been in the world three   
years their inherited personal          
contractions begin1 and unless the      
little bodies can be watched and trained
 out of each unnecessary contraction as 
it appears1 and so kept in their own    
freedom1 there comes a time later1 when 
to live to the greatest power for use   
they must spend hours in learning to be 
babies all over again1 and then gain a  
new freedom and natural movement4  ,the 
law which perhaps appeals to us most    
strongly when trying to identify        
ourselves with ,nature is the law of    
rhythm3 action1 re-action2 action1      
re-action2 action1 re-action1--and the  
two must balance1 so that equilibrium is
 always the result4 ,there is no similar
 thought that can give us keener        
pleasure than when we rouse all our     
imagination1 and realize all our power  
of identifying ourselves with the       
workings of a great law1 and follow this
 rhythmic movement till we find rhythm  
within rhythm1--from the rhythmic motion

 of the planets to the delicate         
vibrations of heat and light4 ,it is    
helpful to think of rhythmic growth and 
motion1 and not to allow the thought of 
a new rhythm to pass without identifying
 ourselves with it as fully as our      
imagination will allow4  ,we have the   
rhythm of the seasons1 of day and night1
 of the tides1 and of vegetable and     
animal life1--as the various rhythmic   
motions in the flying of birds4 ,the    
list will be endless1 of course1 for the
 great law rules everything in ,nature1 
and our appreciation of it grows as we  
identify ourselves with its various     
modes of action4  ,one hair's variation 
in the rhythm of the universe would     
bring destruction1 and yet we little    
individual microcosms are knocking      
ourselves into chronic states of chaos  
because we feel that we can be gods1 and
 direct our own lives so much better    
than the ,god who made us4 ,we are left 
in freedom to go according to ,his laws1
 or against them2 and we are generally  

so convinced that our own stupid1       
short-sighted way is the best1 that it  
is only because ,nature tenderly holds  
to some parts of us and keeps them in   
the rhythm1 that we do not hurl         
ourselves to pieces4 ,this law of       
rhythm--or of equilibrium in motion and 
in rest--is the end1 aim1 and effect of 
all true physical training for the      
development and guidance of the body4   
,its ruling power is proved in the very 
construction of the body1--the two      
sides2 the circulation of the blood1    
veins and arteries2 the muscles1        
extensor and flexor2 the nerves1 sensory
 and motor4  ,when the long rest of a   
body balances the long activity1 in day 
and night2 when the shorter rests       
balance the shorter activity1 as in the 
various opportunities offered through   
the day for entire rest1 if only a      
minute at a time2 when the sensory and  
motor nerves are clear for impression   
and expression2 when the muscles in     
parts of the body not needed are        

entirely quiet1 allowing those needed   
for a certain action to do their perfect
 work2 when the co-ordination of the    
muscles in use is so established that   
the force for a movement is evenly      
divided2 when the flexor rests while its
 antagonizing muscle works1 and vice    
versa1-- when all this which is merely a
 natural power for action and rest is   
automatically established1 then the body
 is ready to obey and will obey the     
lightest touch of its owner1 going in   
whatever direction it may be sent1      
artistic1 scientific1 or domestic4 ,as  
this exquisite sense of ease in a       
natural movement grows upon us1 no one  
can describe the feeling of new power or
 of positive comfort which comes with   
it2 and yet it is no miracle1 it is only
 natural4 ,the beasts have the same     
freedom2 but they have not the mind to  
put it to higher uses1 or the sense to  
enjoy its exquisite power4  ,often it   
seems that the care and trouble to get  
back into ,nature's way is more than    

compensated for in the new appreciation 
of her laws and their uses4 ,but the    
body1 after all1 is merely a servant2   
and1 however perfect its training may   
have been1 if the man1 the master1 puts 
his natural power to mean or low uses1  
sooner or later the power will be lost4 
,self-conscious pride will establish its
 own contractions4 ,the use of a natural
 power for evil ends will limit itself  
sooner or later4 ,the love for          
unwholesome surroundings will eventually
 put a check on a perfectly free body1  
although sometimes the wonder is that   
the check is so long in coming4 ,if we  
have once trained ourselves into natural
 ways1 so akin are the laws of ,nature  
and spirit1 both must be obeyed2 and to 
rise to our greatest power means always 
to rise to our greatest power for use4  
,a man's life is ,god's love for the use
 for which he was made2 a man's power   
lies in the best direction of that use4 
,this is a truth as practical as the    
necessity for walking on the feet with  

the head up4       ,,xi4  ,,the ,,child 
,,as ,,an ,,ideal      ,,while the path 
of progress in the gaining of repose    
could not be traced thus far without    
reference to the freedom of a baby1 a   
fuller consideration of what we may     
learn from this source must be of great 
use to us4  ,the peace and freshness of 
a little baby are truly beautiful1 but  
are rarely appreciated4 ,few of us have 
peace enough in ourselves to respond to 
these charms4 ,it is like playing the   
softest melody upon a harp to those     
whose ears have long been closed4  ,let 
us halt1 and watch1 and listen1 and see 
what we shall gain6  ,throughout the    
muscular system of a normal1 new-born   
baby it is impossible to find any waste 
of force4 ,an apparent waste will1 upon 
examination1 prove itself otherwise4    
,its cry will at first seem to cause    
contractions of the face2 but the       
absolute removal of all traces of       
contraction as the cry ceases1 and a    
careful watching of the act itself1 show

 it to be merely an exaggeration of     
muscular action1 not a permanent        
contraction4 ,each muscle is balanced by
 an opposing one2 in fact1 the whole    
thing is only a very even stretching of 
the face1 and1 undoubtedly1 has a       
purpose to accomplish4  ,examine a      
baby's bed1 and see how distinctly it   
bears the impression of an absolute     
giving up of weight and power4 ,they    
actually do that which we only theorize 
about1 and from them we may learn it    
all1 if we will4  ,a babe in its bath   
gives us another fine opportunity for   
learning to be simple and free4 ,it     
yields to the soft pressure of the water
 with a repose which is deeply          
expressive of gratitude2 while we1 in   
our clumsy departures from ,nature's    
state1 often resist with such intensity 
as not to know--in circumstances just as
 simply useful to us--that we have      
anything for which to be grateful4  ,in 
each new experience we find it the same1
 the healthy baby yields1 lets himself  

go1 with an case which must double his  
chances for comfort4 ,could we but learn
 to do so1 our lives would lengthen1 and
 our joys and usefulness strengthen in  
exact proportion4  ,all through the age 
of unconsciousness1 this physical       
freedom is maintained even where the    
mental attitude is not free4 ,baby wrath
 is as free and economical of physical  
force as are the winsome moods1 and this
 until the personality has developed to 
some extent1--that is1 until the child  
reflects the contractions of those      
around him4 ,it expends itself in       
well-balanced muscular exercise1 one set
 of muscles resting fully in their      
moment of non-use1 while another set    
takes up the battle4 ,at times it will  
seem that all wage war together2 if so1 
the rest is equal to the action4  ,it is
 not the purpose of this chapter to     
recommend anger1 even of the most       
approved sort2 but if we will express   
the emotion at all1 let us do it as well
 as we did in our infancy6  ,channels so

 free as this would necessitate1 would  
lessen our temptations to such          
expression2 we1 with mature intellects1 
would see it for what it is1 and the    
next generation of babies would less    
often exercise their wonderfully        
balanced little bodies in such an       
unlovely waste4  ,note the perfect      
openness of a baby throat as the child  
coos out his expression of happiness4   
,could anything be more free1 more like 
the song of a bird in its obedience to  
natural laws8 ,alas1 for how much must  
we answer that these throats are so soon
 contracted1 the tones changed to so    
high a pitch1 the voice becoming so     
shrill and harsh6 ,can we not open our  
throats and become as these little      
children8  ,the same openness in the    
infant organism is the child's          
protection in many dangers4 ,falls that 
would result in breaks1 strains1 or     
sprains in us1 leave the baby entirely  
whole save in its feelings1 and often   
there1 too1 if the child has been kept  

in the true state mentally4  ,watch a   
baby take its food1 and contrast it with
 our own ways of eating4 ,the baby draws
 it in slowly and evenly1 with a quiet  
rhythm which is in exact accord with the
 rhythmic action of its digestive       
organs4 ,you feel each swallow taken in 
the best way for repair1 and for this   
reason it seems sometimes as if one     
could see a baby grow while feeding4    
,there cannot be a lovelier glimpse of  
innocent physical repose than the little
 respites from the fatigue of feeding   
which a baby often takes4 ,his face     
moist1 with open pores1 serene and      
satisfied1 he views the hurry about him 
as an interesting phase of harmless     
madness4 ,he is entirely outside of it  
until self-consciousness is quite       
developed4  ,the sleep of a little child
 is another opportunity for us to learn 
what we need4 ,every muscle free1 every 
burden dropped1 each breath carries away
 the waste1 and fills its place with the
 needed substance of increasing growth  

and power4  ,in play1 we find the same  
freedom4 ,when one idea is being        
executed1 every other is excluded4 ,they
 do not think dolls while they roll     
hoop6  ,they do not think of work while 
they play4 ,examine and see how we do   
both4 ,the baby of one year1 sitting on 
the shore burying his fat hand in the   
soft warm sand1 is for the time being   
alive only to its warmth and softness1  
with a dim consciousness of the air and 
color about him4 ,if we could engross   
ourselves as fully and with as simple a 
pleasure1 we should know far more of the
 possible power of our minds for both   
work and rest4  ,it is interesting to   
watch normal children in these          
concentrations1 because from their      
habits we may learn so much which may   
improve our own sadly different manner  
of living4 ,it is also interesting but  
pathetic to see the child gradually     
leaving them as he approaches boyhood1  
and to trace our part in leading him    
away from the true path4  ,the baby's   

perfect placidity1 caused by mental and 
bodily freedom1 is disturbed at a very  
early age by those who should be his    
true guides4 ,it would be impossible to 
say when the first wrong impression is  
made1 but it is so early that a true    
statement of the time could only be     
accepted from scientific men4 ,for      
mothers and fathers have often so dulled
 their own sensitiveness1 that they are 
powerless to recognize the needs of     
their children1 and their impressions   
are1 in consequence1 untrustworthy4  ,at
 the time the pangs of teething begin1  
it is the same4 ,the healthy child left 
to itself would wince occasionally at   
the slight pricking pain1 and then turn 
its entire attention elsewhere1 and thus
 become refreshed for the next trial4   
,but under the adult influence the agony
 of the first little prick is often     
magnified until the result is a cross1  
tired baby1 already removed several     
degrees from the beautiful state of     
peace and freedom in which ,nature      

placed him under our care4  ,the bodily 
freedom of little children is the       
foundation of a most beautiful mental   
freedom1 which cannot be wholly         
destroyed by us4 ,this is plainly shown 
by the childlike trust which they       
display in all the affairs of life1 and 
also in their exquisite responsiveness  
to the spiritual truths which are taught
 to them4 ,the very expression of face  
of a little child as it is led by the   
hand is a lesson to us upon which pages 
might be written4  ,had we the same     
spirit dwelling in us1 we more often    
should feel ourselves led beside the    
still waters1 and made to lie down in   
green pastures4 ,we should grow faster  
spiritually1 because we should not make 
conflicts for ourselves1 but should meet
 with the ,lord's quiet strength        
whatever we had to pass through4  ,let  
us learn of these little ones1 and help 
them to hold fast to that which they    
teach us4 ,let us remember that the     
natural and the ideal are truly one1 and

 endeavor to reach the latter by means  
of the former4  ,when through hereditary
 tendency our little child is not       
ideal1--that is1 natural1--let us with  
all the more earnestness learn to be    
quiet ourselves that we may lead him to 
it1 and thus open the channels of health
 and strength4       ,,xii4  ,,training 
,,for ,,rest      ,,but how shall we    
gain a natural repose8 ,it is absurd to 
emphasize the need without giving the   
remedy4 ,i should be so glad to relax1  
but ,i do not know how1 is the sincere  
lament of many a nervously strained     
being4  ,there is a regular training    
which acts upon the nervous force and   
teaches its proper use1 as the gymnasium
 develops the muscles4 ,this1 as will be
 easily seen1 is at first just the      
reverse of vigorous exercise1 and no    
woman should do powerful muscular work  
without learning at the same time to    
guide her body with true economy of     
force4 ,it is appalling to watch the    
faces of women in a gymnasium1 to see   

them using five1 ten1 twenty times the  
nervous force necessary for every       
exercise4 ,the more excited they get1   
the more nervous force they use2 and the
 hollows under their eyes increase1 the 
strained expression comes1 and then they
 wonder that after such fascinating     
exercise they feel so tired4 ,a common  
sight in gymnasium work1 especially     
among women1 is the nervous straining of
 the muscles of the arms and hands1     
while exercises meant for the legs alone
 are taken4 ,this same muscular tension 
is evident in the arm that should be at 
rest while the other arm is acting2 and 
if this want of equilibrium in exercise 
is so strikingly noticeable in the limbs
 themselves1 how much worse it must be  
all through the less prominent muscles6 
,to guide the body in trapeze work1     
every well-trained acrobat knows he must
 have a quiet mind1 a clear head1 and   
obedient muscles4 ,i recall a woman who 
stands high in gymnastic work1 whose    
agility on the triple bars is excellent1

 but the nervous strain shown in the    
drawn lines of her face before she      
begins1 leaves one who studies her      
carefully always in doubt as to whether 
she will not get confused before her    
difficult performance is over1 and break
 her neck in consequence4 ,a realization
 also of the unnecessary nervous force  
she is using1 detracts greatly from the 
pleasure in watching her performance4   
,if we were more generally sensitive to 
misdirected nervous power1 this         
interesting gymnast1 with many others1  
would lose no time in learning a more   
quiet and naturally economical guidance 
of her muscles1 and gymnasium work would
 not be1 as ,dr4 ,checkley very justly  
calls it1 more often a straining than a 
training4  ,to aim a gun and hit the    
mark1 a quiet control of the muscles is 
necessary4 ,if the purpose of our       
actions were as well defined as the     
bull's eye of a target1 what wonderful  
power in the use of our muscles we might
 very soon obtain6 ,but the precision   

and ease in an average motion comes so  
far short of its possibility1 that if   
the same carelessness were taken as a   
matter of course in shooting practice1  
the side of a barn should be an average 
target4  ,gymnasium work for women would
 be grand in its wholesome influence1 if
 only they might learn the proper use of
 the body while they are working for its
 development4 ,and no gymnasium will be 
complete and satisfactory in its results
 until the leader arranges separate     
classes for training in economy of force
 and rhythmic motion4 ,in order to      
establish a true physical balance the   
training of the nerves should receive as
 much attention as the training of the  
muscles4 ,the more we misuse our nervous
 force1 the worse the expenditure will  
be as muscular power increases2 ,i      
cannot waste so much force on a poorly  
developed muscle as on one that is well 
developed4 ,this does not by any means  
argue against the development of muscle2
 it argues for its proper use4 ,where is

 the good of an exquisitely formed      
machine1 if it is to be shattered for   
want of control of the motive power8    
,it would of course be equally harmful  
to train the guiding power while        
neglecting entirely flabby1 undeveloped 
muscles4 ,the only difference is that in
 the motions for this training and for  
the perfect co-ordinate use of the      
muscles1 there must be a certain amount 
of even1 muscular development2 whereas  
although the vigorous exercise for the  
growth of the muscles often helps toward
 a healthy nervous system1 it more      
often1 where the nervous force is       
misused1 exaggerates greatly the        
tension4  ,in every case it is          
equilibrium we are working for1 and a   
one-sided view of physical training is  
to be deplored and avoided1 whether the 
balance is lost on the side of the      
nerves or the muscles4  ,take a little  
child early enough1 and watch it        
carefully through a course of natural   
rhythmic exercises1 and there will be no

 need for the careful training necessary
 to older people4 ,but help for us who  
have gone too far in this tension comes 
only through patient study4  ,so far as 
,i can1 ,i will give directions for     
gaining the true relaxation4 ,but       
because written directions are apt to be
 misunderstood1 and so bring            
discouragement and failure1 ,i will     
purposely omit all but the most simple  
means of help2 but these ,i am sure will
 bring very pleasant effects if followed
 exactly and with the utmost patience4  
,the first care should be to realize how
 far you are from the ability to let go 
of your muscles when they are not       
needed2 how far you are from the natural
 state of a cat when she is quiet1 or   
better still from the perfect freedom of
 a sleeping baby2 consequently how      
impossible it is for you ever to rest   
thoroughly4 ,almost all of us are       
constantly exerting ourselves to hold   
our own heads on4 ,this is easily proved
 by our inability to let go of them4    

,the muscles are so well balanced that  
,nature holds our heads on much more    
perfectly than we by any possibility    
can4 ,so it is with all our muscles2 and
 to teach them better habits we must lie
 flat on our backs1 and try to give our 
whole weight to the floor or the bed4   
,the floor is better1 for that does not 
yield in the least to us1 and the bed   
does4 ,once on the floor1 give way to it
 as far as possible4 ,every day you will
 become more sensitive to tension1 and  
every day you will be better able to    
drop it4 ,while you are flat on your    
backs1 if you can find some one to prove
 your relaxation1 so much the better4   
,let your friend lift an arm1 bending it
 at the different joints1 and then      
carefully lay it down4 ,see if you can  
give its weight entirely to the other   
person1 so that it seems to be no part  
of you1 but as separate as if it were   
three bags of sand1 fastened loosely at 
the wrist1 the elbow1 and the shoulder2 
it will then be full of life without    

tension4 ,you will find probably1 either
 that you try to assist in raising the  
arm in your anxiety to make it heavy1 or
 you will resist so that it is not heavy
 with its own weight but with ,i your   
personal effort4 ,in some cases the     
nervous force is so active that the arm 
reminds one of a lively eel4  ,then have
 your legs treated in the same way4 ,it 
is good even to have some one throw your
 arm or your leg up and catch it2 also  
to let it go unexpectedly4 ,unnecessary 
tension is proved when the limb1 instead
 of dropping by the pure force of       
gravity1 sticks fast wherever it was    
left4 ,the remark when the extended limb
 is brought to the attention of its     
owner is1 ,well1 what did you want me to
 do8 ,you did not say you wanted me to  
drop it1--which shows the habitual      
attitude of tension so vividly as to be 
almost ridiculous2 the very idea being1 
of course1 that you are not wanted to do
 anything but let go1 when the arm would
 drop of its own accord4 ,if the person 

holding your arm says1 ,now ,i will let 
go1 and it must drop as if a dead       
weight1 almost invariably it will not be
 the force of gravity that takes it1 but
 your own effort to make it a dead      
weight2 and it will come down with a    
thump which shows evident muscular      
effort1 or so slowly and actively as to 
prove that you cannot let it alone4     
,constant and repeated trial1 with right
 thought from the pupil1 will be certain
 to bring good results1 so that at least
 he or she can be sure of better power  
for rest in the limbs4 ,unfortunately   
this first gain will not last4 ,unless  
the work goes on1 the legs and arms will
 soon be all tightened up again1 and it 
will seem harder to let go than ever4   
,the next care must be with the head4   
,that cannot be treated as roughly as   
the limbs4 ,it can be tossed1 if the    
tosser will surely catch it on his open 
hand4 ,never let it drop with its full  
weight on the floor1 for the jar of the 
fall1 if you are perfectly relaxed1 is  

unpleasant2 if you are tense1 it is     
dangerous4 ,at first move it slowly up  
and down4 ,as with the arms1 there will 
be either resistance or attempted       
assistance4 ,it seems at times as though
 it were and always would be impossible 
to let go of your own head4 ,of course1 
if you cannot give up and let go for a  
friend to move it quietly up and down1  
you cannot let go and give way entirely 
to the restful power of sleep4 ,the head
 must be moved up and down1 from side to
 side1 and round and round in opposite  
ways1 gently and until its owner can let
 go so completely that it seems like a  
big ball in the hands that move it4 ,of 
course care must be taken to move it    
gently and never to extremes1 and it    
will not do to trust an unintelligent   
person to prove a body in any way4      
,ladies' maids have been taught to do it
 very well1 but they had in all cases to
 be carefully watched at first4  ,the   
example of a woman who had for years    
been an invalid is exceedingly          

interesting as showing how persistently 
people hold on4 ,although the greater   
part of her time had been spent in a    
reclining attitude1 she had not learned 
the very rudiments of relaxation1 and   
could not let go of her own muscles any 
more easily than others who have always 
been in active life4 ,think of holding  
yourself on to the bed for ten years6   
,her maid learned to move her in the way
 that has been described1 and after     
repeated practice1 by the time she had  
reached the last movement the patient   
would often be sleeping like a baby4 ,it
 did not cure her1 of course2 that was  
not expected4 ,but it taught her to     
relax to a pain instead of bracing up   
and fighting it1 and to live in a       
natural way so far as an organic disease
 and sixty years of misused and         
over-used force would allow4  ,having   
relaxed the legs and arms and head1 next
 the spine and all the muscles of the   
chest must be helped to relax4 ,this is 
more difficult1 and requires not only   

care but greater muscular strength in   
the lifter4 ,if the one who is lifting  
will only remember to press hard on the 
floor with the feet1 and put all the    
effort of lifting in the legs1 the      
strain will be greatly lessened4  ,take 
hold of the hands and lift the patient  
or pupil to a sitting attitude4 ,here1  
of course1 if the muscles that hold the 
head are perfectly relaxed1 the head    
will drop back from its own weight4     
,then1 in letting the body back again1  
of course1 keep hold of the             
hands1--never let go2 and after it is   
down1 if the neck has remained relaxed1 
the head will be back in a most         
uncomfortable attitude1 and must be     
lifted and placed in the right position4
 ,it is some time before relaxation is  
so complete as that4 ,at first the head 
and spine will come up like a ramrod1   
perfectly rigid and stiff4 ,there will  
be the same effort either to assist or  
resist2 the same disinclination to give 
up2 often the same remark1 ,if you will 

tell me what you want me to do1 ,i will 
do it2 the same inability to realize    
that the remark1 and the feeling that   
prompts it1 are entirely opposed to the 
principle that you are wanted to do     
nothing1 and to do nothing with an      
effort is impossible4 ,in lowering the  
body it must give like a bag of bones   
fastened loosely together and well      
padded4 ,sometimes when it is nearly    
down1 one arm can be dropped1 and the   
body let down the rest of the way by the
 other4 ,then it is simply giving way   
completely to the laws of gravity1 it   
will fall over on the side that is not  
held1 and only roll on its back as the  
other arm is dropped4 ,care must always 
be taken to arrange the head comfortably
 after the body is resting on the       
ground4 ,sometimes great help is given  
toward relaxing the muscles of the chest
 and spine by pushing the body up as if 
to roll it over1 first one side and then
 the other1 and letting it roll back    
from its own weight4 ,it is always good1

 after helping the separate parts to a  
restful state1 to take the body as a    
whole and roll it over and over1        
carefully1 and see if the owner can let 
you do so without the slightest effort  
to assist you4 ,it will be easily seen  
that the power1 once gained1 of         
remaining perfectly passive while       
another moves you1 means a steadily     
increasing ability to relax at all times
 when the body should be given to       
perfect rest4 ,this power to let go     
causes an increasing sensitiveness to   
all tension1 which1 unpleasant as it    
always is to find mistakes of any kind  
in ourselves1 brings a very happy result
 in the end2 for we can never shun      
evils1 physical or spiritual1 until we  
have recognized them fully1 and every   
mistaken way of using our machine1 when 
studiously avoided1 brings us nearer to 
that beautiful unconscious use of it    
which makes it possible for us to forget
 it entirely in giving it the more truly
 to its highest use4  ,after having been

 helped in some degree by another1 and  
often without that preliminary help1    
come the motions by which we are enabled
 to free ourselves2 and it is           
interesting to see how much more easily 
the body will move after following this 
course of exercises4 ,take the same     
attitude on the floor1 giving up        
entirely in every part to the force of  
gravity1 and keep your eyes closed      
through the whole process4 ,then stop   
and imagine yourself heavy4 ,first think
 one leg heavy1 then the other1 then    
each arm1 and both arms1 being sure to  
keep the same weight in the legs2 then  
your body and head4 ,use your           
imagination to the full extent of its   
power1 and think the whole machine      
heavy2 wonder how the floor can hold    
such a weight4 ,begin then to take a    
deep breath4 ,inhale through the nose   
quietly and easily4 ,let it seem as if  
the lungs expanded themselves with1 out 
voluntary effort on your part4 ,fill    
first the lower lungs and then the      

upper4 ,let go1 and exhale the air with 
a sense of relief4 ,as the air leaves   
your lungs1 try to let your body rest   
back on the floor more heavily1 as a    
rubber bag would if the air were allowed
 to escape from it4 ,repeat this        
breathing exercise several times2 then  
inhale and exhale rhythmically1 with    
breaths long enough to give about six to
 a minute1 for ten times1 increasing the
 number every day until you reach fifty4
 ,this eventually will establish the    
habit of longer breaths in the regular  
unconscious movement of our lungs1 which
 is most helpful to a wholesome physical
 state4 ,the directions for deep        
breathing should be carefully followed  
in the deep breaths taken after each    
motion4 ,after the deep breathing1 drag 
your leg up slowly1 very slowly1 trying 
to have no effort except in the hip     
joint1 allowing the knee to bend1 and   
dragging the heel heavily along the     
floor1 until it is up so far that the   
sole of the foot touches without effort 

on your part4 ,stop occasionally in the 
motion and let the weight come into the 
heel1 then drag the foot with less      
effort than before1--so will the strain 
of movement be steadily decreased4 ,let 
the leg slip slowly down1 and when it is
 nearly flat on the floor again1 let go1
 so that it gives entirely and drops    
from its own weight4 ,if it is perfectly
 free1 there is a pleasant little spring
 from the impetus of dropping1 which is 
more or less according to the healthful 
state of the body4 ,the same motion must
 be repeated with the other leg4 ,every 
movement should be slower each day4 ,it 
is well to repeat the movements of the  
legs for three times1 trying each time  
to move more slowly1 with the leg       
heavier than the time before4 ,after    
this1 lift the arm slowly from the      
shoulder1 letting the hand hang over    
until it is perpendicular to the floor4 
,be careful to think the arm heavy1 and 
the motive power in the shoulder4 ,it   
helps to relax if you imagine your arm  

held to the shoulder by a single hair1  
and that if you move it with a force    
beyond the minimum needed to raise it1  
it will drop off entirely4 ,to those who
 have little or no imagination this will
 seem ridiculous2 to others who have    
more1 and can direct it usefully1 this  
and similar ways will be very helpful4  
,after the arm is raised to a           
perpendicular position1 let the force of
 gravity have it1--first the upper arm  
to the elbow1 and then the forearm and  
hand1 so that it falls by pieces4       
,follow the same motion with the other  
arm1 and repeat this three times1 trying
 to improve with each repetition4       
,next1 the head must be moved           
slowly1--so slowly that it seems as     
though it hardly moved at all1--first   
rolled to the left1 then back and to the
 right and back again2 and this also can
 be repeated three times4 ,after each of
 the above motions there should be two  
or three long1 quiet breaths4 ,to free  
the spine1 sit up on the floor1 and with

 heavy arms and legs1 head dropped      
forward1 let it go back slowly and      
easily1 as if the vertebrae were beads  
on a string1 and first one bead lay     
flat1 then another and another1 until   
the whole string rests on the floor1 and
 the head falls back with its own       
weight4 ,this should be practised over  
and over before the movement can be     
perfectly free2 and it is well to begin 
on the bed1 until you catch the idea and
 its true application4 ,after1 and      
sometimes before1 the process of slow   
motions1 rolling over loosely on one    
side should be practised1--remaining    
there until the weight all seems near   
the floor1 and then giving way so that  
the force of gravity seems to flop it   
back 7,i use flop advisedly72 so again  
resting on the other side4 ,but one must
 go over by regular motions1 raising the
 leg first heavily and letting it fall  
with its full weight over the other leg1
 so that the ankles are crossed4 ,the   
arm on the same side must be raised as  

high as possible and dropped over the   
chest4 ,then the body can be rolled     
over1 and carried as it were by the     
weight of the arm and leg4 ,it must go  
over heavily and freely like a bag of   
loose bones1 and it helps greatly to    
freedom to roll over and over in this   
way4  ,long breaths1 taken deeply and   
quietly1 should be interspersed all     
through these exercises for extreme     
relaxation4 ,they prevent the           
possibility of relaxing too far4 ,and as
 there is a pressure on every muscle of 
the body during a deep inspiration1 the 
muscles1 being now relaxed into freedom1
 are held in place1 so to speak1 by the 
pressure from the breath1--as we blow in
 the fingers of a glove to put them in  
shape4  ,remember always that it is     
equilibrium we are working for1 and this
 extreme relaxation will bring it1      
because we have erred so far in the     
opposite direction4 ,for instance1 there
 is now no balance at all between our   
action and our rest1 because we are more

 or less tense and consequently active  
all through the times when we should be 
entirely at rest2 and we never can be   
moved by ,nature's rhythm until we learn
 absolute relaxation for rest1 and so   
gain the true equilibrium in that way4  
,then again1 since we use so much       
unnecessary tension in everything we do1
 although we cannot remove it entirely  
until we learn the normal motion of our 
muscles1 still after an hour's practice 
and the consequent gain in extreme      
relaxation1 it will be impossible to    
attack our work with the same amount of 
unnecessary force1 at least for a time2 
and every day the time in which we are  
able to work1 or talk1 or move with less
 tension will increase1 and so our bad  
habits be gradually changed1 if not to  
good1 to better ones4 ,so the true      
equilibrium comes gradually more and    
more into every action of our lives1 and
 we feel more and more the wholesome    
harmony of a rhythmic life4 ,we         
gradually swing into rhythm with ,nature

 through a child-like obedience to her  
laws4  ,of one thing ,i must warn all   
nervous people who mean to try the      
relief to be gained from relaxation4    
,the first effects will often be        
exceedingly unpleasant4 ,the same       
results are apt to follow that come from
 the reaction after extreme             
excitement1--all the way from nervous   
nausea and giddiness to absolute        
fainting4 ,this1 as must be clearly     
seen1 is a natural result from the      
relaxation that comes after years of    
habitual tension4 ,the nerves have been 
held in a chronic state of excitement   
over something or nothing2 and1 of      
course1 when their owner for the first  
time lets go1 they begin to feel their  
real state1 and the result of habitual  
strain must be unpleasant4 ,the greater 
the nervous strain at the beginning1 the
 more slowly the pupil should advance1  
practising in some cases only five      
minutes a day4  ,and with regard to     
those people who live on their nerves1  

not a few1 indeed very many1 are so far 
out of the normal way of living that    
they detest relaxation4 ,a hearty hatred
 of the relaxing motions is often met1  
and even when the mind is convinced of  
the truth of the theory1 it is only with
 difficulty that such people can        
persuade themselves or be persuaded by  
others to work steadily at the practice 
until the desired result is gained4  ,it
 makes me ten times more nervous than ,i
 was before4  ,oh1 no1 it does not2 it  
only makes you realize your nervousness 
ten times more4  ,well1 then1 ,i do not 
care to realize my nervousness1 it is   
very disagreeable4  ,but1 unfortunately1
 if you do not realize it now and relax 
into ,nature's ways1 she will knock you 
hard against one of her stone walls1 and
 you will rebound with a more unpleasant
 realization of nervousness than is     
possible now4  ,the locomotive engine   
only utilizes nineteen per cent of the  
amount of fuel it burns1 and inventors  
are hard at work in all directions to   

make an engine that will burn only the  
fuel needed to run it4 ,here is a much  
more valuable machine--the human        
engine--burning perhaps eighty-one per  
cent more than is needed to accomplish  
its ends1 not through the mistake of its
 ,divine ,maker1 but through the stupid1
 short-sighted thoughtlessness of the   
engineer4  ,is not the economy of our   
vital forces of much greater importance 
than mechanical or business economy8    
,it is painful to see a man--thin and   
pale from the excessive nervous force he
 has used1 and from a whole series of   
attacks of nervous prostration--speak   
with contempt of this method of         
relaxation4 ,it is not a method in any  
sense except that in which all the laws 
of ,nature are methods4 ,no one invented
 it1 no one planned it2 every one can   
see1 who will look1 that it is ,nature's
 way and the only true way of living4   
,to call it a new idea or method is as  
absurd as it would be1 had we carried   
our tension so far as to forget sleep   

entirely1 for some one to come with a   
new method of sleep to bring us into a  
normal state again2 and then the people 
suffering most intensely from want of   
tired ,nature's sweet restorer would be 
the most scornful in their irritation at
 this new idea of sleep4  ,again1 there 
are many1 especially women1 who insist  
that they prefer the nervously excited  
state1 and would not lose it4 ,this is  
like a man's preferring to be           
chronically drunk4 ,but all these       
abnormal states are to be expected in   
abnormal people1 and must be quietly met
 by ,nature's principles in order to    
lead the sufferers back to ,nature's    
ways4 ,our minds are far enough beyond  
our bodies to lead us to help ourselves 
out of mistaken opinions2 although often
 the sincere help of others takes us    
more rapidly over hard ground and       
prevents many a stumble4  ,great nervous
 excitement is possible1 every one      
knows1 without muscular tension2        
therefore in all these motions for      

gaining freedom and a better physical   
equilibrium in nerve and muscle1 the    
warning cannot be given too often to    
take every exercise easily4 ,do not work
 at it1 go so far even as not to care   
especially whether you do it right or   
not1 but simply do what is to be done   
without straining mind or body by       
effort4 ,it is quite possible to make so
 desperate an effort to relax1 that more
 harm than good is done4 ,particularly  
harmful is the intensity with which an  
effort to gain physical freedom is made 
by so many highly strung natures4 ,the  
additional mental excitement is quite   
out of proportion to the gain that may  
come from muscular freedom4 ,for this   
reason it is never advisable for one who
 feels the need of gaining a more       
natural control of nervous power to     
undertake the training without a        
teacher4 ,if a teacher is out of the    
question1 ten minutes practice a day is 
all that should be tried for several    
weeks4       ,,xiii4  ,,training ,,for  

,,motion      ,,in every new movement1  
in every unknown attitude needed in     
difficult exercises1 the nerve centres  
have to exercise a kind of selection of 
the muscles1 bringing into action those 
which favor the movement1 and           
suppressing those which oppose it4 ,this
 very evident truth ,dr4 ,lagrange gives
 us in his valuable book on the         
,physiology of ,exercise4 ,at first1    
every new movement is unknown2 and1     
owing to inherited and personal         
contractions1 almost from the earliest  
movement in a child's learning to walk  
to the most complicated action of our   
daily lives1 the nerve centres exercise 
a mistaken selection of muscles1--not   
only selecting more muscles than are    
needed for perfect co-ordination of     
movement1 but throwing more force than  
necessary into the muscles selected4 ,to
 a gradually increasing extent1 the     
contracting force1 instead of being     
withdrawn when the muscle is inactive1  
remains2 and1 as we have already seen1  

an arm or leg that should be passive is 
lifted1 and the muscles are found to be 
contracted as if for severe action4 ,to 
the surprise of the owner the           
contraction cannot be at once removed4  
,help for this habitual contraction is  
given in the preceding chapter4 ,further
 on ,dr4 ,lagrange tells us that        
,besides the apprenticeship of movements
 which are unknown1 there is the        
improvement of already known movements4 
,when the work of mistaken selection of 
muscles has gone on for years1 the      
improvement of already known movements1 
from the simplest domestic action to the
 accomplishment of very great purposes1 
is a study in itself4 ,one must learn   
first to be a grown baby1 and1 as we    
have already seen1 gain the exquisite   
passiveness of a baby2 then one must    
learn to walk and to move by a natural  
process of selection1 which1 thanks to  
the contractions of his various         
ancestors1 was not the process used for 
his original movements4 ,this learning  

to live all over again is neither so    
frightful nor so difficult as it sounds4
 ,having gained the passive state       
described in the last chapter1 one is   
vastly more sensitive to unnecessary    
tension2 and it seems often as though   
the child in us asserted itself1 rising 
with alacrity to claim its right of     
natural movement1 and with a new sense  
of freedom in the power gained to shun  
inherited and personal contractions4    
,certainly it is a fact that freedom of 
movement is gained through shunning the 
contractions4 ,and this should always be
 kept in mind to avoid the              
self-consciousness and harm which come  
from a studied movement1 not to mention 
the very disagreeable impression such   
movements give to all who appreciate    
their artificiality4  ,motion in the    
human body1 as well as music1 is an art4
 ,an artist has very aptly said that we 
should so move that if every muscle     
struck a note1 only harmony would       
result4 ,were it so the harmony would be

 most exquisite1 for the instrument is  
,nature's own4 ,we see how far we are   
from a realization of natural movement  
when we watch carefully and note the    
muscular discords evident to our eyes at
 all times4 ,even the average ballet    
dancing1 which is supposed to be the    
perfection of artistic movement1 is     
merely a series of pirouettes and       
gymnastic contortions1 with the         
theatrical smile of a pretty woman to   
throw the glare of a calcium light over 
the imperfections and dazzle us4 ,the   
average ballet girl is not adequately   
trained1 from the natural and artistic  
standpoint4 ,if this is the case in what
 should be the quintessence of natural1 
and so of artistic movement1 it is to a 
great degree owing to the absolute      
carelessness in the selection of the    
muscles to be used in every movement of 
daily life4  ,many exercises which lead 
to the freedom of the body are well     
known in the letter--not in the         
spirit--through the so-called ,delsarte 

system4 if they had been followed with a
 broad appreciation of what they were   
meant for and what they could lead to1  
before now students would have realized 
to a far greater extent what power is   
possible to the human body4 ,but so much
 that is good and helpful in the        
,delsarte system has been misused1 and  
so much of what is thoroughly artificial
 and unhealthy has been mixed with the  
useful1 that one hesitates now to       
mention ,delsarte4 ,either he was a     
wonderful genius whose thoughts and     
discoveries have been sadly perverted1  
or the inconsistencies of his teachings 
were great enough to limit the true     
power which certainly can be found in   
much that he has left us4  ,besides the 
exercises already described there are   
many others1 suited to individual needs1
 for gaining the freedom of each part of
 the body and of the body as a whole4   
,it is not possible to describe them    
clearly enough to allow them to be      
followed without a teacher1 and to      

secure the desired result4 ,indeed1     
there would be danger of unpleasant     
results from misunderstanding4 ,the     
object is so to stand that our muscles  
hold us1 with the natural balance given 
them1 instead of trying1 as most of us  
do1 to hold our muscles4 ,in moving to  
gain this natural equilibrium we allow  
our muscles to carry us forward1 and    
when they have contracted as far as is  
possible for one set1 the antagonizing  
muscles carry us back4 ,so it is with   
the side-to-side poising from the       
ankles1 and the circular motion1 which  
is a natural swinging of the muscles to 
find their centre of equilibrium1 having
 once been started out of it4 ,to stand 
for a moment and think the feet heavy is
 a great help in gaining the natural    
poising motions1 but care should always 
be taken to hold the chest well up4     
,indeed1 we need have no sense of effort
 in standing1 except in raising the     
chest1--and that must be as if it were  
pulled up outside by a button in its    

centre1 but there must be no strain in  
the effort4  ,the result of the         
exercises taken to free the head is     
shown in the power to toss the head     
lightly and easily1 with the waist      
muscles1 from a dropped forward to an   
erect position4 ,the head shows its     
freedom then by the gentle swing of the 
neck muscles1 which is entirely         
involuntary and comes from the impetus  
given them in tossing the head4         
,tension in the muscles of the neck is  
often very difficult to overcome2       
because1 among other reasons1 the       
sensations coming from certain forms of 
nervous over-strain are very commonly   
referred to the region of the base of   
the brain4 ,it is not unusual to find   
the back of the neck rigid in extreme   
tension1 and whether the strain is very 
severe or not1 great care must be taken 
to free it by slow degrees1 and the     
motions should at first be practised    
only a few minutes at a time4 ,i can    
hardly warn readers too often against   

the possibility of an unpleasant        
reaction1 if the relaxing is practised  
too long1 or gained too rapidly4  ,then 
should come exercises for freeing the   
arms2 and these can be taken sitting4   
,let the arms hang heavily at the sides2
 raise one arm slowly1 feeling the      
weight more and more distinctly1 and    
only contracting the shoulder muscles4  
,it is well to raise it a few inches1   
then drop it heavily and try            
again1--each time taking force out of   
the lower muscles by thinking the arm   
heavy1 and the motive power in the      
shoulder4 ,if the arm itself can rest   
heavily on some one's hand while you are
 still raising it from the shoulder1    
that proves that you have succeeded in  
withdrawing the useless tension4 ,most  
arms feel stiff all the way along1 when 
the owners raise them4 ,your arm must be
 raised until high overhead1 the hand   
hanging from the wrist and dropped into 
your lap or down at the side1 letting   
the elbow give1 so that the upper arm   

drops first1 and then the fore arm and  
hand1--like three heavy sand-bags sewed 
together4 ,the arm can be brought up to 
the level of the shoulder1 and then     
round in front and dropped4 ,to prove   
its freedom1 toss it with the shoulder  
muscles from the side into the lap4     
,watch carefully that the arm itself has
 no more tension than if it were a      
sand-bag hung at the side1 and could    
only be moved by the shoulder4 ,after   
practising this two or three times so   
that the arms are relaxed enough to make
 you more sensitive to tension1 one     
hundred times a day you will find your  
arms held rigidly1 while you are        
listening or talking or walking4 ,every 
day you will grow more sensitive to the 
useless tension1 and every day gain new 
power to drop it4 ,this is wherein the  
real practice comes4 ,an hour or two    
hours a day of relaxing exercises will  
amount to nothing if at the same time we
 are not careful to use the freedom     
gained1 and to do everything more       

naturally4 ,it is often said1 ,but ,i   
cannot waste time watching all day to   
see if ,i am using too much force4      
,there is no need to watch2 having once 
started in the right direction1 if you  
drop useless muscular contraction every 
time you notice it1 that is enough4 ,it 
will be as natural to do that as for a  
musician to correct a discord which he  
has inadvertently made on the piano4    
,there are no motions so quieting1 so   
helpful in the general freeing of the   
body1 as the motions of the spine4      
,there are no motions more difficult to 
describe1 or which should be more       
carefully directed4 ,the habitual       
rigidity of the spine1 as compared with 
its possible freedom1 is more noticeable
 in training1 of course1 than is that of
 any other part of the body4 ,each      
vertebra should be so distinctly        
independent of every other1 as to make  
the spine as smoothly jointed as the toy
 snakes1 which1 when we hold the tip of 
the tail in our fingers1 curve in all   

directions4 ,most of us have spinal     
columns that more or less resemble      
ramrods4 ,it is a surprise and delight  
to find what can be accomplished1 when  
the muscles of the spine and back are   
free and under control4 ,of course the  
natural state of the spine1 as the seat 
of a great nervous centre1 affects many 
muscles of the body1 and1 on the other  
hand1 the freedom of these muscles      
reacts favorably upon the spine4  ,the  
legs are freed for standing and walking 
by shaking the foot free from the ankle 
with the leg1 swinging the fore leg from
 the upper leg1 and so freeing the      
muscles at the knee1 and by standing on 
a footstool and letting one leg hang off
 the stool a dead weight while swinging 
it round from the hip4 ,greater freedom 
and ease of movement can be gained by   
standing on the floor and swinging the  
leg from the hip as high as possible4   
,be sure that the only effort for motion
 is in the muscles of the hip4 ,there   
are innumerable other motions to free   

the legs1 and often a great variety must
 be practised before the freedom can be 
gained4  ,the muscles of the chest and  
waist are freed through a series of     
motions1 the result of which is shown in
 the ability to toss the body lightly   
from the hips1 as the head is tossed    
from the waist muscles2 and there       
follows the same gentle involuntary     
swing of the muscles of the waist which 
surprises one so pleasantly in the neck 
muscles after tossing the head1 and     
gives a new realization of what physical
 freedom is4  ,in tossing the body the  
motion must be successive1 like running 
the scale with the vertebrae4  ,in no   
motion should the muscles work en masse4
 ,the more perfect the co-ordination of 
muscles in any movement1 the more truly 
each muscle holds its own individuality4
 ,this power of freedom in motion should
 be worked for after once approaching   
the natural equilibrium4 ,if you rest on
 your left leg1 it pushes your left hip 
a little farther out1 which causes your 

body to swerve slightly to the          
right1--and1 to keep the balance true1  
the head again tips to the left a       
little4 ,now rise slowly and freely from
 that to standing on both feet1 with    
body and head erect2 then drop on the   
right foot with the body to left1 and   
head to right4 ,here again1 as in the   
motions with the spine1 there is a great
 difference in the way they are         
practised4 ,their main object is to help
 the muscles to an independent          
individual co-ordination1 and there     
should be a new sense of ease and       
freedom every time we practise it4 ,hold
 the chest up1 and push yourself erect  
with the ball of your free foot4 ,the   
more the weight is thought into the feet
 the freer the muscles are for action1  
provided the chest is well raised4 ,the 
forward and back spinal motion should be
 taken standing also2 and there is a    
gentle circular motion of the entire    
body which proves the freedom of all the
 muscles for natural movement1 and is   

most restful in its result4  ,the study 
for free movement in the arms and legs  
should of course be separate4 ,the law  
that every part moves from something    
prior to it1 is illustrated exquisitely 
in the motion of the fingers from the   
wrist4 ,here also the individuality of  
the muscles in their perfect            
co-ordination is pleasantly illustrated4
 ,to gain ease of movement in the fore  
arm1 its motive power must seem to be in
 the upper arm2 the motive power for the
 entire arm must seem to be centred in  
the shoulder4 ,when through various     
exercises a natural co-ordination of the
 muscles is gained1 the arm can be moved
 in curves from the shoulder1 which     
remind one of a graceful snake2 and the 
balance is so true that the motion seems
 hardly more than a thought in the      
amount of effort it takes4 ,great care  
should be given to freeing the hands and
 fingers4 ,because the hand is in such  
constant communication with the brain1  
the tension of the entire body often    

seems to be reflected there4 ,sometimes 
it is even necessary to train the hand  
to some extent in the earliest lessons4 
,exercises for movement in the legs are 
to free the joints1 so that motions may 
follow one another as in the arm1--the  
foot from the ankle2 the lower leg from 
the upper leg2 the upper leg from the   
hip2 and1 as--in the arm1 the free      
action of the joints in the leg comes as
 we seem to centre the motive power in  
the hip4 ,there is then the same grace  
and ease of movement which we gain in   
the arm1 simply because the muscles have
 their natural equilibrium4  ,thus the  
motive power of the body will seem to be
 gradually drawn to an imaginary centre 
in the lower part of the trunk1--which  
simply means withdrawing superfluous    
tension from every part4 ,the exercise  
to help establish this equilibrium is   
graceful1 and not difficult if we take  
it quietly and easily1 using the mind to
 hold a balance without effort4 ,raise  
the right arm diagonally forward1 the   

left leg diagonally back1--the arm must 
be high up1 the foot just off the floor1
 so that as far as possible you make a  
direct line from the wrist to the ankle2
 in this attitude stretch all muscles   
across the body from left to right      
slowly and steadily1 then relax quite as
 slowly4 ,now1 be sure your arm and leg 
are free from all tension1 and swing    
them very slowly1 as if they were one   
piece1 to as nearly a horizontal        
position as they can reach2 then slowly 
pivot round until you bring your arm    
diagonally back and your leg diagonally 
forward2 still horizontal1 pivot again  
to the starting point2 then bring leg   
down and arm up1 always keeping them as 
in a line1 until your foot is again off 
the floor2 then slowly lower your arm   
and let your foot rest on the floor so  
that gradually your whole weight rests  
on that leg1 and the other is free to   
swing up and pivot with the opposite    
arm4 ,all this must be done slowly and  
without strain of any kind4 ,the motions

 which follow in sets are for the better
 daily working of the body1 as well as  
to establish its freedom4 ,the first set
 is called the ,big ,rhythms1 because it
 takes mainly the rhythmic movement of  
the larger muscles of the body1 and is  
meant1 through movements taken on one   
foot1 to give a true balance in the     
poise of the body as well as to make    
habitual the natural co-ordination in   
the action of all the larger muscles4   
,it is like practising a series of big  
musical chords to accustom our ears to  
their harmonies4 ,the second set1 named 
the ,little ,rhythms1--because that is a
 convenient way of designating it1--is a
 series meant to include the movement of
 all the smaller muscles as well as the 
large ones1 and is carried out even to  
the fingers4 ,the third set is for      
spring and rapid motion1 especially in  
joints of arms and legs4  ,of course    
having once found the body's natural    
freedom1 the variety of motions is as   
great as the variety of musical sounds  

and combinations possible to an         
instrument which will respond to every  
tone in the musical scale4 ,it is in    
opening the way for this natural motion 
that the exquisite possibilities in     
motion purely artistic dawn upon us with
 ever-increasing light4 ,and as in music
 it is the sonata1 the waltz1 or the    
nocturne we must feel1 not the          
mechanical process of our own           
performance1--so in moving1 it is the   
beautiful1 natural harmonies of the     
muscles1 from the big rhythms to all the
 smaller ones1 that we must feel and    
make others feel1 and not the mere      
mechanical grace of our bodies2 and we  
can move a sonata from the first to the 
last1 changing the time and holding the 
theme so that the soul will be touched  
through the eye1 as it is through the   
ear now in music4 ,but1 according to the
 present state of the human body1 more  
than one generation will pass before we 
reach1 or know the beginning of1 the    
highest artistic power of motion4 ,if   

art is ,nature illuminated1 one must    
have some slight appreciation and       
experience of ,nature before attempting 
her illumination4  ,the set of motions  
mentioned can be only very inadequately 
described in print4 ,but although they  
are graceful1 because they are natural1 
the first idea in practising them is    
that they are a means to an end1 not an 
end in themselves4 ,for in the big and  
little rhythms and the springing        
motions1 in practising them over and    
over again we are establishing the habit
 of natural motion1 and will carry it   
more and more into everything we do4    
,if the work of the brain in muscular   
exercise were reduced to its minimum1   
the consequent benefit from all exercise
 would greatly increase4  ,a new        
movement can be learned with facility in
 proportion to the power for dropping at
 the time all impressions of previous   
movements4 ,in training to take every   
motion easily1 after a time the         
brain-work is relieved1 for we move with

 ease1--that is1 with a natural         
co-ordination of muscles1               
automatically1--in every known motion2  
and we lessen very greatly the mental   
strain1 in learning a new movement1 by  
gaining the power to relax entirely at  
first1 and then1 out of a free body1    
choose the muscles needed1 and so avoid 
the nervous strain of useless muscular  
experiment4  ,so far as the mere        
muscular movement goes1 the sensation is
 that of being well oiled4 ,as for      
instance1 in a natural walk1 where the  
swinging muscles and the standing       
muscles act and rest in alternate       
rhythmic action1 the chest is held high1
 the side muscles free to move in1      
harmony with the legs1 and all the      
spring in the body brought into play    
through inclining slightly forward and  
pushing with the ball of the back foot1 
the arms swinging naturally without     
tension4 ,walking with a free body is   
often one of the best forms of rest1 and
 in the varying forms of motion arranged

 for practice we are enabled to realize1
 that perfect harmony of action in the  
entire man invigorates every part4      
,,xiv4  ,,mind ,,training      ,,it will
 be plainly seen that this training of  
the body is at the same time a training 
of the mind1 and indeed it is in essence
 a training of the will4 ,for as we     
think of it carefully and analyze it to 
its fundamental principles1 we realize  
that it might almost be summed up as in 
itself a training of the will alone4    
,that is certainly what it leads to1 and
 where it leads from4  ,maudsley tells  
us that he who is incapable of guiding  
his muscles1 is incapable of            
concentrating his mind2 and it would    
seem to follow1 by a natural sequence1  
that training for the best use of all   
the powers given us should begin with   
the muscles1 and continue through the   
nerves and the senses to the mind1--all 
by means of the will1 which should      
gradually remove all personal           
contractions and obstructions to the    

wholesome working of the law of cause   
and effect4  ,help a child to use his   
own ability of gaining free muscles1    
nerves clear to take impressions through
 every sense1 a mind open to recognize  
them1 and a will alive with interest in 
and love for finding the best in each   
new sensation or truth1 and what can he 
not reach in power of use to others and 
in his own growth4  ,the consistency of 
creation is perfect4 ,the law that      
applies to the guidance of the muscles  
works just as truly in training the     
senses and the mind4  ,a new movement   
can be learned with facility in         
proportion to the power of dropping at  
the time all impressions of previous    
movements4 ,quickness and keenness of   
sense are gained only in proportion to  
the power of quieting the senses not in 
use1 and erasing previous impressions   
upon the sense which is active at the   
time4  ,true concentration of mind means
 the ability to drop every subject but  
that centred upon4 ,tell one man to     

concentrate his mind on a difficult     
problem until he has worked it out1--he 
will clinch his fists1 tighten his      
throat1 hold his teeth hard together1   
and contract nobody knows how many more 
muscles in his body1 burning and wasting
 fuel in a hundred or more places where 
it should be saved4 ,this is not        
concentration4 ,concentration means the 
focussing of a force2 and when the      
mathematical faculty of the brain alone 
should be at work1 the force is not     
focussed if it is at the same time      
flying over all other parts of the body 
in useless strain of innumerable        
muscles4 ,tell another man1 one who     
works naturally1 to solve the same      
problem1--he will instinctively and at  
once erase all previous impressions in  
muscle and nerve1 and with a quiet1     
earnest expression1 not a face knotted  
with useless strain1 will concentrate   
upon his work4 ,the result1 so far as   
the problem itself is concerned1 may be 
the same in both cases2 but the result  

upon the physique of the men who have   
undertaken the work will be vastly      
different4  ,it will be insisted upon by
 many1 and1 strange as it may seem1 by  
many who have a large share of good     
sense1 that they can work better with   
this extra tension4 ,for1 the           
explanation is1 it is natural to me4    
,that may be1 but it is not natural to  
,nature2 and however difficult it may be
 at first to drop our own way and adopt 
,nature's1 the proportionate gain is    
very great in the end4  ,normal exercise
 often stimulates the brain1 and by     
promoting more vigorous circulation1 and
 so greater physical activity all over  
the body1 helps the brain to work more  
easily4 ,therefore some men can think   
better while walking4  ,this is quite   
unlike the superfluous strain of nervous
 motion1 which1 however it may seem to  
help at the time1 eventually and        
steadily lessens mental power instead of
 increasing it4 ,the distinction between
 motion which wholesomely increases the 

brain activity and that which is simply 
unnecessary tension1 is not difficult to
 discern when our eyes are well opened  
to superfluous effort4 ,this misdirected
 force seems to be the secret of much of
 the overwork in schools1 and the       
consequent physical break-down of school
 children1 especially girls4 ,it is not 
that they have too much to do1 it is    
that they do not know how to study      
naturally1 and with the real            
concentration which learns the lesson   
most quickly1 most surely1 and with the 
least amount of effort4 ,they study a   
lesson with all the muscles of the body 
when only the brain is needed1 with a   
running accompaniment of worry for fear 
it will not be learned4  ,girls can be1 
have been1 trained out of worrying about
 their lessons4 ,nervous strain is often
 extreme in students1 from lesson-worry 
alone2 and indeed in many cases it is   
the worry that tires and brings illness1
 and not the study4 ,worry is brain     
tension4 ,it is partly a vague1 unformed

 sense that work is not being done in   
the best way which makes the pressure   
more than it need be2 and instead of    
quietly studying to work to better      
advantage1 the worrier allows herself to
 get more and more oppressed by her     
anxieties1--as we have seen a child grow
 cross over a snarl of twine which1 with
 very little patience1 might be easily  
unravelled1 but in which1 in the child's
 nervous annoyance1 every knot is pulled
 tighter4 ,perhaps we ought hardly to   
expect as much from the worried student 
as from the child1 because the ideas of 
how to study arc so vague that they     
seldom bring a realization of the fact  
that there might be an improvement in   
the way of studying4  ,this possible    
improvement may be easily shown4 ,i have
 taken a girl inclined to the mistaken  
way of working1 asked her to lie on the 
floor where she could give up entirely  
to the force of gravity1--then after    
helping her to a certain amount of      
passivity1 so that at least she looked  

quiet1 have asked her to give me a list 
of her lessons4 ,before opening her     
mouth to answer1 she moved in little    
nervous twitches1 apparently every      
muscle in her body1 from head to foot4  
,i stopped her1 took time to bring her  
again to a quiet state1 and then        
repeated the question4 ,again the       
nervous movement began1 but this time   
the child exclaimed1 ,why1 isn't it     
funny8 ,i cannot think without moving   
all over6 ,here was the ,rubicon        
crossed4 ,she had become alive to her   
own superfluous tension2 and after that 
to train her not only to think without  
moving all over1 but to answer questions
 easily and quietly and so with more    
expression1 and then to study with      
greatly decreased effort1 was a very    
pleasant process4  ,every boy and girl  
should have this training to a greater  
or less degree4 ,it is a steady1 regular
 process1 and should be so taken4 ,we   
have come through too many generations  
of misused force to get back into a     

natural use of our powers in any rapid  
way2 it must come step by step1 as a man
 is trained to use a complicated        
machine4 ,it seems hardly fair to       
compare such training to the use of a   
machine1--it opens to us such extensive 
and unlimited power4 ,we can only make  
the comparison with regard to the first 
process of development4  ,a training for
 concentration of mind should begin with
 the muscles4 ,first1 learn to withdraw 
the will from the muscles entirely4     
,learn1 next1 to direct the will over   
the muscles of one arm while the rest of
 the body is perfectly free and         
relaxed1--first1 by stretching the arm  
slowly and steadily1 and then allowing  
it to relax2 next1 by clinching the fist
 and drawing the arm up with all the    
force possible until the elbow is       
entirely bent4 ,there is not one person 
in ten1 hardly one in a hundred1 who can
 command his muscles to that slight     
extent4 ,at first some one must lift the
 arm that should be free1 and drop it   

several times while the muscles of the  
other arm are contracting2 that will    
make the unnecessary tension evident4   
,there are also ways by which the free  
arm can be tested without the help of a 
second person4  ,the power of directing 
the will over various muscles that      
should be independent1 without the      
so-called sympathetic contraction of    
other muscles1 should be gained all over
 the body4 ,this is the beginning of    
concentration in a true sense of the    
word4 ,the necessity for returning to an
 absolute freedom of body before        
directing the will to any new part      
cannot be too often impressed upon the  
mind4 ,having once sensed a free        
body--so to speak--we are not masters   
until we gain the power to return to it 
at a moment's notice4 ,in a second we   
can erase previous impressions for the  
time2 and that is the foundation1 the   
rock1 upon which our house is built4    
,then follows the process of learning to
 think and to speak in freedom4 ,first1 

as to useless muscular contractions4    
,watch children work their hands when   
reciting in class4 ,tell them to stop1  
and the poor things will1 with great    
effort1 hold their hands rigidly still1 
and suffer from the discomfort and      
strain of doing so4 ,help them to       
freedom of body1 then to the sense that 
the working of their hands is not really
 needed1 and they will learn to recite  
with a feeling of freedom which is      
better than they can understand4        
,sometimes a child must be put on the   
floor to learn to think quietly and     
directly1 and to follow the same        
directions in this manner of answering4 
,it would be better if this could always
 be done with thoughtful care and       
watching2 but as this would be          
inappropriate with large classes1 there 
are quieting and relaxing exercises to  
be practised sitting and standing1 which
 will bring children to a normal        
freedom1 and help them to drop muscular 
contractions which interfere with ease  

and control of thought and expression4  
,pictures can be described1--scenes from
 ,shakespeare1 for instance1--in the    
child's own words1 while making quiet   
motions4 ,such exercise increases the   
sensitiveness to muscular contraction1  
and unnecessary muscular contraction1   
beside something to avoid in itself1    
obviously makes thought indirect4 ,a    
child must think quietly1 to express his
 thought quietly and directly4 ,this    
exercise1 of course1 also cultivates the
 imagination4  ,in all this work1 as    
clear channels are opened for impression
 and expression1 the faculties          
themselves naturally have a freer       
growth4 ,the process of quiet thought   
and expression must be trained in all   
phases1--from the slow description of   
something seen or imagined or           
remembered1 to the quick and correct    
answer required to an example in mental 
arithmetic1 or any other rapid thinking4
 ,this1 of course1 means a growth in    
power of attention1--attention which is 

real concentration1 not the strained    
attention habitual to most of us1 and   
which being abnormal in itself causes   
abnormal reaction4 ,and this natural    
attention is learned in the use of each 
separate sense1--to see1 to hear1 to    
taste1 to smell1 to touch with quick and
 exact impression and immediate         
expression1 if required1 and a in       
obedience to the natural law of the     
conservation of human energy4  ,with the
 power of studying freely1 comes that of
 dropping a lesson when it is once well 
learned1 and finding it ready when      
needed for recitation or for any other  
use4 ,the temptation to take our work   
into our play is very great1 and often  
cannot be overcome until we have learned
 how to erase all previous impressions4 
,the concentration which enables us all 
through life to be intent upon the one  
thing we are doing1 whether it is tennis
 or trigonometry1 and drop what we have 
in hand at once and entirely at the     
right time1 free to give out attention  

fully to the next duty or pleasure1 is  
our saving health in mind and body4 ,the
 trouble is we are afraid4 ,we have no  
trust4 ,a child is afraid to stop       
thinking of a lesson after it is        
learned1--afraid he will forget it4     
,when he has once been persuaded to drop
 it1 the surprise when he takes it up   
again1 to find it more clearly impressed
 upon his mind1 is delightful4 ,one must
 trust to the digestion of a lesson1 as 
to that of a good wholesome dinner4     
,worry and anxiety interfere with the   
one as much as with the other4 ,if you  
can drop a muscle when you have ceased  
using it1 that leads to the power of    
dropping a subject in mind2 as the      
muscle is fresher for use when you need 
it1 so the subject seems to have grown  
in you1 and your grasp seems to be      
stronger when you recur to it4  ,the law
 of rhythm must be carefully followed in
 this training for the use of the mind4 
,do not study too long at a time4 ,it   
makes a natural reaction impossible4    

,arrange the work so that lessons as far
 unlike as possible may be studied in   
immediate succession4 ,we help to the   
healthy reaction of one faculty1 by     
exercising another that is quite        
different4  ,this principle should be   
inculcated in classes1 and for that     
purpose a regular programme of class    
work should be followed1 calculated to  
bring about the best results in all     
branches of study4  ,the first care     
should be to gain quiet1 as through     
repose of mind and body we cultivate the
 power to erase all previous            
impressions4 ,in class1 quiet1 rhythmic 
breathing1 with closed eyes1 is most    
helpful for a beginning4 ,the eyes must 
be closed and opened slowly and gently1 
not snapped together or apart2 and fifty
 breaths1 a little longer than they     
would naturally be1 are enough to quiet 
a class4 ,the breaths must be counted1  
to keep the mind from wandering1 and the
 faces must be watched very carefully1  
for the expression often shows anything 

but quiet4 ,for this reason it is       
necessary1 in initiating a class1 to    
begin with simple relaxing motions2     
later these motions will follow the     
breathing4 ,then follow exercises for   
directing the muscles4 ,the force is    
directed into one arm with the rest of  
the body free1 and so in various simple 
exercises the power of directing the    
will only to the muscles needed is      
cultivated4 ,after the muscle-work1 the 
pupils are asked to centre their minds  
for a minute on one subject1--the       
subject to be chosen by some member1    
with slight help to lead the choice to  
something that will be suggestive for a 
minute's thinking4 ,at first it seems   
impossible to hold one subject in mind  
for a minute2 but the power grows       
rapidly as we learn the natural way of  
concentrating1 and instead of trying to 
hold on to our subject1 allow the       
subject to hold us by refusing entrance 
to every other thought4 ,in the latter  
case one suggestion follows another with

 an ease and pleasantness which reminds 
one of walking through new paths and    
seeing on every side something fresh and
 unexpected4 ,then the class is asked to
 think of a list of flowers1 trees1     
countries1 authors1 painters1 or        
whatever may be suggested1 and see who  
can think of the greatest number in one 
minute4 ,at first1 the mind will trip   
and creak and hesitate over the work1   
but with practice the list comes        
steadily and easily4 ,then follow       
exercises for quickness and exactness of
 sight1 then for hearing1 and finally   
for the memory4 ,all through this       
process1 by constant help and           
suggestion1 the pupils are brought to   
the natural concentration4 ,with regard 
to the memory1 especial care should be  
taken1 for the harm done by a mechanical
 training of the memory can hardly be   
computed4 ,repose and the consequent    
freedom of body and mind lead to an     
opening of all the faculties for better 
use2 if that is so1 a teacher must be   

more than ever alive to lead pupils to  
the spirit of all they are to learn1 and
 make the letter in every sense         
suggestive of the spirit4 ,first1 care  
should be taken to give something worth 
memorizing2 secondly1 ideas must be     
memorized before the words4 ,a word is a
 symbol1 and in so far as we have the   
habit of regarding it as such1 will each
 word we hear be more and more          
suggestive to us4 ,with this habit well 
cultivated1 one sees more in a single   
glance at a poem than many could see in 
several readings4 ,yet the reader who   
sees the most may be unable to repeat   
the poem word for word4 ,in cultivating 
the memory1 the training should be first
 for the attention1 then for the        
imagination and the power of suggestive 
thought2 and from the opening of these  
faculties a true memory will grow4 ,the 
mechanical power of repeating after once
 hearing so many words is a thing in    
itself to be dreaded4 ,let the pupil    
first see in mind a series of pictures  

as the poem or page is read1 then       
describe them in his own words1 and if  
the words of the author are well worth  
remembering the pupil should be led to  
them from the ideas4 ,in the same way a 
series of interesting or helpful        
thoughts can be learned4  ,avoidance of 
mere mechanism cannot be too strongly   
insisted upon2 for exercise for         
attaining a wholesome1 natural guidance 
of mind and body cannot be successful   
unless it rouses in the mind an         
appreciation of the laws of ,nature     
which we are bound to obey4 ,a conscious
 experience of the results of such      
obedience is essential to growth4       
,,xv4  ,,artistic ,,considerations      
,,although so much time and care are    
given to the various means of artistic  
expression1 it is a singular fact that  
comparatively little attention is given 
to the use of the very first instrument 
which should be under command before any
 secondary instrument can be made       
perfectly expressive4  ,an old artist   

who thanked his friend for admiring his 
pictures added3 ,if you could only see  
the pictures in my brain4 ,but--        
pointing to his brain and then to the   
ends of his fingers--the channels from  
here to here are so long6 ,the very sad 
tone which we can hear in the wail of   
the painter expresses strongly the      
deficiencies of our age in all its      
artistic efforts4 ,the channels are     
shorter just in proportion to their     
openness4 ,if the way from the brain to 
the ends of the fingers is perfectly    
clear1 the brain can guide the ends of  
the fingers to carry out truly its own  
aspirations1 and the honest expression  
of the brain will lead always to higher 
ideals4 ,but the channels cannot be     
free1 and the artist will be bound so   
long as there is superfluous tension in 
any part of the body4 ,so absolutely    
necessary1 is it for the best artistic  
expression that the body should         
throughout be only a servant of the     
mind1 that the more we think of it the  

more singular it seems that the training
 of the body to a childlike state is not
 regarded as essential1 and taken as a  
matter of course1 even as we take our   
regular nourishment4  ,the artificial is
 tension in its many trying and         
disagreeable phases4 ,art is freedom1   
equilibrium1 rhythm1--anything and      
everything that means wholesome life and
 growth toward all that is really the   
good1 the true1 and the beautiful4  ,art
 is immeasurably greater than we are4   
,if we are free and quiet1 the poem1 the
 music1 the picture will carry us1 so   
that we shall be surprised at our own   
expression2 and when we have finished1  
instead of being personally elated with 
conceited delight in what we have done1 
or exhausted with the superfluous effort
 used1 we shall feel as if a strong wind
 had blown through us and cleared us for
 better work in the future4  ,every     
genius obeys the true principle4 ,it is 
because a genius is involuntarily under 
the law of his art that he is pervaded  

by its power4 ,but we who have only     
talent must learn the laws of genius1   
which are the laws of ,nature1 and by   
careful study and steady practice in    
shunning all personal obstructions to   
the laws1 bring ourselves under their   
sway4  ,who would wish to play on a     
stringed instrument already vibrating   
with the touch of some one else1 or even
 with the last touch we ourselves gave  
it4 ,what noise1 what discord1 with no  
possible harmonies6 ,so it is with our  
nerves and muscles4 ,they cannot be used
 for artistic purposes to the height of 
their best powers while they are tense  
and vibrating to our own personal states
 or habits2 so that the first thing is  
to free them absolutely1 and not only   
keep them free by constant practice1 but
 so train them that they will become    
perfectly free at a moment's notice1 and
 ready to respond clearly to whatever   
the heart and the mind want to express4 
,the finer the instrument1 the lighter  
the touch it will vibrate to4 ,indeed it

 must have a light touch to respond     
clearly with musical harmonies2 any     
other touch would blur4 ,with a fine    
piano or a violin1 whether the effect is
 to be piano or fortissimo1 the touch   
should be only with the amount of force 
needed to give a clear vibration1 and   
the ease with which a fortissimo effect 
is thus produced is astonishing4 ,it is 
only those with the most delicate touch 
who can produce from a fine piano grand 
and powerful harmonies without a blur4  
,the response in a human instrument to a
 really light touch is far more         
wonderful than that from any instrument 
made by man2 and bodily effort blurs    
just as much more in proportion4 ,the   
muscles are all so exquisitely balanced 
in their power for co-ordinate movement1
 that a muscle pulling one way is almost
 entirely freed from effort by the      
equalizing power of the antagonizing    
muscle2 and at some rare moments when we
 have really found the equilibrium and  
can keep it1 we seem to do no more than 

think a movement or a tone or a         
combination of words1 and they come with
 so slight a physical exertion that it  
seems like no effort at all4  ,so far   
are we from our possibilities in this   
lightness of touch in the use of our    
bodies1 that it is impossible now for   
most of us to touch as lightly as would1
 after training1 bring the most powerful
 response4 ,one of the best laws for    
artistic practice is1 ,every day less   
effort1 every day more power4 ,as the   
art of acting is the only art where the 
whole body is used with no subordinate  
instrument1 let us look at that with    
regard to the best results to be        
obtained by means of relief from        
superfluous tension4 ,the effects of    
unnecessary effort are strongly felt in 
the exhaustion which follows the        
interpretation of a very exciting role4 
,it is a law without exception1 that if 
,i absorb an emotion and allow my own   
nerves to be shaken by it1 ,i fail to   
give it in all its expressive power to  

the audience2 and not only do ,i fall   
far short in my artistic interpretation1
 but because of that very failure1 come 
off the stage with just so much nervous 
force wasted4 ,certain as this law is1  
and infallible as are its effects1 it is
 not only generally disbelieved1 but it 
is seldom thought of at all4 ,i must    
feet ,juliet in my heart1 understand her
 with my mind1 and let her vibrate      
clearly across my nerves1 to the        
audience4 ,the moment ,i let my nerves  
be shaken as ,juliet's nerves were in   
reality1 ,i am absorbing her myself1    
misusing nervous force1 preparing to    
come off the stage thoroughly exhausted1
 and keeping her away from the audience4
 ,the present low state of the drama is 
largely due to this failure to recognize
 and practise a natural use of the      
nervous force4 ,to work up an emotion1 a
 most pernicious practice followed by   
young aspirants1 means to work your     
nerves up to a state of mild or even    
severe hysteria4 ,this morbid1          

inartistic1 nervous excitement actually 
trains men and women to the loss of all 
emotional control1 and no wonder that   
their nerves play the mischief with     
them1 and that the atmosphere of the    
stage is kept in its present murkiness4 
,the power to work the nerves up in the 
beginning finally carries them to the   
state where they must be more           
artificially urged by stimulants2 and   
when the actor is off the stage he has  
no self-control at all4 ,this all means 
misused and over-used force4 ,in no     
schools is the general influence so     
absolutely morbid and unwholesome1 as in
 most of the schools of elocution and   
acting4  ,the methods by which the      
necessity for artificial stimulants can 
be overcome are so simple and so        
pleasant and so immediately effective1  
that it is worth taking the time and    
space to describe them briefly4 ,of     
course1 to begin with1 the body must be 
trained to perfect freedom in repose1   
and then to freedom in its use4 ,a very 

simple way of practising is to take the 
most relaxed attitude possible1 and     
then1 without changing it1 to recite    
with all the expression that belongs to 
it some poem or selection from a play   
full of emotional power4 ,you will      
become sensitive at once to any new     
tension1 and must stop and drop it4 ,at 
first1 an hour's daily practice will be 
merely a beginning over and over1--the  
nervous tension will be so evident1--but
 the final reward is well worth working 
and waiting for4  ,it is well to begin  
by simply inhaling through the nose1 and
 exhaling quietly through the mouth     
several times2 then inhale and exhale an
 exclamation in every form of feeling   
you can think of ,let the exclamation   
come as easily and freely as the breath 
alone1 without superfluous tension in   
any part of the body4 ,so much freedom  
gained1 inhale as before1 and exhale    
brief expressive sentences1--beginning  
with very simple expressions1 and taking
 sentences that express more and more   

feeling as your freedom is better       
established4 ,this practice can be      
continued until you are able to recite  
the potion scene in ,juliet1 or any of  
,lady ,macbeth's most powerful speeches1
 with an case and freedom which is      
surprising4 ,this refers only to the    
voice2 the practice which has been      
spoken of in a previous chapter brings  
the same effect in gesture4  ,it will be
 readily seen that this power once      
gained1 no actor would find it necessary
 to skip every other night1 in          
consequence of the severe fatigue which 
follows the acting of an emotional role4
 ,not only is the physical fatigue      
saved1 but the power of expression1 the 
power for intense acting1 so far as it  
impresses the audience1 is steadily     
increased4  ,the inability of young     
persons to express an emotion which they
 feel and appreciate heartily1 can be   
always overcome in this way4 ,relaxing  
frees the channels1 and the channels    
being open the real poetic or dramatic  

feeling cannot be held back4 ,the relief
 is as if one were let out of prison4   
,personal faults that come from         
self-consciousness and nervous tension  
may be often cured entirely without the 
necessity of drawing attention to them1 
simply by relaxing4  ,dramatic instinct 
is a delicate perception of1 quick and  
keen sympathies for1 and ability to     
express the various phases of human     
nature4 ,deep study and care are        
necessary for the best development of   
these faculties2 but the nerves must be 
left free to be guided to the true      
expression1--neither allowed to vibrate 
to the ecstatic delight of the          
impressions1 or in mistaken sympathy    
with them1 but kept clear as conductors 
of all the heart can feel and the mind  
understand in the character or poem to  
be interpreted4  ,this may sound cold4  
,it is not2 it is merely a process of   
relieving superfluous nervous tension in
 acting1 by which obstructions are      
removed so that real sympathetic        

emotions can be stronger and fuller1 and
 perceptions keener4 ,those who get no  
farther than emotional vibrations of the
 nerves in acting1 know nothing whatever
 of the greatness or power of true      
dramatic instinct4  ,there are three    
distinct schools of dramatic art1--one  
may be called dramatic hysteria1 the    
second dramatic hypocrisy4 ,the first   
means emotional excitement and nervous  
exhaustion2 the second artificial       
simulation of a feeling4 ,dramatic      
sincerity is the third school1 and the  
school that seems most truly artistic4  
,what a wonderful training is that which
 might1--which ought to be given an     
actor to help him rise to the highest   
possibility of his art6  ,a free body1  
exquisitely responsive to every command 
of the mind1 is absolutely necessary2   
therefore there should be a perfect     
physical training4 ,a quick and keen    
perception to appreciate noble thoughts1
 holding each idea distinctly1 and      
knowing the relations of each idea to   

the others1 must certainly be           
cultivated2 for in acting1 every idea1  
every word1 should come clearly1 each   
taking its own place in the thought     
expressed4  ,broad human sympathies1 the
 imaginative power of identifying       
himself with all phases of human nature1
 if he has an ideal in his profession   
above the average1 an actor cannot lack4
 ,this last is quite impossible without 
broad human charity2 for to observe     
truly you must sympathize with those you
 observe1 and to sympathize with them   
you must love them1 and to love them you
 must forget yourself4 ,and all these   
requisites--the physical state1 the     
understanding1 and the large heart--seem
 to centre in the expression of a       
well-trained voice1--a voice in which   
there is the minimum of body and the    
maximum of soul4  ,by training1 ,i      
always mean a training into ,nature4 ,as
 ,i have said before1 if art is ,nature 
illuminated1 we must find ,nature before
 we can reach art4 ,the trouble is that 

in acting1 more than in any other art1  
the distinction between what is artistic
 and what is artificial is neither      
clearly understood nor appreciated2 yet 
so marked is the difference when once we
 see it1 that the artificial may well be
 called the hell of art1 as art itself  
is heavenly4  ,sincerity and simplicity 
are the foundations of art4 ,a feigning 
of either is often necessary to the     
artificial1 but many times impossible4  
,although the external effect of this   
natural training is a great saving of   
nervous force in acting1 the height of  
its power cannot be reached except      
through a simple aim1 from the very     
heart1 toward sincere artistic          
expression4  ,so much for acting4 ,it is
 a magnificent study1 and should be more
 truly wholesome in its effects than any
 other art1 because it deals with the   
entire body4 ,but1 alas ,i it seems now 
the most thoroughly morbid and          
unwholesome4  ,all that has been said of
 acting will apply also to singing1     

especially to dramatic singing and study
 for opera2 only with singing even more 
care should be taken4 ,no singer        
realizes the necessity of a quiet1      
absolutely free body for the best       
expression of a high note1 until having 
gained a certain physical freedom       
without singing1 she takes a high note  
and is made sensitive to the superfluous
 tension all over the body1 and later   
learns to reach the same note with the  
repose which is natural2 then the       
contrast between the natural and the    
unnatural methods of singing becomes    
most evident1--and not with high notes  
alone1 but with all notes1 and all      
combinations of notes4 ,i speak of the  
high note first1 because that is an     
extreme2 for with the majority of       
singers there is always more or less    
fear when a high note is coming lest it 
may not be reached easily and with all  
the clearness that belongs to it4 ,this 
fear in itself is tension4 ,for that    
reason one must learn to relax to a high

 note4 ,a free body relieves the singer 
immensely from the mechanism of singing4
 ,so perfect is the unity of the body   
that a voice will not obey perfectly    
unless the body1 as a whole1 be free4   
,once secure in the freedom of voice and
 body to obey1 the song can burst forth 
with all the musical feeling1 and all   
the deep appreciation of the words of   
which the singer is capable4 ,now1      
unfortunately1 it is not unusual in     
listening to a public singer1 to feel   
keenly that he is entirely adsorbed in  
the mechanism of his art4  ,if this     
freedom is so helpful1 indeed so        
necessary1 to reach one's highest power 
in singing1 it is absolutely essential  
on the operatic stage4 ,with it we      
should have less of the wooden motion so
 common to singers in opera4 ,when one  
is free1 physically free1 the music     
seems to draw out the acting4 ,with a   
great composer and an interpreter free  
to respond1 the music and the body of   
the actor are one in their power of     

expressing the emotions4 ,and the songs 
without words of the interludes so      
affect the spirit of the singer that1   
whether quiet or in motion1 he seems1   
through being a living embodiment of the
 music1 to impress the sense of seeing  
so that it increases the pleasure of    
hearing4  ,i am aware that this standard
 is ideal2 but it is not impossible to  
approach it1--to come at least much     
nearer to it than we do now1 when the   
physical movements on the stage are     
such1 that one wants to listen to most  
operas with closed eyes4  ,we have      
considered artistic expression when the 
human body alone is the instrument4     
,when the body is merely a means to the 
use of a secondary instrument1 a primary
 training of the body itself is equally 
necessary4  ,a pianist practises for    
hours to command his fingers and gain a 
touch which will bring the soul from his
 music1 without in the least realizing  
that so long as he is keeping other     
muscles in his body tense1 and allowing 

the nervous force to expend itself      
unnecessarily in other directions1 there
 never will be clear and open channels  
from his brain to his fingers2 and as he
 literally plays with his brain1 and not
 with his fingers1 free channels for a  
magnetic touch are indispensable4  ,to  
watch a body give to the rhythm of the  
music in playing is most fascinating4   
,although the motion is slight1 the     
contrast between that and a pianist     
stiff and rigid with superfluous tension
 is1 very marked1 and the difference in 
touch when one relaxes to the music with
 free channels has been very clearly    
proved4 ,beside this1 the freedom in    
mechanism which follows the exercises   
for arms and hands is strikingly        
noticeable4  ,with the violin1 the same 
physical equilibrium of motion must be  
gained2 in fact it is equally necessary 
in all musical performance1 as the      
perfect freedom of the body is always   
necessary before it can reach its       
highest power in the use of any         

secondary instrument4  ,in painting1 the
 freer a body is the more perfectly the 
mind can direct it4 ,how often we can   
see clearly in our minds a straight line
 or a curve or a combination of both1   
but our hands will not obey the brain1  
and the picture fails4 ,it does not by  
any means follow that with free bodies  
we can direct the hand at once to       
whatever the brain desires1 but simply  
that by making the body free1 and so a  
perfect servant of the mind1 it can be  
brought to obey the mind in a much      
shorter time and more directly1 and so  
become a truer channel for whatever the 
mind wishes to accomplish4  ,in the     
highest art1 whatever form it may take1 
the law of simplicity is perfectly      
illustrated4  ,it would be tiresome to  
go through a list of the various forms  
of artistic expression2 enough has been 
said to show the necessity for a free   
body1 sensitive to respond to1 quick to 
obey1 and open to express the commands  
of its owner4       ,,xvi4  ,,tests     

,,adopting the phrase of our            
forefathers1 with all its force and     
brevity1 we say1 ,the proof of the      
pudding is in the eating4  ,if the laws 
adduced in this book are ,nature's laws1
 they should preserve us in health and  
strength4 ,and so they do just so far as
 we truly and fully obey them4  ,then   
are students and teachers of these laws 
never ill1 never run down1 nervous1 or  
prostrated8 ,yes1 they are sometimes    
ill1 sometimes run down and overworked1 
and suffer the many evil effects        
ensuing2 but the work which has produced
 these results is much greater and more 
laborious than would have been possible 
without the practice of the principles4 
,at the same time their states of       
illness occur because they only         
partially obey the laws4 ,in the degree 
which they obey they will be preserved  
from the effects of tensity1 overstrung 
nerves1 and generally worn-out bodies2  
and in sickness coming from other       
causes--mechanical1 hereditary1         

etc4--again1 according to their         
obedience1 they will be held in all     
possible physical and mental peace1 so  
that the disease may wither and drop    
like the decayed leaf of a plant4  ,as  
well might we ask of the wisest         
clergyman in the land1 ,do his truths   
never fail him8 ,is he always held in   
harmony and nobility by their power8    
,however great and good the man may be1 
this state of perfection will never be  
reached in this world4  ,in exact       
parallel to the spiritual laws upon     
which all universal truth1 of all       
religions1 is founded1 are the truths of
 this teaching of physical peace and    
equilibrium4 ,as religion applies to all
 the needs of the soul1 so this applies 
to all the needs of the body4 ,as a man 
may be continually progressing in       
nobility of thought and action1 and yet 
find himself under peculiar             
circumstances tried even to the         
stumbling point1--so may the student of 
bodily quiet and equilibrium1 who       

appears even to a very careful observer 
to be in surprising possession of his   
forces1 under a similar test stumble and
 fall into some form of the evil effects
 out of which he has had power to lead  
others4  ,it is important that this     
parallelism should be recognized1 that  
the unity of these truths may be finally
 accomplished in the living2 therefore  
we repeat1 ,is this any more possible   
than that the full control of the soul  
should be at once possessed8  ,think of 
the marvellous construction of the human
 body1--the exquisite adjustment of its 
economy4 ,could a power of control      
sufficient to apply to its every detail 
be fully acquired at once1 or even in a 
life-time8  ,but when one does fall who 
has made himself even partially at one  
with ,nature's way of living1 the power 
of patient waiting for relief is very   
different4 ,he separates himself from   
his ailments in a way which without the 
preparation would be to him unknown4 ,he
 has1 without drug or other external    

assistance1 an anodyne always within    
himself which he can use at pleasure4   
,he positively experiences that         
underneath are the everlasting arms1 and
 the power to experience this gives him 
much respite from pain4  ,pain is so    
often prolonged and accentuated by      
dwelling in its memory1 living in a     
self-pity of the time when it shall come
 again6 ,the patient who comes to his   
test with the bodily and mental repose  
already acquired1 cuts off each day from
 the last1 each hour from the last1 one 
might almost say each breath from the   
last1 so strong is his confidence in the
 renewal of forces possible to those who
 give themselves quite trustfully into  
,nature's hands4  ,it is not that they  
refuse external aid or precaution4 ,no2 
indeed the very quiet within makes them 
feel most keenly when it is orderly to  
rest and seek the advice of others4     
,also it makes them faithful in         
following every direction which will    
take them back into the rhythm of a     

healthful life4  ,but while they do this
 they do not centre upon it4 ,they take 
the precautions as a means and not as an
 end4 ,they centre upon that which they 
have within themselves1 and they know   
that that possible power being in a     
state of disorder and chaos no one or   
all of the outside measures are of any  
value4  ,as patients prepared by the    
work return into normal life1 the false 
exhilaration1 which is a sure sign of   
another stumble1 is seen and avoided4   
,they have learned a serious lesson in  
economy1 and they profit by it4 ,where  
they were free before1 they become more 
so2 and where they were not1 they       
quietly set themselves toward constant  
gain4 ,they work at lower pressure1     
steadily gaining in spreading the       
freedom and quiet deeper into their     
systems1 thus lessening the danger of   
future falls4  ,let us state some of the
 causes for breaking down1 even while   
trying well to learn ,nature's ways4    
,first1 a trust in one's own capacity   

for freedom and quiet4 ,i can do this1  
now that ,i know how to relax4 ,when    
truly considered1 the thing is out of   
reason1 and we should say1 ,because ,i  
know how to relax1 ,i see that ,i must  
not do this4  ,the case is the same with
 the gymnast who greatly overtaxes his  
muscle1 having foolishly concluded that 
because he has had some training he can 
successfully meet the test4 ,there is   
nothing so truly stupid as              
self-satisfaction2 and these errors1    
with all others of the same nature1 re  
fruits of our stupidity1 and unless     
shunned surely lead us into trouble4    
,some natures1 after practice1 relax so 
easily that they are soon met by the    
dangers of overrelaxation4 ,let them    
remember that it is really equilibrium  
they are seeking1 and by balancing their
 activity and their relaxation1 and     
relaxing only as a means to an end1--the
 end of greater activity and use        
later1--they avoid any such ill effect4 
,as the gymnast can mistake the purpose 

of his muscular development1 putting it 
in the place of greater things1         
regarding it as an end instead of a     
means1--so can he who is training for a 
better use of his nervous force4 ,in the
 latter case1 the signs of this error   
are a slackened circulation1 a loathing 
to activity1 and various evanescent     
sensations of peace and satisfaction    
which bear no test1 vanishing as soon as
 they are brought to the slightest      
trial4  ,unless you take up your work   
with fresh interest and renewed vigor   
each time after practice1 you may know  
that all is not as it should be4  ,to   
avoid all these mistakes1 examine the   
work of each day and let the next       
improve upon it4  ,if you are in great  
need of relaxing1 take more exercise in 
the fresh air4 ,if unable to exercise1  
get your balance by using slow and      
steady breaths1 which push the blood    
vigorously over its path in the body1   
and give one1 to a degree1 the effect of
 exercise4  ,do not mistake the         

disorders which come at first1 when     
turning away from an unnatural and      
wasteful life of contractions1 for the  
effects of relaxing4 ,such disorders are
 no more caused by relaxing than are the
 disorders which beset a drunkard or an 
opium-eater1 upon refusing to continue  
in the way of his error1 primarily      
caused by the abandonment of his evil   
habit1 even though the appearance is    
that he must return to it in order to   
re-establish his pseudo-equilibrium4    
,one more cause of trouble1 especially  
in working without a guide1 is the habit
 of going through the form of the       
exercises without really doing them4    
,the tests needed here have been spoken 
of before4  ,do not separate your way of
 practising from your way of living1 but
 separate your life entirely from your  
practice while practising1 trying       
outside of this time always to          
accomplish the agreement of the         
two1--that is1 live the economy of force
 that you are practising4 ,you can be   

just as gay1 just as vivacious1 but     
without the fatiguing after-effects4    
,as you work to gain the ideal          
equilibrium1 if your test comes1 do not 
be staggered nor dismayed4 ,avoid its   
increase by at once giving careful      
consideration to the causes1 and        
dropping them4 ,keep your life quietly  
to the form of its usual action1 as far 
as you wisely can4 ,if you have gained  
even a little appreciation of           
equilibrium1 you will not easily mistake
 and overdo4  ,when you find yourself   
becoming bound to the dismal thought of 
your test and its terrors1 free yourself
 from it every time1 by concentrating   
upon the weight of your body1 or the    
slowness of the slowest breaths you can 
draw4 ,keep yourself truly free1 and    
these feelings of discouragement and all
 other mental distortions will steadily 
lose power1 until for you they are no   
more4 ,if they last longer than you     
think they should1 persist in every     
endeavor1 knowing that the after-result1

 in increased capacity to help yourself 
and others1 will be in exact ratio to   
your power of persistency without       
succumbing4  ,the only way to keep truly
 free1 and therefore ready to profit by 
the help ,nature always has at hand1 is 
to avoid thought of your form of illness
 as far as possible4 ,the man with      
indigestion gives the stomach the first 
place in his mind2 he is a mass of      
detailed and subdued activity1 revolving
 about a monstrous stomach1--his brain1 
heart1 lungs1 and other organs1 however 
orderly they may be1 are of no          
consideration1 and are slowly made the  
degraded slaves of himself and his      
stomach4  ,the man who does not sleep1  
worships sleep until all life seems     
sleep1 and no life any importance       
without it4 ,he fixes his mind on not   
sleeping1 rushes for his watch with     
feverish intensity if a nap does come1  
to gloat over its brevity or duration1  
and then wonders that each night brings 
him no more sleep4  ,there is nothing   

more contracting to mind and body than  
such idol-worship4 ,neither blood nor   
nervous fluid can flow as it should4    
,let us be sincere in our work1 and     
having gained even one step toward a    
true equilibrium1 hold fast to it1 never
 minding how severely we are tempted4   
,we see the work of quiet and economy1  
the lack of strain and of false purpose1
 in fine old ,nature herself2 let us    
constantly try to do our part to make   
the picture as evident1 as clear and    
distinct1 in ,god's greater             
creation1--,human ,nature4       ,,xvii 
,,the ,,rational ,,care ,,of ,,self     
,a ,,woman who had had some weeks of    
especially difficult work for mind and  
body1 and who had finished it feeling   
fresh and well1 when a friend expressed 
surprise at her freedom from fatigue1   
said1 with a smiling face3 ,oh6 but ,i  
took great care of myself all through   
it3 ,i always went to bed early1 and    
rested when it was possible4 ,i was     
careful to eat only nourishing food1 and

 to have exercise and fresh air when ,i 
could get them4 ,you see ,i knew that   
the work must be accomplished1 and that 
if ,i were over-tired ,i could not do it
 well4 ,the work1 instead of fatiguing1 
had evidently refreshed her4  ,if that  
same woman had insisted1 as many have in
 similar cases1 that she had no time to 
think of herself2 or if such care had   
seemed to her selfish1 her work could   
not have been done as well1 she would   
have ended it tired and jaded1 and would
 have declared to sympathizing friends  
that it was impossible to do a work like
 that without being all tired out1 and  
the sympathizing friends would have     
agreed and thought her a heroine4  ,a   
well-known author1 who had to support   
his wife and family while working for a 
start in his literary career1 had a     
commercial position that occupied him   
every day from nine to five4 ,he came   
home and dined at six1 went to bed at   
seven1 slept until three1 when he got   
up1 made himself a cup of coffee1 and   

wrote until he breakfasted at eight4 ,he
 got all the exercise he needed in      
walking to and from his outside work and
 was able to keep up this regular       
routine1 with no loss of health1 until  
he could support his family comfortably 
on what he earned from his pen4 ,then he
 returned to ordinary hours4  ,a brain  
once roused will take a man much farther
 than his strength2 if this man had come
 home tired and allowed himself to write
 far into the night1 and then1 after a  
short sleep1 had gone to the            
indispensable earning of his bread and  
butter1 the chances are that his        
intellectual power would have decreased1
 until both publishers and author would 
have felt quite certain that he had no  
power at all4  ,the complacent words1 ,i
 cannot think of myself1 or1 ,it is out 
of the question for me to care for      
myself1 or any other of the various     
forms in which the same idea is         
expressed1 come often from those who are
 steadily thinking of themselves1 and1  

as a natural consequence1 are so blinded
 that they cannot see the radical       
difference between unselfish care for   
one's self1 as a means to an end1 and   
the selfish care for one's self which   
has no other object in view4  ,the      
wholesome care is necessary to the best 
of all good work4 ,the morbid care means
 steady decay for body and soul4  ,we   
should care for our bodies as a         
violinist cares for his instrument4 ,it 
is the music that comes from his violin 
which he has in mind1 and he is careful 
of his instrument because of its musical
 power4 ,so we1 with some sense of the  
possible power of a healthy body1 should
 be careful to keep it fully supplied   
with fresh air2 to keep it exercised and
 rested2 to supply it with the quality  
and quantity of nourishment it needs2   
and to protect it from unnecessary      
exposure4 ,when1 through mistake or for 
any other reason1 our bodies get out of 
order1 instead of dwelling on our       
discomfort1 we should take immediate    

steps to bring them back to a normal    
state4  ,if we learned to do this as a  
matter of course1 as we keep our hands  
clean1 even though we had to be         
conscious of our bodies for a short time
 while we were gaining the power1 the   
normal care would lead to a happy       
unconsciousness4 ,carlyle says1 and very
 truly1 that we are conscious of no part
 of our bodies until it is out of order1
 and it certainly follows that the habit
 of keeping our bodies in order would   
lead us eventually to a physical freedom
 which1 since our childhood1 few of us  
have known4 ,in the same way we can take
 care of our minds with a wholesome     
spirit4 ,we can see to it that they are 
exercised to apply themselves well1 that
 they are properly diverted1 and know   
how to change1 easily1 from one kind of 
work to another4 ,we can be careful not 
to attempt to sleep directly after      
severe mental work1 but first to refresh
 our minds by turning our attention into
 entirely different channels in the way 

of exercise or amusement4  ,we must not 
allow our minds to be over-fatigued any 
more than our bodies1 and we must learn 
how to keep them in a state of quiet    
readiness for whatever work or emergency
 may be before them4  ,there is also a  
kind of moral care which is quite in    
line with the care of the mind and the  
body1 and which is a very material aid  
to these1--a way of refusing to be      
irritable1 of gaining and maintaining   
cheerfulness1 kindness1 and             
thoughtfulness for others4  ,it is well 
known how much the health of any one    
part of us depends upon all the others4 
,the theme of one of ,howells's novels  
is the steady mental1 moral1 and        
physical degeneration of a man from     
eating a piece of cold mince-pie at     
midnight1 and the sequence of steps by  
which he is led down is a very natural  
process4 ,indeed1 how much irritability 
and unkindness might be traced to       
chronic indigestion1 which originally   
must have come from some careless       

disobedience of simple physical laws4   
,when the stomach is out of order1 it   
needs more than its share of vital force
 to do its work1 and necessarily robs   
the brain2 but when it is in good       
condition this force may be used for    
mental work4 ,then again1 when we are in
 a condition of mental strain or        
unhealthy concentration1 this condition 
affects our circulation and consumes    
force that should properly be doing its 
work elsewhere1 and in this way the     
normal balance of our bodies is         
disturbed4  ,the physical and mental    
degeneration that follows upon moral    
wrong-doing is too well known to dwell  
upon4 ,it is self-evident in conspicuous
 cases1 and very real in cases that are 
too slight to attract general attention4
 ,we might almost say that little ways  
of wrongdoing often produce a worse     
degeneration1 for they are more subtle  
in their effects1 and more difficult to 
realize1 and therefore to eradicate4    
,the wise care for one's self is simply 

steering into the currents of law and   
order1--mentally1 morally1 and          
physically4 ,when we are once           
established in that life and our forces 
are adjusted to its currents1 then we   
can forget ourselves1 but not before3   
and no one can find these currents of   
law and order and establish himself in  
them1 unless he is working for some     
purpose beyond his own health4 ,for a   
man may be out of order physically1     
mentally1 or morally simply for the want
 of an aim in life beyond his own       
personal concerns4 ,no care is to any   
purpose--indeed1 it is injurious--unless
 we are determined to work for an end   
which is not only useful in itself1 but 
is cultivating in us a living interest  
in accomplishment1 and leading us on to 
more usefulness and more accomplishment4
 ,the physical1 mental1 and moral man   
are all three mutually interdependent1  
but all the care in the world for each  
and all of them can only lead to        
weakness instead of strength1 unless    

they are all three united in a definite 
purpose of useful life for the benefit  
of others4  ,even a hobby re-acts upon  
itself and eats up the man who follows  
it1 unless followed to some useful end4 
,a man interested in a hobby for selfish
 purposes alone first refuses to look at
 anything outside of his hobby1 and     
later turns his back on everything but  
his own idea of his hobby4 ,the possible
 mental contraction which may follow1 is
 almost unlimited1 and such contraction 
affects the whole man4  ,it is just as  
certain a law for an individual that    
what he gives out must have a definite  
relation to what he takes in1 as it is  
for the best strength of a country that 
its imports and exports should be in    
proper balance4 ,indeed1 this law is    
much more evident in the case of the    
individual1 if we look only a little    
below the surface4 ,a man can no more   
expect to live without giving out to    
others than a shoemaker can expect to   
earn his bread and butter by making     

shoes and leaving them piled in a       
closet4  ,to be sure1 there are many men
 who are well and happy1 and yet1 so far
 as appearances go1 are living entirely 
for themselves1 with not only no thought
 of giving1 but a decided unwillingness 
to give4 ,but their comfort and health  
are dependent on temporary conditions1  
and the external well-being they have   
acquired would vanish1 if a serious     
demand were made upon their characters4 
,happy the man or woman who1 through    
illness of body or soul1 or through     
stress of circumstances1 is aroused to  
appreciate the strengthening power of   
useful work1 and develops a wholesome   
sense of the usefulness and necessity of
 a rational care of self6  ,try to      
convince a man that it is better on all 
accounts that he should keep his hands  
clean and he might answer1 ,yes1 ,i     
appreciate that2 but ,i have never      
thought of my hands1 and to keep them   
clean would make me conscious of them4  
,try to convince an unselfishly-selfish 

or selfishly-unselfish person that the  
right care for one's self means greater 
usefulness to others1 and you will have 
a most difficult task4 ,the man with    
dirty hands is quite right in his       
answer4 ,to keep his hands clean would  
make him more conscious of them1 but he 
does not see that1 after he had acquired
 the habit of cleanliness1 he would only
 be conscious of his hands when they    
were dirty1 and that this consciousness 
could be at any time relieved by soap   
and water4 ,the selfishly-unselfish     
person is right3 it is most pernicious  
to care for one's self in a self-centred
 spirit2 and if we cannot get a clear   
sense of wholesome care of self1 it is  
better not to care at all4  ,with a     
perception of the need for such         
wholesome care1 would come a growing    
realization of the morbidness of all    
self-centred care1 and a clearer1 more  
definite standard of unselfishness4 ,for
 the self-centred care takes away life1 
closes the sympathies1 and makes useful 

service obnoxious to us2 whereas the    
wholesome care1 with useful service as  
an end1 gives renewed life1 an open     
sympathy1 and growing power for further 
usefulness4  ,we do not need to study   
deeply into the laws of health1 but     
simply to obey those we know4 ,this     
obedience will lead to our knowing more 
laws and knowing them better1 and it    
will in time become a very simple matter
 to distinguish the right care from the 
wrong1 and to get a living sense of how 
power increases with the one1 and       
decreases with the other4       ,,xviii4
  ,,our ,,relations ,,with ,,others     
,,every one will admit that our         
relations to others should be quiet and 
clear1 in order to give us freedom for  
our work4 ,indeed1 to make these        
relations quiet and happy is the special
 work that some of us have to do4 ,there
 are laws for health1 laws for gaining  
and keeping normal nerves1 laws for     
honest1 kindly action toward            
others1--but the obedience to all these 

is a dead obedience1 and does not lead  
to vigorous life1 unless accompanied by 
a hearty love for work and play with    
those to whom we stand in natural       
relations1--both young and old4 ,it is  
with life as it is with art1 what we do 
must be done with love1 or it will have 
no force4 ,without the living spark of  
love1 we may have the appearance1 but   
never the spirit1 of useful work or     
quiet content4 ,stagnation is not peace1
 and there can be no life1 and so no    
living peace1 without happy relations   
with those about us4  ,the more we      
realize the practical strength of the   
law which bids us love our neighbor as  
ourselves1 and the more we act upon it1 
the more quickly we gain the habit of   
pleasant1 patient friendliness1 which   
sooner or later may beget the same      
friendliness in return4 ,in this kind of
 friendly relation there is a savor     
which so surpasses the unhealthy snap of
 disagreement1 that any one who truly   
finds it will soon feel the fallacy of  

the belief that between friends there   
must be a little quarrelling1 to give   
spice to friendship4  ,to be willing    
that every one should be himself1 and   
work out his salvation in his own way1  
seems to be the first principle of the  
working plan drawn from the law of      
loving your neighbor as yourself4 ,if we
 drop all selfish resistance to the ways
 of others1 however wrong or ignorant   
they may be1 we are more free to help   
them to better ways when they turn to us
 for help4 ,it is in pushing and being  
pushed that we feel most strain in all  
human relations4  ,we wait willingly for
 the growth of plants1 and do not       
complain1 or try in abnormal ways to    
force them to do what is entirely       
contrary to the laws of nature2 and if  
we paid more attention to the laws of   
human nature1 we should not stunt the   
growth of children1 relatives1 and      
friends by resisting their efforts1--or 
their lack of effort1--or by trying to  
force them into ways that we think must 

be right for them because we are sure   
they are right for us4  ,there is a     
selfish1 restless way of pushing others 
for their own good and straining to help
 them1 and there is a selfish1 entirely 
thoughtless way of letting them alone2  
it is difficult to tell which is the    
worse1 or which does more harm4 ,the    
first is the attitude of unconscious    
hypocrisy2 the second is that of selfish
 indifference4 ,it is in letting alone1 
with a loving readiness to help1 that we
 find strength and peace for ourselves  
in our relations with others4  ,all     
great laws are illustrated most clearly 
in their simplest forms1 and there is no
 better way to get a sense of really    
free and wholesome relations with others
 than from the relations of a mother    
with her baby4 ,even healthy reciprocity
 is there1 in all the fulness of its    
best beginnings1 and the results of     
wholesome1 rational1 maternal care are  
evident to the delighted observer in the
 joyous freedom with which the baby mind

 develops according to the laws of its  
own life4  ,heidi is a baby not yet a   
year old1 and is left alone a large part
 of the day4 ,having no amusements      
imposed upon her1 she has formed the    
habit of entertaining herself in her own
 way2 she greets you with the most      
fascinating little gurgles1 and laughs  
up at you when you stop and speak to her
 as if to say1 ,how do you do8 ,i am    
having a very happy time6 ,five minutes'
 smiling and being smiled at by her     
gives a friend who stops to talk a very 
happy time too4 ,if you take her up for 
a little while1 she stays quietly and   
looks at you1 then at the trees or at   
something in the room1 then at her own  
hand4 ,if you say ah1 or oo1 she answers
 with a vowel too2 so the conversation  
begins and goes on1 with jolly little   
laughter every now and then1 and when   
you give her a gentle kiss and put her  
down1 her good-bye is a very contented  
one1 and her ,thank you2 please come    
again1 is quite as plainly understood as

 if she had said it4 ,you leave her1    
feeling that you have had a very happy  
visit with one of your best friends4    
,heidi is not officiously interfered    
with2 she has the best of care4 ,when   
she cries1 every means is taken to find 
the cause of her trouble2 and when the  
trouble is remedied1 she stops4 ,she is 
a dear little friend1 and gives and     
takes1 and grows4  ,another baby of the 
same age is ,peggy4 ,she is needlessly  
handled and caressed4 ,she is kissed a  
hundred times a day with rough          
affection1 which is mistaken for        
tenderness and love4 ,she is bounced up 
and down and around2 and the people     
about her1 who believe themselves her   
friends and would be heartbroken if she 
were taken from them1 talk at her1 and  
not with her2 they make her do cunning  
little things1 and then laugh and       
admire2 they try over and over to force 
her to speak words when her little brain
 is not ready for the effort2 and when  
she is awake1 she is almost constantly  

surrounded by loving noise4 ,peggy is   
capable of being as good a friend as    
,heidi1 but she is not allowed to be4   
,her family are so overwhelmed by their 
own feelings of love and admiration that
 they really only love themselves in    
her1 for they give her not the slightest
 opportunity to be herself4 ,the poor   
baby has sleepless1 crying nights1 and a
 little irritating illness hanging about
 her all the time2 the doctor is called1
 and every one wonders why she should be
 ill2 every one worries about her2 but  
the caressing and noisy affection go on4
 ,although much of the difference       
between these two babies could probably 
be accounted for by differences of      
heredity and temperament1 it            
nevertheless remains true that it is    
very largely the result of a difference 
between wise and foolish parents4  ,the 
real friendship which her mother gave to
 ,heidi1 and which resulted in her      
happy1 placid ways and quickly          
responsive intelligence1 meets with a   

like response in older children2 and    
reciprocal friendship grows in strength 
and in pleasure both for child and older
 friend1 as the child grows older4 ,when
 a child is permitted the freedom of his
 own individuality1 he can show the best
 in himself4 ,when he is tempted to go  
wrong1 he can be rationally guided in   
the right way in such a manner that he  
will accept the guidance as an act of   
friendship2 and to that friendship he   
will feel bound in honor to be true1    
because he knows that we1 his friends1  
are obeying the same laws4 ,of course   
all this comes to him from no conscious 
action of his own mind1 but from an     
unconscious1 contented recognition of   
the state of mind of his older friends4 
,a poor woman1 who lived in one room    
with her husband and two children1 said 
once in a flash of new intelligence1    
,now ,i see3 the more ,i hollers1 the   
more the children hollers2 ,i am not    
going to holler any more4 ,there are    
various grades of hollering2 we holler  

often without a sound1 and the child    
feels it1 and hollers with many sounds  
which are distressing to him and to us4 
,it is primarily true with babies and   
young children that if you want to have 
a friend1 you must be a friend4 ,if we  
want courtesy and kindliness from a     
child1 we must be courteous and kindly  
to him4 ,not in outside ways alone1--a  
child quickly feels the sham of mere    
superficial attention1--but sincerely1  
with a living interest4  ,so should we  
truly1 from our inmost selves1 meet a   
child as if he were of our own age1 and 
as if we were of his age4 ,this sounds  
like a paradox1 but indeed the one      
proposition is essential to the other4  
,if we meet a child only as if he were  
of our age1 our attitude tends to make  
him a little prig2 if we meet him as if 
we were as young as he is1 his need for 
maturer influences produces a lack of   
balance which we must both feet2 but if 
we sincerely meet him as if the exchange
 of age were mutual1 we find common     

ground and valuable companionship4      
,this mutual understanding is the basis 
of all true friendship4 ,only read1     
instead of age1 habit of mind1          
character1 state1 and we have the whole4
 ,it is aiming for reciprocal relations1
 from the best in us to the best in     
others1 and from the best in others to  
the best in ourselves4 ,it is the       
foundation of all that is strengthening1
 and quiet1 and happy1 in all human     
intercourse with young and old4  ,to    
gain the friendly habit is more         
difficult with our contemporaries than  
it is with children4 ,we have no right  
to guide older people unless they want  
to be guided1 and they often want to    
guide us in ways we do not like at all4 
,we have no right to try to change their
 opinions1 unless they ask us for new   
light2 and they often insist upon trying
 to change ours whether we ask them or  
not4 ,there is sure to be selfish       
resistance in us when we complain of it 
in others1 and we must acknowledge it   

and get free from it before we can give 
or find the most helpful sympathy4  ,a  
healthy letting people alone1 and a good
 wholesome scouring of ourselves1 will1 
if it is to come at all1 bring open     
friendliness4 ,if it is not to come1    
then the healthy letting people alone   
should continue1 for it is possible to  
live in the same house with a wilful and
 trying character1 and live at peace1 if
 he is lovingly let alone4 ,if he is    
unlovingly let alone1 the peace will be 
only on the outside1 and must sooner or 
later give way to storms1 or1 what is   
much worse1 harden into unforgiving     
selfishness4  ,our influence with others
 depends primarily upon what we are1 and
 only secondarily upon what we think or 
upon what we say4 ,it is so with babies 
and young children1 and more so with our
 older friends4 ,if we honestly feel    
that there is something for us to learn 
from another1 however wrong or ignorant1
 in some ways1 he may seem1 we are not  
only more able to find and profit by the

 best in him1 but also to give to him in
 return whatever he may be ready to     
receive4 ,how little quiet comfort there
 is in families where useless resistance
 to one another is habitual6 ,members of
 one family often live along together   
with more or less appearance of good    
fellowship1 but with an inner strain    
which gives them drawn faces and tired  
bodies1 or else throws them back upon   
themselves in the enjoyment of their own
 selfishness2 and sometimes there is not
 even the appearance of good fellowship1
 but a chronic resistance and           
disagreement1 all for the want of a     
little sympathy and common sense4  ,it  
is the sensitive people that suffer     
most1 and their sensitiveness is        
deplored by the family and by           
themselves4 ,if they could only know how
 great a gift their sensitiveness is6   
,to appreciate this1 it must be used to 
find and feel the good in others1 not to
 make us abnormally alive to real or    
fancied slights4 ,we must use it to     

enlarge our sympathies and help us      
understand the wrong-doing of others    
enough to point the way1 if possible1 to
 better things1 not merely to criticise 
and blame them4 ,only in such ways can  
we learn to realize and use the delicate
 power of sensitiveness4 ,selfish       
sensitiveness is a blessing turned to a 
curse2 but the more lovingly sensitive  
we become to the need of moral freedom  
in our friends1 the ,dearer we are led  
to our own4  ,there are no human        
relations that do not illustrate the law
 which bids me love my neighbor as      
myself2 especially clearly is it        
revealed1--in its breach of             
observance1--in the comparatively       
external relations of host and guest in 
ordinary social life1 and in the        
happiness that can be given and received
 when it is readily obeyed4  ,a lady    
once said1 ,i go into my bedroom and    
take note of all the conveniences ,i    
have there1 and then look about my guest
 chamber to see that it is equally well 

and appropriately furnished4 ,she       
succeeds in her object in the guest     
chamber if she is the kind of hostess to
 her guest that she would have her guest
 be to her2 not that her guest's tastes 
are necessarily her own1 but that she   
knows how to find out what they are and 
how to satisfy them4  ,it is often      
difficult to love our neighbor as       
ourselves because we do not know how to 
love ourselves4 ,we are selfish1 or     
stupid1 or aggressive with ourselves1 or
 try too hard for what is right and     
good1 instead of trusting with inner    
confidence and reverence to a power that
 is above us4  ,over-thoughtfulness for 
others1 in little things or great1 is   
oppressive1 and as much an enemy to     
peace1 as the lack of any thoughtfulness
 at all4 ,it is like too much attention 
to the baby1 and comes from the same    
kind of selfish affection1              
with--frequently the added motive of    
wanting to appear disinterested4  ,one  
might give pages of examples showing the

 right and the wrong way in all the     
varied relations of life1 but they would
 all show that the right way comes from 
obedience to the law of unselfishness4  
,to obey this law we must respect our   
neighbor's rights as we respect our own2
 we must gain and keep the clear and    
quiet atmosphere that we like to find   
about our friend2 we must shun          
everything that would interfere with a  
loving kindliness toward him1 as we     
would have him show the same kindliness 
toward us4 ,we must know that we and our
 friends are one1 and that1 unless a    
relation is a mutual benefit1 it is no  
true relation at all4 ,but1 first of    
all1 we must remember that a true       
appreciation of the wonderful power of  
this law comes only with daily1 patient 
working1 and waiting for the growth it  
brings4  ,in so far as we are truly the 
friend of one1 whether he be baby1      
child1 or grown man1--shall we be truly 
the friend of all2 in so far as we are  
truly the friend of all1 shall we be    

truly the friend of every one2 and1 as  
we find the living peace of this        
principle1 and a greater freedom from   
selfishness1--whether of affection or   
dislike1--those who truly belong to us  
will gravitate to our sides1 and we     
shall gravitate to theirs4 ,each one of 
us will understand his own relation to  
the rest1--whether remote or close1--for
 in that quiet light it will be seen to 
rest on intelligible law1 which only the
 fog and confusion of selfishness       
concealed4       ,,xix4  ,,the ,,use    
,,of ,,the ,,will      ,,it is not      
generally recognized that the will can  
be trained1 little by little1 by as     
steadily normal a process as the        
training of a muscle1 and that such     
training must be through regular daily  
exercise1 and as slow in its effects as 
the training of a muscle is slow4       
,perhaps we are unconsciously following1
 as a race1 the law that ,froebel has   
given for the beginnings of individual  
education1 which bids us lead from the  

outer to the inner1 from the known to   
the unknown4 ,there is so much more to  
be done to make methods of muscular     
training perfect1 that we have not yet  
come to appreciate the necessity for a  
systematic training of the will4 ,every 
individual1 however1 who recognizes the 
need of such training and works         
accordingly1 is doing his part to hasten
 a more intelligent use of the will by  
humanity in general4  ,when muscles are 
trained abnormally their development    
weakens1 instead of strengthening1 the  
whole system4 ,great muscular strength  
is often deceptive in the appearance of 
power that it gives2 it often           
effectually hides1 under a strong       
exterior1 a process of degeneration     
which is going on within1 and it is not 
uncommon for an athlete to die of heart 
disease or pulmonary consumption4  ,this
 is exactly analogous to the frequently 
deceptive appearance of great strength  
of will4 ,the will is trained abnormally
 when it is used only in the direction  

of personal desire1 and the undermining 
effect upon the character in this case  
is worse than the weakening result upon 
the body in the case of abnormal        
muscular development4 ,a person who is  
persistently strong in having his own   
way may be found inconsistently weak    
when he is thwarted in his own way4     
,this weakness is seldom evident to the 
general public1 because a man with a    
strong will to accomplish his own ends  
is quick to detect and hide any         
appearance of weakness1 when he knows   
that it will interfere with whatever he 
means to do4 ,the weakness1 however1 is 
none the less certainly there1 and is   
often oppressively evident to those from
 whom he feels that he has nothing to   
gain4  ,when the will is truly trained  
to its best strength1 it is trained to  
obey2 not to obey persons or arbitrary  
ideas1 but to obey laws of life which   
are as fixed and true in their orderly  
power1 as the natural laws which keep   
the suns and planets in their appointed 

spheres4 ,there is no one who1 after a  
little serious reflection1 may not be   
quite certain of two or three fixed     
laws1 and as we obey the laws we know1  
we find that we discover more4  ,to obey
 truly we must use our wills to yield as
 well as to act4 ,often the greatest    
strength is gained through persistent   
yielding1 for to yield entirely is the  
most difficult work a strong will can   
do1 and it is doing the most difficult  
work that brings the greatest strength4 
,to take a simple example3 a small boy  
with a strong will is troubled with     
stammering4 ,every time he stammers it  
makes him angry1 and he pushes and      
strains and exerts himself with so much 
effort to speak1 that the stammering1 in
 consequence1 increases4 ,if he were    
told to do something active and very    
painful1 and to persist in it until his 
stammering were cured1 he would set his 
teeth and go through the work like a    
soldier1 so as to be free from the      
stammering in the shortest possible     

time4 ,but when he is told that he must 
relax his body and stop pushing1 in     
order to drop the resistance that causes
 his trouble1 he fights against the idea
 with all his little might4 ,it is all  
explained to him1 and he understands    
that it is his only road to smooth      
speaking2 but the inherited tendency to 
use his will only in resistance is so   
strong1 that at first it seems          
impossible for him to use it in any     
other way4  ,the fact that the will     
sometimes gains its greatest power by   
yielding seems such a paradox that it is
 not strange that it takes us long to   
realize it4 ,indeed1 the only possible  
realization of it is through practice4  
,the example of the little stammering   
boy is an illustration that applies to  
many other cases of the same need for   
giving up resistance4  ,no matter how   
actively we need to use our wills1 it is
 often1 necessary to drop all           
self-willed resistance first1 before we 
begin an action1 if we want to succeed  

with the least possible effort and the  
best result4  ,when we use the will     
forcibly to resist or to repress1 we are
 simply straining our nerves and        
muscles1 and are exerting ourselves in a
 way which must eventually be weakening1
 not only to them1 but to the will      
itself4 ,we are using the will normally 
when1 without repression or unnecessary 
effort1 we are directing the muscles and
 nerves in useful work4 ,we want        
training and not straining as much for  
the will as for the body1 and only in   
that way does the will get its strength4
  ,the world admires a man for the      
strength of his will if he can control  
the appearance of anger1 whereas the    
only strength of will that is not       
spurious is that which controls the     
anger itself4 ,we have had the habit for
 so long of living in appearances1 that 
it is only by a slow process that we    
acquire a strong sense of their frailty 
and lack of genuine value4 ,in order to 
bring the will1 by training1 out of the 

region of appearances into that of      
realities1 we must learn to find the    
true causes of weakness and use our     
wills little by little to remove them4  
,to remove the external effect does no  
permanent good and produces an apparent 
strength which only hides an increasing 
weakness4  ,imagine1 for instance1 a    
woman with an emotional1 excitable      
nature who is suffering from jealousy2  
she does not call it jealousy1 she calls
 it sensitive nerves1 and the doctors   
call it hysteria4 ,she has severe       
attacks of sensitive nerves or hysteria 
every time her jealousy is excited4 ,it 
is not uncommon for such persistent     
emotional strain1 with its effect upon  
the circulation and other functions of  
the body1 to bring on organic disease4  
,in such a case the love of admiration1 
and the strength of will resulting from 
that selfish desire1 makes her show     
great fortitude1 for which she receives 
much welcome praise4 ,that is the effect
 she wants1 and in the pose of a        

wonderful character she finds it easy to
 produce more fortitude--and so win more
 admiration4  ,a will that is strong for
 the wrong1 may--if taken in            
time--become equally strong for the     
right4 ,perversion is not1 at first1    
through lack of will1 but through the   
want of true perception to light the way
 to its intelligent use4  ,a man        
sometimes appears to be without power of
 will who is only using a strong will in
 the wrong way1 but if he continues in  
his wrong course long enough1 his       
weakness becomes real4  ,if a woman who 
begins her nervous degeneration by      
indulging herself in jealousy--which is 
really a gross emotion1 however she may 
refine it in appearance--could be made  
to see the truth1 she would1 in many    
cases1 be glad to use her will in the   
right direction1 and would become in    
reality the beautiful character which   
her friends believe her to be4 ,this is 
especially true because this moral and  
nervous perversion often attacks the    

finest natures4 ,but when such          
perversion is allowed to continue1 the  
sufferer's strength is always prominent 
in external dramatic effects1 but       
disappears oppressively when she is     
brought face to face with realities4    
,many people who are nervous invalids1  
and many who are not1 are constantly    
weakening themselves and making         
themselves suffer by using their wills  
vigorously in every way but that which  
is necessary to their moral freedom3 by 
bearing various unhappy effects with    
so-called stoicism1 or fighting against 
them with their eyes tight shut to the  
real cause of their suffering1 and so   
hiding an increasing weakness under an  
appearance of strength4  ,a ludicrous   
and gross example of this misuse of the 
will may be observed in men or women who
 follow vigorously and ostentatiously   
paths of self-sacrifice which they have 
marked out for themselves1 while        
overlooking entirely places where       
self-denial is not only needed for their

 better life1 but where it would add    
greatly to the happiness and comfort of 
others4  ,it is curious a such weakness 
is common with people who are apparently
 very intelligent2 and parallel with    
this are cases of men who are remarkably
 strong in the line of their own        
immediate careers1 and proportionately  
weak in every other phase of their      
lives4 ,we very seldom find a soldier1  
or a man who is powerful in politics1   
who can answer in every principle and   
action of his life to ,wordsworth's     
,character of the ,happy ,warrior4      
,absurd as futile self-sacrifice seems1 
it is not less well balanced than the   
selfish fortitude of a jealous woman or 
than the apparent strength of a man who 
can only work forcibly for selfish ends4
 ,the wisest use of the will can only   
grow with the decrease of               
self-indulgence4  ,nervous women are    
very effective examples of the          
perversion of a strong will4 ,there are 
women who will work themselves into an  

illness and seem hopelessly weak when   
they are not having their own way1 who  
would feel quite able to give dinner    
parties at which they could be prominent
 in whatever role they might prefer1 and
 would forget their supposed weakness   
with astonishing rapidity4 ,when things 
do not go to please such women1 they are
 weak and ill2 when they stand out among
 their friends according to their own   
ideal of themselves and are sufficiently
 flattered1 they enter into work which  
is far beyond their actual strength1 and
 sooner or later break down only to be  
built up on another false basis4  ,this 
strong will turned the wrong way is     
called hysteria1 or neurasthenia1 or    
degeneracy4 ,it may be one of these or  
all three1 in its effect1 but the       
training of the will to overcome the    
cause1 which is always to be found in   
some kind of selfishness1 would cure the
 hysteric1 give the neurasthenic more   
wholesome nerves1 and start the         
degenerate on a course of regeneration4 

,at times it would hardly surprise us to
 hear that a child with a stomach-ache  
crying for more candy was being treated 
for hysteria and studied as a           
degenerate4 ,degenerate he certainly is1
 but only until he can be taught to deny
 himself candy when it is not good for  
him1 with quiet and content4  ,there are
 many petty self-indulgences which1 if  
continually practised1 can do great and 
irreparable harm in undermining the     
will4 ,every man or woman knows his own 
little weaknesses best1 but that which  
leads to the greatest harm is the       
excuse1 ,it is my temperament2 if ,i    
were not tardy1 or irritable1 or        
untidy1--or whatever it may be1--,i     
would not be myself4 ,our temperament is
 given us as a servant1 not as a master2
 and when we discover that an inherited 
perversion of temperament can be trained
 to its opposite good1 and train it so1 
we do it not at a loss of individuality1
 but at a great gain4 ,this excuse of   
temperament is often given as a reason  

for not yielding4 ,the family will is   
dwelt upon with a pride which           
effectually prevents it from keeping its
 best strength1 and blinds the members  
of the family to the weakness that is   
sure to come1 sooner or later1 as a     
result of the misuse of the inheritance 
of which they are so proud4  ,if we     
train our wills to be passive or active1
 as the need may be1 in little things1  
that prepares us for whatever great work
 may be before us1 just as in the       
training of a muscle1 the daily gentle  
exercise prepares it to lift a great    
weight4  ,whether in little ways or in  
great ways1 it is stupid and useless to 
expect to gain real strength1 unless we 
are working in obedience to the laws    
that govern its development4 ,we have a 
faculty for distinguishing order from   
disorder and harmony from discord1 which
 grows in delicacy and strength as we   
use it1 and we can only use it through  
refusing disorder and choosing order4   
,as our perception grows1 we choose more

 wisely1 and as we choose more wisely1  
our perception grows4 ,but our          
perceptions must work in causes1 not at 
all in effects1 except as they lead us  
to a knowledge of causes4 ,we must1     
above all1 train our wills as a means of
 useful work4 ,it is impossible to      
perfect ourselves for the sake of       
ourselves4  ,it is a happy thing to have
 been taught the right use of the will  
as a child1 but those of us who have not
 been so taught1 can be our own fathers 
and our own mothers1 and we must be     
content with a slow growth4 ,we are like
 babies learning to walk4 ,the baby     
tries day after day1 and does not feel  
any strain1 or wake in the morning with 
a distressing sense of ,oh6 ,i must     
practise walking to-day4 ,when shall ,i 
have finished learning8 ,he works away1 
time after time falling down and picking
 himself up1 and some one day finally   
walks1 without thinking about it any    
more4 ,so we1 in the training of our    
wills1 need to work patiently day by    

day2 if we fall1 we must pick ourselves 
up and go on1 and just as the laws of   
balance guide the baby1 so the laws of  
life will carry us4  ,when the baby has 
succeeded in walking1 he is not elated  
at his new power1 but uses it quietly   
and naturally to accomplish his ends4   
,we cannot realize too strongly that any
 elation or personal pride on our part  
in a better use of the will1 not only   
obstructs its growth1 but is directly   
and immediately weakening4  ,a quiet1   
intelligent use of the will is at the   
root of all character2 and unselfish1   
well-balanced character1 with the       
insight which it develops1 will lead us 
to well-balanced nerves4       ,,summing
 ,,up      ,,to sum it all up1 the      
nerves are conductors for impression and
 expression4 ,as channels1 they should  
be as free as ,emerson's smooth hollow  
tube1 for transmission from without in1 
and from within out4 ,thus the          
impressions will be clear1 and the      
expressions powerful4  ,the perversions 

in the way of allowing to the nerves the
 clear conducting power which ,nature   
would give them are1 so far as the body 
is concerned1 unnecessary fatigue and   
strain caused by not resting entirely   
when the times come for rest1 and by    
working with more than the amount of    
force needed to accomplish our          
ends1--thus defying the natural laws of 
equilibrium and economy4 ,not only in   
the ways mentioned do we defy these most
 powerful laws1 but1 because of         
carelessness in nourishment and want of 
normal exercise out of doors1 we make   
the establishment of such equilibrium   
impossible4  ,the nerves can never be   
open channels while the body wants      
either proper nourishment1 the stimulus 
that comes from open air exercise1      
perfect rest1 or true economy of force  
in running the human machine4  ,the     
physical training should be a steady    
shunning of personal perversions until  
the nervous system is in a natural      
state1 and the muscles work in direct   

obedience to the will with the exquisite
 co-ordination which is natural to them4
  ,the same equilibrium must be found in
 the use of the mind4 ,rest must be     
complete when taken1 and must balance   
the effort in work1--rest meaning often 
some form of recreation as well as the  
passive rest of steep4 ,economy of      
effort should be gained through normal  
concentration1--that is1 the power of   
erasing all previous impressions and    
allowing a subject to hold and carry us1
 by dropping every thought or effort    
that interferes with it1 in muscle1     
nerve1 and mind4 ,the nerves of the     
senses must be kept clear through this  
same ability to drop all previous       
impressions4  ,first in importance1 and 
running all through the previous        
training1 is the use of the will1 from  
which all these servants1 mental and    
physical1 receive their orders1--true or
 otherwise as the will itself obeys     
natural and spiritual laws in giving    
them4 ,the perversions in the will to be

 shunned are misuse of muscles by want  
of economy in force and power of        
direction2 abuse of the nervous system  
by unwisely dwelling upon pain and      
illness beyond the necessary care for   
the relief of either1 or by allowing    
sham emotions1 irritability1 and all    
other causes of nervous distemper to    
overcome us4  ,the remedy for this is to
 make a peaceful state possible through 
a normal training of the physique2 to   
realize and follow a wholesome life in  
all its phases2 to recognize daily more 
fully through obedience the great laws  
of life by which we must be governed1 as
 certainly as an engineer must obey the 
laws of mechanics if he wants to build a
 bridge1 that will stand1 as certainly  
as a musician must obey the laws of     
harmony if he would write good music1 as
 surely as a painter must obey the laws 
of perspective and of color if he wishes
 to illuminate ,nature by means of his  
art4  ,no matter what our work in life1 
whether scientific1 artistic1 or        

domestic1 it is the same body through   
which the power is transmitted2 and the 
same freedom in the conductors for      
impression and expression is needed1 to 
whatever end the power may be moved1    
from the most simple action to the      
highest scientific or artistic          
attainment4  ,the quality of power      
differs greatly2 the results are widely 
different1 but the laws of transmission 
are the same4 ,so wonderful is the unity
 of life and its laws6  ,,the ,,end4