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It is of the greatest importancc tliat all the following moeements of body and limb should, at the same time, be dcep-breathing esercises, or in other words, the air should pass with a steady flow- to or from the lungs in fuli, regular respirations. One must not hołd the breath for one moment, and the next, snap aftcr air with short asthmatic gasps. Even the smallcst pause after inhalation is to be carefully aeoided. When the body comes into a strained position, where further inhalation is difficult, one should immcdiately begin to exhale, even if the "tuming point" of the movement has not quite bcen reached. (This applies particularly to Exercises Nos. 3, 7 and tt )
The majority of the exercises havo slow movements, and these should follow the rhythm of breathing which is most natural to the pupil when he striyes to breathe with fuli respirations. Thercfore, it is immatcrial whether each respiration, or each complete movement, is counted when repeating the exercises the fuli number of tiines required. The remainder of the exercises {Nos. 2. 5. 9 and the Rubbing Excrcises Nos. 16, 17 and 18) havo quick movements. and here the principlc is, that the pupil ultimately performs as many movements as possible to each fuli lespiraliou. It is then easiest to count the respirations.
A complete exhalation should take a little louger time than the inhalation ; therefore, when doing slow exerciscs, that morement which is performed during exhalation, and which is of the same " length ” as the one donc during inhalation, should be performed a bit slower (this applies to Nos. 1. C>, 8 and the medium degrees of Nos. 4 and 7). In sonie of the other " slow ” exercises the exhalation is allowed a little rnore moeement than the inhalation (in No. 3, in advauced degrees of Nos. 4 and 7, and in many of the rubbing e.serciscs). In the “ quick ” exercises, morc movcments arc easily performed during exlia!ation, and one can also as a rule move the body faster during this part of the respiration ; whereas during inhalation the fast body-movements are somewhat impeded by the expanded ribs.
As a result of the lirst few days of exerci.se, parts of the body may feel tender. Eeery athlete has experienced these muscular "next day " or " growiug pains " in arms or legs. and you will probably get the same thing round the waistline, but this need not trouble you as it will wear ofl if you continue. I have always felt great satisfaction in this stiffness myself, largely because I knew that the muscles which pained me were growing stronger. Still, anyone who finds the pain too severe, can rest for a day or two, or rub liimself with embrocation, or sonie sort of liniment.
Some people might perhaps think that seeeral of the exercises