20947 system 87

87

The Rubbing Exercises

General Remarks

1 have ten com pobite rubbing exercises, to be performed in air-bath costume. during wbich the sur face of the entire body gets thoroughly and systematically polished. The rubbing is donc with the palms of the hands. and stiould be a simple stroking or friction to begin with : later on. as one’s strength inereases, it should be so vigorous tliat it bccomes a sort of massage. if not for the internal muscles further front the surface at any ratę for the thousands of smali muscles connected with the vesscls of the skin, which are strengthencd and developed morę in this manner than by any other modę of procedurę whatever.

After you havc followed up my System for some titne. the skin will assurne quite a different character ; it will bccome ftnn and elastie, yet soft as velvet and free front pimples, blotchcs, spots, or other disfigurc-ments. Many have recommendcd of late a revival of the custom of the ancient Greeks, viz. : tliat of performing physical exercises without clothing. Still one rctpures to be verv much hardened ordinary people could not possibly stand it at tirst to do ordinary exercises in front of an open window during the cold seasons of the year. My rubbing exercises, on the contrary. can be carried out under such conditions, even by those most susceptible to cold. As a matter of fact, one keeps warmer, whiist doing them perfectly nudę than when standing still witii all onc's clothes on. As a proof of this I may State tliat T can casily keep comfortably warm in the open air, even when it is freezing, or a cold wind is blowing, whiist I am going through my rubbing exercises. whereas I might sit and shiver driving in a carriage in the same weather with all my clothes and an overcoat on. This may sound strange, but it is neverthelcss true. 1 can only say, " Try it yourself ! " The seeret lics in the fact that a solid warmth is produced on the surface of the skin wherc it has becn rubbed. Cven if only lightly. and this warmth lasts several minutes; nor does it disappear whiist other parts of the body are being rubbed in their tum, so long as one proceeds according to a settlcd plan. The parts that might suffer most from cold reccivc in " My System " the most rubbing.

By performing " preliminary " movements to several of these exercises one learns how to movc the body and legs and how to breathe during the performance. Not before this can be done quite auto-matically should the rubbing be added. To undress is therefore un-necessary during these " preliminary " movements. It is also recom-mended that persons susceptible to the cold should, during the colder parts of the year, wcar some clothing while studying the book and trying tbe rubbing cxercises themselvcs. Do not stand naked while rcading in the book. Not before four to five complete rubbing exercises have been inastered is it safe to do them stripped without risking a cold or worse.

Thcy are all performed standing. that the body may not get soiled or dusty again after the batli. As in addition to providing stroking of the entire surface of the skin they include a number of muscular exer-cises for the arms, shoulders, breast, and back, six leg exercises, two forward and baekward bendings, two sideways bendings, and two