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MY BREATHING SYSTEM

EXERCISE No. 9.

Special abdominal breathing, combined with movement of the viscera.

Stand with the feet as much apart as in Excrcises Nos. i,

4 and 5-

Place the palms upon the abdoraen. Exhale.

Then lean slightly backwards and draw a fuli inhalation, endeavouring to distend the abdornen as much as possible (see Fig. 42).

Then, while exhaling dccply, bcnd slightly forwards, press the hands inwards, and move them upwards, as if you wished to push all the intestines up under the ribs (see Fig. 43). Recommence the movement by raising the body and inhaling, at the same time relaxing the hołd of the hands, and dropping them a little to the position in Fig. 42. Nów, for the sccond time, press the abdomen and bend forward as before while exhaling, and then once morę inhale, raising the body and distending the abdomen, and so on, performing in all four double movcments, and four abdominal respirations. When the abdominal muscles. after frecpient practice, havc grown sufficiently strong, these movements may be per-formed without assistancc of the hands, the drawtng in and the distending of the abdomen being performed solely by the furce of theabdominal muscles, as shown in 1'igs. 44 and 45.

(This exercise is almost the same as Excrcise No. 17 in “ My System for Ladies.”)

Finally, repeat once morę the Special Reliering Deep-Breathing Erercise.

Prevention is Better than Cure.

I wish expressly to emphasi/e the fact that it is much better, easier, safer. morę pleasant, and far less expcnsivc to preuent diseases, than it is to cure them. This applics cspecially to the great tuberculosis plague, the ravagcs of which would be checked if mothers or nurses would close the lips of sleeping babies, and if children were taught proper breathing by competent teaehers who know how to breathe themselves, and if parents and guardians would be on the look out for adenoids. When the presence of these is suspected, the children should be sent for examination, and, if necessary, for surgical operation. The consumption germs would then disappear, not having a suitable soil in which to settle.

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