How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its SatisfactionsCurry, S. S. (Samuel Silas)
Science
How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its Satisfactions
Curry, S. S. (Samuel Silas)
Hygiene; Physical education and training
Only thinking and feeling will establish the co-ordinations. Mere
perfunctory performance of an exercise or a mechanical use of the will
may produce certain local effects, and in this way may actually do harm,
while the same exercise practiced with a feeling of joy and exhilaration
will bring into co-ordination various parts, and, in fact, affect the
whole organism. Practice the exercises accordingly for the fun of the
thing; laugh, feel a joyous exultation.
Joyous normal emotion acts expansively. The circulation is quickened and
the vital organs are stimulated to normal action. Without the awakening
or enjoyment of life the vital forces show little response.
If anyone will examine himself in a state of anger he will feel that it
is the lower part of his nature that is dominating him. He can realize
that his muscles and vital organs are constricted and cramped. Who has
not felt a deep feeling of bitterness, almost of poison, after a fit of
anger? Who has not felt a certain depression, at times even of sickness,
after antagonism or giving up to despondency?
There is also a feeling above negative emotions of certain dormant
possibilities, certain affections and a better nature in the background.
In all true exercises this sub-conscious, better self should be the very
centre of the endeavor.
So universally is true training and even the nature of an exercise
misunderstood that it may be well to summarize a few points to secure
intelligent practice.
1. Practice with your whole nature.
Do not regard the performance of movements as a mere matter of will.
Expression requires a unity of the whole life of our being.
Regard an exercise as a means of bringing all your powers into life and
unity. Let practice be a means of demonstrating your own abilities,
spontaneous and deliberative activities to yourself.
2. Practice with an ideal in mind.
The accomplishment of an endeavor implies the reaching or attainment of
an ideal. Practicing with no end in view accomplishes nothing. The goal
must be an ideal.
There is a universal intuition in an ideal man. There is an intuition
deep in ourselves of our higher possibilities. The feeling that better
things are possible inspires all human endeavor. Movement merely for the
sake of movement, mere haphazard practice, without an ideal,
accomplishes but little. We want not only an instinctive ideal but we
want one which is the result of thought and study.
3. Practice hopefully and joyfully.
That is to say, there should not only be thought and imagination in
practice, there should be feeling,--a normal and ideal emotion. The
realization of the possibility of attaining an ideal brings joy, hope,
courage and confidence.
4. In every exercise feel a sympathetic expansion of the torso.
It is not only necessary to feel joy, we must express it, and the
primary expression of joy is expansion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account