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Show BOTH STRENGTH AND BEAUTY Proper Respiration Adds to Each, But Is Too Little Understood. Under-stood. There will be fewer flat-chested women wo-men and much less nervous prostration prostra-tion when proper attention is giving to breathing, says an exchange. As Delsarte has said, there should be "strength at the center, freedom at the surface," and this freedom is but acquired by learning to use one's lungs at will. By developing and enlarging en-larging them the thoracic cavity is increased, in-creased, and upon the degree of this power depends expansion. In order to control one's nerves one must learn to command one's involuntary involun-tary muscles, which are diaphragm, the heart and the intestines. By breathing deeply and controlling one's breath and so increasing one's lung capacity, the heart action is stimulated, stimulat-ed, and this supplies the nerve centers with fresh blood, and the nerves act upon the muscles and the brain upon the nerves and muscles. In order not to have any waste of nerve foroe, the chest should be kept i active by deep inhalations, thus loosening loos-ening the tension of unemployed members. mem-bers. The persistent and regular practice prac-tice of a breathing exercise will not only do this, but will give poise and self-confidence. The movements of respiration stand in a double relation to the nervous system, being required to introduce oxygen into the blood, which takes up the oxygen, and freeing itself of the carbonic acid it contains, the latter thus acts as a -powerful stimulus to the lung nerves. One should remember to avoid collar-bone breathing, to cultivate the raised and active chest, and to gain control of the diaphragm in order to have complete mastery of breathing. It is not necessary to take a long, tiresome trip to some far away place in order to be taught to care for oneself, for nature will come to one's aid with joyful alacrity in one spot as well as another. But knowledge is not the only thing required. It is its application that counts, and this means steadfast determination. de-termination. i V |