The San Francisco call. [volume], April 11, 1909, Page 12, Image 12

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
m pa g e
Ml S S L S
r~T\ HAT there is a great deal of good in the old
' ' Hindu philosophy of rest and relaxation is a
truth that has again been demonstrated by
two circumstances of recent happening. One
_ _ of these is the fact that many young girls,
girls as young as 10 or 12 years of age, find it
necessary to retire from active school work or mental
and physical exertion of any kind, temporarily, and
take a rest cure, just as the jaded society woman
withdraws from her social activities to recuperate,
and during the retirement they are taught the value
of absolute relaxation. The other is that, simul
taneously with the scientific study of rest and relaxa
tion by the young girl of today, the Yogi treatment
and philosophy are brought into prominence by th«
leaders in the Emmanuel movement, who rely upon
this o!d Hindu method for restoring the mind and
body to a natural and healthful condition. Yogi
breathing, Yogi physical exercises and Yogi philoso
phy of relaxation are made a feature of the practical
side of the Emmanuel treatment of certain cases, and
this form of treatment is proved to be so beneficial in
restoring wasted mental and physical force that the
method is now being applied to young persons, the
idea being that the sooner a girl learns how to rest
and relax scientifically the stronger will be her vital
ity and the better will be her ability to withstand the
strain that modern life puts upon the individual.
r? is not because girls are breaking down earlier or
are showing a loss of nervous force at a younger
age than formerly that they are being taught how
to take care of themselves after the oriental fashion,
bet because parents and guardians see that it is
essential for them to learn as early as" possible the
value of this quaint and simple philosophy which
has been practiced centuries upon centuries and has
brought about excellent results. The difficulty ex
perienced by a grown person in learning to relax
properly and to rest perfectly is multiplied by that
person's years. It follows quite naturally, then, that
the earlier one begins studying this science the easier
it comes to one and the greater are its advantages
all during life.
Besides the beneficial effects derived from the
practice of Hindu philosophy and physical exercises
the idea of the science can not fail to appeal to the
yotmc girL The principle of the treatment is simple
to enderstaud and the rule* art easy to follow, while
the results are nearly always immediate enough to
be encouraging aad to stimulate interest in the cult
, One of the hardest things to do is to relax com-
pletely. Soz.e persons think they are letting go of
their muscles, but in reality they s.re not. Instead**
the majority of their muscles are tense and it is
almost impossible to get them to relax even after a
series of mental and physical treatments. Relaxing
li partly mental, so that youthful minds are easier
AMONG the beet relaxing exercises are those
which start with the body standing and letting
go ct each nmscle and joint separately. First
the arrcf^are outstretched in front and the fingers
are permitted to drop, to fall of themselves, and when
they are perfectly limp and inactive then the relaxing
should be continued to the forearm, then to the upper
arm, letting the whole arm drop loosely at the side
and not only remain motionless but possess the sen
sation of utter relaxation. These exercises in letting
go of the tension of the muscles. should be continued
to the feet, then the legs, the pupil lifting and drop
ping each one in turn; then to the shoulders and the
head by letting the latter fall loosely as it will either
in front or to one side and the whole upper part of
the body "slumping" forward. Even the waist and
the hips can be relaxed, although the loosening of the
tension will be less noticeable. Now, after the various
muscles have been taught what perfect relaxation
means— and this is only the beginning of the treat
ment — lie down on a couch or a bed that is not tto
soft and let go of the entire body, supplementing the
physical relaxation with r mental attention to these
muscles and members of the body. The Hindu main
taint that the mind must be fixed on the muscle
relaxation in order to get the best results and to mak^
the "letting go" thorough and complete, especially
when one is learning the first principles of relaxing.
Resting like this once or twice during the day will,
restore one quickly to normal condition, and a few
minutes devoted to perfect relaxation are worth an
hour or more of sleep of the ordinary kind. It sounds
more or less absu/d to one who does not understand
the art apd science of relaxation and perfect rest to
say that one's energy and vitality can be restored
without having the pupil lie down. The method
to pursue in this quick restoration process is to stand
erect in a rather active position — that is, with the
head up, shoulders back and chest expanded, slightly.
The arms should be allowed to drop loosely at the
tides. While thus poised raise the body on the balls
of the feet, lifting the heels gradually and throwing
NECKLACE WATCHES
NECKLACE watches appeal^ strongly to those
schoolgirls who realize that they arc prone to
drop or mislay their portable timepieces. Most
of these little conveniences— they are surprisingly
tiny — are in the form of a ball watch, so called be
cause inserted into the bottom of a. spherical case of
precious or base metal, which is almost invariably
suspended trom a matching chain 1 . Sometimes both
ball an* necklace are set with numbers of tiny
precious stones, but many of; the timepieces are of
enamel, rose composition, oxidized silver, green gold
• or gun metal, set' with amethyst; turquoise, diamond,
topaz' pr coral. *
Similar settings are employed i for. the cliatelaine
watches, which 'are suspended from the belt or^ from
a pin fastened, to the blouse. As the open facei
howr*cr Issciic»imal, is apt to attract attention,
HOW YOUNG GIRLS STUDY THE
HINDOO METHOD OF REST
AND RELAXATION
First Position «f the Yogi Minute Resting
the weight forward, with the body still held erect and
not tilted forward. As the heels rise the arms should
be lifted straight out at the sides and upward until
they pass above the horizontal line. Breathe deeply
as the arms ascend, then hold the position for a
minute or so and gradually let the heels drop down
and the arms fall limply at the sides, not forgetting
to exhale slo\yly and evenly as the original position is
resumed. :\ / / t
PROPER breathing has quite as much to do with
the success of the relaxing and the muscle exer
cises as the movements themselves. One can
fall into what approaches a mesmerized state just by
breathing in the oriental fashion and continuing the
action for a few minutes. While lying flat on your
back raise the right hand to the nostrils, and with the
finger or the thumb close one side tightly, making it
necessary to breathe through the other. Rhythmical
A Good Exercise to Overcome "Fidget
ing"—Stand Erect with Arms Out
stretched Over thcHead and
Thumbs Touching.
breathing is essential to< perfect repose. With the
, hand at the nostrils alternate by inhaling through
the right side and exhaling through the left; then re
versing the order by closing the other sidel '. *.
Instead. of expanding the chest first as you. breathe
try abdominal breathing for the rest cure by continu
ing the. reclining position and alternating the nostrils
as inhalers' and exhalefs. Then begin by taking a
deep breath from deep, down in the abdominal region,
gradually inflating the other parts of the 5 chest and
lungs as the breathing is. continued on up to the very
tops of. the lungs. In this way the. abdomen, chest
and even the upper section of the lungs or the collar
bone arc raised and expanded with the air. Hold
it a few seconds, then exhale by first drawing in the
efforts are made to conceal it by. enclosing the watch
in an inconspicuous case; of bird, flower or animal
form, equipped with a tiny spring which,. tu>on being
manipulated, discloses the dial.
Watches of ; the size worn in bracelets or set 1 into
umbrella handles are 'of nickel; silver or r gun metal;
and may ;be made to serve as, desk clocks; by 'fitting
them into special cases of kid, silk or'leatheri socon
itructed that they may be flatly folded or setup In
easel form. "\u25a0; \u25a0"-"\u25a0 : " ; '" \u2666 — '" - ' ' ;. ''\u25a0'\u25a0" •'.'." '
GARDENIAS THE RAGE
GARDENIAS^ arc now all the \u25a0 rage, and orchids,
which have been the :yogue throughout rthe.wiri-
Her, are'quite^supplahted \u25a0infavdrJbyjthe; waxen
white To be modish-one ; must - wear aVgar- *
d * ni * , whcnevc / one appears in the;strceti'but;it isnot j
smart to wear more than one or to mingle. any7other"
flowers with "It. ;, '.'\u25a0 _\u0084 \u25a0~\* '- • •*,
End of the Resting Exercise—Balance
on the Balls of the Feet with Arms
Spread Out Like Wings.
Exercising the 7 Body While Getting the
Mind in Repose— Extending the Amis in
Front with the Little Fingers Touching.
Then Bend Forward Keeping the Knees
Stiff, and Touch the Floor with
the Finger; Tips. ",.-."\u25a0
\ >•\u25a0•\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0< \u25a0_\u25a0.\u25a0. \u25a0- \u25a0 , • .•\u25a0\u25a0.•.-.. . . '--. ',:,-;\u25a0 , .
abdomen, then \u0084 dropping the lower part 'of the chest
and finally allowing the upper part to fall as much as
NOT. u ntil you; have known the great benefits de
rived from/deep abdominal breathing ,will 'you ;
begin to understand the .value of this old world
method, and the < earlier \ you; bfcgin ; to learn how to
do it the better will be you r physical health and the
more wholesome your, mental attitude. It is so easy
to do, * takes ; so little time, requires no apparatus
and can be taken any moment during ; the day /when
you cw lie down; at night before going to 1 sleep or
•In the morning. Of course it is less important as • a
*, estorer °* y^ 11 an d muscle .when taken in the morn
ing, but the breathing exercises never come amiss, '\u25a0
;and it is an excelient plan tofill the entire lung section :
with pure fresh air starting VthVVday> school I
wbrk'or^the day's pleasures if lessons are. temporarily;
abandoned.' ,"• - /-'?: /\u25a0 * , ' ['.'_.\u25a0 v
¥9**?% Sirl* of wealth t wh6 can be sent to a secluded
spot for rest -and whenever; thY physical
and mental • conditions -suggest 'the : need of. some such
cure or, ; treatment ( : would > not find : it -'necessary" 'to"-:
begin ; the; practice early in lifei 1 probably^never,; if
; they' tookjgreatj care to master ' the i art of breathing
pro^?S»ES|J^^Wna!^w|but at c regular - in
|waj^^iiing;|th«|lungsT«idlproc«edfquit*Tnaturally
Perfect Relaxation— ls Resting Like
\u25a0 . «• v«ullCL
Then Bring the Hands Up to the Head— •
". Principal Exercise to Precede
Relaxing Ones
according to this well tried and excellent method.
The physical reasons for proper breathing, which
includes the development of the body, improvement
of the condition of the blood and the greatest resftt
ance to disease, are subjects discussed in the physi
ology class and will be taken up later on,' if the girl
lo whom these ideas are suggested is still too young
to have gone deeply into this science. But if her
parents and teachers start heron the right track she
''will have much to be grateful to them for in after
: <
THERE are some excellent and quite simple physi
cal exercises recommended by the followers of
the Hindu philosophy, which help .to \ keep one
ttrbng an*d happy. They can. be practiced any time,
preferably in the morning before the bath, and need
not be continued for more than a few minutes. If
they are repeated again before going to bed all the
better, for a few such exercises taken regularly and
earnestly are much more effective when divided this
way" than done all in a single half hour or an hour..
There is less of a strain on the mind and muscle and
they become a tonic. Many young girls grow enthu
siastic over simple exercises at first, then they lose
interest, and if they do continue the physical move
ments their minds wander to o^Jier matters. The
result 'is that the exercises, taken in this way, .are
lardly better than none at all. It is most important
that the mind and the body work together, and that
Jhe mind help the muscles to make the movements
jtistas it helps ' them to relax. -.
Nearly all of these simple exercises are taken Xn a
BEAUTY TALKS
has not a i very satisfactory. reference and
:; : '^|V I doubt if ste can do t all of the things that
she claims to, be able to do," explained the
April Grandmother when the door had closed behind
. • ... - ;,,,-\u25a0 ...i \u25a0 ;\u25a0•; \u25a0 . .•\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 «'.i " \u25a0 \u25a0- \u25a0•\u25a0--.
a: candidate for a ; parlor' maid's situation, "but I was
tempted to give her a trial on account of her low,
soft voice." It is restful to listen to, probaibly # because
she has always lived in a quiet atmosphere— a con
dition that : is almost certain to have its ? effect upon
the voice. ~ f~..
. "While the American climate undoubtedly / has
something to* do with, the -nasal quality of bur voices,
and particularly in those regions where high winds
prevail, ; its pitch l? is usually due to lack of training
in v - youth; .'.for,'; most children have •' sweet, pleasantly
modulated tones. The fact that they begin to lose
this: charm when they are old /enoughs to attend
school may be traced to their, teachers, who are them
selves ;,very poor speakers and rarely realize "the r fact
until they go 4 abroad and wtness. the : rasping^ effect
of their ; voices' upon the nerves of people^ of s other
lands. .''';• '\'.y'l ".:. \u25a0','' ' :'- \u25a0 \u25a0\u0084_-\u25a0--', , \u25a0.'.-'; -;'\ I -*-.:' '--"'
"My sisters and '"myself ; naturally, had good .voicea/*
continued the April Grandmother, "but unfortunately
we ,were sent ; to a private school : conducted by^a New
England .woman, who not : only possessed . the typical
XQMcien^ojSutf ttie Vnajal f twangof the, most virulent
her; pronunciation— ah,
Tie San Francisco Sunday CaD
To Relax Begin with the Fingers and Let
Go of Every Muscle of t^c *
Body Separately.
standing position, with the feet spread a little apart,
heels almost touching, head up, shoulders back, chest
expanded and the abdomen drawn in. This is the way
to start. Then, if you want to begin with an easy
exercise stretch the arms forward in front, keeping
them level with the shoulders, and with the palms
of the hands pressed together gently, not rigidly,
swing the arms back, keeping them on the same hori
zontal plane until they are as far back of the shoulders
as they will go. At first you will not be able to touch
the backs of the hands, but after a little practice this
will come quite readily. Do this quickly backward
and forward for 10 times and then see how much
better the muscles of the back feel and how much
casisr it is to stand erect.
* VARIATION of th:* exercise, one intended to
l\ develop the che^t and* improve the lung power,
•*• \u25a0*\u25a0 is to stand in the same position, raise the arms
to a level with the shoulders, bending them at the
elbow so that the hands come over the chest and the
elbows stand out aggressively. The next movement
is to swing the elbows backward as far as possible,
pulling the chest and bringing the shoulder blades
together, still keeping the arms even with the shoul
ders. In fact, the test of the correctness of this
• exercise -is when the shoulder blades touch, all the
way down, or practically so.
The bending exercise should be included among tho
morning ones. Stand in the original position, then
lift the arms straight up over the head, touching the
thumbs. When the arms and body are perpendicular
drop the arms suddenly, bending forward at the hips,
but do not bend the knees, and see if you can touch
the floor with the tips of the fingers*. This will come
easily after a few times, and eventually you may bt
able to lay the palms of the hands on the floor whil«
keeping the knees stiff. S
well, she's dead, poor thing, and doubtless receiving
punishment for her voice crimes!
"Our next teacher was a highly bred English girl
who spoke slowly and distinctly, giving each syllable
its full value. Her first reproof to me was during tho
course of a spelling lesson. 'How can you expect to
know how to spell a word correctly when you do not
pronounce it distinctly?* she inquired.
"Yesterday afternoon I attended an entertainment
given in behalf of a well known charity by a score of
debutantes equally well known to society, and I could
not make out a dozen consecutive" word 3 during the
course of the two playlets which they produced. Nine
girls out of ten who try to speak in public can not be
heard five rows from the stage simply because they
do not open their mouths properly. It is absurd to
expect a clear_ enunciation to emanate from tightly
closed teeth. * r
"Undoubtedly a great many girte are literally afraid
of* the sound of their own voice, because of a con
sciousness that it is not sweet or smooth. Conse
quently they speaVin whispers, and the habit militates
against the cultivation ot pure tones of a carrying;
quality. ; Yet," concluded the April Grandmother, "a
careful enunciation certainly is a valuable asset which
makes \f or the success of any girl, whether she is
destinedfor society or for business/as carefulness in
speech suggests carefulness in thought, just ; as slov-J
enliness -in » speech /suggests slovenliness in othtr
THE APRIL
GRANDMOTHER