The student should learn to relax his body completely so that it shall
lie still and limp and soft as cotton. He should be able to tense and
contract his muscles so that they will become hard as iron. In all the
physical exercises you will find two special actions (1) Muscle
contraction (2) Stretching. When you contract muscle and harden it, you
have sent currents of nerve-force and will to that part; when you relax
it, you "let go" completely. What we want is Strength in Repose ready
to leap into action in the flash of an eye. We have taught you how to
relax in Lesson 2 on Will-Force. You all have noticed a cat crouching
for its prey. How intensely still it is; yet you know what such stillness
means. It is very far from laziness. Relaxation husbands and conserves
nerve-force. It is a great thing to be calm and silent. Calmness is the
centralization of tremendous power. Practise being calm, as far as
you can.