"I know not," he says, "whether some desperate degrees of abstinence
would not have the same effect upon other men, as they had upon Atticus;
who, weary of his life as well as his physicians by long and cruel pains
of a dropsical gout, and despairing of any cure, resolved by degrees to
starve himself to death; and went so far, that the physicians found he
had ended his disease instead of his life."
Of all the methods advocated, possibly one of the most universally
recognized is joyousness,--a hopeful attitude toward life, a cheerful,
kindly relationship with one's kind.
According to Galen, Æsculapius wrote comic songs to promote circulation
in his patients.
"A physician," says Hippocrates, "should have a certain ready wit, for
sadness hinders both the well and the sick."
We know, too, that Apollo was not only the god of music and poetry but
also of medicine. The poet, John Armstrong, has explained this:
"Music exalts each joy, allays each grief,
Expels disease, softens every pain;
And hence the wise of Ancient days adored
One power of physic, melody and song."
Sir Charles Clark, one of the greatest physicians of modern times,
exercised a most exhilarating influence over his patients by his
cheerfulness and jollity. It was probably one of the chief means of his
wonderful success.
"Cheerfulness," says Sir John Byles, "is eminently conducive to health
both in body and mind."
A recent writer says of Professor Charles Eliot Norton that he was "not
of a rugged constitution, yet he did an enormous amount of work and
lived to a beautiful old age." This is attributed to the fact that he
was never "blue." The cheerful kindliness of his face, his genial smile
and kind words were sources of great inspiration to me when a teacher at
Harvard, and to all who met him.
The more we investigate the theories of long life the more do we become
impressed with a universal longing for a length of days. We find a deep,
underlying instinct "that men do not live out half their days."
Everywhere, too, we find a certain expectation of "finding the fountain
of youth," a hope in some way to conquer sickness and death.
This desire is normal and natural. It may, sometime in future history,
be realized.
As we examine these theories we find, however wild they may seem at
first, certain common sense views at the heart of all of them. No one
need make a hobby of any one of them. Temperance, regularity, repose,
patience, and above all, cheerfulness, do not exclude each other, they
rather imply one another. In many instances one can hardly be practiced
without some of the others. The practice of one would unconsciously
bring up the others.
If we study carefully these theories, and especially if we study the
lives of those who have not only professed theories but have faithfully
practiced their principles and attained great health and age, we always
find a combination of various methods.
There is no doubt, for example, that Cornaro completely reformed his
life.
The character of Socrates was the secret of his good health. Temperance
to the Greek did not mean total abstinence. It meant lack of
extravagance; it meant what we mean by patience, by an unruffled
temper,--it meant the right use of all the faculties and powers.
What new hobby, you may ask, is the theme of this book? Nothing that
will interfere with the fundamental elements of the best ideas of all
ages. First of all it is advocated that we go down deeper into all
theories. Temperance should not be applied merely to food and drink but
must cover self-control, repose of life, purity and depth of thought,
and a harmonious development of human nature. The book tries to draw
attention to many important things which are usually overlooked or not
considered necessary to health and life.
The study of expression, to choose only one example, reveals to us, the
necessity of a right poise of the body. One of the leading teachers of
science in this country, after fighting tuberculosis for three years,
changing climates and using all the help that science has provided,
determined at last to go back to his work and to do his best even though
he lost his life.
Making a constant and careful study of himself he again began his life
as a teacher. He met with one with great knowledge of the human body,
one who had studied it from many points of view. He was surprised when
that expert said to him:--"Your dieting will not do you much good, that
is not your trouble. You do not sit right nor stand right, your chest is
too low, it not only cramps your breathing but what is still more
important, it cramps your stomach and all the other vital organs." The
scientist eagerly asked what he could do to recover his strength, and he
received a few valuable suggestions, which he followed, and in six
months he was stronger than ever.
As a student and teacher of human expression for nearly forty years, I
have found most important connections between man's mind, body and
voice. The right use of the voice is next to impossible unless a man
stands properly. There are certain inter-relations between the simple
conditions and actions of the body, and the conditions and the true use
of the voice are determined by the way a man thinks and feels.
A man must not only have right feeling but must express it. He cannot
get right expression without right thinking. Health, itself, is one of
man's mental and emotional conditions.
This book is an endeavor to study human unfoldment from an all-sided
observation of the whole nature of man. Man is a unity, and an endeavor
to establish health from a mere material point of view has always
failed. Expression is a study from a higher point of view. The organism
is studied from the point of view of its mental function. Expression
implies the subordination of the body to the actions of the mind. This
gives a truer point of view for an all-sided human development.
It also implies a study of the especial significance and use of certain
primary acts of our lives:--such as the way we wake up in the morning
and certain movements which are taken at that time by animals and normal
beings. The stretches, yawnings and breathings, peculiar to that moment,
are never lost by animals, but human beings, with their higher
possibilities but greater power of perversion, lose the significance
and helpfulness of this primarily instinctive movement.
The study of expression also reveals to us that certain emotions are
normal or positive and develop health and strength, while certain other
emotions are negative and destructive of vitality as well as of manhood.
We also find that the emotions we choose to express become our own and,
therefore, we should choose normal conditions of mind and emotions, and
express these consciously and deliberately, especially at the most
negative time in the morning, when we first wake up.
Expression is one of the necessary elements of human development. We
control emotions and control their expression. We welcome noble thoughts
or noble feelings, and that which we welcome we become.
This book shows the smile, laughter, the taking of breath and the simple
stretch as most important exercises which are to be regularly taken. It
also implies a deeper study into human co-ordinations; it tries to show
a universal necessity of rhythm and is an endeavor to establish the
higher principles of training in a way that makes them applicable to the
most simple of human actions.
The student is requested to study himself, to make a demonstration of
every claim and of more than is claimed. The exercises are so simple
that anyone can try and prove them, only let the trial be one continued
long enough to be a real test.
The moment you awake center attention upon a pleasant thought or take an
attitude of joy, thanksgiving and love for all the world. Have courage
and confidence that all evils will vanish; express some normal feelings
at once by the expansion of the chest, a deep full breath, an inward
laugh or chuckle and an increased harmonious stretch of the whole body.
Everyone will be tempted to say that he cannot control his thoughts. He
may say he does not wish to be a hypocrite and try to excuse himself for
brooding over gloomy thoughts or the fear that he will not get through
the day. Such lack of courage, lack of faith, lack of thanks for the
beauties of life are sins which cannot be too strongly condemned.
We can and must at once put ourselves in a positive attitude of mind. We
must begin our day with a song, with a smile. We must look upward, not
downward. We must reject every discordant thought and accept accordant
ones regarding the coming day. It is a new day which brings new life,
new joys, new duties, it may be new trials, but these, instead of being
accepted as obstacles, may be turned into opportunities.
The indulgence of negative thoughts in the morning may become a habit. A
great battle may have to be fought at first, but perseverance and
promptness can correct such evil tendencies. It is at this time that the
demon of regret and of disappointment is apt to lay hold of us; the
blackest thought in our lives likely to meet us.
Observe that this was so of Pippa. Though she awoke with joy, and is
held up as an ideal, as she goes on thinking the darkest shadow of her
life comes to her.
"If I only knew
What was my mother's face--my father, too!"
This thought, however, she puts out of her mind by resolution, by
turning, as we always should turn at such an hour, to the Source.
"Nay, if you come to that, best love of all
Is God's; then why not have God's love befall
Myself as, in the palace by the Dome,
Monsignor?--who to-night will bless the home
Of his dead brother."
Here must begin the heroic endeavor to live. Effort will be required for
a time till the habit is formed.
Instantly control the attention and express it by action. Give a
positive welcome to the day and the light; express positive thanksgiving
for the thought that you have strength and that you have the joy of work
to do.
It is in the morning that we should begin to live a new life, a simple
life; it is then that we should eliminate all whines and abnormal
desires and open our hearts to receive the strength of a new day.
Life, growth and development respond to joy. Every flower seems to smile
to meet the sun, and the little bird sings in the midst of its duties.
Some scientists are hoping to discover the germ of old age, and by
destroying this to prolong life. The real germ, however, of old age is
found in the doubt and worry which we allow to enter the holy of holies
of the heart at the holiest hour of the day. If we guard the sacred
shrine of thought and consciousness from impure, unkind and discouraging
ideas at the moment of awaking it may be truly said that the enjoyments
of life as well as its length will be doubled.
The primary acts that express this joy are: first, expansion; second,
taking a deep breath; third, stretching of the body; fourth, a smile or
inward laugh.
Sometimes these take place so rapidly as to seem to be simultaneous,
but close examination will reveal a sequence, though rapid.
As in life we have to live a truth to know or understand it, so an act
of expression embodies the emotion.
True enjoyment is also always expansive. Anger and negative emotions
cause constrictions, while joy and love increase expansion.
"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." It is the mind that makes
the man. When we reject a negative thought and accept a positive one we
begin the real battle of life. Negative emotion, every moment it is
expressed becomes stronger, and gradually takes complete possession of
us.
Prof. James says that everyone should do something disagreeable every
day, but there is great danger in accepting anything as disagreeable. We
must not only do something disagreeable, but we must accept and do it as
if it were an agreeable thing. This is most important. The attitude
toward life makes all the difference.
Another great teacher has said, "When a wrong thought comes in, say, Out
of my house, you don't belong here!"
Remember that the field of consciousness is a sacred shrine. From it
banish everything that is not full of joy and praise and comfort, that
does not give you strength and courage. Do as Pippa did. Do not let the
devil take possession, as he is always ready to do at this time.
This battle must be fought at once. There must be no delay. Idea will
link itself to idea by the law of association of ideas, and we shall
soon form a habit of negative thoughts in the morning.
The great point to note is that we should live rational lives, that we
should give our attention and apply our own scientific knowledge and
reason to the every-day duties of life, and not disregard the duty we
owe to ourselves.
Men are continually doing something which they know to be wrong. They
indulge in thoughts which they know will poison their minds and
characters. They eat food which they know is not good for them. They
pour into their stomachs stimulants which they know will dull their
higher faculties and powers.
Some tell us that life is a continuous battle. It may be looked at in
that way, but if we look at it from a more rational point of view it is
a continual reaching up for higher enjoyment. Every day and every hour
we must be on our guard; our theories must be a rule of life to be
really obeyed and lived. Therefore, to apply our own knowledge to the
restoration or maintenance of life demands that we avoid that which is
injurious, and that we joyously, gladly accept that which is helpful.
Life is a sacred gift, a privilege, and an opportunity to be enjoyed, it
is to be lifted up, and filled with high experiences.
To accomplish all these ends, we should study those moments when we are
in greatest danger,--those moments which are most important and when we
are best able to control our attention and to command our feelings.
The one supreme hour is the hour of awakening. If we can occupy a few
minutes of this time in right thoughts, and right movements
scientifically directed and as simple as those of the animals, the
effect will be astonishing.
To come down to a few specific things that everyone should practice in
order to be stronger, to be more efficient, to enjoy more and to live
longer, let us summarize a few general points.
(1) Express joy first with laughter. If you cannot laugh aloud, laugh
with an inner chuckle. It is not enough to have joy, it must be actively
expressed to have an effect upon the organism.
(2) Maintaining the joy and laughter, express, therefore, all harmonious
extensions of the body, that is, all simple stretches. Maintaining the
laughter and the extension of the body, expand the chest and torso as
much as possible.
(3) On waking up, take a thought of joy, of courage, of love toward all
mankind, toward the day and its work.
(4) Maintaining all previous conditions, take a full, deep breath.
(5) Set free with the simplest movements every part of the body.
(6) Co-ordinate the parts of the body concerned in every-day work, and
sustain them with primary and normal activities.
(7) Bring all the parts of the body into normal rhythm by alternative
activity of the parts and in other ways.
To have good health we must rejoice, laugh, extend, expand, breathe,
co-ordinate the primary parts of the body, act rhythmically, set free
all the parts of the body and all the primary activities of function.
In short, this book tries to move everyone to study the simplest things,
the simplest actions, the most normal duties of a human being, and to
assert these and to exercise them the very first thing in the morning.