You must always remember that the correct carriage of the body during
the period of the breathing exercises is a factor of great importance,
since the lungs function variously in accordance with different
postures of the body.
After the fundamental principles of deep breathing are mastered, the
next step is to connect it with different exercises, respectively, of
the arms, the legs, the trunk, and the head. At first it will be found
somewhat difficult to combine attention to the various parts concerned,
but the ability to do this will be readily mastered by practice.
The point involved is that the muscles of the chest have a reflex
action on other muscles. For instance, when the lungs are full of air
all the cells are inflated to the utmost, the chest is stretched, the
diaphragm is drawn down. The various muscles of the chest, of the back
and of the abdomen are in a state of high tension. This tension should
last only during the time in which the breath is held. Moreover, care
must be taken that it shall not influence any other muscles besides
those directly concerned.
When you exercise the arms rhythmically while the breath is being
held, such movement of the arms must not be permitted to influence
the breath. The result to be striven for is an intelligent control
of the muscles, so that the various groups shall be made to act
independently. Every school of gymnastics seeks to attain the same
end--with a difference: In this system of breath-control, the lungs are
trained--the chief requisite for all health, beauty and vigor.
And now that we have given this much of attention to the “Why?” let us
go forward to the “How?” of breath-control.