Stand in a military position, the weight upon the balls of the feet. Imagine the head to be under a beam which just touches the top of the skull. Also imagine that an upward pressure of two pounds will raise that beam, provided you do not lift your heels: and raise the body by increasing its own length. It is a fact that people are too much settled down, and this may be proven by trying this exercise a hundred times. It is a good practice aid to place the hands in front on a table, and push the table down while pushing the imaginary beam up.The value of this exercise is quickly seen. It will not only cure stooping shoulders, if taken in conjunction with a three month breathing regement it will straighten the body and add to the bodys height. Measure your height prior to starting this exercise. Measure again after two weeks.

Principle: The addaption of fixed natural habits becomes a general remedy for the faults of form.

Under the beneficial influence of new habits, founded upon  the laws of nature and cultivated until they become fixed, the faults of form are sooner or later completely eradicated. No course of training is valuable unless it results in new habits.  To be always exercising is to be always in need of exercise.  Yet it is possible to acquire a  second nature, sufficiently active to keep the muscles and  flesh supplied with nutrition and sufficiently free from the tax of constant effort to escape the term exercise.

                                    The Three Steps

1.   This is an exercise.

2.   This is an exercise and a semi habit.

3.    This is to be a fixed habit.

                                  The First Step

 Here we present an exercise.  The body is to stand so that the weight is on the balls of the feet, although  the heels touch the floor.   Let the chest sway forward so that its center is directly over the balls of the feet.  Keep the position easily, and   inhale a deep but unaided breath.  Effort  in breathing  is never good. Exhale smoothly and lightly but fully.  This method of respiration is very important. Now raise that hands to a position in front of the body on a  height with the shoulders; the arms are being horizontal when extended. Clasp the hands tightly, allowing the palms to touch, the inside of each wrist  resting upon the chest.  Counting 1, the hands are to be thrown  forward powerfully; 2, the wrist are to strike the chest lightly; 3, is like 1, ; 4 is like 2;  and so on for eight counts, at the end of which the  wrists rest upon the chest.  This excise is doing wonderful work  in its hygienic results. For schools it is most admirable; for ladies and gentlemen of sedentary habits, or deformed carriage of the body, it is a perfect cure.

 Cultivation of the chest  is accomplished by the use of breathing exercises as well as posturing exercises.   Using breathing exercises incredible accomplishments can be made.  Not only can respiration be dramatically enhanced, but physical form can become dynamic and incredibly potent. Chest cultivation through breathing exercises  will make a weak man strong and the sick man healthy.

Not only does the chess contain the lungs and heart, but the nerve centers are also found here; and their  health  or weakness herein determines the sanity of the mind and the normal action of every organ of the body.  Thus for reasons of health and life the chest should be cultivated.  Freedom of the lungs, strength of  the heart,  and vitality of the nerves are assured only by some method of training designed especially to affect these  ends. But other reasons exist for the cultivation of the chest.  The human form is not merely a machine of health.  It is the image of its maker in contemplation, and should be so in fact.  Except cripples, all persons who  are deformed, or ill shapen, may trace the cause to the chest, and find a cure in the same  place.  This seems to be a broad statement, but it will bear examination.  It is not my purpose to present these  faults.  But in a general way which will state that no-fault except Craned neck is so common as that of round shoulders; yet both of these are due to false chest.  Flat forms, which always lead to long troubles, are due to the same cause. Going still further into the subject, we find that awkwardness,  ungainliness, bad walking, coarseness,  and the general misconduct of the body are due to the false carriage of the chest; and  in a work of this kind to make the system   thorough, the entire body is involved in its training