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003 - Controlled Breathing as a Means of Exercise · New Science of Controlled Breathing, Vol. 1 and 2

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  Speaker 1: Section three of the New Science of Controlled Breathing, Volume
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  Speaker 1: one and two by Edward Lanco. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Controlled breathing as a means of exercise.
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  Speaker 1: Many theories concerning the art of breathing have been exploited.
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  Speaker 1: In recent years. Numerous books dealing with the subject have
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  Speaker 1: been offered to the public. The net results, however, have
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  Speaker 1: been unsatisfactory. The appeal of this propaganda has met with
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  Speaker 1: comparatively little response. The truth as to the importance of
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  Speaker 1: right method in breathing may have been presented, but it
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  Speaker 1: has remained valueless since it has not been accepted and
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  Speaker 1: acted upon by those to whom it was addressed. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: in great measure, the fault lies in the fact that
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  Speaker 1: the various advocates of breath systems have been too vague
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  Speaker 1: in their teachings, and have expounded the theory other than
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  Speaker 1: the practice. It is for this reason that I have
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  Speaker 1: been at pains to describe all necessary exercises in such
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  Speaker 1: detail as to make the practice of them simple and
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  Speaker 1: easy for every reader. I have arranged them in such
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  Speaker 1: order as to make sure a rapid progress toward perfect
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  Speaker 1: breath control, with its consequent increase in health, beauty, efficiency,
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  Speaker 1: and happiness. It seems indeed difficult to impress on anybody
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  Speaker 1: not familiar with the wonderful advantages of correct breathing a
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  Speaker 1: full recognition of the vital bearing breath control has on
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  Speaker 1: the well being of the individual. Air is too ridiculously
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  Speaker 1: cheap to be much respected by most persons, and two
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  Speaker 1: breathing is ordinarily automatic, requiring no thought. Naturally enough, then
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  Speaker 1: most persons give it no attention, since they have no
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  Speaker 1: realization of its importance. Nature has provided that all great
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  Speaker 1: things should be essentially simple. It is thus with the
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  Speaker 1: process of breathing, which is the chief vital functioning of
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  Speaker 1: the body. An ancient philosopher has said, the more we
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  Speaker 1: desire to have that which is superfluous, the more we
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  Speaker 1: meet with difficulties. The more necessary the thing is for
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  Speaker 1: living beings, the more easily it is found, and the
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  Speaker 1: cheaper it is. Air, water and food are indispensable to man.
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  Speaker 1: Air is most necessary, for if man is without air
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  Speaker 1: a few moments, he dies, whilst he can be without
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  Speaker 1: water a day or longer. Air is undoubtedly found more
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  Speaker 1: easily and is cheaper than water. Water is more necessary
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  Speaker 1: than food, and is proportionately cheaper. Note well, the undeniable
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  Speaker 1: fact as asserted by the philosopher that air is of
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  Speaker 1: the first importance. If air had to be paid for,
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  Speaker 1: or if only a very limited amount were to be
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  Speaker 1: distributed to each consumer, there would be an instant and
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  Speaker 1: universal recognition of its supreme value. Its restriction would compel
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  Speaker 1: every individual to appreciate the unique worth of the true
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  Speaker 1: elixir of life. What mortality statistics teach us. According to
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  Speaker 1: statistics of the United States Census, the annual death rate
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  Speaker 1: from all causes is one million. Of this number, four
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  Speaker 1: hundred thousand die from diseases of the lungs. The figures
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  Speaker 1: demonstrate that two persons at least out of every five
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  Speaker 1: come to their death prematurely and from a preventable cause.
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  Speaker 1: Another aspect of the truth is gaining wider recognition day
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  Speaker 1: by day throughout the civilized world. This has to do
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  Speaker 1: with the appreciation of fresh air as a fundamental of health.
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  Speaker 1: There has been remarkable awakening to this effect within a generation. Today,
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  Speaker 1: the preferred treatment of consumptives demands that they shall live
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  Speaker 1: out of doors if possible. The windows in all the
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  Speaker 1: hospitals are seldom closed. Sleeping porches are built wherever space permits.
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  Speaker 1: It is unfortunately true, however, that there has been little
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  Speaker 1: advancement in general knowledge as to the science, the art,
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  Speaker 1: and the practice of correct breathing. Yet I have been
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  Speaker 1: surprised and gratified by the eager attention of those friends
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  Speaker 1: to whom I have made explanations and given exhibitions during
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  Speaker 1: the last few years. Without an exception, these friends have
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  Speaker 1: manifested a keen desire to learn the secrets of breath
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  Speaker 1: control and to win for themselves the benefits thus conferred.
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  Speaker 1: In order to broaden my knowledge and to render it exact,
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  Speaker 1: I have made serious studies and experiments through a term
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  Speaker 1: of years. I am convinced that if instead of gymnasiums,
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  Speaker 1: institutions were established for training in the development of breath control,
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  Speaker 1: the grim death toll of one million for one year
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  Speaker 1: in our country would dwindle amazingly. The gymnastics of breathing,
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  Speaker 1: you must always remember that the correct carriage of the
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  Speaker 1: body during the period of the breathing exercises is a
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  Speaker 1: factor of great importance, since the lungs function variously in
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  Speaker 1: accordance with different postures of the body. After the fundamental
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  Speaker 1: principles of deep breathing are mastered, the next step is
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  Speaker 1: to connect it with different exercises, respectively, of the arms,
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  Speaker 1: the legs, the trunk, and the head. At first, it
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  Speaker 1: will be found somewhat difficult to combine attention to the
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  Speaker 1: various parts concerned, but the ability to do this will
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  Speaker 1: readily be mastered by practice. The point involved is that
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  Speaker 1: the muscles of the chest have a reflex action on
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  Speaker 1: other muscles. For instance, when the lungs are full of air,
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  Speaker 1: all the cells are inflated to the utmost, the chest
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  Speaker 1: is stretched, the diaphragm is drawn down. The various muscles
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  Speaker 1: of the chest, of the back, and of the abdomen
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  Speaker 1: are in a state of high tension. This tension could
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  Speaker 1: last only during the time in which the breath is held. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: care must be taken that it shall not influence any
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  Speaker 1: other muscles besides those directly concerned. When you exercise the
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  Speaker 1: arms rhythmically while the breath is being held, such movement
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  Speaker 1: of the arms must not be permitted to influence the breath.
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  Speaker 1: The result to be striven for is an intelligent control
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  Speaker 1: of the muscles, so that the various groups shall be
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  Speaker 1: made to act independently. Every school of gymnastics seeks to
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  Speaker 1: attain the same end with a difference. In this system
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  Speaker 1: of breath control, the lungs are trained, the chief requisite
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  Speaker 1: for all health, beauty and vigor. And now that we
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  Speaker 1: have given this much attention to the why, let us
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  Speaker 1: go forward to the how of breath control. Preparation for
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  Speaker 1: the exercises, the clothing should be loose, especially around the
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  Speaker 1: neck and chest. It is advisable, when convenient, that the
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  Speaker 1: collar should be removed for the duration of the exercises.
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  Speaker 1: The buttons of the coat and vest, too, should be unfastened.
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  Speaker 1: After a short time. It would be found that these
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  Speaker 1: buttons must be placed nearer the edge of the garments.
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  Speaker 1: The girl or woman who wishes to get the best
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  Speaker 1: results from these exercises should be sure to have no
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  Speaker 1: clothing on that may bind her about the waist, constrict
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  Speaker 1: her diaphragm, or press upon her abdominal muscles. It is
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  Speaker 1: almost superfluous to say that she should never attempt her
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  Speaker 1: exercises without at least first divesting herself of her courses.
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  Speaker 1: If she wears corsets, it is better to wear merely
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  Speaker 1: the comfortable union suit that so many sensible girls and
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  Speaker 1: women wear now, for this affords perfect freedom of movement
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  Speaker 1: and permits every muscle to be properly tensed and relaxed
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  Speaker 1: by the deep breathing exercises and the gymnastic movements that
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  Speaker 1: accompany them. The first requirement throughout all the exercises is
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  Speaker 1: a preliminary releasing from the lungs of the old dead air,
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  Speaker 1: which is a continual source of self poisoning. This accumulation
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  Speaker 1: must be driven out from the points of the lungs
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  Speaker 1: before the new breath is taken. It is repeated also
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  Speaker 1: on the conclusion of all the exercises. It must never
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  Speaker 1: be neglected the cleansing breath explanation in detail. This exercise
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  Speaker 1: prefaces and ends every exercise in breathing. By prefacing an exercise,
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  Speaker 1: it makes space in the lungs for a capacit city
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  Speaker 1: volume of new breath. By ending an exercise, it serves
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  Speaker 1: the important function of relaxing the whole body. It should
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  Speaker 1: be studied very carefully. Exhale, blow out energetically, saying between
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  Speaker 1: the teeth. Exaggerate the hissing sound of s. This protects
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  Speaker 1: the throat. While doing this, bring the shoulders and head forward.
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  Speaker 1: This helps to press out the air which is never
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  Speaker 1: entirely removed from the lungs. We call this the residual air.
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  Speaker 1: After exhaling, you can begin the second part of this
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  Speaker 1: exercise by doing the opposite inhale slowly through the nose,
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  Speaker 1: gradually bringing the outstretched arms overhead performing a circle. Also
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  Speaker 1: bring head and shoulders back, filling the lungs in all
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  Speaker 1: parts to great capacity. Pause for one or two cents seconds,
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  Speaker 1: and relax suddenly. This is difficult to do correctly. To
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  Speaker 1: relax suddenly means to relax with a crash. The breath
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  Speaker 1: escapes at once, the arms fall, the knees bend, and
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  Speaker 1: all this must take place together with well opened mouth.
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  Speaker 1: You say ha to make the breath escape quickly. This
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  Speaker 1: very important sudden relaxation may lax, snap and precision at first,
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  Speaker 1: but after a few days the mind will become trained
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  Speaker 1: to its action. After this relaxation, take two shorter breaths
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  Speaker 1: in the same way, then pause before repeating the cleansing breath.
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  Speaker 1: In condensed form, position erect with arms at sides, exhale,
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  Speaker 1: blow out quickly saying inhale through the nose, lifting arms
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  Speaker 1: to front, hold breath in position exhale suddenly ha bringing
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  Speaker 1: arms down to the sides. Two short cleansing breaths, pause
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  Speaker 1: ten seconds before repeating. Ordinarily, do this exercise six to
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  Speaker 1: eight times, with pauses between the short controlled breath. Explanation
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  Speaker 1: in detail. Exhale first the cleansing breath. This precedes every
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  Speaker 1: exercise after the cleansing breath. Inhale through the nose while
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  Speaker 1: placing the hands lightly on hips, Hold the breath a
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  Speaker 1: few seconds and open the mouth. Do not permit any
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  Speaker 1: breath to escape. The Opening of the mouth proves to
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  Speaker 1: yourself that there is no contraction at the throat. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: the diaphragm is holding the breath. Now exhale saying between
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  Speaker 1: the teeth with relaxed throat. It is very important to
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  Speaker 1: observe that the chest is held high for the first
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  Speaker 1: half of expiration. Then let it sink quickly with the
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  Speaker 1: breath and take two or three quick cleansing breaths. Observe
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  Speaker 1: that the shoulders do not rise while inhaling. That you
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  Speaker 1: really inhale, not that you stretch the chest muscles and
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  Speaker 1: lift the shoulders, as I have seen even athletes do
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  Speaker 1: when asked to take a deep breath. Besides opening the
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  Speaker 1: mouth during the period of held breath, it would be
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  Speaker 1: well to turn the neck several times to prove its
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  Speaker 1: freedom from tension. The short controlled breath in condensed form
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  Speaker 1: position erect with arms at sides. Exhale as in exercise one,
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  Speaker 1: saying inhale through the nose, placing hands on hips, hold
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  Speaker 1: breath one to four seconds, mouth open. Exhale, first holding
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  Speaker 1: the chest high, then letting it sink slowly with breath
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  Speaker 1: two to three cleansing breaths, pause before repeating, to be
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  Speaker 1: done five or six times with pauses. The climax breath
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  Speaker 1: Explanation and detail. This exercise is the most difficult of
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  Speaker 1: all breathing gymnastics and should not be attempted by the sick.
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  Speaker 1: It requires great endurance. Even an athlete should not attempt
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  Speaker 1: it until the others are well in hand. The first
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  Speaker 1: part is exactly like the exercise marked the short controlled breath,
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  Speaker 1: but in the second part, instead of expelling the air suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: you proceed to exhale very slowly after holding the breath
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  Speaker 1: a few seconds. Care should be taken to see that
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  Speaker 1: the upper chest is held high as long as possible
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  Speaker 1: while exhaling with the last atom of breath leaving the lungs, drop,
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  Speaker 1: relax the shoulders and whole frame quickly. Take two or
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  Speaker 1: three more cleansing breaths to quiet the heart and lungs.
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  Speaker 1: When one is ready for this strenuous exercise, it becomes
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  Speaker 1: a great force for building breadth and depth to the
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  Speaker 1: chest and new inner vitality. During the first few weeks,
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  Speaker 1: one performance of this exercise is enough for the day.
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  Speaker 1: After the second month, two exercises per day, fifth month,
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  Speaker 1: three exercises per day, et cetera, very gradually increasing the number.
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  Speaker 1: The climax breath in condensed form Exhale inhale slowly, hiss
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  Speaker 1: through the smallest opening of lips and closed teeth. Place
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  Speaker 1: hands on diaphragm, hold breath several seconds. Exhale slowly through
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  Speaker 1: small opening of lips and teeth. Several cleansing breaths, long paws.
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  Speaker 1: This is never to be performed more than twice at
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  Speaker 1: one time during the first two months. With girls or
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  Speaker 1: women who are inclined to stoutness, it may sometimes be
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  Speaker 1: well to place the hands immediately under the busts, slightly
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  Speaker 1: supporting the breasts, instead of on the hips. It will
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  Speaker 1: be found that the relaxing movements can thus be performed
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  Speaker 1: with more comfort until such time as the muscles supporting
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  Speaker 1: the busts gained in strength and elasticity. Care should be
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  Speaker 1: taken at first not to take in too much breath,
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  Speaker 1: nor to hold the breath too long. This matter, however,
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  Speaker 1: is entirely individual. Naturally, a greater amount of care must
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  Speaker 1: be exercise by a delicate child or by a consumptive
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  Speaker 1: than by a healthy youth. And right here it must
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  Speaker 1: be emphasized that if you are a businessman sitting for
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  Speaker 1: long hours every day at a desk, you should, in
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  Speaker 1: order to derive the maximum amount of good from these
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  Speaker 1: breathing exercises, plan to stand up near the open window
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  Speaker 1: and spend a few minutes practicing some of these simple exercises.
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  Speaker 1: You will often find that what you thought was the
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  Speaker 1: fatigue of over work is nothing more or less than
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  Speaker 1: staying too long in a close atmosphere and making an
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  Speaker 1: insufficient use of your organs of respiration. The feeling of
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  Speaker 1: freshness these exercises will impart. The increased vigor and the
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  Speaker 1: enhanced clearness of mind that will come to you will
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  Speaker 1: prove a grateful source of surprise. Many men formerly in
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  Speaker 1: the habit of visiting for a cocktail, take a few
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  Speaker 1: deals breaths in this scientific manner. They claim that this
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  Speaker 1: fresh air cocktail is better than any coffee or liquor stimulant,
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  Speaker 1: and it can be certain that nothing but good effects
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  Speaker 1: can ever follow it. By this system of breathing, you
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  Speaker 1: can build up a wonderful physique. You can become strong
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  Speaker 1: and active and have a superabundance of health and vitality,
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  Speaker 1: And without spending more than a few minutes of your
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  Speaker 1: day at your breathing exercises. After a short time, the
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  Speaker 1: habit for slow deep breathing is formed, and as with
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  Speaker 1: all habits, it requires no attention whatsoever. Hence, for controlled
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  Speaker 1: breathing it should go almost without saying that to get
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  Speaker 1: the best effects from air, you should breathe the purest
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  Speaker 1: air Obtainable air which is full of dust particles, for instance,
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  Speaker 1: may be actually irritating to the delicate mucous membrane that
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  Speaker 1: lines the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and air cells of
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  Speaker 1: the lungs. This dust contains particles of organic matter derived
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  Speaker 1: from the excrement of horses and dogs, from dried atoms
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  Speaker 1: of afal and decaying vegetable matter or from dried mud
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  Speaker 1: impregnated with urine. Indeed, it is very largely upon these
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  Speaker 1: particles that the microorganisms, arch enemies of mankind as well
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  Speaker 1: as of animal kind, are carried on their aer and
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  Speaker 1: of destruction. These micro organisms are most abundant in the
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  Speaker 1: air of inhabited rooms, and the more people in the room,
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  Speaker 1: the greater the number of microbes present. So don't be
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  Speaker 1: afraid of open windows day or night. Remember Florence Nightingale's
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  Speaker 1: quaint observation windows are made to be opened. Always breathe
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  Speaker 1: through the nose. It should be remembered also that so
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  Speaker 1: far as possible, all inhalation of air should be through
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  Speaker 1: the nose. This is for two very important reasons. First,
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  Speaker 1: the fine hairs lining the nasal passages act as a
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  Speaker 1: sieve through which the inspired air is strained. Further than this,
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  Speaker 1: the lower turbinated bodies in the nose and the lower
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  Speaker 1: half of the middle turbinates are covered with tiny cells
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  Speaker 1: ciliated tissue protruding from the membrane covering of the turbinates.
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  Speaker 1: These cells catch and hold any particles of dust or
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  Speaker 1: other matter that may have slipped through the hair screen
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  Speaker 1: of the nostrils. Thus, dust, germs, and other harmful material
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  Speaker 1: are removed from the air currents and prevented from reaching
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  Speaker 1: the lung cells. The next most important reason is that
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  Speaker 1: the chambers of the nose, with their wonderfully rich blood supply,
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  Speaker 1: act as temperature regulators. If you breathe air at zero
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  Speaker 1: temperature through the nose, it is actually warmed to body
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  Speaker 1: temperatures before it passes into the bronchial tubes. If you
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  Speaker 1: were to breathe desert air or the air of a
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  Speaker 1: blast furnace heated to one hundred thirty degrees, this superheated
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  Speaker 1: air would be cooled approximately to body temperature before it
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  Speaker 1: passed into the lung cells. If there is a tendency
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  Speaker 1: to breathe through the mouth, this will be manifested most
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  Speaker 1: decidedly at night, when you are asleep and the muscles
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  Speaker 1: are relaxed. If you find that you are in the
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  Speaker 1: habit of sleeping with the mouth open, awakening in the
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  Speaker 1: morning with a dry, harsh throat, it might be well
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  Speaker 1: to adopt the device which doctor William H. Fitzgerald introduced
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  Speaker 1: to the medical profession almost twenty years ago. This consists
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  Speaker 1: merely in applying a small piece of surgeon's adhesive plaster
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  Speaker 1: over the closed lips, keeping them closed during all the
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  Speaker 1: hours of the night. The court plaster can be applied
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  Speaker 1: lengthwise over the lips, or it can be tasted across
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  Speaker 1: the lips, holding them firmly in the closed position. Many
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  Speaker 1: find the latter method the most practical. The more fresh
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  Speaker 1: air you can get in your home, your office, or
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  Speaker 1: school or workshop, or wherever you may have to spend
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  Speaker 1: your daytime, the better off you'll be. End of section
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  Speaker 1: three read by Martha Heaton, October twenty twenty three. End
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  Speaker 1: of The New Science of Controlled Breathing, Volume one and
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  Speaker 1: two by Edward Lanco