erson, so that it seems to be no
part of you, but as separate as if it were three bags of sand, fastened
loosely at the wrist, the elbow, and the shoulder; it will then be full
of life without tension. You will find probably, either that you try to
assist in raising the arm in your anxiety to make it heavy, or you will
resist so that it is not heavy with its own weight but with I your
personal effort. In some cases the nervous force is so active that the
arm reminds one of a lively eel.

Then have your legs treated in the same way. It is good even to have
some one throw your arm or your leg up and catch it; also to let it go
unexpectedly. Unnecessary tension is proved when the limb, instead of
dropping by the pure force of gravity, sticks fast wherever it was
left. The remark when the extended limb is brought to the attention of
its owner is, "Well, what did you want me to do? You did not say you
wanted me to drop it,"--which shows the habitual attitude of tension so
vividly as to be almost ridiculous; the very idea being, of course,
that you are not wanted to do anything but _let go,_ when the arm would
drop of its own accord. If the person holding your arm says, "Now I
will let go, and it must drop as if a dead weight," almost invariably
it will not be the force of gravity that takes it, but your own effort
to make it a dead weight; and it will come down with a thump which
shows evident muscular effort, or so slowly and actively as to prove
that you cannot let it alone. Constant and repeated trial, with right
thought from the pupil, will be certain to bring good results, so that
at least he or she can be sure of better power for rest in the limbs.
Unfortunately this first gain will not last. Unless the work goes on,
the legs and arms will soon be "all tightened up" again, and it will
seem harder to let go than ever.

The next care must be with the head. That cannot be treated as roughly
as the limbs. It can be tossed, if the tosser will surely catch it on
his open hand. Never let it drop with its full weight on the floor, for
the jar of the fall, if you are perfectly relaxed, is unpleasant; if
you are tense, it is dangerous. At first move it slowly up and down. As
with the arms, there will be either resistance or attempted assistance.
It seems at times as though it were and always would be impossible to
let go of your own head. Of course, if you cannot give up and let go
for a friend to move it quietly up and down, y