e little
or no imagination this will seem ridiculous; to others who have more,
and can direct it usefully, this and similar ways will be very helpful.
After the arm is raised to a perpendicular position, let the force of
gravity have it,--first the upper arm to the elbow, and then the
forearm and hand, so that it falls by pieces. Follow the same motion
with the other arm, and repeat this three times, trying to improve with
each repetition.

Next, the head must be moved slowly,--so slowly that it seems as though
it hardly moved at all,--first rolled to the left, then back and to the
right and back again; and this also can be repeated three times. After
each of the above motions there should be two or three long, quiet
breaths. To free the spine, sit up on the floor, and with heavy arms
and legs, head dropped forward, let it go back slowly and easily, as if
the vertebrae were beads on a string, and first one bead lay flat, then
another and another, until the whole string rests on the floor, and the
head falls back with its own weight. This should be practised over and
over before the movement can be perfectly free; and it is well to begin
on the bed, until you catch the idea and its true application. After,
and sometimes before, the process of slow motions, rolling over loosely
on one side should be practised,--remaining there until the weight all
seems near the floor, and then giving way so that the force of gravity
seems to "flop" it back (I use "flop" advisedly); so again resting on
the other side. But one must go over by regular motions, raising the
leg first heavily and letting it fall with its full weight over the
other leg, so that the ankles are crossed. The arm on the same side
must be raised as high as possible and dropped over the chest. Then the
body can be rolled over, and carried as it were by the weight of the
arm and leg. It must go over heavily and freely like a bag of loose
bones, and it helps greatly to freedom to roll over and over in this
way.

Long breaths, taken deeply and quietly, should be interspersed all
through these exercises for extreme relaxation. They prevent the
possibility of relaxing too far. And as there is a pressure on every
muscle of the body during a deep inspiration, the muscles, being now
relaxed into freedom, are held in place, so to speak, by the pressure
from the breath,--as we blow in the fingers of a glove to put them in
shape.

Remember always that it is equilibrium we a