human
body. But so much that is good and helpful in the "Delsarte system" has
been misused, and so much of what is thoroughly artificial and
unhealthy has been mixed with the useful, that one hesitates now to
mention Delsarte. Either he was a wonderful genius whose thoughts and
discoveries have been sadly perverted, or the inconsistencies of his
teachings were great enough to limit the true power which certainly can
be found in much that he has left us.

Besides the exercises already described there are many others, suited
to individual needs, for gaining the freedom of each part of the body
and of the body as a whole.

It is not possible to describe them clearly enough to allow them to be
followed without a teacher, and to secure the desired result. Indeed,
there would be danger of unpleasant results from misunderstanding. The
object is so to stand that our muscles hold us, with the natural
balance given them, instead of trying, as most of us do, to hold our
muscles. In moving to gain this natural equilibrium we allow our
muscles to carry us forward, and when they have contracted as far as is
possible for one set, the antagonizing muscles carry us back. So it is
with the side-to-side poising from the ankles, and the circular motion,
which is a natural swinging of the muscles to find their centre of
equilibrium, having once been started out of it. To stand for a moment
and _think_ the feet heavy is a great help in gaining the natural
poising motions, but care should always be taken to hold the chest well
up. Indeed, we need have no sense of effort in standing, except in
raising the chest,--and that must be as if it were pulled up outside by
a button in its centre, but there must be no strain in the effort.

The result of the exercises taken to free the head is shown in the
power to toss the head lightly and easily, with the waist muscles, from
a dropped forward to an erect position. The head shows its freedom then
by the gentle swing of the neck muscles, which is entirely involuntary
and comes from the impetus given them in tossing the head.

Tension in the muscles of the neck is often very difficult to overcome;
because, among other reasons, the sensations coming from certain forms
of nervous over-strain are very commonly referred to the region of the
base of the brain. It is not unusual to find the back of the neck rigid
in extreme tension, and whether the strain is very severe or not, great
care must be taken to