Physical Exercises – Series 1
Exercise No. 1.
Stand straight, facing a corner of the room with bare feet about 14 or 15 inches from the corner itself, arms straight out, even with shoulders or perhaps two inches below, hands resting on the two-side walls, chest out, abdomen in. Now lean forward towards the corner, without moving the feet or bending the knees.
Aim lightly to touch the corner with the chest, while holding the head and abdomen as far back from the corner as possible, arms and hands slipping forward on the walls in a straight line with shoulders. Resume first position without moving the feet or lowering the arms, and repeat. Make the forward movement slowly, at the same time inhaling through nostrils a slow, full breath; put your whole effort into stretching the chest forward and upward (careful not to bruise yourself against wall) and head and abdomen backward, thus straightening the back at the shoulders. Hold the chest to the corner a moment, holding the breath likewise, then slowly resume original upright position, slowly exhaling through slightly open lips at the same time bending the head forward towards the chest. As you lean forward toward the corner, mentally keep count of your exercise one, two, three, etc. As you resume the upright position, exhaling and bending the head forward mentally, affirm “I am fearless, pure, strong.” Make these movements always slowly, deliberately, with the closest attention. Begin with 5 or 6 movements and raise to 20 at a time.
Exercise No. 2.
Stand straight about two feet from the wall. Place the palms on the wall-level with the shoulders. Without moving the feet or bending the body, lean forward slowly, inhaling slowly as you do so, until the chest touches the wall, head back; then push yourself slowly to an upright position slowly exhaling as you do so. Repeat 10 times or more.
Exercise No. 3.
Clasp the hands behind. As you slowly inhale extend the clasped hand slowly downwards as far as possible, straightening arms at elbow and lowering shoulders as much as possible, at the same time extending and lifting the chest as far as you can. Hold the breath and the position a moment only, shoulders down, chest out and up, abdomen in, then release the hand and slowly exhale. A rather vigorous exercise. So go slowly.
Exercise No. 4.
Stand straight, arms extended even with the shoulders, head up; tense muscles of right arm doubling slowly at elbow and hand only, until the clenched fist touches the shoulders; at the same time tensing the neck muscles, chin up, and turning the head slowly to face the clenched fist. Repeat with the left arm. The arms from shoulder to elbow must be kept in a horizontal position.
Exercise No. 5.
Stand straight, hands at sides. Bend as far over to the right as possible, slowly; then to the left as far as possible. Repeat 10 times.
Exercise No. 6.
Stand straight, arms at sides. Lean as far forward as you can without bending the knees and roll the body clear around in a circle to the right, arms and body as limp as possible. Repeat 5 times. Then roll five times to the left.
Exercise No. 7.
Stand straight. Extend arms easily in front. Wave them backwards and upwards in a sort of reversed swimming movement, until they meet overhead; at the same time bending backward as far as possible slowly inhale a full breath. Now bend forward, exhaling breath, taking care not to bend the knees, until your fingers touch your toes, head hanging as low as possible, toes and head as limp as possible, fingers reaching towards the floor. Repeat upright position. Keep the knees straight throughout. Aim to stretch the entire body and hands upward and backward as far as possible, with the upward motion of the arms. If you can’t touch the floor without bending the knees, just come as near it as you can. Practice will limber you up until you can touch it.
Exercise No. 8.
Lie full length on the back of the floor, hands clasped under head. Tense the muscles of the right leg, raising the knee slowly until it touches or almost touches the body, at the same time bending the foot downward as far as possible, stretching the toes towards the floor. Now slowly lower the right leg, still tense, towards the floor, straightening the knee and turning the toe upward towards the body. As the right leg is being lowered, raise the left one upward in the same way tensing the muscles, knee to chest, toes stretching upward; as the left leg goes down, point the toes and foot toward the knee 5 times, increasing gradually to 10 times.
