Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-16
A PsYCHo-PHysIcAL CRAZE.

l NODOuy Gail Dul mOtner.
A PsYCHo-PHYsICAL CRAZE.
Do you want to make the acquaintanc,
of the unseen self within you-to get dowr
and shake hands with your soul, so tt
speak? If you do, you should follow the
example of some of the best-known society
people of New York city, and study psy
cho-physical culture. What is it?
Miss Julia Thomas, who after twelve
years of persistent study, has at last giver
the result of her work to the public
calls it "The new system & physical de-
velopment which is accomplished by
bringing mind and body into perfect har
mony."
Miss Thomas believes in beginning al
the foot of the matter, for, in order tc
make her system a perfect success, the
lessons must begin before the pupil is born
She says that it was the visiting of the in.
stitutions of New York city, where she
heard the plaintive cries of cripples and
the shrieks of insane men and drunkards
that she found courage to talk plainly
about TIE physical structure of man.
In the schools she found crippled backs
and legs, narrow shoulders and bad ewes
She knew that it was necessary to 60 back
to grandfathers and grandmothers to find
the source of these ills, and, in order to do
away with them, there must be brought
into existence new and perfect race.
One of these psychic babies is Miss
Frances Willard Quigley, of Newark, n.
j., who is now in her third year, and is
certainly living incarnation of Miss
Thomas theory. She has body as per.
feet as one of Raphael's angels, a voice as
sweet as a robins note and every move
ment she makes is graceful. As soon as
she could stand she began balancing her
! self on her toes and doing other of the
psychic movements. So far, as an ex.
ponent of the new theory, Miss Willard
| Is success.
Among the we'll lknown society ladies Of
New York who have adopted and are very
enthusiastic over the new theory are Mrs
Whitelaw Reid, Mrs. Roswell Z. Smith
Miss Florence Schietfelin, William E.
Dodge's daughters, the Misses Isham, and
the Misses Kuhne, daughters of the Presi-
dent of the Goethe Club. These ladies
have taken up the psychic study for vari-
GUS reasons. Some of them for the pur-
pose of physical development, some with a
view to obtaining grace in movements,
| some to reduce avoirdupois, and some to
cure their various ills. For all this can
be done, it is claimed, if you bring your
mind into perfect harmony with your
body.
| Miss Thomas has even made converts OF
some of the leading physicians of New
York City, among whom are DR.. Knapp,
DR.. Miles and DR.. Clay born. Miss Thomas
particularly disclaims any relationship
with the Christian scientists or faith-cur-
lists. But she believes that almost any
disease can be cured by proper breathing.
Her system is based largely upon the
Greek method, which produced the finest
models of the human form ever yet devel-
oped. Grace, lightness, buoyancy, the ac-
compartments of perfect health of mind
and body, both acting together, are the
results attained. These will be shown in
the pose, the carriage and the walk She
| holds that any exercise which does not
engage cooperation Of the soul or mind OF
the person is not beneficial exercise, and
becomes a burden rather than help She
uses no implements like the dumb-bells or
anything of that sort.
Some people, when walking, try to keep
up with their feet. The first thing you
see coming around the corner are their
feet. Then other people are always trying
to keep up with their head, and never quite
succeed.
''Posture shows the state of ones mind.
1 fl,n nf ~ e L
the faith, and Encouragement, and so on
through the whole category. Our spirits
control our movements. The trouble with
the present system is that it trains only
the body. No matter il the heavens fall,
the spirits should be kept in their natural
attitude, that Of hope and grace"
WE CAN ALL AGREE
With Miss Thomas that there is yet a
wide field for her labors. "Look at the
boys and girls in our Schools" she says,
''they are puny, pale-faced creatures, with
no energy beyond that which compels
them to compete with their equally puny
classmates for the honors of commence.
ment day"
Miss Thomas says that this all comes
from mistaken idea of education. The
purpose of education is to bring about an
equal development OF mind, soul and
body, so that they can work together with
harmony. There should be no abnormal
| all be perfectly balanced. But as long as
the present school system prevails, with
out modification, there can be no regular
development. The error is growing be-
cause the curriculum is constantly being
widened. She says:
'The first thing any one of my pupils
learn Is the natural pose, or the pose OF
strength. There are few indeed who
know how to stand in an easy position, or
without fatigue. In the pose | teach, the
object is to get proper distribution OF
the avordupois on the bony structure, and
to have each joint set perfectly in its
socket. This prevents fatigue, and is the
key to future graceful movement. Then
comes the strong exercise where the pupil
makes every muscle tense, the mind work
ing simultaneously through every part OF
the body, and not allowing few muscles
to do all the work"
Then exercises have been arranged, all
of which bring in every muscle of the en-
tire body as far rs possible. The thing
most striven after is lightness, buoyancy
| and perfect mental control. There can
be no lightness where there is no strength
To be springy and buoyant one must
have sense of power.
Miss Thomas never tells anyone to pu,
his or her shoulders back. least of all a
child. On the contrary, she says, ''Throw
out the hips" Then you have ease and
strength in perfect pose, and the body is
made splendid pedestal for the head.
Miss Thomas is an enthusiastic patron Of
the circus, and she has seen every equi-
librist, every trapez performer and every
tumbler Of note in the country. She gave
a number of lectures at Ocean Grove las,
summer, where she was very popular
Once she said to an audience of good
people at the Grove:
''If you want to see what can be done
with the human body, go to circus"
Some of the long faces grew longer a
this advice, and good many of the peopl,