Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
THE QUEST Of BEAUTY
Flexible Muscles Reveal Ones
Gracsfulness.
PRACTISING j POSING
IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
Learn to Stand and Sit Without
Being stiff-waist-
ed.
Copyright 1908 by T. G. Mcuure.)

shadow on the wall she confers a favor on
the world"
This not because she Is beautiful. but be-
cause she has cultivated the attractive
grace OF pose and poise. She may, indeed,
De comparativ plain woman. but new
ertheless she charms. because she has her
body under perfect control; every muscle is
flexible. Without this suppleness there can
be no grace. no charm of carriage which
SO distinguishes a woman, no repose-the
repose which marks the daughter Of hun
dred earls.
1t is no use to visit art galleries and mu-
seu1ns to study effects unless one practices
them. too To strive faithfully for perfec-
ton In living human body is a nobler pur-
pose than to carve statue out of cold,
Iifeless marble.
Inc preliminary step in acquiring
graceful carriage Is to stand correctly, and
one only learns how to stand correctly
a1ter learning the art Of balancing or
posing.
The first step in this direction is to raise
the heels quickly from the ground and
lower the heels with moderate speed, with
out tipping the weight Of the body back
WARD. Again, keeping the heels on the
ground. alternately lift the balls Of the feet
ana put them down with slight pressure.
one now learns to stand correctly. with
the weight evenly balanced upon the feet.
Draw the knees In firmly. but do not hold
them tensely. Draw the hips well back and
| contract the abdominal muscles. The chest
must be thrown out and then the shoulders
Will drop down and back as they should.
when told to throw your chest out"
says one who speaks with authority,
imagine handle is there and that you
are being pulled forward by It," Next
raise the head slightly, and after that draw
the chin In. II the body can now sway
easily back and forth from the feet up the
posture is correct.
Don't throw the shoulders too far back
That is mistake frequently made.
Stand up straight" At that order four
women out of five will lift their shoulders
up and back and throw out their chests and
stomachs at the same time. Keep the
straight line idea in your mind, and you
will have no trouble in standing correctly
By the straight line" idea is meant that
ear. shoulder, hip and instep should be on
a line. {.
What shall / do with my hands?" asks
one. %-S
Let them hang at the ends of your
arms" Is the reply.
Muck awkwardness would be overcome If
one were taught from childhood. up to let
the hands fall easily as If hung by ropes
and not strained into straight positions.
To SIT Gracefully.
To learn to sit gracefully is an art, not
an instinct. The woman who understands
| the art gives no evidence Of dominance Of
| one part of her physique over another. Nor
does she lounge. She sits erect
Erectness Of the trunk, a good pose Of
the head and graceful disposition of the
lower limbs are necessary IL one would sit
| we'll q.
Don't sit with crossed legs not on ac-
count Of a mere rule Of etiquette, but be-
cause leg crossing Is injurious.
When you cross your legs you fit the
knee cap Of the upper limb into the cavity
| under the knee OF the lower one. In the
cavity that you thus compress there are
two important exterior and interior pop
liteai nerves and a number Of glands and
blood vessels. Compression does not agree
with these organs. 1t benumbs, weakens
and emaciates them You feel the injury
in a numbness o. the whole leg; 1t goes to
sleep.
Keep on with the habit and your legs
weaken; They become thin: they lose
their shapeliness. 1t is only those who
never cross their legs who have strong.
supple and beautiful limbs.
When sitting at table or desk to write
the bending should be from the hip joints,
when it is necessary to lean over, and never
from the waist.
The fatigue of sewing is trebled when
woman sits with bent shoulders curving
the spine above the waist and the resulting
cramped chest depresses all the vital or
gans, forcing them from to three
inches below their normal position.
Above ALL it is important for the short
person to cit erect, for. when in a perfect
iy upright position. one may actually gain
an inch or two in height, and it Is princi-
Die of physical culturists that the higher an
organism is held the better it will fulfill its
functions.
The woman who knows how to sit and
stand erect can apparently add to the
height Of her figure. and impress beholders
another with natural advantages Indifferent
| Iy cultivated She also grows more thor
oughbred In looks and movements.
The Body Erect.
1t Is good practice holding the body per-
fectly erect for a few moments daily. with
out touching the chair back with the body
Sit we'll toward the front edge Of the chair
with the right foot slightly in advance OF
the left ready to rise quickly without help
from the hands In an emergency.
After a time prolong the few moments
to a half hour.
or. sitting erect In q chair, hold your
the floor Then sway the body from side
to side, bending at the waist and neck.
This will strengthen the muscles OF the
waist.
The chair seat should be Arm and regular.
II It is soft and low, the figure Is apt to
turn and become distorted for want of a
uniform and solid support.
To lie fiat on the floor for quarter Of an
hour daily will also help to give a fine.
erect figure.
sewing, writing OF lypeWTltlnSp Try 10 get
five or even three minutes now and then
for practIcing some simple arm exercises;
or walk about the room. with hands
crossed behind the back, and book or
weight of some sort on the head: or reach
upward as far as possible and draw down
imaginary ropes to the sides, and then
carry them back and upward.
For another movement, carry the arms
back and forth with swinging motion
from the shoulders only. Then describe
two or three circles. with clenched fists,
back to the shoulders and with elbows
bent,
Repeat these movements with each arm
separately Again, curve first one arm
then the other toward the shoulder.
with the body erect and the arms ex-
tended vertically above the head, the hands
touching, sway backward and forward as
far as possible, Without losing the bal
Place the feet firmly ana wen apart Hold
the arms out straight and bend the body
so that one hand touches the door, while
the other Is pointing straight up In the
air. Then turn the body 80 al to face the
other foot, and put the other hand down
to the floor. Alternate many times.
Stretch frst one arm and then the other
at fuii length from tho shoulder, with 4
Quick. even movement. turning the hand so
that che palm Il upward Drop the arm at
the side, Repeat this movement until the
ann Is tired. Don't change the position Of
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