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Practical Exercises 1a


POSTURE

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What does posture mean? "Posture, the relative position of different parts of the body at rest or during movement; dependent on shape of spine and on balanced contraction of muscles around spine and in each limb; good posture helps prevent neck and back pain and results from balancing body weight around body's center of gravity in lower spine and pelvis; bad posture results from sitting slumped in a chair or standing with shoulders and back hunched; obesity is bad for posture because it strains muscles; disorders of nerves, muscles, joints, and bones can also cause poor posture." Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Copyright © 1994, 1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.

"Among the first things to be aimed at should be a correct position, both in sitting and in standing. God made man upright, and He desires him to possess not only the physical but the mental and moral benefit, the grace and dignity and self-possession, the courage and self-reliance, which an erect bearing so greatly tends to promote. Let the teacher give instruction on this point by example and by precept. Show what a correct position is, and insist that it shall be maintained." Ed. page 198 para. 3.

"Schoolrooms generally have not been constructed in reference to health, but in regard to cheapness. The rooms have not been arranged so they could be ventilated as they should be without exposing the children to severe cold. The seats have seldom been made so that the children can sit with ease, and keep their little, growing frames in a proper posture to insure healthy action of the lungs and heart. Young children can grow into almost any shape, and can, by habits of proper exercise and positions of the body, obtain healthy forms. It is destructive to the health and life of young children to sit in the schoolroom, upon hard, ill-formed benches, from three to five hours a day, inhaling the air made impure by many breaths. The weak lungs become affected, the brain, from which the nervous energy of the whole system is derived, becomes enfeebled by being called into active exercise before the strength of the mental organs is sufficiently matured to endure fatigue." H.L. page 150 para.1.

"146. What should be the position of the body in standing or walking in order to properly develop the muscles?
"The body should be upright; with the head, shoulders and hips thrown back, and the breast forward. Constant bending over will cause a round-shouldered, crooked, mean, diminutive appearance. But the appearance is the smallest evil. It causes the bones of the chest to press upon the internal organs of the body, and hinders their healthy action, causes short breathing, and pain in the chest, weakness of the lungs, and finally consumption.
"A person who stands erect, can stand with more ease, labor better, and travel farther in a day, than one who stoops. Students, when sitting at their studies, or in writing, should avoid a stooping posture. If we always keep the body in a proper position it will tend to make the back bone firm and strong. In all bodily or mechanical labor the body should be bent, or lean on the hip joints; the trunk should be kept as straight as possible." Hand Book of Health by J. N. Loughborough, page 59 para. 4 - 6.

"94. Is it important to care for this frame-work?
"It is. If we wear our clothing too tight, we diminish the size of the chest, crowd the lungs, heart, and other organs, and hinder their healthy action. By sitting, or standing in a stooping posture, the lower end of the sternum is crowded upon the stomach, which injures and weakens it. Men or women who wear tight clothing over the lower ribs must injure their health." Hand Book of Health by J. N. Loughborough, page 36, Para. 7 & 8.

"55. How do many persons injure the shape of the spinal column?
"By wrong positions in sitting, standing, or lying down. By sitting considerable of the time, as many do, in rocking chairs, or while writing, bent forward, or with one shoulder higher than the other. By these ill-habits, this column becomes bent too far forward, or crooked sidewise, causing either round shoulders, or a dropping of one shoulder lower than the other. Some lie on two or three pillows, so that when they habitually lie upon the side they are in danger of causing this same curvature of the spine.
"In sitting, you should sit back against the back of the chair, with head erect, shoulders back, and the whole vertebral column to the shoulders resting against the back of the chair. In lying down, whether on the back or side, lie with the body, arms, and limbs straight, and the head elevated not more than four inches. You should habituate yourself to sleeping on either side. Frequently changing from side to side is also beneficial. Never sleep lying upon your face." Hand Book of Health by J. N. Loughborough, page 27 para. 2-4.

"The best treatment of all is, of course, prevention. Much back pain that develops later in life can be prevented by protecting the back sensibly when younger. People of any age, whether with a history of back pain or not, should be taught to adopt a correct sitting and working posture; always to bend at the knees, particularly while lifting a heavy weight; and to sleep in a firm bed in order to prevent stresses and strains imposed on the back because of poor back support while asleep." "Backache," Microsoft ® Encarta ® 99 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


How is your posture? Are you sitting and standing correctly? If not you should start doing it correctly so as to avoid back injury, and other health problems.





RESPIRATION AND
VOCAL CULTURE

"Next in importance to right position are respiration and vocal culture. The one who sits and stands erect is more likely than others to breathe properly. But the teacher should impress upon his pupils the importance of deep breathing. Show how the healthy action of the respiratory organs, assisting the circulation of the blood, invigorates the whole system, excites the appetite, promotes digestion, and induces sound, sweet sleep, thus not only refreshing the body, but soothing and tranquilizing the mind. And while the importance of deep breathing is shown, the practice should be insisted upon. Let exercises be given which will promote this, and see that the habit becomes established.

"The training of the voice has an important place in physical culture, since it tends to expand and strengthen the lungs, and thus to ward off disease. To ensure correct delivery in reading and speaking, see that the abdominal muscles have full play in breathing and that the respiratory organs are unrestricted. Let the strain come on the muscles of the abdomen rather than on those of the throat. Great weariness and serious disease of the throat and lungs may thus be prevented. Careful attention should be given to securing distinct articulation, smooth, well-modulated tones, and a not-too-rapid delivery. This will not only promote health, but will add greatly to the agreeableness and efficiency of the student's work.

"In teaching these things a golden opportunity is afforded for showing the folly and wickedness of tight lacing and every other practice that restricts vital action. An almost endless train of disease results from unhealthful modes of dress, and careful instruction on this point should be given. Impress upon the pupils the danger of allowing the clothing to weigh on the hips or to compress any organ of the body. The dress should be so arranged that a full respiration can be taken and the arms be raised above the head without difficulty. The cramping of the lungs not only prevents their development, but hinders the processes of digestion and circulation, and thus weakens the whole body. All such practices lessen both physical and mental power, thus hindering the student's advancement and often preventing his success." Ed. pages 198 para. 4 - 199 para. 2.

Do's:-

  • toned right, has solemnity, and is so modulated as to be even pathetic.
  • speak clearly and distinctly.
  • by the music of your voice and the emphasis placed on the words you can make the scene presented stand out clearly before the mind of the listener.
  • read with a soft, musical cadence which will charm the hearers.
  • speak with power and expression, making the words of eternal life so expressive and impressive that the hearers cannot but feel their weight.
  • speak so plainly that the listeners can understand every word.
  • read the Bible with clear, distinct utterance in a way that will honour God.
  • lift up your head and with holy awe speak to your heavenly Father, uttering words in tones that can be heard.
  • the testimonies borne and the prayers offered should be clear and distinct.
  • let every word be full and well rounded.
  • every sentence clear and distinct to the very last word.
  • the greater your simplicity, the better will your words be understood.
  • read intelligibly, and speak in full, clear, round tone, in a distinct and impressive manner.
  • speak in pleasant tones, to use pure and correct language, and words that are kind and courteous.
  • sweet, kind words are as dew and gentle showers to the soul.
  • we should be careful of our words.
  • under all circumstances reproof should be spoken in love.
  • pronunciation should be clear.
  • a slow, distinct, clear utterance, preserving the music of the voice.

Don'ts:-

  • raising your voice to a very high pitch and hallooing and screaming out the truth.
  • speak in tones that stir the worst passions of the heart.
  • speak sharply and harshly.
  • sharp, dictatorial words, uttered in hard, rasping tones.
  • let not those who kneel around the family altar put their faces in their hands close down to the chair when they address God.
  • Satan rejoices when the prayers offered to God are almost inaudible.
  • approach the end of a sentence lower the tone of the voice, speaking so indistinctly that the force of the thought is destroyed.
  • read or speak in so low or so rapid a manner that they cannot be readily understood.
  • have a thick, indistinct utterance.
  • speak in a high key, in sharp, shrill tones, that are painful to the hearers.
  • no evil speaking, no frivolous talk, no fretful repining or impure suggestion.
  • "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." Eph. 4:29. A corrupt communication does not mean only words that are vile. It means any expression contrary to holy principles and pure and undefiled religion. It includes impure hints and covert insinuations of evil.
  • a nasal tone or an ungainly attitude should be at once corrected.
  • any lack of distinctness should be marked as defective.
  • speaking in a thick, indistinct way, as if their tongue were too large for your mouth.
  • speak, not in a nervous, hurried manner.
  • no high-sounding words used, to understand which it is necessary to consult a dictionary.

Read these quotes to find out more about speaking correctly.

  • T.2. pages 615-7.
  • T.4. page 404 para. 2.
  • T.6. pages 380 para. 3, 4 - 381 para. 1, 3, 4; page 382 para. 2; page 383 para. 1.
  • C.O.L. page 335 para. 3 - 5; page 336 para. 4 - page 337 para. 2.
  • C.T. page 239 para. 1 - page 240 para. 2.
  • D.A. pages 253 - 5.

Also read these quotes about vocal and instrumental music.

  • P.P. page 594 para. 2.
  • F.E. page 97 para. 4.
  • T.1. page 146 para. 1.
  • T.7. page 115 para. 3.

Using the above information make sure that you speak correctly, and change any defects in you speech so that you don't injure your health, and so that you bring glory and honour to God.




© S. D. Goeldner, November, 2011. Last updated April, 2019.
http://www.vineyardlabourer.info/biblecollege.html


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