rom inhaling to exhaling with the greatest delicacy
possible--keeping the body loose.

For the shorter breaths we can count three, or five, or ten to inhale,
and the same number to exhale, until we have the rhythm established,
and then go on breathing without counting, as if we were sound asleep.
Always aim for gentleness and delicacy. If we have not half an hour to
spare to lie quietly and breathe we can practice the breathing while we
walk. It is wonderful how we detect strain and resistance in our
breath, and the restfulness which comes when we breathe so gently that
the breath seems to come and go without our volition brings new life
with it.

We must expect to gain slowly and be patient; we must remember that
nerves always get well by ups and downs, and use our wills to make
every down lead to a higher up. If we want the lasting benefit, or any
real benefit at all when we get the brain impression of quiet freedom
from these breathing exercises, we must insist upon recalling that
impression every time a test comes, and face the circumstances, or the
person, or the duty with a voluntary insistence upon a quiet, open
brain, rather than a tense, resistant one.

It will come hard at first, but we are sure to get there if we keep
steadily at it, for it is really the Law of the Lord God Almighty that
we are learning to obey, and this process of learning gives us steadily
an enlarged appreciation of what trust in the Lord really is. There is
no trust without obedience, and an intelligent obedience begets trust.
The nerves touch the soul on one side and the body on the other, and we
must work for freedom of soul and body in response to spiritual and
physical law if we want to get sick nerves well. If we do not remember
always a childlike attitude toward the Lord the best nerve training is
only an easy way of being selfish.

To sum it all up--if you want to learn to help yourself out of "nerves"
learn to rest when you rest and to work without strain when you work;
learn to loosen out of the muscular contractions which the nerves
cause; learn to drop the mental resistances which cause the "nerves,"
and which take the form of anger, resentment, worry, anxiety,
impatience, annoyance, or self-pity; eat only nourishing food, eat it
slowly, and chew it well; breathe the freshest air you can, and breathe
it deeply, gently, and rhythmically; take what healthy, vigorous
exercise you find possible; do your daily work to the best o