{"id":4229,"date":"2013-07-13T01:54:19","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4229"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:54:19","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:54:19","slug":"04-physical-education-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/12-on-education-volume-12\/04-physical-education-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","title":{"rendered":"-04_Physical-Education.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n\u00a0<\/font><\/span>Physical Education
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/i><\/b> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nO<\/font><\/span>f all the domains of human
\nconsciousness, the physical is the one most completely governed by method,
\norder, discipline, process. The lack of plasticity and receptivity in matter
\nhas to be replaced by a detailed organisation that is both precise and
\ncomprehensive. In this organisation, one must not forget the interdependence
\nand interpenetration of all the domains of the being. However, even a mental or
\nvital impulse, to express itself physically, must submit to an exact process.
\nThat is why all education of the body, if it is to be effective, must be
\nrigorous and detailed, far-sighted and methodical. This will be translated into
\nhabits; the body is a being of habits. But these habits should be controlled
\nand disciplined, while remaining flexible enough to adapt themselves to
\ncircumstances and to the needs of the growth and development of the being. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All education of the body should
\nbegin at birth and continue throughout life. It is never too soon to begin nor
\ntoo late to continue. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Physical education has three
\nprincipal aspects: (1) control and discipline of the functioning of the body,
\n(2) an integral, methodical and harmonious development of all the parts and
\nmovements of the body and (3) correction of any defects and deformities. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It may be said that from the very
\nfirst days, even the first hours of his life, the child should undergo the
\nfirst part of this programme as far as food, sleep, evacuation, etc. are
\nconcerned. If the child, from the very beginning of his existence, learns good
\nhabits, it will save him a good deal of trouble and inconvenience for the rest
\nof his life; and besides, those who have the responsibility of caring for him
\nduring his first years will find their task very much easier. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, this education, if it is
\nto be rational, enlightened and effective, must be based upon a minimum
\nknowledge of the<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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human body, of its structure and its functioning. As the child
\ndevelops, he must gradually be taught to observe the functioning of his internal
\norgans so that he may control them more and more, and see that this functioning
\nremains normal and harmonious. As for positions, postures and movements, bad
\nhabits are formed very early and very rapidly, and these may have disastrous
\nconsequences for his whole life. Those who take the question of physical
\neducation seriously and wish to give their children the best conditions for
\nnormal development will easily find the necessary indications and instructions.
\nThe subject is being more and more thoroughly studied, and many books have
\nappeared and are still appearing which give all the information and guidance
\nneeded. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is not possible for me here to
\ngo into the details of the application, for each problem is different from
\nevery other and the solution should suit the individual case. The question of
\nfood has been studied at length and in detail; the diet that helps children in
\ntheir growth is generally known and it may be very useful to follow it. But it
\nis very important to remember that the instinct of the body, so long as it
\nremains intact, is more reliable than any theory. Accordingly, those who want
\ntheir child to develop normally should not force him to eat food which he finds
\ndistasteful, for most often the body possesses a sure instinct as to what is
\nharmful to it, unless the child is particularly capricious. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The body in its normal state, that
\nis to say, when there is no intervention of mental notions or vital impulses,
\nalso knows very well what is good and necessary for it; but for this to be
\neffective in practice, one must educate the child with care and teach him to
\ndistinguish his desires from his needs. He should be helped to develop a taste
\nfor food that is simple and healthy, substantial and appetising, but free from
\nany useless complications. In his daily food, all that merely stuffs and causes
\nheaviness should be avoided; and above all, he must be taught to eat according
\nto his hunger, neither more nor less, and not to make<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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his meals an occasion to
\nsatisfy his greed or gluttony. From one’s very childhood, one should know that
\none eats in order to give strength and health to the body and not to enjoy the
\npleasures of the palate. Children should be given food that suits their
\ntemperament, prepared in a way that ensures hygiene and\u00a0 <\/span>cleanliness, that is pleasant to the taste
\nand yet very simple. This food should be chosen and apportioned according to
\nthe age of the child and his regular activities. It should contain all the
\nchemical and dynamic elements that are necessary for his development and the
\nbalanced growth of every part of his body. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Since the child will be given only
\nthe food that helps to keep him healthy and provide him with the energy he
\nneeds, one must be very careful not to use food as a means of coercion and
\npunishment. The practice of telling a child, \u201cYou have not been a good boy, you
\nwon’t get any dessert,\u201d etc., is most harmful. In this way you create in his
\nlittle consciousness the impression that food is given to him chiefly to
\nsatisfy his greed and not because it is indispensable for the proper
\nfunctioning of his body. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another thing should be taught to a
\nchild from his early years: to enjoy cleanliness and observe hygienic habits.
\nBut, in obtaining this cleanliness and respect for the rules of hygiene from
\nthe child, one must take great care not to instil into him the fear of illness.
\nFear is the worst instrument of education and the surest way of attracting what
\nis feared. Yet, while there should be no fear of illness, there should be no
\ninclination for it either. There is a prevalent belief that brilliant minds are
\nfound in weak bodies. This is a delusion and has no basis. There was perhaps a
\ntime when a romantic and morbid taste for physical unbalance prevailed; but,
\nfortunately, that tendency has disappeared. Nowadays a well-built, robust,
\nmuscular, strong and well-balanced body is appreciated at its true value. In
\nany case, children should be taught to respect health and admire the healthy
\nman whose vigorous body knows how to repel attacks of illness. Often a child
\nfeigns illness to avoid some troublesome <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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obligation, a work that does not interest him, or simply to soften
\nhis parents’ hearts and get them to satisfy some caprice. The child must be
\ntaught as early as possible that this does not work and that he does not become
\nmore interesting by being ill, but rather the contrary. The weak have a
\ntendency to believe that their weakness makes them particularly interesting and
\nto use this weakness and if necessary even illness as a means of attracting the
\nattention and sympathy of the people around them. On no account should this
\npernicious tendency be encouraged. Children should therefore be taught that to
\nbe ill is a sign of weakness and inferiority, not of some virtue or sacrifice. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That is why, as soon as the child
\nis able to make use of his limbs, some time should be devoted every day to the
\nmethodical and regular development of all the parts of his body. Every day some
\ntwenty or thirty minutes, preferably on waking, if possible, will be enough to
\nensure the proper functioning and balanced growth of his muscles while
\npreventing any stiffening of the joints and of the spine, which occurs much
\nsooner than one thinks. In the general programme of the child’s education,
\nsports and outdoor games should be given a prominent place; that, more than all
\nthe medicines in the world, will assure the child good health. An hour’s moving
\nabout in the sun does more to cure weakness or even anemia than a whole arsenal
\nof tonics. My advice is that medicines should not be used unless it is
\nabsolutely impossible to avoid them; and this \u201cabsolutely impossible\u201d should be
\nvery strict. In this programme of physical culture, although there are
\nwell-known general lines to be followed for the best development of the human
\nbody, still, if the method is to be fully effective in each case, it should be
\nconsidered individually, if possible with the help of a competent person, or if
\nnot, by consulting the numerous manuals that have already been and are still
\nbeing published on the subject. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But in any case a child, whatever
\nhis activities, should have a sufficient number of hours of sleep. The number
\nwill vary according to his age. In the cradle, the baby should sleep longer <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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than he remains awake. The number of hours of sleep will diminish
\nas the child grows. But until maturity it should not be less than eight hours,
\nin a quiet, well-ventilated place. The child should never be made to stay up
\nlate for no reason. The hours before <\/span>midnight<\/span> are the best for resting the nerves.
\nEven during the waking hours, relaxation is indispensable for all who want to
\nmaintain their nervous balance. To know how to relax the muscles and the nerves
\nis an art which should be taught to children when they are very young. There
\nare many parents who, on the contrary, push their child to constant activity.
\nWhen the child remains quiet, they imagine that he is ill. There are even
\nparents who have the bad habit of making their child do household work at the
\nexpense of his rest and relaxation. Nothing is worse for a developing nervous
\nsystem, which cannot stand the strain of too continuous an effort or of an
\nactivity that is imposed upon it and not freely chosen. At the risk of going
\nagainst many current ideas and ruffling many prejudices, I hold that it is not
\nfair to demand service from a child, as if it were his duty to serve his
\nparents. The contrary would be more true, and certainly it is natural that
\nparents should serve their child or at least take great care of him. It is only
\nif a child chooses freely to work for his family and does this work as play
\nthat the thing is admissible. And even then, one must be careful that it in no
\nway diminishes the hours of rest that are absolutely indispensable for his body
\nto function properly. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have said that from a young age
\nchildren should be taught to respect good health, physical strength and
\nbalance. The great importance of beauty must also be emphasised. A young child
\nshould aspire for beauty, not for the sake of pleasing others or winning their
\nadmiration, but for the love of beauty itself; for beauty is the ideal which
\nall physical life must realise. Every human being has the possibility of
\nestablishing harmony among the different parts of his body and in the various
\nmovements of the body in action. Every human body that undergoes a rational
\nmethod of culture from the very beginning of its existence can<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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realise its own harmony and
\nthus become fit to manifest beauty. When we speak of the other aspects of an
\nintegral education, we shall see what inner conditions are to be fulfilled so
\nthat this beauty can one day be manifested. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So far I have referred only to the
\neducation to be given to children; for a good many bodily defects can be
\nrectified and many malformations avoided by an enlightened physical education
\ngiven at the proper time. But if for any reason this physical education has not
\nbeen given during childhood or even in youth, it can begin at any age and be
\npursued throughout life. But the later one begins, the more one must be prepared
\nto meet bad habits that have to be corrected, rigidities to be made supple,
\nmalformations to be rectified. And this preparatory work will require much
\npatience and perseverance before one can start on a constructive programme for
\nthe harmonisation of the form and its movements. But if you keep alive within
\nyou the ideal of beauty that is to be realised, sooner or later you are sure to
\nreach the goal you have set yourself. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\u00a0<\/font><\/span>Bulletin<\/font><\/i><\/span>, April 1951 <\/span>
\n<\/font> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013
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\n\t<\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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