“In my state, there were only two possible solutions – I would win or I would die. It is the honour of Man to die trying to achieve his goal. This is how I made my first step…”

Plants spring up like flames in the summer. Then, autumn arrives, then winter, and they retreat beneath the snow. Despite this, they rise again to greet the sun in the spring of the following year. If, however, heavy snow covered them for four or five years, all of these plants would die. Was my body not similar to those plants covered with snow too heavily, for too long? Had my vitality disappeared entirely? If I attempted to exercise in my condition, I would risk destroying myself entirely. How to go about it then? Well, the only way was to die.

In my state, there were only two possible solutions – I would win or I would die. It is the honour of Man to die trying to achieve his goal. This is how I made my first step…

I believed it was necessary to acquire a solid grounding for my method. To do this, I gathered all the books on anatomy and physiology in my father’s library. I threw myself into the reading of these books, and I read them with respect, the way a Christian reads the Bible…, as they were of utmost importance for my survival and existence in this world.

As I studied the functioning of the internal organs of the body, I was deeply struck by the mystery of life which exists in nature. With surprise and profound admiration, I was forced to recognise the divine nature of creation, and I became convinced that a close link exists between faith and science.

I was particularly encouraged to learn of the body’s metabolism, and of the renewal of the body’s cells. The human body is not made of stone or rubber – it actively functions and is capable of renewing itself.  If I could only take advantage of this innate capacity for renewal, I was sure that I would be able to transform my body, so miserable and ugly at the time. If the cells of healthy individuals take 7 years to renew themselves, it would take me 10 years to get out of my situation of weakness. I would take 15 years to arrive at a normal state of health and, by persevering for 20 years and by investing myself fully, I believed I would be able to go beyond even that. A plum tree which has endured a harsh winter will be all the more fragrant when spring arrives. Tears came to my eyes when I made this decision…

“The plum tree’s fragrance appears in spring, because it survived the harsh winter snows”. I was moved to tears as I read this sentence. I would need to sustain my efforts and be patient! My road would certainly be long and difficult. I would need to become as the plum tree’s flower. Patience and effort!”

Solitary Study

“After my anatomical and physiological studies, I gathered all the books I could on physical exercises. I also read books on medicine, hygiene, physiology and sports.

Every time I came across a new exercise, I immediately started practising it and reflecting upon it. The great number of different  exercises meant that I was forced to choose. I must say that I never tried to establish a method of my own – I was only looking for a way to escape my physical misery…

I therefore took a perfect body as an ideal – its bone structure, muscles, shape, internal organs and sporting ability. It was somehow ridiculous for someone with such a miserable body to aim for one which was ideal…

I did not stop at superficial methods such as simple gymnastics, deep breathing, cold water training and certain hygiene methods which aim at superficial wellbeing. My aim was to increase the quality and the effect of all these exercises through a methodical sequence…

I was looking for a method which fulfilled the following criteria:

• The method must not be passive, but active – the aim being to obtain a powerful, robust body.

• The exercises must be an objective in themselves and not be a preparation to a technique.

• The exercises must not necessitate any expenditure of money, nor should they require any equipment. Health must be obtained only through the effort of the body itself.

• Most importantly, the exercises should not require a lot of time to practise. If an exercises is too lengthy, it becomes difficult to practise every day as it may cause unnecessary fatigue.