an inclination or not. You will gradually establish the habit, and nature is fond of falling into habits. Then again, you may really need an evacuation and not be aware of it, for you have deadened your nerve calls by repeated refusals to heed them, and you will have to begin all over again. Don't neglect this—it is simple but effective.
You will find it advantageous to give yourself autosuggestions while sipping your cup full of water. Say to yourself, "I am drinking this water in order to supply my system with the fluids it needs. It will make my bowels move freely and regularly, as nature intended." Carry the idea in your mind of what you are trying to accomplish, and you will be apt to get your results quicker.
Now for an idea which may seem absurd to you, unless you understand the philosophy back of it. (We will tell you how to do it now, and talk about the philosophy in another chapter). This consists in "talking up" to the bowel. Give the abdomen (along the lines of the colon) several gentle slaps with the hand, and say to it (yes, talk to it): "Here, you Colon, I've given you a good cleaning out, and made you fresh and clean—I am giving you all the fluids you need to do your work properly—I am cultivating a regular habit in order to give you a chance to do your work—and now you've got to do it." Slap the region of the colon several times, saying, "And now you've got to do it." And you will find that the colon will do it. This seems like child's play to you, probably—you will understand the sense of it when you read the chapter on Involuntary Control. It is merely a simple way of accomplishing a scientific
