Autogenic Training is a simple body mind training to relax your body and mind completely and give autosuggestions to your mind. The German Psychiatrist, Johannes H. Schultz, the founder of Autogenic Training defined this technique as a psychophysiological approach in the psychotherapy to induce relaxation response. Dr. J. Schultz observed that for hypnosis, willingness of the patient is required, but the patient does not trust and so, the process of hypnosis sometimes fails. Therefore, autogenic training was developed as a combination of yoga and hypnosis – relaxation (as a part of yoga) plus concentration (Passive concentration – let it go). The technique involves the daily practice of sessions that last around 15 minutes, usually in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening.
This is one of the best techniques that can help relieve symptoms of stress. During each session, the practitioner will repeat a set of visualizations that induce a state of relaxation. This technique restores the balance between the activity of the sympathetic (flight or fight) and the parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic activity lowers the blood pressure, slows the heart rate, and promotes the functions of the immune system.
But remember that autogenic training is not recommended for individuals with severe mental or emotional disorders or psychosis. If you have any health issues, you should consult with your doctor prior to beginning autogenic training. If you feel very anxious or restless or experience any adverse side effects during or after autogenic training, the autogenic practice should be discontinued immediately and physician /doctor be consulted.
A typical autogenic training session uses the following format:
First, be in any comfortable position—sitting upright, reclined, or lying down - which can promote calm relaxation and use the following verbal cues to guide the one's breathing and direct attention to certain parts of the body. The verbal cues can encourage sensations of heaviness and warmth, which can then lead to deep relaxation. Some of the basic verbal cues that may be learned include:
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- My right arm is heavy or I am feeling heaviness in my right arm (six times repetition to self or subject to develop the feeling)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- My right arm is warm or I am feeling warmness in my right arm (six times repetition to develop feeling)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- My heart rate is regular (six times repetition to develop such feeling)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- My respiratory rate or breathing is regular /normal (six times repetition to develop such feeling)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- I am feeling warmness at my Manipur chakra or solar plexus or abdomen is flowingly warm (six times repetition)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
- My forehead is pleasantly cool (six times repetition with feeling)
- I am completely calm and relaxed (one time)
Take any positive resolve and auto suggest to yourself with repetition from 25 to 35 times so that the same should be fed to the subconscious mind to program itself accordingly.
The last part of autosuggestion of resolve is important and is useful to get rid of addiction, negative habit, destress yourself, etc.
Read to understand more about the autogenic training in a step by step and its applications through 40 different autogenic techniques.
