What is Autogenic Training?

Autogenic Training is a relaxation technique which works only with an internal stimulus. You work with your mind and through the body-mind connection, you are going to influence your body.

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It was developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in the 1930th years and aims to help people relax at their will, without worrying about the place and time or doing physical exercises. We work with our mind on controlling our central nervous system and how we react to certain events.

I already talked in Take a Deep Breath and Relax about our central nervous system and two important parts. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The first is responsible for our fight and flight behavior and the second for relaxation and healing. And you can influence both with breathing.

Autogenic Training takes this now one steps further, and you learn how to control your nervous system with your mind only.

It usually takes time to learn Autogenic Training and unlike Progressive Muscle Relaxation it is not learned in a few sessions. But it does have greater results in the long term.

How do You Practice it?

Learning Autogenic Training is typically done in 6 phases.

  • Heaviness
  • Warmth
  • Calming your heartbeat
  • Breathing
  • Abdomen
  • Cool forehead

As always, find a quiet place where nobody disturbs you, lay down or sit comfortably and take a few deep breath to relax. Do for each new step 6 to 8 repetitions before moving one. When starting out, do your first sessions lying down on the floor as you will feel the heaviness more intense.

Heaviness

Begin with your right arm. Breathe deeply and continually, do not hold your breath.

  1. Inhale and say silently My right arm is getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and heavy
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My right arm is getting
  5. Exhale and say silently heavier and heavier
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My right arm
  8. Exhale and say silently is completely heavy
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently I feel
  11. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Practice this round for two to three times a day for a couple of days. Then move on to your left arm, then both arms, right leg, left leg, and then both legs and at last arms and legs together. The affirmations stay the same; you only substitute the limb; so instead of right arm, say left arm.

Warmth

When you’ve learned the Heaviness phase, now start with the Warmth phase right after you have done the Heaviness exercise. As

  1. Inhale and say silently My right arm is getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and warm
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My right arm is getting
  5. Exhale and say silently warmer and warmer
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My right arm
  8. Exhale and say silently is completely warm
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently I feel
  11. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Start with your right arm and then after a couple of days move to the next limb in the same order as in phase 1.

Calm Heart

This phase incorporates the previous phases and adds the heartbeat now. You don’t need to go through Phase 1 and 2 before; its final stage is included as a single step here. For the exercises of phase 1 and 2, use two repetitions now and around 6 to 8 for the new ones.

  1. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and heavy and warm
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  5. Exhale and say silently heavier and warmer
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are
  8. Exhale and say silently completely heavy and warm
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently I feel
  11. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  12. Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
  13. Inhale and say silently My chest feels
  14. Exhale and say silently warm and pleasant
  15. Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
  16. Inhale and say silently My heartbeat is
  17. Exhale and say silently calm and steady
  18. Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
  19. Inhale and say silently I feel
  20. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Practice it two to three times a day for two or three weeks before proceeding.

Breathing

All the previous phases combined now and a new focus on your breath.

  1. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and heavy and warm
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  5. Exhale and say silently heavier and warmer
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are
  8. Exhale and say silently completely heavy and warm
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently My heartbeat is
  11. Exhale and say silently calm and steady
  12. Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
  13. Inhale and say silently I feel
  14. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  15. Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
  16. Inhale and say silently My breathing is
  17. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  18. Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
  19. Inhale and say silently I feel
  20. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Practice it two to three times a day for two or three weeks before proceeding.

Stomach

All the previous phases combined now and a new focus on your central.

  1. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and heavy and warm
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  5. Exhale and say silently heavier and warmer
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are
  8. Exhale and say silently completely heavy and warm
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently My heartbeat is
  11. Exhale and say silently calm and steady
  12. Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
  13. Inhale and say silently I feel
  14. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  15. Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
  16. Inhale and say silently My breathing is
  17. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  18. Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
  19. Inhale and say silently I feel
  20. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  21. Repeat step 19 and 20 for a few times
  22. Inhale and say silently My stomach is getting
  23. Exhale and say silently soft and warm
  24. Repeat step 22 and 23 for a few times
  25. Inhale and say silently I feel
  26. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Practice it two to three times a day for two or three weeks before proceeding.

Cool Forehead

All the previous phases combined now and a new focus on your central.

  1. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  2. Exhale and say silently limp and heavy and warm
  3. Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
  4. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are getting
  5. Exhale and say silently heavier and warmer
  6. Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
  7. Inhale and say silently My arms and legs are
  8. Exhale and say silently completely heavy and warm
  9. Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
  10. Inhale and say silently My heartbeat is
  11. Exhale and say silently calm and steady
  12. Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
  13. Inhale and say silently I feel
  14. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  15. Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
  16. Inhale and say silently My breathing is
  17. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  18. Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
  19. Inhale and say silently I feel
  20. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  21. Repeat step 19 and 20 for a few times
  22. Inhale and say silently My stomach is getting
  23. Exhale and say silently soft and warm
  24. Repeat step 22 and 23 for a few times
  25. Inhale and say silently I feel
  26. Exhale and say silently supremely calm
  27. Repeat step 25 and 26 for a few times
  28. Inhale and say silently My forehead is
  29. Exhale and say silently cool
  30. Repeat step 28 and 29 for a few times
  31. Inhale and say silently I feel
  32. Exhale and say silently supremely calm

Practice it two to three times a day for two or three weeks before proceeding. Now you have learned all Phases. From now on you can try to use it wherever you are. A friend of mine, a kindergarten teacher, can use this technique even during busy times with all the noisy kids around. Practice gets you there too.

How to Learn?

Sure you can learn it by reading, but I think it is, like Progressive Muscle Relaxation, best learned by using audio sessions. And if you want to progress beyond, you will have to find a class and learn by experienced practitioners.

Here are some free audios samples for you.

If you happen to understand German, I recommend the audios from Minddrops. Their stuff is high quality, and I use it myself.

How long does it take?

This highly depends on you and the time you take to learn Autogenic Training. Some people also might have lost the connection with their body and do not know anymore how their body feels naturally. It takes time to relearn, but it is worth it. So do not worry.

Practice and continue at your pace.