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.
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.
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and heavy“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “heavier and heavier“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm“
- Exhale and say silently “is completely heavy“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and warm“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “warmer and warmer“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My right arm“
- Exhale and say silently “is completely warm“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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.
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “heavier and warmer“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are“
- Exhale and say silently “completely heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My chest feels“
- Exhale and say silently “warm and pleasant“
- Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My heartbeat is“
- Exhale and say silently “calm and steady“
- Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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.
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “heavier and warmer“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are“
- Exhale and say silently “completely heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My heartbeat is“
- Exhale and say silently “calm and steady“
- Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My breathing is“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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.
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “heavier and warmer“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are“
- Exhale and say silently “completely heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My heartbeat is“
- Exhale and say silently “calm and steady“
- Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My breathing is“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 19 and 20 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My stomach is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “soft and warm“
- Repeat step 22 and 23 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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.
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “limp and heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 1 and 2 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are getting“
- Exhale and say silently “heavier and warmer“
- Repeat step 4 and 5 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My arms and legs are“
- Exhale and say silently “completely heavy and warm“
- Repeat step 7 and 8 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My heartbeat is“
- Exhale and say silently “calm and steady“
- Repeat step 10 and 11 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 13 and 14 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My breathing is“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 16 and 17 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 19 and 20 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My stomach is getting“
- Exhale and say silently “soft and warm“
- Repeat step 22 and 23 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- Exhale and say silently “supremely calm“
- Repeat step 25 and 26 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “My forehead is “
- Exhale and say silently “cool“
- Repeat step 28 and 29 for a few times
- Inhale and say silently “I feel“
- 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.