Autogenics Therapy for Dynamic Relaxation and Stress Relief

Autogenics Therapy for Dynamic Relaxation and Stress Relief! The Autogenics Dynamic Relaxation Exercise This relaxation technique is practiced worldwide but is surprisingly littleknown here in the U.S. This particular course is based on the modified version presented by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder in the 1979 classic "Superlearning". The word Autogenics is composed of auto - (from the Greek autos, self) and genus (a suffix meaning produced by, giving birth, being born and reflecting the word genesis, creation). It was chosen by Johannes Schultz, a German doctor, to describe his original discovery first published in 1932. Word has it that Dr. Schultz studied deep meditators and Yogis at moments of their most profound depths during meditation. Recording the common physical idiosyncrasies of those moments he figured that the power of suggestion, applied to those physical aspects could accelerate anyone's progress to similar levels of depth. Thus making the practice of profound meditation much more approachable and more conducive to the demands of the modern day lifestyle. Autogenics teaches conscious control of various so-called involuntary body functions like heartbeat and metabolism. Visualization and affirmations are also a part of the training. People who have learned through autogenics to communicate with the body say it's as if the body had always been on automatic pilot and suddenly you discover you can take over the controls.

Peak performance training, widely practiced throughout Europe and former Soviet bloc nations, has turned many thousands into better athletes, better public speakers, and better performing artists - in fact, better performers in virtually any area. We will discuss various uses for this skill throughout this series of lessons. For now, let’s get to the actual development of the skill itself. Autogenics training teaches you to create a feeling of warmth and heaviness throughout your body, thereby experiencing a profound state of physical relaxation, bodily health, and mental peace. There is nothing "mystical" about this training. It's pure physiology. But it can be a first step to real spiritual healing.

This training sequence actually takes about THREE MONTHS. Feel free to read ahead, anticipation strengthens the suggestions but please do them in the order prescribed This will probably be one of the most important investments of time you will ever make. The training presented here does not take much actual time each day; it is based on discipline over time. When you have mastered this course you should be able to bring about the relaxed, attentive autogenic state in thirty seconds to a minute, anywhere, under any circumstances. To learn however, choose a comfortable place, secure from disturbance. It is also best if you wait at least an hour after meals (although French doctors working with patients via the Autogenics method report no bad effects have ever been found from autogenics exercises).

Position: Assume one of the following positions, whichever is most suitable under the circumstances. 1. THE COACHMAN: Think of an old-fashioned coachman relaxing during a long journey. Sit on a chair of stool. Let your head hang slightly forward, forearms and hands rest loosely on your thighs, your legs are positioned comfortably, feet pointed slightly outward. Your eyes closed. 2. THE EASY CHAIR: Ease comfortably into a lounge chair, your head resting against the back. Arms and hands are on the char arms or resting on your thighs, legs and feet comfortably positioned with feet turned slightly outward. Your eyes are closed. 3. RECLINING: Lie down on your back, your head slightly pillowed. Your arms, a little bent at the elbows, rest palms down beside your body; your legs are relaxed and not touching each other; feet point slightly to the side. (If your feet are pointing straight up, you're not relaxed.) Your eyes closed. Warm-up: Use this Warm-up before every autogenics practice session, even after you have become proficient at the more advanced exercises. The warm-up, like everything in autogenics, is simple. It involves putting on your own "relaxation mask" and a cycle of breathing.

Imagine you are putting on a relaxation mask. This wonderful mask smoothes out frowns and tension wrinkles. All the muscles in your face relax, let go. Your eyelids close and rest gently, with eyes aimed at the tip of your nose. Your jaw hangs loosely, your mouth slightly open. Your tongue touches the gum line of your upper teeth (slightly pronounce d or t). Now start a gentle cycle of deep breathing without straining yourself. This is "belly breathing". As the air flows in, feel your abdomen fill with it and puff up. As you breathe out, feel it sink in. Breathe slowly. Exhale twice as long as you inhale. With each breath the duration increases. For instance, inhale counting, "One," exhale counting, "One, Two." Inhale counting, "One, Two;" exhale counting, "One, Two, Three, Four." Go up the scale to six counts in, twelve counts out. Then reverse: six counts in, twelve counts out; five counts in, ten counts out; and so on, down to one count in, two counts out. Spend any spare few moments you have today practicing this warm-up routine. It is how you will begin every session, even after you have become proficient at the more advanced Autogenics exercises. Soon, putting on your relaxation mask and going through the breathing cycle will, all by itself signal your body and other-than-conscious-mind that it is "safe" to relax. Beneficial Extras: By way of clarification, when I first started Autogenics I almost held my breath during the shorter counts (taking the "count slow" admonition a bit too literally). I realized after some practice that the first and last few breaths are more like sighs... deep, quick and belly filling. As you go deeper into the count, your breaths become much more measured (to avoid running out of breath before you finish your count). Practice this Autogenics breathe several times today but remember... do not strain. This is the most profound method of relaxation most of us will ever undertake. Maintain a playful attitude and go easy on yourself (not only with Autogenics) and you'll see how refreshing it can be. Next, you will begin the first formal exercise in your Autogenics training.

Autogenics Training Lesson 1 Welcome to the second session of the Autogenics training course offered by us. Hopefully you have had a chance to play with the warm-up technique a bit and have seen how a light touch and going easy on yourself is the best way to proceed with any higher mental pursuits. My fellow baby boomers might remember the mentalist Kreskin. Aside from demonstrating mental techniques on his TV show, he was also involved with psychology research programs at Seton Hall College in New Jersey. He had access to Soviet reports on mind training and made a detailed study of athletic programs. He believed that the Russians had experimented with mind power in athletics from the 1940's onward. "It has meant their gradual superiority over the past years in the summer and winter Olympic Games and other world sporting events", he says. The East Germans, according to Kreskin, have also instituted these programs in their nation-wide sports complexes. Performance Anxiety can cripple sports performance. Whether it is the start of a golf tournament or public speaking, most athletes and performers know the following symptoms: 1. Sweaty hands 2. Heart racing 3. Chest tightening 4. Shallow breathing 5. Fear of failure 6. Stomach tightening These physical symptoms announce performance anxiety. Symptoms such as these can interfere or can even ruin a performance if the athlete does not recognize these symptoms early and adequately address them. When the athlete or performer believes he can harness performance anxiety and executes the intervention, then he is more able to perform at the level of his physical expertise. Many Soviet sports scientists came to believe the average athlete doesn't realize half his or her potential performance if brain power isn't used.

When you teach the brain to "command" the body, then all the body's organs are mobilized to work together in the most effective way. These methods of state management have been streamlined for simple stepby-step practice that takes just a few minutes each day. No special equipment is needed. No strenuous physical exercises. No particular effort. No special belief in it. Practice and imagination are the two keys. First Exercise -- Heaviness Spend two to three minutes on the warm-up (Relaxation Mask and Cycle of Breathing). Then move right into the exercises. You are learning to arouse a delicious feeling of heaviness in your body. Begin with your right arm (if left-handed, start with that arm). Silently, meaningfully repeat the formula... My right arm is getting / limp and heavy 6-8 times My right arm is getting / heavier and heavier 6-8 times My right arm / is completely heavy 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time Then open your eyes and throw away that heaviness. Bend your arm back and forth a couple of times, take a few deep breaths. Check your position and your relaxation mask, then begin the cycle again. Including the warm-up, spend about seven to ten minutes at this two or three times a day. Repeat the formula verbatim. Speak to yourself in an appropriate tone and imagine your arm getting heavier and heavier. (One option that some find useful is to recite the formula in rhythm to a breath-count. Notice how each phrase of the formula is broken into two halves by a slash [ / ]. You might consider reciting the first half of each phrase on the inhale and the second half on the exhale). In any case, keep to the exercise but don't try too hard, don't make this a matter of will. "Abandon yourself» to the words and the feeling of heaviness. If you have trouble imagining heaviness, between sessions hold something heavy, feel that heaviness and say aloud, my arm is getting heavier and heavier. As Ostrander and Schroeder point out, the effect is cumulative; persistence pays. If you do the exercises regularly, heaviness will appear.

Practice this routine two or three times a day, for three days. After that, continue with the same formula but with the following substitutions: * My left arm is getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days * Both my arms are getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days * My right leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days * My left leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days * Both my legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days * My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. - 3 days The heaviness exercise takes twenty-one days. At the end of the 21 days, your last cycle of this routine will from now on be known as your final Heaviness Formula: My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 6-8 times My arms and legs are getting / heavier and heavier 6-8 times My arms and legs are / completely heavy 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time If a genuine feeling of heaviness appears early, you may go on to Exercise Two. Generally, it's best to build a sure foundation and take the full time. It may help to check off steps as you go to keep your place. Regular practice brings the quickest results. Some people have exercised only once a day and gained control, though it usually takes longer. Keep at it, eventually the desired effect will appear. Another preparatory and precautionary note:* Practice in a quiet place, alone if at all possible. It can be of help, if you prefer, to use soft "environmental sounds" or ethereal "New Age" background music. Avoid all other music because your physiological responses will be unconsciously influenced by the melody and rhythm of the music. * It sometimes helps to remove your shoes and wear loose clothing during these sessions.

* It can also help the initial training to lie flat on your back on a hard, carpeted floor. This will enhance your ability to feel the heaviness of your arms and legs. After you have mastered the complete training sequence, it's preferable to practice at least one session of your daily condensed Autogenics Formula (see below) while sitting (or reclining, with your feet up) in a comfortable chair; other than that, you can use your autogenics routine under any other circumstances you like, whether sitting, standing, walking, or lying down. * We mentioned practicing after eating. Also consider no smoking, or drinking before practice. It's best to practice before meals rather than after, because the digestive processes interferes with the relaxation process. Never practice after using any intoxicants. * If you fall asleep during a session, repeat that routine in your next session. * If you practice in bed at night, plan on falling asleep before you complete your cycle. Therefore, consider a practice session at night, in bed, to be in addition to your basic practice. * When you finish a session, relax with your eyes closed for a few seconds, and then get up slowly. (Orthostatic hypotension-a sudden drop in blood pressure due to standing up quickly-can cause you to faint.) Some people like to count backwards from 5 to 1, timed to slow, deep breathing, and then say, "Eyes open. Supremely calm. Fully alert." * During the training, you will be focusing intently on your inner experiences, to the exclusion of external events. Therefore, it is possible that you might encounter some kinds of hypnagogic (i.e., dream-like) dissociative experiences in which bodily perceptions seem distorted. In general, just ignore these things and they will pass. If you find them at all troubling, then you might want to consult with a psychologist to try to understand the particular meaning of these symptoms for you. Above all, keep in mind that this is not a training that can be rushed. So, please remember that even if you "complete" any phase (or part of a phase) according to the specified repetitions, if you don't actually feel the results of what you are saying, take the time to repeat the phase (or the item of the phase). Maybe it will take you four months instead of three. So what? The idea is not to "finish" the training but to learn the material. If you compare the initial "extra" work to the ultimate benefits over a lifetime, the burden will seem light indeed.

Autogenics Training Lesson 2 Some people find the Heaviness exercise goes really well for them and are ready to move on to the warmth exercise ahead of schedule. Please don't you rush the process. Practice and patience have their rewards. I also hope you have been able to take a few minutes for yourself in the past few days to do the exercises. And now on to the next lesson... Second Exercise -- Warmth You are learning to arouse a feeling of warmth in yourself at your desire. Begin with your warm-up for about two minutes. In the Autogenics program, you always recapitulate the previous exercise as you move ahead. Do the final Heaviness Formula. (Yes, the complete formula with all the repetitions. Heaviness-and the muscular relaxation it represents-is critical to the rest of the training. So you need to master it well right from the start.) Then begin this exercise for warmth: My right arm is getting / limp and warm 6-8 times My right arm is getting / warmer and warmer 6-8 times My right arm / is completely warm 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time As you repeat the formula for warmth, use your imagination. Practice this routine two or three times a day, for three days. After that, continue with the same formula but with the following substitutions (remembering to do the Warm-up breathing exercise and the Heaviness Formula at the beginning of each practice session): * My left arm is getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days * Both my arms are getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days * My right leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days * My left leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days * Both my legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days * My arms and legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. - 3 days

The Phase 2 routine takes 21 days of practice. At the end of the 21 days, you may use a final Heavy/Warm Formula to sum up the first two exercises: My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy and warm 6-8 times My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer 6-8 times My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time Between cycles of the warmth formula, open your eyes, move and throw off some heaviness and warmth. Then repeat. As you mentally say the formula, use your imagination to recapture a time when your arm was warm. If you wish, visualize your arm immersed in a tub of warm water or remember the feeling of the seashore sun beating down, warming your arm. If necessary, to get the feeling, between sessions put your arm in hot water, saying aloud, my arm is getting warmer and warmer. You can also imagine sending inner warmth to your limbs. Only begin the warmth formula for a limb if it feels heavy. If not, say the appropriate words until heaviness appears. By this time in my own learning of this technique, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing and the metaphorical juices were beginning to flow. Such that I started to consider "warmth" in terms of heartfelt compassion... the sappiest of love for my limbs, their cells and all the molecules they were composed of. I don't think it hurt any as I let this notion run away with me. For instance, I considered my warm-up and recapitulation session as being the kind of "heavy" we referred to back in the 60's and 70's... you know, like "that's deep man, this mind over matter thing". But when I wasn't waxing poetic (or corny), I'd simply place a pillow or blanket over the limb being worked at the time and repeated the warmth formula. Such crutches won’t always be necessary, but it gets the idea to your mind in the early stages. Sometimes, every little bit helps to keep the practice alive. Remember, what you are working toward is well worth it. The ability to relax at will with your whole mind, conscious and "other-than-conscious" ready to do your bidding. So hang in there.

Autogenics Training Lesson 3 This autogenic meditation lesson we'll keep short and sweet. It centers on the heart (get it? Sweet heart? ... never mind). Seriously though, by the time you get to this exercise, you've proven to yourself that you can stay with a technique which holds more promise than you know. You've also begun to open channels of communication between your conscious and "other-than-conscious" mind. Harmony and rapport between the conscious and "other-than-conscious" mind (we may as well refer to this as the Super-conscious, in that it is actually more aware [and aware of more] than our familiar conscious minds) creates conditions for the astounding mental feats spoken of throughout history. Being Super conscious, this part of us is also pre-conscious and hence makes use of images, feelings and intuitions to convey insight. This part of us also "stores" those emotions we have stuffed all our life by refusal to "deal" with them at the time. These emotions don't go away. In fact they exert an influence on us to this day. However, their "mission" has always been a protective one. And even though our experience of these "repressed" aspects are often termed "negative" by the established psychotherapeutic community, these same aspects are to be embraced. Enhancing communication channels between brain hemispheres as autogenics does tends to bring these aspects out of hiding. Welcome these long forgotten (or sometimes annoyingly familiar) aspects of ourselves as the friends and protectors they are. One by one as they arise, love them. They won’t cause you to react while you're aware of, and observing them. Re-assign them to tasks more conducive to our modern needs and lifestyles. They'll love you for it. Such an approach may begin to give us a different perspective of stress. We may discover that "stress" isn't any "thing" at all. Maybe it's just a descriptive term that our culture uses to normalize unconscious anger, a lack of forgiveness, a desperate clinging to a vain identity, and an absence of a spiritual life. Maybe "stress" is just a convenient myth to shift responsibility for life away from ourselves and onto something so vague that everyone can love to hate it. But let me stop pontificating and get on with the lesson... what do you say? (Never mind;-)

Third Exercise -- A Calm Heart You are learning to have a calm, steady heartbeat. Warm-up. Repeat in short form the heavy / warm formula, reciting each phrase three or four times. In the beginning at least, do this exercise lying on your back. Mentally feel for your heartbeat. Sense it in your chest, throat, or wherever. (If you're subject to headaches don't feel for it in your head.) You may prefer to rest your right hand on the pulse point of your left wrist or even on your chest. Usually, in a relaxed state, you can feel the beat. Repeat silently... My chest feels / warm and pleasant 6-8 times My heartbeat is / calm and steady 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 6-8 times Do this exercise two or three times a day for seven to ten minutes for two weeks. A very, few people find this exercise either eludes them or puts them off. If this happens after some trying, go on to the next. That's all for this session.

Autogenics Training Lesson 4

Before we begin, I'd like to invite you to subscribe to my Newsletter Higher Activation. Published twice a month, the newsletter (ezine) covers topics from stress relief to higher human dimensions and everything in between. In fact, with this skill of Autogenics under your belt, you are way ahead of the curve in the human potential movement (and just the type we love to fellowship with in the Higher Activation community).

In this exercise, you will practice better control over the rhythm of your breathing. Rhythmic breathing is at the heart of super abilities.

Rhythmic breathing leads to better brain oxidation and leads to better learning. After all, the brain is said to need three times as much oxygen to function properly as the body does, especially while a person is working in a sitting position (as he sits at his computer to write this lesson).

We seldom give breathing much conscious attention, yet we breathe about five thousand gallons (thirty-five pounds) of air every day, about six times our food and drink consumption. Obviously, breath is life.

Now if, instead of breathing haphazardly, you breathe to a regular beat (at least a few times a day), your mind sharpens automatically.

Yogi Ramacharaka reveals in The Science of Breath that "by rhythmical breathing one may bring himself into harmonious vibration with nature, and aid in the unfoldment of his latent powers." It's as if your whole body catches the vibration and harmonizes with the will. By getting yourself in synch, you have more power, mentally and otherwise.

Let's get to it...

Fourth Exercise -- Breathing Do the Warm-up. Then begin the following routine which incorporates all your previous work and adds command of your breathing as well: My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy and warm 1-2 times My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer 1-2 times My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm 1-2 times My heartbeat is / calm and steady 1-2 times I feel / supremely calm 1-2 times

My breathing is / supremely calm 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time Practice this routine two or three times a day for two weeks. It is considered successfully mastered when you are able to breathe calmly and rhythmically at your own command after light physical activity of some sort of nervous stimulation. Instead of saying the usual, "I feel supremely calm", at the end of this exercise, Dr. Schultz preferred, "It breaths me". By this time you will probably have begun to notice some pleasant and surprising effects from your practice. But continue on to further refine your sense of bodily command.

Autogenics Training Lesson 5 Let's get right into the lesson, shall we?

Fifth Exercise -- Stomach You are learning to arouse a pleasant feeling of warmth in your solar plexus (the stomach above the waist, below the ribs).

Do the warm-up. Repeat in short form the heavy / warm formula, the heart and breathing formula. Then:

My stomach is getting / soft and warm 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time

If you wish, you can rest your right palm on your solar plexus during the exercise. Gradually you will experience a clear feeling of warmth.

Instead of the above formula some people prefer to say, "My solar plexus radiates warmth." If you find this easier to imagine and visualize, use it.

Do this for seven to ten minutes, two or three times a day for two weeks. The exercise is considered mastered when you feel a definite warmth.

Could this be the proverbial "fire in the belly"?

Never mind. Just me metaphor-izing again.

Autogenics Training Lesson 6 We've come a long way together on this road of dynamic relaxation and autogenic relaxation techniques. Let's keep it going... Sixth Exercise -- Cool Forehead You are learning to experience a feeling of coolness on your forehead. Warm -up. As usual repeat in short form the formula for heaviness, warmth, heart, breathing, and stomach. Then: My forehead is / cool 6-8 times I feel / supremely calm 1 time Imagine a fresh breeze cooling your forehead and temples. If necessary to catch the feeling, between sessions, stand in front of an air conditioner of fan, saying aloud, my forehead is cool. When you repeatedly experience a definite coolness the exercise is considered completed. Do this two or three times a day for seven to ten minutes for fourteen days. Don't leap out of a session. Open your eyes and begin to move gradually. Stretch, flex your joints, throw off heaviness and get active. Ever hear of keeping a "cool head"? I'd say this exercise addresses that directly. The autogenic component of Performance Hypnosis is a very valuable intervention for performance anxiety. Autogenics is the ability of the mind to physiologically change how the body is responding. It can help to slow the heart rate and promote deep breathing. It can help the muscles in the body be more relaxed, which often leads to better skill execution. When the athlete (or performer... and we are all performers to one extent or another) knows s/he can break the anxiety cycle then s/he can use the energy of the anxiety in a more focused way. S/He can adjust the arousal level for a higher level of performance. That is exactly what autogenics is designed to do... actualize our potential for higher level performance in all areas of our lives. That's it! You've come to last exercise of the autogenics course.

Congratulations! To achieve a goal you've set out to accomplish and complete it is cause for celebration. Treat yourself (at least to a few hearty pats on the back). A marked change in you has begun, though you may not fully realize it yet. You will never be exactly the same after completion of the Autogenics training course. From sports performance to inter-dimensional adventuring, you now have a head start and foundation which will carry you through to your hearts' desire. You may come to think that you have "done it". But you will find that certain memories of the practice will abide with you, and that echoes of its power will ring in the ears of your mind, body and Spirit. You will find that it is now your body and mind's turn to do you... for the better. To recap: Repeat all formulas verbatim, but NOT automatically. Say them carefully with intention and emotion so that each sinks down into your consciousness. Combine the suggestions with imagination. The heavy / warm formulas often produce a deeply pleasant drowsy state, which shows they are well mastered. However, you do not want to go to sleep. If you do, learn from the experience. Perhaps you should exercise sitting up. Perhaps you've let your mind and / or imagination wander off. The aim of autogenics is relaxed awareness, and your consciousness should become more acute as tensions release. Imagine yourself retaining a center of awareness during sessions. If sleeping is a real problem, suggest to yourself, "My body may sleep, but my consciousness remains alert and aware". You have already been saying what is in effect your final formula: My arms and legs are heavy and warm My heartbeat and breathing are calm and steady My stomach is soft and warm, my forehead cool

I feel supremely calm Eventually most people using only one or two repeats can achieve the pleasant, self-possessed autogenic state. The state will strengthen as you regularly use the technique whenever you need to relax and be at your best.

Maintenance The maintenance dosage is practice twice a day for five minutes. When the skill is well mastered, people often find they can simply say: "Arms and legs heavy, warm; heart and breathing calm, steady; stomach warm, forehead cool, calm" and switch into the autogenic state. With these six simple exercises, you have mastered basic autogenics. If you're like most people, you've long since begun feeling its effects. Teachers of this method have reported that in their classes, it was common place for people to experience relief of various complaints well before the end of the program. As body and mind come into closer communion, not just old physical tensions but psychological cramps and crystallizations seem to dissolve as well. People typically feel a gain in self-confidence, a decrease in fears and worries, etc. You now have the means to bring yourself into equilibrium whenever the need arises. Now that you have the skill, you no longer need to spend much time on training formulas when you practice. You can make the most of what are called. Autogenic ability is like good fertile earth. It potentizes any seed you may want to plant. Resolution formulas are tailor-made affirmations to help strengthen you in one department or another. The simplicity of the practice belies its strength. This is the kind of exercise that can turn a sweaty-palmed stutterer into an eloquent speaker.