Autogenic Training
July 2007
By Luis S. R. Vas
Train your mind and body to achieve desirable states of being
In 1956, Dr Hannes Lindemann, a German doctor, sailed solo across the Atlantic in a canoe in 76 days, surviving hurricanes, freezing temperatures, lack of sleep, marine predators, his capsized canoe and loss of supplies by drinking rain water and eating raw fish. He did so to prove the efficacy of autogenic training, a mind-over-body system developed by Dr J H Shultz, another German doctor. Here is how it works:
The breathing warm-up
Use this warm-up before every autogenic training practice session.
Begin by deep breathing, exhaling to a mental count that is twice as long as you inhale. With each breath cycle, increase the duration. 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.
Phase One: Heaviness
After the breathing warm-up, begin this Phase One practice with your right arm (or left side if you are left-handed). Breathe deeply, one count in, one count out, and silently repeat the following formula – the first half of each phrase (the part before the “/”) as you inhale, the second half (the part after the “/”) as you exhale:
• My right arm is getting / limp and heavy – six-eight times
• My right arm is getting / heavier and heavier – six-eight times
• My right arm / is completely heavy – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this routine two or three times a day, for three days. After that, continue with the same basic routine structure, but with the following
substitutions:
• My left arm is getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
• Both my arms are getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
• My right leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
• My left leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
• Both my legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
• My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. – three days
The Phase One routine takes 21 days of practice.
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 – six-eight times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and heavier – six-eight times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Phase Two: Warmth
Begin with the warm-up breathing exercise. Do the final heaviness formula with all the repetitions. At the end of the heaviness formula, add this exercise for warmth:
• My right arm is getting / limp and warm – six-eight times
• My right arm is getting / warmer and warmer – six-eight times
• My right arm / is completely warm – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this routine (the heaviness formula combined with the warmth exercises) two or three times a day, for three days. After that, continue with the same routine structure, 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. – three days
• Both my arms are getting / limp and warm, etc. – three days
• My right leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. – three days
• My left leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. – three days
• Both my legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. – three days
• My arms and legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. – three days
The Phase Two 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 – six-eight times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer – six-eight times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this heavy/warm formula (beginning with the warm-up breathing exercise) two or three times a day, for one week.
Phase Three: A calm heart
Do the warm-up. Then begin the
following routine, which incorporates your previous work (the heavy/warm formula), and adds the calm heart
exercise:
• My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy and warm – one-two times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer – one-two times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My chest feels / warm and pleasant – six-eight times
• My heartbeat is / calm and steady – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – six-eight times
Practise this routine two or three times a day, for two weeks.
Phase Four: 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 – one-two times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer – one-two times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm – one-two times
• My heartbeat is / calm and steady –one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My breathing is / supremely calm – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this routine two or three times a day, for two weeks.
Phase Five: Stomach
Do the warm-up. Then begin the following routine, which helps you add a radiant feeling of central warmth and peace to your body:
• My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy and warm – one-two times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer – one-two times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm – one-two times
•My heartbeat is / calm and steady – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My breathing is / supremely calm – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My stomach is getting / soft and warm – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this routine two or three times a day, for two weeks.
Phase Six: Cool forehead
Do the warm-up. Then begin the following routine to help you add a calm, stabilising sensation of coolness to your forehead:
• My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy and warm – one-two times
• My arms and legs are getting / heavier and warmer – one-two times
• My arms and legs are / completely heavy and warm – one-two times
• My heartbeat is / calm and steady – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My breathing is / supremely calm – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My stomach is getting / soft and warm – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm – one-two times
• My forehead is / cool – six-eight times
• I feel / supremely calm – one time
Practise this routine two or three times a day for two weeks.
Completion
By this time, you should have mastered all the six phases of the basic training. Your final condensed Autogenic Training formula will now be as follows:
Warm-up
• My arms and legs are / heavy and warm – one-two times
• My heartbeat and breathing are / calm and steady – one-two times
• My stomach is / soft and warm –one-two times
• My forehead is / cool – one-two times
• I feel / supremely calm –one-
two times
Summary
To maintain your proficiency, practise at least once a day. By using only one or two cycles of the final routine, you can achieve a pleasant and calm autogenic state under almost any circumstances.
Changing unwanted behaviour
Autogenic training can be helpful
in changing unwanted behaviour, because you can use your autogenic skills to work through each of the three basic steps of change, by actually feeling the elements of each step with the help of autogenic visualisation and suggestion.
First, enter a state of relaxation by practising your condensed autogenic training formula.
Second, create a negative mood state in which you visualise the harmful and disgusting effects of the unwanted behaviour.
Third, contemplate how miserable and wretched your life will be if you do not change your behaviour.
Fourth, create a positive mood state in which you visualise the beneficial effects of new, healthy behaviour.
Fifth, reinforce your positive mood with positive statements of validation. Repeat them several times. Examples:
• My confidence is strong and steady. I have no need for alcohol, drugs, etc.
• I can talk slowly and clearly.
• I can work calmly and confidently.
• I can dissolve tension and anxiety before they build.
• All cravings will pass within 10
minutes.
• I can do what needs to be done well.
Sixth, conclude with a simple closure to the relaxation session. Take a few deep breaths, and affirm, “I feel / supremely calm. "Autogenic training
can be helpful in
changing unwanted behaviour"
Contact: vasluis@hotmail.com