Autogenic training: exercises, relaxation, relaxation

One of the methods of restoring strength and peace of mind is autogenic training. Exercise helps normalize physiological processes in the body and calm the nervous system. With the help of such trainings, you can learn to enter a trance state without any help. But it is important to learn the technique of their implementation and get acquainted with some rules of auto-training.

What is autogenic training

This is a special method that allows you to independently enter into an autogenous state, as well as get out of it, used to normalize physiological and psychological processes.

An autogenic training method was proposed by Schultz, who, in the course of scientific research, analyzed the stories of people who went through hypnosis. Numerous experiments allowed him to identify that in a hypnotic state a person feels the spread of heat throughout his body, heaviness in his arms and legs against the background of muscle relaxation.

Autogenic training and relaxation are aimed at enhancing these sensations. Schulz proposed a method that allows you to cause a physiological shift by a passive concentration of attention on the emerging sensations.

Those who have undergone autogenous training courses are able to balance mental processes, relieve physical stress and quickly regain their strength. After such exercises, it becomes possible to control blood circulation, the work of the heart and respiratory system.

Goals and objectives of auto-training

Relaxation and autogenic training are effective for various nervous disorders, psychosomatic diseases, to get rid of bad habits and change personal traits.

The main goals of AT:

• Improve health conditions.
• Improve vitality and performance.
• Self-education.

During autogenic training and self-hypnosis, the following tasks are solved:

• Anxiety decreases.
• The ability to control emotional states increases.
• There is a harmonization of body functions.
• The intensity of the pain syndrome decreases.
• Strength is restored.
• The process of falling asleep is normalized.
• Economically, the body consumes energy during exercise.
• The formation of positive personality traits.
• Getting rid of bad habits.
• Positive motivation is created to achieve goals.
• Increases concentration, the ability to introspection and reflection.

Why auto-training is useful

AT easily copes with recovery of forces. Autogenous training exercises are a combination of hypnosis techniques and yoga postures. This allows you to restore homeostasis in the body in a short time thanks to finding peace and neutralization of stressful conditions.

AT resembles therapeutic hypnosis, but there is a significant difference. A person has the opportunity to actively participate in the process. To obtain maximum relaxation and relaxation, autogenic training should be carried out taking into account some factors:

• There must be a strong desire to engage.
• During the exercise, self-control and the ability to self-regulation is important.
• Getting to classes you need to take a comfortable position.
• Consciousness should be fully focused on the inner sensations.

Autogenic training is a method of self-regulation of body functions, which is useful for the nervous system. A person lives surrounded by stressful situations, often experiences a sense of anxiety, fear, and chronic fatigue is out of the question. Schulz's method helps to learn to adequately and calmly respond to negative external stimuli. Continuous training helps minimize emotional outbursts.

A physiological effect can also be expected from auto-training, which consists in the ability to regulate the heart rate, respiratory rhythm, and the degree of muscle tension. In the course of research, it was found that relaxation and autogenic training help lower cholesterol, normalize sleep, and lower blood pressure. The relaxation of consciousness during AT provokes an increase in alpha waves, which favorably affects all body systems and helps to cure various diseases.

Stages of auto-training

There are several stages of autogenic training:

1. Lower or first. At this point, one can learn to relax by using several suggestions.
2. Higher autogenic training is the second stage at which the body performs special tasks through the use of visualizations and suggestions.

The first step, according to Schultz, involves performing special exercises that cause a feeling of heaviness in the body, a feeling of heat spreading. During their execution, control over the work of the heart and respiration takes place. The lower stage affects vegetative functions.

Autogenic immersion consists of several phases:

1. A feeling of warmth and heaviness throughout the body.
2. The appearance of lightness and a feeling of weightlessness.
3. In the last phase, patients note the sensation that their body has simply disappeared.

Training in autogenic training of the highest level allows you to achieve the following goals:

• Strengthen the ability to enter an autogenous state.
• Learn to see vivid visual images of certain colors and specific objects.
• To develop the ability to see abstract concepts, for example, beauty, hatred.

Schultz believes that after mastering the highest stage of AT, an opportunity arises from the depths of the unconscious to extract answers to philosophical questions: "What do I represent in this world?", "What is the meaning of life?" The highest level of autogenic training for neurosis helps to cope with negative feelings and gradually get rid of them completely.

To master the high level, it will take more than one month, you will need to go through several steps:

1. Learn autogenous immersion.
2. Perform autogenous workout exercises.
3. To concentrate attention.
4. Master exercises that help model positive emotional experiences.

Schultz called the highest level autogenous meditation.

Auto Training Formulas

Since AT is able to influence the psychological state of a person, as well as cause certain sensations, it is recommended to use various statements for self-hypnosis at the first stage. Experts have developed the basic formulas for auto-training, which differ in the object of action:

• Neutralizing. They help develop the ability to not respond to external stimuli.
• Reinforcing. They increase the activity of brain processes, activate intellectual activity.
• Withdrawal symptoms. Their action is aimed at removing the dependence on certain factors.
• Supporting. Contribute to enhancing the manifestation of positive personality traits.

Conditions for entering an autogenous state

Autogenous training (self-hypnosis and self-hypnosis) is more effective if there is absolute silence around. Other important conditions:

• Comfortable posture.
• Passive focus on something.

Given them when entering a hypnotic state, Benson created a special method for quickly achieving results. An important place in it is the ability to concentrate on your breathing. Instructions for beginners are as follows:

1. It is necessary to take a comfortable position in a secluded place where there will be no noise.
   
2. Close eyes.
3. Gradually relax the muscles of the body, starting from the legs and ending with the face.
4. Focus on breathing: on exhaling after inhalation, mentally say “once,” breathing should be easy.
5. Remain in this position for 10-20 minutes, just sit with your eyes closed for a couple of minutes, then you can open it.

There is no need to worry about poor concentration during the exercise, if attention is distracted, you need to switch it to breathing, saying “times”. Gradually, autogenic training exercises will be given easier and relaxation will come faster. Classes are best done a couple of times a day, but not immediately after eating.

To enter the autogenous state, it is important to choose the right place, especially at first. Conditions should be comfortable, should not be too hot or cold. Weak noise, as a rule, does not distract, but you need to protect yourself from sudden and sudden sounds. It is not necessary to create twilight in a room, it is enough to sit with your back to the window.

At the initial stage of training, you need to be sure that no one will interfere, and will not be distracting. For classes, it is important to choose the optimal pose, for beginners you can give these recommendations:

• Sit in the buttock folds on the edge of a chair or chair.
• The legs should be placed wider than the shoulders so that the muscles can completely relax.
• Shins should be perpendicular to the floor.
• The head should be lowered, the back slightly bent.
• It is necessary to do several swings back and forth to make sure the posture is stable.
• Place your hands on your hips so that your palms gently cover your legs.
• Close eyes.
• Breathe calmly, inhaling through the nose, and exhaling through the mouth.

For those who are just starting to use autogenic training, the posture may seem uncomfortable, but gradually getting used to it and realizing that it can be used wherever there is a chair.

The main mistake of beginners is to put the buttocks on the entire seat, in this position in a few minutes you can feel the legs leak, some of them bend forward, which leads to pain in the neck. To avoid this, experts created an introductory exercise that will help create the conditions for the start of auto-training classes. It consists in the following:

• Sit in a comfortable place and relax.
• Close eyes.
• Make free and natural breathing movements.
• Focus on the calm that is gradually coming.
• Concentration should be passive, no need to forcefully concentrate. At first, it is enough to complete the exercise for a few seconds.
• If you have to constantly be distracted, then the exercise should be stopped.

Training technique

There are special rules for performing an autogenic training:

1. Before starting exercise, it is important to ensure complete relaxation of the body. Muscles should be minimized.
2. Regular exercises will allow you to learn how to control your body, only after that you can move on to visualization.
3. Training should take at least 10 minutes and no more than 40.
4. It is recommended to repeat autotraining from 1 to 6 times a day.
5. You can perform exercises in a sitting or lying position:

• If you practice lying down, you need to lie on a flat surface, legs slightly apart, socks should look in different directions. Lower your arms along the body, but do not touch it. Bend slightly in the elbow joints, and turn the palms upward with the inside.

• The first sitting position involves landing with a straight back, leaning on the back of a chair or chair. The legs are on the floor, bent at the knees so that the hips are at an angle of 90 degrees to the back. Hands can be placed on your knees or laid on the armrests.
• The second sitting position was considered a little higher.

An important condition for the successful development of auto-training is regularity and gradualness. Before moving on to the next stage, you must fully master the previous one. All exercises are repeated three times with a maximum degree of confidence.

The stages of training differ from each other in the subject on which attention is concentrated or in the content of the text suggestion:

• At the beginning, training should focus on the feeling of heaviness in the arms and legs.
• Further, attention is focused on the sensation of the spreading heat on the hands and feet.
• Concentration on the feeling of warmth in the area of ​​the heart muscle.
• Focusing on breathing, a feeling of air moving along the lungs and airways should gradually come.
• Concentration on the appearance of heat in the solar plexus and the entire abdominal cavity.
• At the last stage, a feeling of coolness on the forehead should appear.

Next, we consider the basic exercises of auto-training.

Start with concentration

This exercise anticipates the whole complex and sets the goal of calming down as much as possible and driving away unnecessary thoughts from the head. The bottom line is this:

• “I” is pronounced on inspiration.
• On the exhale, pronounced "completely calm."

Several repetitions contribute to the achievement of complete relaxation and concentration on the implementation of further exercises. This formula of calm can be repeated not only before the main complex, but also between exercises.

Core exercises

Beginners are recommended to master the complex gradually, 1 exercise per week:

1. The exercise for the feeling of heaviness is aimed at the complete relaxation of all muscle groups. On inspiration it says "my hand", and on exhalation it says "very heavy." The next respiratory cycle: “very heavy” (inhalation) and “heavy” (exhalation). Right-handed people during exercises should concentrate on the right hand, left-handers - vice versa. If it does not work out, then you can imagine that in your hand is a heavy bag or suitcase.
2. Feeling of warmth. This exercise allows you to expand blood vessels. (Inhale) - "my hand" - (exhale) "very warm." Further “very warm” - “warm”. It is recommended to focus more on the palm of your hand. You can speed up the appearance of sensations if you immerse your hand in hot water before training, and then remember your sensations.
3. Exercise for the heart muscle will normalize the rhythm. On inspiration the “heart” is pronounced, and on the exhalation “beats calmly”, the next respiratory cycle can be accompanied by the words: “exactly”, “calmly”. You do not have to make maximum efforts to hear the beat of the heart, this can lead to overstrain. You need to relax as much as possible and just watch your feelings.
   
4. Breathing exercise is necessary for relaxation of the nervous system, normalization of the depth of breathing. On inspiration, “breathing”, on exhalation “perfectly calm”. Then you can pronounce the words: “even and calm”, “I can breathe easily and freely.”
5. Next up is the exercise for the solar plexus. Relaxation of all abdominal organs is achieved. Slow and steady breathing is accompanied by the words: "heat spreads over the solar plexus." If it is difficult to cause such sensations, then it can be imagined that there is a hot heating pad on the stomach.
6. For the head. This exercise aims to prevent the heat from spreading over the body in previous concentrations from affecting the head. On the inhale "forehead", and on the exhale - "pleasantly cool." This is repeated several times. Exercise tones well, so it is not advisable to perform it before going to bed. To accelerate the achievement of such sensations, one can imagine that a window is open nearby and a draft pleasantly refreshes the forehead or a cold compress lies on it.
7. The next exercise will help get rid of excess tension in the neck and neck area. You need to slowly say "my nape is soft and warm." Repeat several times. Performing this exercise will even get rid of a headache. It can be performed before bedtime.
8. Exercise for general relaxation. This can be achieved by pronouncing the following statement: "the whole body is relaxed and pleasant warmth spreads over it." Experienced professionals are able to immerse themselves in a complete trance only after pronouncing this phrase alone.

Beginners should not immediately begin to perform all the exercises. It is necessary to gradually master each, and then apply the whole complex as a whole.

Visualization

After successfully mastering the entire complex of exercises of the first stage, you can move on to a more complex level - visualization. Its essence is to create images that will help to transfer the state of relaxation into consciousness. There are no specific recommendations about which images to evoke in one’s consciousness; it all depends on personal preferences. Someone recalls skiing on snow-capped peaks, and someone recalls tea drinking in pleasant company. To quickly decide on a picture for relaxation, you can answer some questions:

• What kind of weather do you like.
• Who do you prefer to see in your images.
• Favorite colors.
• Preferred and pleasant sounds for you.
• Your condition.

An important requirement of visualization is the creation of a living picture in the mind, and for this all sensory organs must be involved. , , .

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