Initially, autogenous training as a method of therapy was proposed by Johann Schulz. Subsequently, the technique was developed by many domestic scientists. It is used to relax and distract from anxious thoughts. The publication will talk more about the Schultz method.
What is an autogenous technique?
Autogenic training is a psychotherapeutic method based on muscle relaxation, focused self-hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Also, the method includes several yoga techniques. First you need to learn self-hypnosis in a state of relaxation - this is the lowest level. It is used for selective effects on autonomic and mental processes. After mastering these exercises, you can go to the highest level - a hypnotic trance. This is self-contemplation, in which in a state of nirvana a person is able to arbitrarily cause a vivid visualization of ideas and a dreamy split of consciousness.
Oddly enough, anyone can master the technique. All you need is to be patient and do it right. It is important to treat autogenous training passively and not try to achieve something. You just need to relax and perform the proposed exercises without waiting for any result.
In psychology, the Schulz method is used to influence both the psychological and physiological state. It is worth considering separately what changes can be achieved in either case.
Physiological effects
The physiological changes that occur as a result of self-hypnosis and self-hypnosis are similar to the effects of relaxation techniques that restore the body. With proper exercise, you can observe control over a decrease in muscle tension, cholesterol, respiratory rate and heart rate. Also, blood flow to the extremities and alpha-wave activity of the brain, which directly affects the relaxation of consciousness, are enhanced.
Studies have proven that Schultz's technique helps in the treatment of Raynaud's disease, hypertension, migraines and insomnia. In addition, there is evidence that autogenic training can be used to treat ulcers, constipation, indigestion, hemorrhoids, bronchial asthma, diabetes, tuberculosis, rheumatic back pain and cancer.
Psychological effects
Johann Heinrich Schulz also believed that autogenic training affects the psychological state. In fact, it is. With daily exercises, the method effectively reduces anxiety, nervousness, depression, fights chronic fatigue and increases resistance to stress.
There are studies proving the effectiveness of autogenic training. For example, she helped one girl to survive the psychological trauma of a car accident and to drive again. Another woman was afraid to wear dentures because she thought she would choke on them. After doing Schulz’s exercises, this fear disappeared. Even women in childbirth experience less pain and anxiety in the process of the birth of a child. Autogenous training for men helps cope with motion sickness and excitement about the upcoming competitions, thereby improving training performance.
In modern life, anyone can apply the Schulz method to overcome phobias, reduce anxiety before exams, public speaking and business meetings. And indeed, self-control and relaxation will help to achieve the best results in any activity.
How to do autogenic training?
It is worth noting that for people who have health problems and want to use the method for treatment, home training will not be enough. They should go to a good clinic and practice under the guidance of well-trained and experienced specialists (psychiatrist and clinical psychologist). In this situation, improvement from therapy appears after a few months, and in severe cases - only after a year.
At home, you need to do about 10-20 minutes. At the same time, you should not use an alarm clock or timer to time the clock. When learning hypnosis and auto-suggestion, one should not be distracted by anything. Also, after the end of the session, you do not need to immediately get up. It’s better to sit quietly, first with eyes closed, and then with open eyes.
Success Factors
Schultz argued that in order to successfully complete a workout, certain nuances must be observed.
- Be highly motivated and ready for action.
- Observe a rational level of self-regulation and self-control.
- Maintain a certain body position that contributes to the achievement of the effect.
- Focus only on bodily sensations.
- Minimize and even eliminate all irritants that prevent you from focusing on your own feelings.
It is especially important to complete the last point. During auto-training should be comfortable and calm. Therefore, it is better to close the room, close the curtains and turn off the phone so that no one and nothing bothers. Over time, when everything will work out, it will already be possible to use the Schulz method in crowded places. Autogenic training will help you relax on the way home or during your lunch break.
Body position
Autogenic training can be done in three main poses. There are two sitting positions and one recumbent. In principle, you can choose absolutely any pose. But beginners are advised to exercise while lying down.
Sitting postures are good in that they allow you to relax anywhere, anytime. In addition, the probability of falling asleep will be minimal. But there is a significant minus. Muscles do not fully relax, so it will be more difficult to master the technique in this position. So what are the options?
1. You need to sit exactly on a chair or chair with a straight back that supports the head. It is important that the spine is not curved. The seat should be long enough to support the hips (drooping is not allowed). You need to sit down so that the buttocks are perpendicular to the back of the chair. Fingers, hands and arms can be placed on the knees or armrests of a chair.
2. The second version of the sitting position in the Schultz method. For him, you should take a stool or chair with a low back. This is necessary so that during the lesson you could not lean your back. You need to sit on the edge of the seat and rest your hands on your hips. In this case, the fingers and hands should remain in a free position. The chin should be placed near the chest, but the head should be left to hang arbitrarily. The hips should be shoulder width apart, and the tips of the toes visible slightly from behind the knees.
3. The option of a lying position. It is better to occupy it not on the bed, but on the floor, sitting on the rug. Lie on your back, slightly spread the soles of your feet, toe socks in different directions. Put your hands along the body, but do not touch them. Bend your elbows slightly and turn your palms up. If any part of the body is uncomfortable, you can put a small pillow under it. But you should avoid uneven position. For example, if the pillow is under the head, then the chin should not be pressed to the chest.
Regardless of the position chosen, the body should be relaxed as much as possible. Muscle tension during exercise should be the minimum.
Lower stage
Next, six exercises of the self-hypnosis method of the German psychotherapist I. Schulz will be described. With their help, you can master the lowest level of technology. Exercises should be performed strictly in the order in which they are presented. It is necessary to start and end with the phrase "I am calm."
1. A feeling of heaviness
Take a sitting or lying position, close your eyes. Try to physically feel calm, and then - heaviness in the left hand. For efficiency, it is better to say the words to yourself or aloud: "I am absolutely calm", "My left hand is getting heavier." In this case, the sensation should spread not only over the named limb, but throughout the body. Perform the exercise should be about a minute. Then you need to bend your elbows and take 2-3 deep enough breaths. After that, you should repeat the exercise, only using your right hand.
2. The feeling of warmth
Repeat the previous task, using both hands alternately. They should have a feeling of heaviness due to muscle relaxation. Now it is necessary to achieve vasodilation and a sensation of warmth. You can help yourself with the phrase: "My hand is getting hotter."
3. Heart rate regulation
In this exercise, the power of self-hypnosis will increase if you put your hand on your chest on the left. After you need to repeat four times: "My heart beats calmly and evenly." It is important to concentrate on the ripple. The rhythm of the heart muscle should be felt. Over time, the heart rate during classes will decrease. Exercise is considered mastered if cardiac activity is felt not only in the hands, but throughout the body.
4. Regulation of respiration
It is necessary to repeat four times: "I breathe quite easily." Due to the power of self-hypnosis, the lungs should move effortlessly, calmly and evenly. Exercise is considered mastered if breathing as if lulls and happens by itself.
5. Abdominal control
First you need to alternately cause the same sensations as in the first four exercises. After that, you should concentrate on the solar plexus zone (it is between the sternum and the navel). You need to imagine how the press becomes warm. When the exercise is completed, you will feel a heavier body, as if you were in a hot bath. It will be calm and comfortable, and breathing and heartbeat will have a harmonious rhythm.
6. Forehead coolness
First, all previous exercises should be performed alternately to evoke the sensations described in them. After that, you need to concentrate on how the forehead becomes cool. Each time, when performing the exercise, the vessels will contract more strongly, causing a feeling that the rest of the body is much warmer than the forehead. Ideally, a cold breeze should be felt.
Highest level
At the visualization stage, hypnosis training will take place to conjure up calm and pleasant pictures in one's imagination. They will help to spread in the mind the relaxation that has been achieved by the body. When performing the following exercises, some people imagine birds flying in the air. Others are sea waves rolling on the sandy shore. Still others prefer to imagine them sailing on a quiet lake on a sunny day. The fourth one helps to relax presented cozy room with a fireplace. Beginners at the beginning of training can visualize what is offered in the assignment. This can be done both in a lying position and in a sitting position.
The highest level of relaxation according to the Schulz method consists of only 7 exercises, which will be discussed later.
Exercise 1. Meditation on color
First, all the tasks of the lower level should be performed sequentially. Then, without changing the position of the body, you need to mentally concentrate consciousness on the representation of images of a characteristic color. That is, you need to try to visualize, for example, a blue flower, a green meadow, white snow-capped mountains and so on. When performing the exercise, it is important to keep in mind precisely the color, and not the specific shape of the objects. Therefore, the task will have to be repeated until it works well.
Exercise 2. Meditation on a specific color
The meaning of this exercise according to the Schultz method is to purposefully invoke specific color representations. This will train the color-sensation association. That is, you need to imagine, for example, black is sadness, yellow is joy, red is passion, violet is peace, and so on.
Exercise 3. Meditation on the image
The goal of this exercise is to teach arbitrary visualization of a particular image or subject. For example, it can be a flower, a lamp, a person. A successful mastery of a task is considered to be a focused presentation of oneself.
Exercise 4. Meditation on the abstract
In this exercise, try to evoke the figurative equivalents of abstract concepts. These include hope, freedom, love, joy, and the like. Moreover, the figurative equivalents for each person are purely individual. For example, some associate freedom with a bird flying in the sky, others with a wide steppe, and still others with the sea. In this spirit, and you need to perform this exercise.
Exercise 5. Meditation on sensations
Here we need to move from visualization of images to our own experiences. For example, Schultz himself proposed a meditation on sensations at the sight of mountains to relieve tension. But you can choose any other item. It is important that the imagination is not concentrated on a specific object or landscape (mountains, sea), but on the sensations that arise when they are contemplated.
Exercise 6. Meditation on a person
First you need to learn how to visualize strangers. After that you can move on to concentrating your imagination on a familiar person. The main task is to distract from subjective attitudes and emotional assessments in relation to known images. Try to make them neutral.
Exercise 7. The answer of the unconscious
In the last exercise you need to ask yourself questions. The answer will be considered spontaneously arising images, which then will need to be interpreted. The most frequently asked questions are: “What do I expect from life?”, “What am I mistaken?”, “What are my problems?”, “How to behave better in a particular situation?”
Over time, the implementation of exercises and challenge sensations will take several minutes. But it will take months of regular practice to master the self-regulation of the psychophysical state using the Schulz technique. Therefore, you need to be patient and engage in autogenic training every day.