Autogenic
Training: a relaxation exercise
Being able to use a relaxation exercise is always useful. You
could use it to simply relax at the end of a long day at work so you don't
run around stressed once you are home with your partner (which will
probably improve your relationship and love life a lot). Or you could use
it during an argument to calm down, or to fall asleep if you tend to lie
awake at night worrying. Or you could use it to sooth your performance
anxiety about sex. Whatever the issue, a relaxation exercise can help you
with it.
All relaxation exercises work better and better the more you
use them. Therefore, practice frequently - at least once a day while you
are getting used to it. There are different methods of relaxation ranging from yoga to visualization
techniques. Find one which one suits you best and use it on a continuing
basis. If you feel you don't have time to learn a relaxation exercise,
well, you sure need one! If you are too stressed during the day, practice
when you're in bed, before you fall asleep. If the relaxation exercise
means you do fall asleep, that's a good sign the process is working. You can also practice
at week-ends or in the morning when you wake up. Expect to use it for a full month before
you get the greatest benefits of it.
My own favorite relaxation technique is
called autogenic training. It's quite old, but very good and it works like
biofeedback, but without the need
for equipment.
Autogenic training is a relaxation
method which uses auto-hypnosis techniques. At the start, practice in a quiet environment
once a day (at least once; more often is better). Also, while you get
started stick with the first block of messages for heaviness until you can
feel yourself getting heavy. Then start to add on more messages as you go
along. Take your time with it, you don't have to do it all at once. Later
when your body response to the technique, your body will follow the
content of the messages and relax. Use it whenever necessary or desirable
(for example after a stressful day at work while sitting on the train home
or during your lunch break).
The exercise involves a state of passive
awareness and it is important that your attitude towards the exercise is
casual, non-striving and relaxed. Don't try hard at it, don't let it
become another thing you have to work at. Just notice your body, and
simply accept what happens during the exercise. Focus your awareness on
the sensations in your body. Should your thoughts drift away, that's ok
too, just come back to your body. In your thoughts you can wander forever,
but your body is still during the exercise, apart from your heart beat and
your breathing. Your body acts like an anchor for calmness and peace. Go
through the auto-hypnosis suggestions (see further down, starting off
with "my right arm feels heavy") even if they don't seem to be
working to begin with. Simply notice how it feels, don't try and change
how relaxed you are actively,
just let go into the process and at some point your arm will indeed relax and
begin to feel heavy.
But
before
you start, do a body scan from your head downwards. Check for any tension
in your body, especially your shoulders and jaw, and relax those muscles
consciously. Allow your tongue to lie on the floor of your mouth. Maybe
take a deep breath and sigh out. Allow your mind to relax and listen to
your body. You can close your eyes or keep them open as you wish.
Autogenic
training works with a sequence of auto-hypnosis messages, which should be
used in the order they are described here. However, you can repeat any
suggestion more often to yourself, or you can stay longer with a
particular area. At the start, don't go through the whole sequence, but
maybe only the first few parts. As you are getting more comfortable with
the method, add the rest of the suggestions slowly. As with any other
relaxation method, autogenic training takes practice. Take time as often
as you can at the start, and as long as you want to.
If you feel any
tension, emotions or agitation in your body while you're trying to relax,
simply notice it. See if you can relax anyway. Take time later on to
think about it. It might be that what you are experiencing are signs of
stress, which will stop as you relax more often. However, your body
might also be sending you signals that an area needs more focused
attention, like stretching exercises, different foods or a trip to the
doctor to get yourself checked. You might also experience tensions due to
unreleased emotions. Check how you're feeling during the exercise. If you
have a repeated uncomfortable feeling, see whether you can release it by
shaking (anxiety), crying (sadness) or hitting cushions (anger). Or,
consider psychotherapy.
At the end of the cycle you can, if you want to,
include your own personal affirmation. Using affirmations
with a relaxation exercise will reinforce the positive messages you're
trying to take in. You can either use existing affirmations, or you can make
up your own by following a few simple rules:
1 Keep
affirmations short and simple.
2 The statements
need to be in the present indicative tense (I am something); never use the
future tense (I will be). That only reinforces that
you haven't reached your goal yet.
3 Avoid
the use of the word "try" and negatives such as "I am
not smoking". Instead, think, for example, "I am free of my addiction
to tobacco and I have no cravings for a cigarette."
4
Don't use statements of intentions (e.g. I ought, I should to be more
assertive), but rather a
statement of real, possible change (I allow myself to be assertive).
5
The phrase must be acceptable to you, not make you feel silly or embarrassed.
6
You need to be able to remember it.
For more options on affirmations,
check the affirmations section.
Finally,
here is the list of auto-hypnosis messages:
My
right arm is heavy
My left arm is heavy
Both arms are heavy
My right leg is heavy
My left leg is heavy
Both legs are heavy
My neck and shoulders are heavy
I am at peace
My right arm
is warm
My left arm is warm
My right let is warm
My left leg is warm
My neck and shoulders are warm
I am at peace
My heart beat
is calm and regular
My neck and shoulders are heavy
I am at peace
It breathes me
I am at peace
My solar
plexus is warm
I am at peace
My
forehead is cool
I am at peace
"Own
affirmation"
Notes:
1:
The formula for breathing sounds a bit odd, but it is worded that way to
emphasize the passivity of your breathing. Let your breathing just happen.
The solar plexus is an autonomic nerve area just below your breast bone
above the stomach area. Often people hold a lot of tension there.
2:
Once you get the hang of it feel free to experiment. You could combine the
messages with visualizations, like the sun shining on your belly for the
solar plexus one. You could also play around with different breathing
patterns, or how deeply you can breath into your body. Breathing is an
essential part of Tantric sexual techniques, which we will write about in
another section of this website. You can stay in the relaxed space as long
as you wish after having completed the sequence. If you fall asleep, great!
If you might do that in places where it could be inconvenient, such as on the train home, don't close your eyes.
When you want to come back, stretch gently and give yourself time to join
the outside world again.
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