Autogenics

YOUR BODY LISTENS

Sometimes you feel that you are a victim of your body, with its physiological processes beyond your control. When you feel well you probably don't have this sense of helplessness. But when you are tense or anxious, you may suddenly feel out of control. Your hands and feet are icy; you jump at the slightest sound; trying to maintain an even keel consumes all your energy. You wish that you could tell yourself to calm down-and have your body listen. Though you may not be able to eradicate the stress-provoking incidents, with autogenic training you will be able to exert some control over your physiological processes and not feel so helpless. You will learn to recognise the signs and symptoms of tension, and be able to reduce their effect on your life. You do not have to be a victim of your own stress response.

Anywhere ... anytime

Once you have mastered deep breathing, autogenics can be the next step in a relaxation program. This method is easily learned and success usually increases with practice; the more you practice the exercises the sooner you will effect a change in your tension level. You can use autogenics whenever you start to feel tense: for a few minutes at your desk, on the bus or in the subway, before going to sleep at night, or at any time you set aside during the day.

Domino effect
In autogenic training you attempt to induce specific physical sensations that are associated with relaxation. By inducing any of the characteristics of the relaxation response, such as warmth and heaviness, you can break into the chain of physiological changes that occur when you are relaxed. Imagine that these changes are a row of dominoes, carefully stood on end and regularly spaced so that slightly pushing one domino causes all the others to topple over, one after the other. The warmth that you strive for is your perception of increased blood flow throughout the body, especially to the extremities (unlike the stress response which constricts blood flow to these areas). The heaviness is your perception of the skeletal muscles relaxing (unlike the tensing of the stress response). If you can teach yourself to elicit warmth and heaviness at your command, then the other physiological changes that occur when you relax will follow, as in the domino analogy.

Johannes H. Schultz developed the autogenic method from his experiments with hypnosis. Schultz observed that hypnotised subjects, who had been commanded to relax and were in a state of deep relaxation, experienced two powerful and pleasurable sensations-warmth throughout the body and a feeling of heaviness in the limbs. Schultz developed the autogenic program for people wishing to achieve profound relaxation through self-suggestion, without the help of a hypnotist. Simple, yet effective, word phrases suggest relaxation to the unconscious mind, which then manifests the desired responses in the body.

Your body can listen...

Some people who practice the autogenic method have learned how to exercise considerable control over their autonomic functions, and can induce a variety of physical sensations as well as block out the feeling of pain. Your body can listen, but you must abandon the will, rather than exercise it. If you try to consciously control your body, you will fail. Passive concentration is the key-you focus on your body while in a state of deep relaxation. The effort necessary for mastering the autogenic technique is not in trying to do it; letting go and giving in to relaxation is the hardest part. Trying too hard will always create more excess tension, and make it more difficult for you to learn to relax.

Instant feedback

Autogenics produces a state of relaxation that is physiologically identical to that induced by meditation and other Eastern techniques. Unlike Eastern methods, autogenics focuses on physical sensations rather than abstract mental states; the Westerner may be able to understand and achieve deep relaxation more readily by utilising methods deeply seated in Western culture. Autogenics gives you something concrete to do, and experience. The feedback is fairly immediate-you know if it is working. If it isn’t, it probably means that you need to practice it over a period of time. Recording the autogenics scripts on to a CD or tape and listening to is regularly is the best process.

I have found autogenics particularly effective with migraine sufferers; the success rate is about eighty-five percent. It has also been highly successful in treating high blood pressure, abdominal pain, anxiety, and nervousness. In Basic Autogenic Training some phrases imply heaviness, others warmth, others overall relaxation. Suggestions of heaviness are designed to relax skeletal muscles, and when they work, the arms and legs should feel very heavy, as they do when you are deeply relaxed. For those of you who hold back tension in the muscles, releasing this tension may dramatically generalise to an overall relaxation. Phrases of warmth suggest increased blood flow allowed by the relaxation of the smooth muscles surrounding the arteries of the vascular system. If you constrict these arteries unconsciously and respond to tension with cold hands and feet, then these phrases will be especially helpful.

AUTOGENICS POSITIONS
Begin the exercises in the sitting or lying position with your eyes closed. Before assuming a position, make yourself as comfortable as possible: loosen your clothing, remove any jewellery or glasses, take off your shoes.

SITTING POSITION
Sit near the front edge of a straight back chair. Find the spot and position most comfortable for you. Your knees should be bent so that the angle between the calf and thigh is slightly more than 90. Sit up, as if a string were pulling you straight up through the crown of your head. Let your arms hang down freely at your sides. Now, crumple straight down with your neck bent forward. When you crumple, do it straight down, not forward or backward. Gently pick up your arms and lay them on top of your legs, about an inch above the knees. Spread your fingers. If you feel yourself pulling backward, move your hands slightly forward; if you are pulled forward, move your hands slightly back. There may be a pulling in your neck or shoulders, but as you become accustomed to this position, you will be gradually stretch out and become comf0l1able. This sitting position creates the least amount of muscular tension.

LYING POSITION
Lie flat on a bed or on the floor. You may support your neck and knees by placing a pillow under them. Some people even prefer to place pillows under each arm. Spread your legs slightly and move your arms away from your torso, keeping your palms down and your elbows out. Separate your fingers so that they are not touching each other. If you are cold, cover yourself with a light blanket. Personally, I prefer the lying position, but if you find yourself inappropriately drifting into sleep, use the sitting position to remain awake.

AUTOGENIC EXERCISES
I recommend exercising in the afternoon, before dinner, or in the morning before breakfast. It is always best to practice before meals rather than after eating. When you first attempt autogenics, try to reduce all outside distractions. Once you have become adept, you may be able to practice in an ordinary setting without preparation. Autogenics can be practiced for a few minutes at work; instead of grabbing a cup of coffee between phone calls, take ten minutes, request that someone take messages, and relax. Before attempting to practice in your office you should have practised at home, and be familiar with the progression. There is no right way to experience these exercises; everyone's experience is unique. Remember not to try too hard-it will only make it more difficult for you to relax. Passive concentration is the key. Let any extraneous thoughts flow through you, and out of you.

For some reason (i.e. greed) autogenics is usually taught to therapists over a two day course, which is patently ridiculous as it is learned in about ten minutes, using the following script.

BASIC AUTOGENIC TRAINING (Script)
Get into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, and exhale fully and completely. Remember to breathe properly throughout the exercise. Let the day's experiences and thoughts pass through you and out of you. Do not hold onto your thoughts; allow them to go. Watch them flow by as if on a movie screen, or like billboards passed on the road side.

Repeat this mood phrase to yourself three times; "I AM AT PEACE WITH MYSELF AND FULLY RELAXED." Remember to breathe properly., and on the exhalation breathe away any tension.
Concentrate on feeling heaviness in your arms and legs. Right handed people begin with the right arm; left handed people with the left. Right handed people begin; " MY RIGHT ARM IS HEAVY; MY RIGHT ARM IS HEAVY, MY RIGHT ARM IS HEAVY." Left handed people begin; "MY LEFT ARM IS HEAVY, MY LEFT ARM IS HEAVY, MY LEFT ARM IS HEAVY." Pause between each phrase - this is not a race. Take your time, and let any worries or thoughts that may enter your consciousness flow through you, and out of you. Feel the heaviness in your arm. Proceed to the opposite arm and repeat the phrase to yourself three times; MY LEFT ARM IS HEAVY," or "MY RIGHT ARM IS HEAVY." Feel the heaviness in your arm.

Then proceed to the legs, saying to yourself; "MY RIGHT LEG IS HEAVY, MY RIGHT LEG IS HEAVY, MY RIGHT LEG IS HEAVY." Feel the heaviness in your right leg. Remember to breathe naturally, and take your time, pausing between each phrase. Then the other leg; "MY LEFT LEG IS HEAVY, MY LEFT LEG IS HEAVY, MY LEFT LEG IS HEAVY." Feel the heaviness in your legs.

Then say to yourself; " MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE HEAVY, MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE HEAVY, MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE HEAVY." Feel the heaviness in your neck and shoulders. Take a deep, calm breath and exhale fully and completely.

Concentrate on feeling warmth as you relax the smooth muscles in the walls of the arteries. Right-handed people begin; "MY RIGHT ARM IS WARM, MY RIGHT ARM IS WARM, MY RIGHT ARM IS WARM." Left-handed people begin; "MY LEFT ARM IS WARM, MY LEFT ARM IS WARM, MY LEFT ARM IS WARM." Feel the warmth in your arms; be aware of the pulse, and the flow of blood through your entire body. Go on to the other arm.

Then let go of the tension in your legs, saying to yourself; "MY RIGHT LEG IS WARM, MY RIGHT LEG IS WARM, MY RIGHT LEG IS WARM." Feel the warmth in your right leg. Continue with the other leg and repeat the phrase to yourself three times. Feel the heaviness in your legs. Remember to breathe slowly and naturally, and let any thoughts flow out of you.

Move on to your neck and shoulders, and say to yourself; "MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE WARM, MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE WARM, MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ARE WARM." Feel the warmth in your neck and shoulders, and feel the warm blood flowing through your body. Just allow yourself to remain relaxed, don't try to force the feeling, and be aware of any sensation of blood flow or temperature change. Remember to breathe naturally and calmly.
Slow and calm your heart by saying to yourself; " MY HEARTBEAT IS CALM AND REGULAR, MY HEARTBEAT IS CALM AND REGULAR, MY HEARTBEAT IS CALM AND REGULAR." Some people may experience discomfort when they turn their attention to their own heartbeat. If you feel nauseated, light headed, or notice any other disturbing sensation, change the phrase to; "I FEEL CALM, I FEEL CALM, I FEEL CALM."

To slow your breathing say to yourself; " MY BREATHING IS CALM AND REGULAR, MY BREATHING IS CALM AND REGULAR, MY BREATHING IS CALM AND REGULAR." Feel the air completely filling your lungs when you inhale, and on the exhalation feel the warm air leaving your lungs. Pause between each phrase, and say the phrases to yourself slowly and calmly.
Concentrate on warmth in your abdomen, saying to yourself; "MY ABDOMEN IS WARM AND CALM, MY ABDOMEN IS WARM AND CALM, MY ABDOMEN IS WARM AND CALM." It you have serious abdominal problems, bleeding ulcers, diabetes, or are in the last trimester of pregnancy, change the phrase to; " I AM CALM AND RELAXED, I AM CALM AND RELAXED, I AM CALM AND RELAXED." Move on to your forehead, repeating to yourself; " MY FOREHEAD IS COOL AND CALM, MY FOREHEAD IS COOL AND CALM, MY FOREHEAD IS COOL AND CALM." Feel the excess blood flowing out of your head. Remember to breathe the calm, full breath; allow any extraneous thoughts to flow through you, and out of you.

When you have completed the least phrase, rest for a moment. To bring yourself back to a normal state of alertness repeat the phrase to yourself; "I AM REFRESHED AND COMPLETELY ALERT I AM REFRESHED AND COMPLETELY ALERT, I AM REFRESHED AND COMPLETELY ALERT"

Take a deep, full breath, flex your arms and legs, and stretch. You may wish to repeat the last phrase several more times. Slowly open your eyes.

Contact us for more info