It is a type of relaxation through concentration since you have to concentrate on a series of formulas or exercises that allow you to perceive certain bodily sensations.
It’s a type of relaxation through concentration since you have to concentrate on a series of formulas or exercises that allow you to advance and perceive certain bodily sensations. The starting point is that if we want to achieve a certain relaxation, we must internally represent that state of relaxation that we want to achieve.
The essential of autogenic training is to do it regularly: it is the only way to reach the goal of self-relaxation through concentration. It is important to carry it out three times a day for a duration of 2-3 minutes. The best times of the day are:
Upon waking up (sitting, after breakfast)
At noon (alone, without anything to bother you)
Before falling asleep at night (lying down, just before going to sleep)
It is also important learn the various postures to do it because this will provide the possibility of applying the training at any time of the day and in any situation:
1. The lying posture
Lying on your back, legs extended, toes will point slightly outwards to relax especially the pelvic muscles; The arms must be relaxed with the palms of the hands supported and the gaze must be directed towards the ceiling, keeping the eyes closed.
One has to accommodate in an armchair with the buttocks in front so that one can sit relaxed and loose, the back resting on the back of the armchair, the knees somewhat stretched, but only to the point where the feet completely touch the floor; the arms resting on the armchair, with the head relaxed resting on the backrest. If a chair is used, the back supported by the backrest, the arms should rest on the thighs and the head slightly tilted forward.
3. Coachman’s posture
Other sitting posture which is used when a seat without a backrest is available, is the coachman’s position. In this case you have to stand at the front of the seat and keep your back upright and then sink slowly; the legs should be slightly open, the calves vertical and the feet completely touching the floor; The arms will rest relaxed on the thighs, the hands hanging inwards without touching, and the head tilted forward.
Just as important as entering the state of relaxation is leaving it to avoid unpleasant sensations such as cloudiness and fatigue. To do this, you must respect these three phases:
– 1st Phase: Fixed arms (extend your arms as if stretching with closed fists)
– 2nd Phase: Inhale and exhale (do it 2-3 times deeply)
– 3rd Phase: Open your eyes (make contact with the environment)
These phases are carried out at end of each exercise, regardless of posture. There is only one exception and that is that at night, lying down, you should not do them because this way you will go from autogenic training to sleep.
Once you know all this, first of all, you have to adapt to a concentration of tranquility so the first exercise will consist of concentrating on the following formula:
I am completely calm.
Since this tone of tranquility is not very concrete, in the next concentration session you will have to mentally represent the formula:
I am completely calm.
My right/left arm is heavy (depending on whether I am right or left handed).
You must practice what is indicated at least three times a day, for 2 to 3 minutes, in the postures learned and respecting the exit phases of relaxation.
When the sensation of weight is already experienced regularly, we should focus on:
I am completely calm.
Both arms are heavy.
After a few days of regular training and reached an extension obvious feeling of weight we must formulate the following:
I am completely calm.
My arms and legs feel heavy.
In the following days, once a pleasant feeling of weight throughout the body, the formula is reduced to:
Tranquility and weight.
After the concentration tranquility and weight we arrive at the heat exercise and continue completing the formula like this:
Tranquility and weight.
Right/left arm warm.
After a few days of practice and once a warmth sensation can be passed to the following formula:
Tranquility and weight.
Both arms warm.
When it has been reached This state can be passed to the formula:
Tranquility and weight
Warm arms and legs.
If the exercise runs from acceptable form You can also arrive at a brief formulation:
Tranquility, weight and heat.
These exercises can be deepened by adding the breathing exercise. Passively, you have to observe the constant change of inspiration-expiration that is carried out involuntarily, without forcing. This breathing process, which occurs passively, relaxed and reflexively, without the person’s activity, is the goal of this exercise. The complete formula would be like this: Tranquility, weight and heat, breathe in me.
At this point, the trained person In this way you will suffer less stress and will be able to better maintain your physical and mental balance thanks to the great value of autogenic training as a preventive treatment. However, true mental illnesses such as endogenous depression, schizophrenia or psychoses resulting from brain tumors or serious brain injuries are not susceptible to the application of this technique.
