Autogenic Training

Autogenic training is known to many people. In today’s society, time pressure, stress and permanent hectic are increasingly the cause of mental illness and physical diseases. Dizziness, burnout or depression are examples of possible consequences of this lifestyle. That’s why it’s all the more important to take time out regularly and relax properly. The term autogenic training comes up again and again in this context. But what exactly is behind it?

What is autogenic training?

Autogenic training is a relaxation method based on autosuggestion. The Berlin psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz developed it further from hypnosis and first published it in 1932 in the book “The Autogenic Training”. Autogenic training has many followers today and its effectiveness has been proven in many studies.

How does autogenic training work?

Autogenic training uses formulaic phrases to help the subconscious mind believe in something. This process is called autosuggestion – sounds strange, but it works. The prerequisite is a calm body posture in which the muscles can relax completely. The exercises, which consist of short formulaic ideas, must be recited several times in the mind of the practitioner in a concentrated manner. The “simple” version of autogenic training consists of seven exercises, which are usually performed one after the other.

Autogenic training: benefits and application

Autogenic training can lead to rapid relaxation through self-suggestion in stressful situations. Furthermore, it is used for nervousness, sleep disorders and psychosomatic complaints such as headaches, digestive disorders or high blood pressure. However, it should be checked beforehand by a doctor that there is no serious physical cause for the complaints.

Autogenic training: exercises

The individual components of the training are the following seven exercises:

  1. An introductory function has the rest exercise. It serves to calm down and is intended to strengthen concentration. Close your eyes and imagine the writing “I am completely calm, nothing can disturb me”.
  2. The heaviness exercise can cause a feeling of heaviness in the desired parts of the body after extensive training. Mentally say to yourself “The arms and legs are quite heavy.”
  3. The heat exercise promotes blood flow to the limbs. Imagine “The arms and legs are warm.”
  4. The breathing exercise increases relaxation through specific breathing techniques. Tell yourself “My breath flows calmly and evenly”. Here, however, you should not specifically longer inhale and exhale. Let your breath flow as it dictates the rhythm of your body and it will calm down all by itself.
  5. The heart exercise consists of focusing on the heartbeat. Imagine the words “My heart beats calmly and regularly”. Under no circumstances should you imagine “My heart beats slowly”. This can lead to heart rhythm disturbances in exceptional cases.
  6. The solar plexus exercise focuses on the center of the abdomen. Say to yourself “My body becomes streaming warm”.
  7. The head exercise helps to stay awake and improve concentration. Tell yourself “The head is clear, the forehead is cool.”

Last but not least, tell yourself once with emphasis “Arms tight! Take a deep breath! Eyes open!” A stretch concludes the exercise phase. The wake-up phase is of the highest priority to avoid continuing to linger in the trance-like state.

Instructions and tips for autogenic training

If you would like to try autogenic training yourself, you should follow these tips:

  • Learning the individual exercises usually takes a few weeks. Here it is advisable to join a group and practice together.
  • Especially as a beginner, you should initially perform only one of the exercises and divide them. For example, in the heaviness exercise, you should focus only on the heaviness of the right arm. If this succeeds after a few days, include your left arm and then your legs in the exercise. If there is noticeable success, add an aspect of the following exercise to the training phase.
  • The individual sets of each exercise are repeated three to six times in the mind.
  • To achieve rapid training success, the exercises should be performed daily for at least five minutes