Autogenic training is a very effective tool for improving character and programming. Find out how to use it!

The human subconscious¹ has enormous potential. It is known that people use only 3 percent of the mental potential of the brain, and the remaining percentages are hidden in the bottomless "ocean" of the subconscious!

How to learn to use more? Use the powers of the subconscious to improve your character, qualities, develop superpowers, and thereby life itself?

This article discusses such an interesting concept as autogenic training (auto-training), the impact on the subconscious with the help of self-persuasion. This is of great importance both for the development of various qualities of one's personality, and for strengthening the extrasensory abilities of a person!

What is autogenic training (autotraining)?

Autotraining (AT) is a combined system borrowed from various ancient teachings. AT methods are based on the techniques of self-hypnosis, raja yoga², body relaxation techniques and immersion in altered states of consciousness.

The founder of autogenic training (AT) is the German psychiatrist Johann Heinrich Schultz.

How is self-training done?

In order for auto-training to effectively influence the subconscious and the qualities of a person, it is necessary to develop in oneself:

the ability to enter an altered state of consciousness or trance, to stay in it for the time necessary for work;
the ability to self-suggestion. Learn to feel new qualities or properties now, to create a complete immersion effect. As a result of this, the skill of managing all the processes of the body and the surrounding reality is acquired.

Science has proven that the human subconscious does not distinguish between real events and imaginary ones. Thus, you can learn to influence reality with the help of imagination!

The magical powers of man!

Words and imaginary images affect various mental functions that are not amenable to the conscious control of a person: with the help of auto-training and imagination, it is possible to influence the functioning of internal organs and the course of neural processes in the human brain. The first can change the work of the organism, the second - the processes in the surrounding space.

Example for understanding

Imagine that you are cutting a large, juicy piece of a sour green apple. On the cut, droplets of sour apple juice are visible. Put a piece of apple in your mouth and chew it.

Did you feel? You involuntarily salivate. The subconscious did not distinguish between a real apple and an imaginary one. With the help of suggested images, a salivation reaction was induced, usually not controlled by the human mind.

In what state does autogenic training work at its maximum?

In this state:

the outside world is "forgotten";
increases;
the criticality of consciousness decreases.

In this state, all self-hypnosis easily penetrates into the subconscious. Autogenic training plants seeds in the subconscious field that germinate and sprout.

So many esoteric practices for developing superpowers and controlling reality are based on this. In order for this practice to bring results, continuous and regular practice is required.

Notes and feature articles for a deeper understanding of the material

¹ The subconscious is a term used to refer to mental processes that occur without displaying them in consciousness and in addition to conscious control (Wikipedia).

² Raja yoga (“royal yoga”), also known as classical yoga, is one of the six orthodox schools in Hindu philosophy, which is based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (

Autogenic training is a kind of auto-training. This process can also be called self-hypnosis or self-hypnosis. What is it for? This is a good remedy for relieving stress and various nervous tensions. The most important thing about autogenic training is to learn how to relax, achieve a state of relaxation, and then focus on what you would like to change. At the same time, a person plunges into a semi-drowsy state, but not into sleep, and with the help of special exercises he can control organs and systems that are not subject to reason in the normal state. To get the result, autogenic training must be done daily, it is also important to find convincing motives for yourself and believe that everything will work out.

This method was developed in 1920 by the German doctor Johann Schulz. In 1932, his book on autogenic training was published. It quickly gained popularity all over the world. The author's student, Wolfgang Luthe, translated it into English, and later began teaching autogenic training in Canada.

Stages of autogenic training.

Autogenic training takes place in three stages. This will be discussed further in our article.

The first stage is relaxation.

At this stage, you must ensure that your muscles and limbs are relaxed. AT should be practiced in a separate room, in silence and twilight, while there should be no external stimuli. Autogenic training exercises take place in a relaxed position. For example, lying on the mat, relax all the muscles, spread your legs slightly so that the socks are slightly apart, arms along the body, the neck is relaxed, and the head is slightly turned in the direction that is more convenient for you. It can also be a bed if you do AT before bed, but you should remove the pillow. Autogenic training can also be done in a sitting position. For example, in a comfortable chair, so that the back and the back of the head can rest on its back, the legs are relaxed and slightly apart, the eyes are closed, you feel comfortable, ready to dive into a state of complete relaxation and rest.

The system that Schultz developed is now somewhat simplified, and only four basic suggestions are used in practice.

1. Pleasant calmness and relaxation. This formula should be repeated for all parts of the body. Start with your hands. You can imagine that your hands are lying in warm water or covered with a light warm duvet: “my right hand is warm, it is relaxed and resting”, then imagine the same for the legs, back, stomach and other parts of the body. Then you can go to the face and apply the formula: "my face is calm and relaxed, it is resting." This formula promotes vasodilation.

2. Pleasant heaviness. This suggestion is not difficult, because our legs and arms, and indeed the whole body, have a real heaviness, only we do not feel it in the usual state. And in a relaxed state, you can feel the heaviness of each part of the body. Mentally repeat: “my arm is gradually getting heavier”, while it is from the fingertips to the shoulder, as if filled with something heavy and you do not want to move it. Do the same for other parts of the body. This is not an oppressive feeling of heaviness, it comes in combination with a general state of lightness. This formula relaxes the muscles.

3. Pleasant warmth. When you have reached a state of relaxation, blood circulation has improved, your hands and feet become warm. The heat formula, again, should be applied to all parts of the body except the face.

4. Even and calm, easy breathing. This process does not require control, but in this state you can track how the cool air you inhale feels when you inhale, and then leaves, warmed by your warmth. These are pleasant sensations.

Separately, I want to focus on the face. When the formula “the muscles of my face are relaxed” has worked, you will feel that the face has become softer, the muscles of the forehead have relaxed. Then you need to move on to the suggestion: "My forehead is cool." This distinguishes the process of relaxing the face from all other parts of the body that need warmth. To achieve the effect, you can imagine that you are blowing a cool summer breeze, or you are washing your face with cool water.

The most difficult thing at the first stage is that attention is constantly switched to extraneous thoughts and memories. You should not get annoyed, just patiently try to return to the self-hypnosis formulas.

That, in fact, is all about the first stage of AT. To get out of it, give yourself a mental command: “The body is tense. Breathing becomes deep. I open my eyes," then do it all. If you did autogenic training in bed before going to bed, then you can not apply this formula, just return the pillow to its place and fall asleep. Usually, in order to master the first stage of autogenic training, before moving on to the remaining stages, it takes a person from one to four weeks.

The second stage is auto-training.

After you have relaxed your body, your mind also needs to relax so that you can give yourself the settings you need. Without leaving the state of autogenic immersion, continue to inspire yourself that you are calm, that you enjoy this peace. To help you with this, you can imagine any picture that you associate with peace. It can be a summer meadow, the blue sky above it, the aromas of herbs or the calm sea, the blue sky with which it merges, the aroma of the sea air. You must remain in this state for at least five minutes.

The third stage is installation.

At this point, your body is relaxed, you yourself are at rest, and you can move on to preparing to deal with stress-related problems. To do this, you need to find settings (formulas) that are relevant to the problem, but they should be short and positive. They should be formulated in advance.

Some of them can be cited as an example. If you are concerned about work problems, then you can use such attitudes: "I do my job, I succeed, I am attentive, I am confident, I am calm." If you are tormented by insomnia, and you did not fall asleep in the first two stages, then you can inspire yourself with the following formulas: “my head is free from thoughts, my soul is calm, I am resting, my eyelids are heavy, my sleep is deep and strong.” If you want to lose weight, then use the settings: “I am calm, I am full, I am indifferent to food, an abundance of food harms my body, abstaining from food brings me joy.” For those who want to get rid of bad habits, such as smoking, the following formulas are suitable: “Smoking harms me, I hate smoke, I don’t smoke anymore, I breathe fresh air, and it’s so nice, freedom from nicotine brings me joy” .

The practice of autogenic training helps not only to prevent diseases, but also increases the positive effect of their drug treatment. It must be remembered that AT does not cure, but only suppresses the symptoms of diseases due to the fact that it creates a psychological climate that supports the body. For each disease, it is necessary to select its own specific settings. For example, for those who suffer from hypertension and heart disease, the following settings can be used: “Nothing bothers me, I am calm, my heart works smoothly and smoothly, I am calm and relaxed, I am confident in my abilities, I am detached from worries, life beautiful and happy." If you feel pain in some internal organ, it will be useful to inspire yourself with a feeling of warmth in this organ, for example: “In the region of the kidneys (liver, gallbladder, etc.) I feel a pleasant warmth, there is no pain. The joints are warm, mobile, do not hurt.

There is another trick that relieves pain. You need to visualize your pain as a large red disk that gradually lightens in color, turning to pink and then to white. So your pain decreases along with a decrease in the intensity of the red color, and with the appearance of white, it disappears completely.

After you have achieved the desired result, you must be able to properly exit the state of autogenic immersion. The exit formula in this case will depend on the type of self-hypnosis that occurred. General points for all types of self-hypnosis: the formula must be mentally pronounced energetically, and immediately you need to open your eyes. For example, if you used the work setting, then the following formula might work: “I am rested, I am calm and confident, I am in a good mood, I feel a surge of strength and energy, and I am ready to work. One two Three". On the count of three, open your eyes and stand up.

How long does autogenic training take?

At the beginning of classes, autogenic training will take you about half an hour. Once you've mastered the first two steps, you won't need to work on each body part separately. You will be able to start relaxing both arms at once, then both legs, naturally, the suggestion formulas will change. Over time, you can reach a level where you can carry out autogenic immersion reflexively, automatically. After that, you can completely shorten and simplify the suggestion formulas: “My whole body is relaxed, it feels pleasant heaviness and warmth. The forehead is cool." Then ten minutes of autogenic training will be enough for you.

The optimal mode for mastering autogenic training is five times a day for five minutes. If you take classes seriously, that in two weeks you will be able to relax before some exciting events that cause stress. And in a month, with the help of AT, you will be able to fall asleep at any time of the day for ten minutes and, upon waking up, feel rested.

Is it possible to do auto-training on your own?

Of course. Only self-training is less effective for the following reasons:

1. Each person has psychological mechanisms of self-control, which, during independent auto-training, do not allow to completely relax. If there is a person leading from the outside, then your brain automatically shifts the function of “security control” to him.

2. The plan, formulas, settings, the pace of the session are set by the moderator. And if it is not there, then you are forced to control all this yourself, which means that your thinking and self-control remain “on” and interfere with relaxation.

3. For autogenic training to be successful, you need knowledge and experience that you may not have yet.

That is, from here we can conclude that group training is more effective. But this does not negate the fact that self-training can bring a positive effect.

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Autogenic training is based on the observation that changes in the body are accompanied by certain sensations. For example, when the muscles relax, there is a feeling of heaviness, and when the capillaries of the skin are filled with blood, a feeling of warmth. The opposite effect also takes place: focusing on the real weight of the body promotes muscle relaxation, and focusing on the real body heat promotes blood flow to the capillaries of the skin.

Mastering autogenic training allows you to achieve a number of effects:

Calm down, relieve physical and mental stress.
Get a quick rest (quicker than while sleeping or watching TV).
Regulate heart rate and breathing, blood supply to the brain, which is very important for the treatment of psychosomatic diseases.
Fight pain.
Activate attention, memory, imagination, ability to physical effort.
Activate creative resources through the development of intuition, imaginative thinking.
Defeat bad habits by rationally dealing with stress, emotional and intellectual activation.
Know yourself.

autogenous state(a state of thoughtfulness, laziness, contemplation) occurs naturally if a person:

is located in a quiet place;
relaxed in a comfortable position;
focuses attention on something;
does not seek to achieve any result.

To fulfill these conditions, autogenic training must be carried out in a comfortable place. It should not be too cold or hot, stuffy, noisy. Small background noise usually does not interfere with activities, but sudden and loud noise should be avoided. Shading is not required. If the light from the window interferes, you can sit with your back to the window. There should be no fear that you will be disturbed.

Before class, loosen the waist belt, unbutton the top button of the shirt, loosen the knot of the tie, take off the watch, glasses. Women should wear trousers.

Poses for autogenic training

"Coachman on a droshky"

This pose can be practiced almost anywhere where there is a chair, stool, box of suitable height, etc.

Sit on the edge of the seat so that the edge of the chair falls on the gluteal folds (do not sit on the entire seat, as this leads to numbness in the legs).
Spread your legs wide to relax the muscles that bring your hips together.
Place your shins perpendicular to the floor; if after that there is tension in the legs, move the feet forward 3-4 centimeters until the tension disappears.
Lower your head forward so that it hangs on the ligaments, and hunch your back.
While swaying back and forth, make sure the posture is stable by balancing the lowered head and hunched back.
Place your forearms on your thighs so that your hands gently curve around your thighs and do not touch; do not rest your forearms on your hips.
Close your eyes and breathe calmly, as in a dream, inhaling and exhaling through your nose.

Reclining posture in a high back chair

Sit reclining in a chair so that when you relax your head leans back. The position of the arms and legs, as in the "coachman on the droshky" position.

When mastering postures for autogenic training, remember that they must be symmetrical. Any skew during the session will cause tension, preventing a fall.

Pose in a low back chair

The same “coachman in a droshky” posture with one difference - the student does not sit on the edge of the seat, but on the entire seat so that the hunched back rests against the back of the chair

Pose with a pillow under the head

The pose is convenient for practicing in bed before going to bed and in the morning immediately after sleep.

Lie on your back in bed, on the couch, sofa, put a low pillow under your head. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, relax your legs, while the socks will diverge to the sides. Bend your arms slightly at the elbows, place your palms down; the hands do not touch the body. Be mindful of the symmetry of the posture.

Lying position without a pillow

Lie on your back. Position the straightened legs so that the distance between the feet is 15-18 cm. Place the outstretched arms at an acute angle to the body, palms up.

Exit from the autogenous state

The exit technique allows you to activate as much as possible after the autogenous state:

Stop following the instruction of the lesson and focus on the fact that you had a good rest and will soon leave the autogenic state.
Slowly clench your fists, feel the strength in your hands, in your whole body; otherwise, do not change the position.
Without unclenching your fists, stretch your arms towards your knees.
Wait for the end of the next exhalation.
Take a deep breath, while inhaling, raise your arms up, arch your back, turn your face up.
Pause for 1-2 seconds to prepare for the last step of the exit.
Simultaneously: exhale sharply through your mouth, open your fists and open your eyes. After that, calmly lower your hands.

During the exit from the autogenic state, focus as much as possible on the energy, strength accumulated during the session (even if their increase was small). Proceed to each exit step only after the previous one has been completed. Perform all steps except the last one slowly, the last one as quickly and vigorously as possible.

People with high blood pressure during the exit need to concentrate on the calm, peaceful strength that has accumulated during the session. Those prone to low blood pressure should focus on cheerfulness, energy, a feeling of chills along the spine, running "goosebumps" along the body.

Do not use the described technique 1-1.5 hours before bedtime. After finishing the session, stop following the instructions for this session, sit for a while with your eyes closed, then slowly straighten your back and open your eyes. Sit for 1-2 minutes, then you can get up.

Advice. Insufficiently clear working out of the exit from the autogenic state leads to lethargy, weakness after classes. Avoid the most common mistakes: speed and crumpled execution, lack of pauses between steps, non-simultaneous opening of the eyes, exhalation, unclenching the fists at the last step, not exhaling sharply enough.

To exit in a prone position, follow the same steps. Then inhale and as you exhale sit up in bed.

Task number 1

Master the postures for autogenic training. Whenever possible, try to stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes. While in the pose, try to relax as much as possible. If you feel discomfort in any part of your body, try to correct the defect in your posture that is causing it. In the absence of time, take a pose for at least a few seconds. Relax in postures and end with an exit. Do not use the exit technique 1-1.5 hours before bedtime.

"Mask of relaxation"

“Relaxation mask” is a facial expression in which mimic, chewing muscles and tongue are relaxed. Each tense muscle has a stimulating effect on the brain, and this prevents the emergence of an autogenic state. Mimic, chewing muscles and muscles of the tongue and hands have a great influence on the state of the brain, so more attention is paid to their relaxation.

The muscles of the hands can be quite easily relaxed, and for the rest of the muscle groups there are special exercises related to the fact that in everyday life we do not encounter work on these muscles; in addition, the rules of decency do not allow you to keep your mouth open and relax your facial muscles.

After mastering the “mask of relaxation”, combine it with the learned postures for autogenic training in the following way. Reclining in a high-back chair, the “relaxation mask” is performed as described above. In the “coachman on a droshky” pose and in a pose in a low-backed chair, the mouth is passively closed when the head is lowered. In lying postures, when the masticatory muscles are relaxed, the jaw slides down.

The “Relaxation Mask” can also be used in isolation in cases where there is no opportunity to engage in autogenic training, to reduce physical and mental stress, and relieve headaches.

Task number 2

To relax the masticatory muscles with the head upright, silently say the sound "Y", let the jaw drop. Sit like this for a few minutes, watch how, with the relaxation of the chewing muscles, a wave of relaxation passes throughout the body, how the muscles of the face relax, the eyelids become heavier, the gaze stops, the surroundings become blurred due to the relaxation of the muscles that focus the lens. At first, look at your face in the mirror. Finish the exercise with the exit from the autogenic state, since even at first, with good relaxation of the facial and masticatory muscles, an autogenic state of one degree or another of depth occurs.

Task number 3

With the head upright, relax the masticatory muscles with a silent "Y". Then, to relax the tongue, silently say the syllable "Te", while the relaxed tongue gently rests on the back of the lower teeth. Watch your condition. Let the heavy eyelids fall. End the exercise with an exit. If it is not possible to work out for 5-10 minutes, complete the task for a shorter time, even if only for a few seconds.

Autogenic training exercises

Introductory exercise "Calmness"

The purpose of the exercise is to prepare for autogenic training.

Task number 4

Take one of the poses for training, relax, paying special attention to the “relaxation mask”, close your eyes. Breathe calmly, as in a dream; inhale and exhale through the nose.

Focus on the calm that comes from silence, a comfortable posture, and closing your eyes. Do not inspire yourself with any special “complete” calmness, passively focus on the one that you have at this time. Practice only as much as you can passively. If you start to get distracted, you should make an exit. Don't go out before bed.

Remember that only passive concentration produces a physiological effect. The most common mistake at the beginning of training is the desire to inspire yourself with the “right” state. Such internal activity disperses even the beginnings of the desired state, turning "relaxation" into flour.

Advice. Concentrate on the exercise for just a few seconds the first time so that you are not tempted to actively induce calmness. For a few seconds, even an absent-minded person can focus on real calm.

Exercise "Heavy"

The purpose of the exercise is to feel the heaviness of the body. To do this, do the following experiments:

Put your hand on a balloon or crumpled paper, make sure that under the influence of the weight of the hand they are squeezed.
Put your hand on the scales, watch the deviation of the arrow, reflecting the severity of the hand.
In any of the postures for autogenic training, try to raise your arms, gradually increasing efforts in the deltoid muscles (covering, like epaulettes, our shoulder joints), make sure that with little effort this fails, as the heaviness of the arms interferes; feel this heaviness.
Lying in a bath of water, raise outstretched relaxed arms; when your hands rise above the water, feel the increment of heaviness in them; alternatively, let the water out of the bath and observe the increase in gravity throughout the body as the water flows out.

These experiments allow us to make sure that heaviness is inherent in our body and there is no need to inspire it. They need to be done within a few days. Learn to feel a little heaviness: concentrate on the heaviness that is; do not expect any particularly pronounced severity.

Task number 5

Take one of the poses for training, relax, focus on calmness. While continuing to feel calm, focus on the real heaviness of the right (left-handed - left) hand. Passively contemplate stillness and heaviness until the feeling of heaviness disappears and you become distracted. Make an exit (except for classes before bedtime). As you relax, heaviness will be felt in other parts of the body. Passively contemplate it where it is.

During the development of this exercise, do not try to spread the feeling of heaviness according to any scheme, to strengthen it with self-hypnosis. Any internal work will prevent the emergence of an autogenous state.

From session to session, as the relaxation of the muscles deepens, the sensations accompanying this process will change:

a feeling of heaviness will spread to the whole body and become pronounced;
a feeling of heaviness is replaced by a feeling of lightness, a feeling of alienation of the body may occur;
the body ceases to be felt.

These changes usually appear in separate parts of the body, usually in the hands. In these cases, passively contemplate the combination of sensations that has arisen (for example, the body is light, the hands are missing).

Remember that the feeling of heaviness in the arms is brighter than in the legs and torso. Do not try to make it uniform by willpower. The exercise is mastered if during the exercises there is heaviness in the arms and legs.

Exercise "Heat"

Immersion in the autogenous state is accompanied by a redistribution of blood in the body - its content in large vessels and muscles decreases, and it increases in the capillaries of the skin. This is accompanied by a sensation of warmth in the limbs and trunk. Passive concentration of attention on the real body heat can cause the above-described physiological shift.

To feel warm, do the following experiment. Sit down. Bend your elbows, place your hands at the level of your stomach so that your hands with slightly bent fingers are facing each other with palms. Focus on the warmth that the palms radiate. Subjectively, it feels like a thermal ball between the palms. By bringing the brushes closer and further away, you can feel the diameter of this ball. After doing this for 3-5 minutes, bring your palms to your cheeks, at a distance of 1-2 centimeters. You will feel the warmth radiating from your palms on your cheeks.

Task number 6

Relax into one of the workout poses, focusing first on calmness, then on calmness and heaviness. After that, while continuing to feel calm and heaviness, focus for a few seconds on the real warmth of the right hand (left-handed - left). After that, exit the autogenic state.

If you have cold hands before class, rub them, otherwise passive concentration on heat will be impossible. In the future, the time of concentration on heat will increase, and the feeling of warmth will naturally spread to the second arm, legs, torso. The maximum concentration time is determined by distraction and interference.

The exercise is mastered if during the lesson you feel the warmth of the hands and feet.

In this way it can be ensured that the body is warm enough to provide material for passive concentration. Passive concentration of attention on the warmth of the skin can increase its temperature by 2-4 degrees, normalize high blood pressure.

Exercise "Heart"

While in the autogenous state, the heart rate decreases. This corresponds to a feeling of calm, measured pulsation in the body. Passive concentration on this pulsation helps to slow down the pulse, normalizes the rhythm of the heart.

In order to passively concentrate on the pulsation, you need to do several experiments to detect it:

Place the second, third and fourth fingers of the right hand on the radial artery of the left hand, remember the rhythm of its pulsation; the same can be done by placing the index finger of the right hand on the jugular fossa above the upper end of the sternum.
Connect the fingers of both hands into a “lock” and place your relaxed hands in front of you; feel the pulsation at the bases of the fingers grasped by the fingers of the other hand.
Sitting on a chair, cross your legs and watch how the foot of the leg at the top rises to the beat of the pulse.

Task number 7

Relax into one of the workout poses. Focus on calmness, then on calmness and heaviness, then on calmness, heaviness and warmth. After that, while continuing to feel calm, heaviness and warmth, feel where you currently feel the pulsation, and passively focus on it. After a few seconds, exit the autogenic state.

In the future, the time of concentration on the pulsation will increase. From session to session, it will be felt in more and more areas of the body, and the time will come when a calm and powerful pulsation will be felt throughout the body.

The exercise is mastered if during the lesson the pulsation is felt in the arms and torso.

Exercise "Breathing"

This exercise helps to calm the breath.

Breathing during autogenic training is calm, superficial, as in a dream; inhalation and exhalation is done through the nose. During the session, passively observe your breath without trying to do anything with it. Despite the outward simplicity of this instruction, at first it can be difficult to follow it. For example, sometimes there is a temptation to lengthen the exhalation or pause after it, because on the exhalation the relaxation and peace are deeper. The retribution for this follows immediately - the oxygen debt that has arisen inevitably entails a deep breath that breaks the relaxation you like so much.

It is best to observe the breath as if from the side. Observe every aspect of your breath: the movement of air as you inhale and exhale, the cooling of your nostrils as you inhale, the movement of your belly with your breath.

Task number 8

Relax into one of the autogenic training poses and focus on calmness, heaviness, warmth and pulsation. Then, without ceasing to feel them, focus for a few seconds on any aspect of the breath. After that, exit the autogenic state.

As always when mastering a new exercise, gradually lengthen the time of concentration on breathing, remembering that you need to do the new exercise only as much as you are able to do it passively. The exercise is mastered if during the exercise the breathing is calm, lulling, accompanied by the impression that "breathing by itself."

During the lesson, the mastered exercises merge into one image: a calm, heavy and warm body mass, which is under the influence of two overlapping rhythms of breathing and pulsation.

Exercise "Solar plexus"

In the autogenous state, the activity of not only the organs of the chest cavity, but also the abdominal ones is normalized. This is accompanied by a feeling of warmth in the abdomen. Therefore, passive concentration on real warmth in the abdomen, or more precisely, in the area of the solar plexus, normalizes the activity of the abdominal organs.

The solar plexus is a collection of nerve plexuses that control the activity of the abdominal organs. It is located on the back wall of the abdominal cavity, behind the stomach, midway between the lower edge of the sternum and the navel.

Before that, you learned to passively concentrate on your body heat. Now you have to learn to focus on the warmth in the solar plexus area. Some difficulty is that in our minds the stomach, the solar plexus are not as clearly represented as the head and hands. You can make up for this by determining the projection of the solar plexus on the skin of the abdomen and rubbing this place clockwise.

Task number 9

Relax into one of the workout poses and focus on calmness, heaviness, warmth, pulsation, and breathing. Then, without ceasing to feel them, focus on the warmth deep in the upper abdomen. After a few seconds of concentration, exit. In the future, the time of concentration on the warmth of the solar plexus will be lengthened, as it was with the previous exercises.

The development of this exercise can be helped by imagining during the lesson, as if on exhalation, heat passes into the stomach.

A warning. If you have any diseases of the abdominal organs, consult your doctor before mastering this exercise. Exercise is contraindicated in acute inflammatory processes in the peritoneal cavity (appendicitis, peritonitis, pancreatitis), bleeding, tumors, women during menstruation. Suffering from diabetes, you need to understand that this exercise can activate the activity of the pancreas. Controlling sugar levels can reveal a decrease in the need for insulin.

The exercise is mastered if during the exercises you feel that the stomach is warmed up by pleasant deep warmth.

Exercise "Cool forehead"

In an autogenous state, blood flow to the head decreases. This is accompanied by a feeling of coolness in the forehead.

Passive concentration on the coolness of the forehead reduces the flow of blood to the head, the excess of which causes headaches. Performing the “coolness of the forehead” exercise allows you to increase mental performance, relieve mental fatigue and headaches. The object of concentration of attention is the temperature contrast between the warmth of the body and the coolness of the surrounding air. The difference from the “warmth” exercise is that we are not concentrating on the warmth of the body, but on the coolness of the air in contact with the forehead.

During preliminary training, try as often as possible to feel the coolness of the air on your forehead, the direction of air movement. You can feel the coolness especially clearly while walking, going down the stairs (climbing requires a lot of effort and makes it difficult to passive concentration), when leaving the room to the street.

Task number 10

Relax into one of the workout poses and focus on calmness, heaviness, warmth, pulsation, breathing, and warmth in the abdomen. Then, without ceasing to feel them, for a few seconds, focus on the coolness in the forehead. After that, exit the autogenic state.

In the future, lengthen the time of concentration on the coolness of the forehead. Do not try to feel a pronounced cold in the forehead - this can cause a spasm of the cerebral vessels, which will manifest itself as a headache. Coolness should be light.

The exercise is mastered if during the lesson you consistently feel a slight coolness of the forehead. With further training, coolness may spread to the temples, the root of the nose, the eye sockets, but this is not necessary.

Dynamics of the autogenic state

In autogenic training, you passively focus on calmness, the six standard exercises, and everything that happens to you. You should not try to change your state in any direction. Your body knows what state you need, and your passive attitude will allow the desired state to manifest. Two stages of the autogenous state can be distinguished:

passive stage. Calmness, relaxation, indifference to the environment increase, thinking slows down, while maintaining awareness of what is happening.
active stage. There is an increase in awareness. The student sharply perceives and experiences what is happening to him. Logical thinking stops, the perception of the environment is almost absent. Vivid experiences are possible: vivid visual images, suddenly formulated thoughts, liberation from the oppression of previously interfering experiences.

After leaving the active phase of the autogenic state, there is a surge of strength, a desire to realize the experiences that took place during the lesson. In this regard, classes before bedtime should be short in order to prevent the transition to the active stage of the autogenic state - this can make it difficult for the onset of sleep. Having worked out a little in the passive stage of the autogenic state, one should stop following the instruction and allow the autogenic state to pass into sleep. There is no exit from the autogenic state at bedtime.

The autogenic state differs from the drowsy state by the presence of constant awareness of everything that happens to us. Therefore, interaction with awareness allows you to regulate your state. By strengthening awareness, we remain in an autogenous state, preventing its transition into a dream. By allowing awareness to fade, we allow the autogenic state to pass into the drowsy state and then into sleep.

Autogenic modification

Autogenic modification - a change in one's state and behavior in an autogenic state.

Before engaging in autogenic modification, you should make a list of the tasks that you want to solve with autogenic training and rank them according to the degree of difficulty for you. Start with the easiest one.

Describe a picture of the state that interferes with the achievement of the goal. Pay attention to its emotional, intellectual (thinking) and bodily components.

For example, the successful passing of exams is hindered by timidity, accompanied by tension, a feeling of chill along the spine and thoughts like: “Well, that's it! I won't give up!"

Create a complex positive image, the opposite of the above. In this case, the image may be as follows: calmness, warmth along the spine and the thought: “I am confident in myself” or, in short, “I am confident.”

It is also good to analyze your state in those cases when you managed to overcome this difficulty, and supplement it with elements of a complex positive image.

Self-hypnosis formulas must meet the following requirements:

brevity. We do not think in long extended sentences, so a short phrase will be better imprinted on our consciousness. For example, the formula: "Calm" is better than "I am calm and confident in all situations."
Positivity. The formula must affirm, not deny. For example, the formula: "I'm not afraid of exams" can increase fear. Formulas should be applied: “I’m sure”, “I remember everything”, etc.
Individuality. The formula is made just for you, it doesn't have to satisfy everyone. Remember how in difficult times a phrase that only you understood helped you. If you have previously helped, for example, the word: “Everything!” in overcoming the craving for smoking, you can safely use it for autogenic modification, although it may seem pointless to another person.

Task number 11

Make a table. In the first column of it, place the tasks before you, starting with the simplest and ending with the most difficult. In the second column, write down the conditions that prevent each task from being achieved. In the third column, place a complex positive image for each situation. Consult with your class leader. In the autogenic state, in conjunction with the six standard exercises, contemplate a complex positive image of the easiest task. Once you have completed this task, you can move on to the next one. Example:

The fight against pain is carried out in a similar way. A complex positive image includes coolness or warmth in the area that needs to be anesthetized (specified by the doctor) and formulas about the insensitivity, strangeness or absence of this area. For example, a complex positive image for a tooth extraction: calmness, a huge relaxing heaviness throughout the body, coldness in the lower half of the face, as if you were lying face down in the snow, and as a result, the lower part of the face became insensitive, the formula: "The lower part of the face is alien" or just "Alien" when directing attention to the lower part of the face.

In the event that a certain situation causes difficulties for you, for example, fear of riding in transport, fear of heights, fear of public speaking, you can use the contemplation of these situations against the background of an autogenic state. The systematic combination of the image of this situation with calmness will lead to the fact that in a real situation you will feel calm. This method, called systematic desensitization by Joseph Wolp (USA), can be combined with the application of a complex positive image.

In the autogenic state, motor skills can be obtained and improved. In the autogenic state, you can repeatedly repeat in your imagination the actions that need to be learned or improved.

For this you need:

Precisely think over the movements that should be learned.
During autogenic training, not only visualize the action being performed, but also feel it, “imagine” it with your muscles, “pass” it through yourself.
Mentally pronounce to yourself the actions performed in parallel with the performed action or before it.
Starting to learn the movements, imagine its performance in slow motion, then, as you master it, the pace of its presentation accelerates to the real one.
At the beginning of mastering a motor skill, it is better to mentally imagine it in a pose close to the actual position of the body during the performance of this action. In the future, this work can be continued in classical postures for autogenic training.
As you master a motor skill, you can include real movements or allow them to manifest.
When imagining movement, dissolve in it, do not think about the final result.

More details about the use of ideomotor images can be found in the book by A. V. Alekseev “Overcoming Yourself”.

The highest level of autogenic training

The highest level of autogenic training (autogenic meditation) allows, operating with visual images, using figurative thinking, to work on deep psychological problems pushed into the unconscious by conflicts, to better understand oneself. Signs of readiness for work at the highest level are:

visual images spontaneously arising during classes;
vivid, memorable dreams, accompanied by a premonition of the meaning contained in them and a desire to understand it.

Preparation for the highest level consists in training to lengthen the time spent in the autogenous state and to gradually introduce external interference. This is necessary so that the flow of visual images is not interrupted due to the inability to stay in the autogenous state for a long time and is not distorted under the influence of external interference.

More information about working with visual images can be found in the book by G. Eberlein “Fears of Healthy Children”.

Work at the highest level of autogenic training must be carried out under the guidance of an experienced psychotherapist familiar with this method.

Autogenic training and music

Any use of extraneous speech and music violates the principle of training autogenicity and turns the session into a veiled hypnosis session. This makes a person dependent on outside help.

You can use music before classes to create a mood, for a better feeling of what peace and contemplation are. This can be useful for active, energetic people who have little experience in contemplation.

To do this, you can use, for example, the works of J. S. Bach:

Organ mass, part 2, B 669-671 part 3, B 676 part 6, B 682 part 8, B 686 Schmider's "Bach - Werke - Verzeichnis".
Choral prelude in E flat, V. 622 from the Organ Book.
Choral Prelude, V.745.
Prelude and Fugue in G minor, V. 558. 5 Suite for Orchestra No. 3 in D major, V. 1068, movement 2 (aria).

Autogenic training in everyday life

It is easier to master autogenic training than to apply it regularly in the future. Try to organically “fit” autogenic training into your daily life. Remember that active reluctance to exercise occurs if there is no need for rest. “Catch” the moments when fatigue begins to accumulate, and the activity will be desirable. On the other hand, do not bring yourself to overwork when the activity becomes impossible due to a deterioration in the ability to concentrate. And, most importantly, remind yourself more often that the autogenic state is not something inaccessible, that it arises by itself in everyone who creates the conditions for its occurrence.

Popular Literature

Alekseev A.V. To overcome oneself
Belyaev G. S., Lobzin V. S., Kopylova I. A. Psychohygienic self-regulation
Virah A. Victory over insomnia
Levi V. L. The art of being yourself
Lindemann X. Autogenic training
Pakhomov Yu. V. Entertaining auto-training. - In the book: Tseng N.V., Pakhomov Yu.V. Psychotraining. Games and exercises
Schultz I. G. Autogenic training
Eberlein G. Fears of healthy children

Literature for instructors

Petrov N. N. Autogenic training as a method for correcting violations of intra-family relations. In the collection: Family and personality formation (edited by A. A. Bodalev)
Lobzin V. S. Autogenic training
Khramelashvili VV, Lebedev VB Psychological problems in the clinic of cardiovascular diseases: non-pharmacological methods of intervention in coronary heart disease. Overview
Everly J., Rosenfeld R. Stress: nature and treatment
Benson H. Relaxation response

Accumulated negative emotions, clamps in the body and thoughts should be disposed of so that they do not become the cause of the development of psychosomatic disorders. Mind and body are interconnected, with which scientists already agree. That is why it is recommended to conduct autogenic training in various exercises for the purpose of relaxation and relaxation, which will be discussed in the online magazine site.

Why should a person relax? This is how nature has programmed it. Every day, a person goes to bed so that the physical body rests, and thoughts and emotions are put in order, loosen their grip and become less pronounced. During the day, a person also needs rest, which depends on the amount of stressful stimuli that have piled up.

Almost every day a person gets irritated. This irritation may be significant, or it may be weak. In any case, relaxation of the physical body is required, which will entail the relaxation of thoughts and the release of emotions that sometimes keep in a person’s head for days and months.

Everyone's life is full of stress. Either it is necessary to resolve issues related to work, then the topic of lack of money constantly worries, then health deteriorates, then relations with a loved one do not go well. A person does not need to look for problems, since usually they themselves are created by him, develop and emotionally hurt.

Naturally, everyone who has gone through various stressful situations can say that they are emotionally exhausted. Over time, you feel like you get tired, no matter how interesting you may be to solve your issues. And often this is due to the fact that a person is simply very tense during the emergence and solution of problems.

The most effective way to avoid exhaustion in any stressful situation is to learn to physically relax? When a person is worried, angry or does not accept because of something, he physically strains his muscles. He does not notice this, because he is busy thinking about the problem itself and experiencing his emotions. And at this time, his muscles are tense, because at the physical level they are trying to defend themselves and cope with a negative situation.

Naturally, after some time, you feel tired not only emotionally, but also physically. This all suggests that you tried to cope with the problem not only on an intellectual level, but also on a physical one.

From the fact that bodily you are struggling with an unpleasant situation, you get tired. Sometimes even because you were tense at the muscle level, you became emotional and unbalanced. Therefore, in order to calmly solve your problems, quickly and easily, you must be calm, balanced and understand what to do and what not to do. People sometimes make even more mistakes when trying to solve their problems because they give in to emotional and physical stress. The body wants to feel calm and healthy, but the person strains it and does not relax. This leads to the fact that a person cannot concentrate on solving the issue that has arisen, because of which he begins to think very superficially and illogically.

To solve your problem, while doing it for your own benefit, you must physically relax. Train yourself not only to calm down emotionally, but also to physically relax all your muscles that are tense due to the situation. It is physical relaxation, or even the process of taking the time to calm down, that allows you to become more balanced and emotional. This, accordingly, leads to the fact that you begin to think more soberly, judiciously and logically. This means that you are already solving the problem, and not making it worse. So as soon as a problem arises in your life that you need to solve, and not make it worse, take the time to let your body relax, as this affects your emotional state, which in turn affects the decisions you make.

What is autogenic training?

The German psychiatrist I. Schultz developed autogenic training, which is based on self-hypnosis. Its meaning is to achieve two natural states within the body:

Feeling of warmth, which is associated with the expansion of blood vessels and capillaries at the time of relaxation.
A feeling of heaviness that occurs when the muscles of the body relax.

It is these two sensations that accompany a person when he falls asleep. It is these sensations that arise when a person is put into hypnosis. Through these experiences, one can reach the state of meditation that many people want to learn when they reach the limit of their emotional experiences and become exhausted.

Initially, autogenic training was intended to treat people with neurotic disorders. However, this technique is ideal for healthy people who daily accumulate negative emotions and experiences. After all, neurotic disorders are the result of accumulated negative experiences that a person often carries in himself and is not able to get rid of.

Many psychologists note that a modern healthy person is more sick. Only if he does not harm others, he can already be considered healthy. Thus, we can say that the majority of society consists of sick people, they are simply not so dangerous to others as to put them in psychiatric hospitals.

The reason for the pain of many can be called negative experiences and emotions that they experience and do not get rid of. The sensations accumulate and accumulate, leading to a natural state, or irritability. Even the slightest reason can throw a person out of balance. This can no longer be called a normal state, since a healthy individual can survive and calmly endure many irritating factors, reacting calmly to them.

To get rid of accumulated emotions, you should understand in more detail the methods of autogenic training.

Relaxation in autogenic training

Autogenic training includes muscle relaxation and suggestion to the subconscious. The first part of the exercises is to relax the muscles of the body. Then the individual proceeds to suggest to his subconscious certain thoughts of a positive nature, which should transform him, calm him down, strengthen him.

A distinctive feature of autogenic training from hypnotherapy is the role of the individual over whom the "" occurs. In hypnotherapy, the individual takes a passive part, while in autogenic training, he actively hypnotizes himself in the direction he needs.

There is the highest level of autogenic training, when a person is able to inspire himself with any attitudes. However, only trained people reach this level. For an ordinary person, the first exercises of the initial stage are enough, when he helps to relax his body and emotions, thoughts. At this stage, attention should be paid to breathing: it should be calm and deep. At the same time, a person must observe how the air passes through his organs and diverges through all the cells of the body.

In the process of relaxing breathing, it is necessary to pronounce a program to yourself: “My clamps disappear. Muscles relax." Emotional stress leads to muscle clamps, which provoke the development of psychosomatic disorders. It is necessary to observe how the whole body relaxes.

When a person reaches complete relaxation, he can enter a special state characterized by three phases:

The first is complete rest, relaxation.
The second is the state of weightlessness.
The third is the disappearance of the body, the person does not seem to feel it.

Being in such a borderline state, it is important to maintain control so as not to fall asleep. It is in this state that one can engage in self-hypnosis. It is better to prepare in advance the verbal settings that you will pronounce to yourself. They can be directed to improve the functioning of internal organs. Some use autogenic training to change their own beliefs and attitudes. The most important thing here is not to hurt yourself.

You can simply put yourself in a borderline state in order to observe your body or the course of your thoughts. You do not need to manage the process, just be an observer. Such a “game” will allow you to relax not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. The nervous system will become much stronger if a person does the work correctly, even just by observing what is happening in his thoughts and emotions.

Relaxation and autogenic training

There are many tricks and techniques that allow a person to cope with emotional clamps and stressful conditions. Here it is important to tune in to the process and do everything alone. Relaxation through autogenic training helps to get rid of physical clamps, cope with insomnia, eliminate stagnation in thoughts and emotions, remove some diseases that are easily treated.

The main direction of autogenic training is psychomuscular relaxation. Thus, a person can influence the state of his body or psyche. If you constantly train, you can begin to live a harmonious and peaceful life, without worrying and not facing many diseases.

Studies have been conducted that have shown that people who resort to autogenic training extend their lives by several years.

Consider two psychomuscular workouts:

Shortly before sleep, be in the fresh air, take a shower, then slow down subsequent actions (talk more quietly, dim the lights in the room, slowly undress and go to bed). Close your eyes, relax. Without opening your eyes, look up, saying "I", and down, saying "calm down." Do this several times. And then you can imagine a picture of something soothing, saying to yourself how you relax and rest.
Take a supine position, close your eyes and watch your breath. You can imagine a picture of something soothing. We begin to pronounce verbal instructions for calming and relaxing individual parts of the body until the whole body is relaxed.

Exercises in autogenic training

Autogenic training exercises can be used anywhere and anytime. Any person can do this. If it is not possible to lie down, then you can do the exercises while sitting. The main thing is faith in the success and efficiency of the process.

If you practice the exercises daily, you can achieve a good level of relaxation when you no longer need to create special conditions. It will be enough to say a few phrases to yourself, as you will immediately feel relaxed.

Outcome

Autogenic training allows a person to get rid of physiological problems and emotional stress. However, if you train and reach a higher level of development, you can reach the stage when a person can influence and program himself.

Three stages of training.

Stage 1 - relaxation of the muscles of the body and limbs.

Classes should be carried out in a secluded, slightly darkened, quiet room in the absence of external stimuli. Self-hypnosis exercises should be done while in a relaxed posture. You can take a lying position on the mat, relax all the muscles, spread your legs a little, socks slightly apart, leave your hands free to lie along the body, relax the neck muscles, while naturally turning your head to the left or right side. If you exercise before bed, you can do the exercises on the bed, but do not put your head on the pillow. You can take a relaxed posture while sitting in a comfortable chair, while the back of the head and back rest on the back of the chair, relaxed hands lie on the armrests, legs are also relaxed and bent at an angle of more than 90 degrees, socks are slightly apart.

Close your eyes. Set yourself up for the fact that you are now immersed in an atmosphere of absolute relaxation, which will bring you only pleasant feelings of calmness, comfort and relaxation. Mentally inspire yourself: “My right hand is gradually becoming heavier ... My right hand is already heavy” (if you are left-handed, then start with the left hand). As you do this, imagine that each muscle in your arm is slowly relaxing; the hand from the very tips of the fingers to the shoulder is filled with the heaviest lead; she lies powerless, like a whip; you don't want to move it, there are no forces. Next, move on to the suggestion: “My right hand is getting warmer a little ... It is warm.” While doing this, mentally imagine that your hand is covered with a light duvet or that your hand lies motionless in a source of warm water. The first interpretation relaxes the muscles, and the second - dilates the blood vessels.

Having achieved the sensation of warmth and heaviness in the right hand, also inspire yourself with the formulas for the state of heat and heaviness for parts of the body in the following sequence: left hand, right leg, left leg, whole body and neck. Then move on to relaxing the facial muscles. Start suggesting to yourself: "The muscles of the face are relaxed." Feel that the muscles of the forehead have smoothed out, your face has become soft, the jaw is relaxed, slightly sagging, the tip of the tongue is located at the junction of the upper palate and teeth. Eyelashes do not tremble. Then instill the formula: "The forehead is cool." Imagine that on a hot summer day, a cool wind blows on your face or you wash it with cool water. At first, it will be difficult to avoid concentration disorders, involuntary distraction of attention to unexpected thoughts and memories. If you are distracted without being irritated, patiently, without resorting to volitional efforts, return your thoughts to the self-hypnosis formula.

This concludes the first stage of training. To exit the dive, give yourself a mental command: “Hands tensed. Breathing is deep. I open my eyes,” and do it. If you did the exercises in bed before going to bed, then they will help you fall asleep if you still have not fallen asleep. It is necessary, without using the tactics of exiting autogenic dives, to put a pillow under your head and continue to lie on your back or in a position that is convenient for you, maintaining a state of relaxation.

In order to master the first stage of training, you will need 1-4 weeks of classes.

Stage 2 - relaxation of consciousness.

After your body has relaxed, you need to “relax” your mind so that it focuses on the settings you need. To do this, after stage 1, you do not need to leave autogenic immersion, but continue to mentally inspire yourself: “I am calm ... Peace ... I enjoy it.” At the same time, imagine a picture that you associate with peace. For example, you can imagine that you are lying on a green meadow, and there is a clear blue sky above you, you are enjoying the aroma of herbs. Or maybe you are on the shores of the blue boundless sea, which merges with the same boundless blue sky on the horizon, sitting in the most comfortable sun lounger and inhaling the aroma of algae. Remain in this state of emotional comfort for at least 5 minutes, then proceed to the third stage.

Stage 3 - suggestion of installations.

You have entered a state of rest, relaxed your body. In this state, you can already prepare yourself to successfully solve all your problems associated with stress. To do this, you need to inspire goal settings (after all, in this state, your subconscious mind is more prepared for their perception). Formulas and attitudes should be short, directly related to the problem and formulated as positive statements. Select the settings in advance, after you have made an analysis and delved into the essence of the problem that is of great concern to you.

For example, if your problem is related to your work, then the following technique is suitable for self-hypnosis: “I am confident in myself ... I do my job ... I am doing well ... I am attentive and focused ... I get out of absolutely all difficult situations with brilliance … I know how to communicate with my bosses… I am absolutely calm and cool.”

After you have succeeded in impressing yourself with the necessary formulas, you need to correctly exit the immersion. The exit formula depends on what you inspired yourself. In any case, it must be pronounced (mentally, of course) very energetically, then immediately open your eyes. For example, if you inspired yourself with a formula for work, then the exit setting should be: “I had a great rest. I am calm and confident. The mood is wonderful. I am full of energy and strength. I get up and now I will start working fruitfully. One two Three". Each formulation of this installation must be pronounced more and more energetically, as soon as you reach “three”, open your eyes and get up.