Progressive Muscle Relaxation

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LTHOUGH one of the most simple and easily learned techniques for

relaxation is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR), autogenics, while requiring


considerable time and discipline to learn, has more far-reaching benefits than
simple muscle relaxation. Composed of auto- (from the Greek autos, self) and -
genous (a suffix meaning produced by, and reflecting the word genesis, creation),
the word was chosen by Johannes Schultz,[1,2] a German doctor, to describe his
original discovery first published in 1932. Today, autogenics training [3] teaches
you to self-produce a feeling of warmth and heaviness throughout your body,
thereby experiencing a profound state of physical relaxation, bodily health, and
mental peace.

Once you become proficient at it, you can use autogenics to overcome addictions
(such as smoking or gambling), change unwanted behaviors (such as nail biting),
resolve phobias (such as fear of flying), and mitigate symptoms of physical
ailments.[4] If you tend to be a nervous or anxious person, autogenics can help
you find an inner place of calmness and emotional peace. If you are a highly
sensitive person, with autogenics you can learn to cope with environmental
stimulation by dismissing it from your attention rather than feel overwhelmed by
it. In fact, you can use autogenics to help overcome just about any psychological
or physiological problem; the results will vary according to the severity of the
problem and according to your own discipline and confidence.

Be advised, however, that there is nothing mystical about this training. Its
pure physiology. But it can be a first step to real spiritual healing.

http://www.guidetopsychology.com/autogen.htm

This training sequence takes about


T HREE M ONTHS .

If you decide to pursue it, it will be one of the most important investments
of time you will ever make.

Moreover, if you do make the investment of time, please send


a donation to this website to express your gratitude for what you have
received here.
What is the point of success if your heart is stained with ingratitude?

Gratitude is joy to the heart.

The training presented here does not take much actual time each day; it is based
on discipline over time. You can find dozens of other websites on the Internet
that make autogenicsand healing itselfseem simple and easy, so, as I say
throughout this website, take your choice: the right way, or the easy way.
Remember: the only escape from darkness is to seek the light.

Some people ask about audio recordings for this training. But
recordings only miss the point. Remember: autogenics means self-
produced. The purpose of this training is to learn how to communicate
with your body so as to take personal responsibility for your life.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Suggestions Here are some suggestions for practice:


for
Practice in a quiet place, alone. Unlike PMR, however,
Practice it can be of help, if you prefer, to use soft
environmental sounds or ethereal New Age
background music. Avoid all other music because
your physiological responses will be unconsciously
influenced by the melody and rhythm of the music.
Remove your shoes and wear loose clothing.
Keep your eyes closed while practicing. If you need to
make notes for yourself to remember the material,
however, then it is okay to open your eyes to read the
instructions; just close your eyes again while you
practice.
Again, unlike PMR, it can help the initial training to
lie flat on your back on a hard, carpeted floor. This
will enhance your ability to feel the heaviness of your
arms and legs.

After you have mastered the complete


training sequence, its preferable to practice
at least one session of your daily condensed
Autogenics Formula (see below) while sitting
(or reclining, with your feet up) in a
comfortable chair; other than that, you can
use your autogenic routine under any other
circumstances you like, whether sitting,
standing, walking, or lying down.

Avoid eating, smoking, or drinking before practice.


Its best to practice before meals rather than after,
because the digestive processes interferes with the
relaxation process. Never practice after using any
intoxicants.
If you fall asleep during a session, repeat that routine
in your next session.
If you practice in bed at night, plan on falling asleep
before you complete your cycle. Therefore, consider a
practice session at night, in bed, to be in addition to
your basic practice.
When you finish a session, relax with your eyes closed
for a few seconds, and then get up slowly. (Orthostatic
hypotensiona sudden drop in blood pressure due to
standing up quicklycan cause you to faint.) Some
people like to count backwards from 5 to 1, timed to
slow, deep breathing, and then say, Eyes open.
Supremely calm. Fully alert.
During the training, you will be focusing intently on
your inner experiences, to the exclusion of external
events. Therefore, it is possible that you might
encounter some kinds of hypnagogic (i.e., dream-like)
dissociative experiences in which bodily perceptions
seem distorted. In general, just ignore these things and
they will pass. If you find them at all troubling, then
you might want to consult with a psychologist to try to
understand the particular meaning of these symptoms
for you.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm
About Above all, keep in mind that this is not a training that can
be rushed. So, please remember that even if you complete
the
any phase (or part of a phase) according to the specified
repetitions, if you dont actually feel the results of what you
Training
are saying, take the time to repeat the phase (or the item of
the phase). Maybe it will take you four months instead of
Time
three. So what? The idea is not to finish the training but
to learn the material. If you compare the initial extra
work to the ultimate benefits over a lifetime, the burden will
seem light indeed.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

The The Breathing Warm-up

Breathing Use this Warm-up before every autogenics practice session,


even after you have become proficient at the more advanced
Warm-up exercises.

Begin a process of deep breathing, exhaling to a mental


count that is twice as long as you inhale. With each breath
cycle, increase the duration. For instance, inhale counting,
One, exhale counting, One, Two. Inhale counting, One,
Two; exhale counting, One, Two, Three, Four. Go up the
scale to six counts in, twelve counts out. Then reverse: six
counts in, twelve counts out; five counts in, ten counts out;
and so on, down to one count in, two counts out.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Phase 1: Phase 1: Heaviness

Heaviness After the Breathing Warm-up, begin this Phase 1 practice


with your right arm. (But if you are left-handed, begin, in
this as in all other exercises, on your left side.) Breathe
deeply, one count in, one count out, and silently repeat the
following formulathe first half of each phrase (the part
before the /) as you inhale, the second half (the part after
the /) as you exhale:

My right arm is getting / limp and heavy 68 times


My right arm is getting / heavier and 68 times
heavier
My right arm / is completely heavy 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

Practice this routine two or three times a day, for three


days. After that, continue with the same basic routine
structure but with the following substitutions:

My left arm is getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

Both my arms are getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

My right leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

My left leg is getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

Both my legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy, etc. 3 days

The Phase 1 routine takes 21 days of practice.

At the end of the 21 days, your last cycle of this routine will
temporarily be known as your final Heaviness Formula:

My arms and legs are getting / limp and 68 times


heavy
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 68 times
heavier
My arms and legs are / completely heavy 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Phase 2: Phase 2: Warmth

Warmth Begin with the Warm-up breathing exercise. Do the final


Heaviness Formula with all the repetitions. (Heaviness
and the muscular relaxation it representsis critical to the
rest of the training. So you need to master it well right from
the start.) At the end of the Heaviness Formula add this
exercise for warmth:

My right arm is getting / limp and warm 68 times


My right arm is getting / warmer and 68 times
warmer
My right arm / is completely warm 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

Practice this routine (the Heaviness Formula combined with


the warmth exercises) two or three times a day, for three
days. After that, continue with the same routine structure
but with the following substitutions (remembering to do the
Warm-up breathing exercise and the Heaviness Formula at
the beginning of each practice session):

My left arm is getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days

Both my arms are getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days

My right leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days

My left leg is getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days

Both my legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days


My arms and legs are getting / limp and warm, etc. 3 days

The Phase 2 routine takes 21 days of practice.

At the end of the 21 days, you may use a final Heavy/Warm


Formula to sum up the first two exercises:

My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 68 times


and warm
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 68 times
warmer
My arms and legs are / completely heavy and 68 times
warm
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

Practice this Heavy/Warm Formula (beginning with the


Warm-up breathing exercise) two or three times a day for
one week.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Phase 3: Phase 3: A Calm Heart

A Do the Warm-up. Then begin the following routine which


incorporates your previous work (the Heavy/Warm
Calm Formula) and adds the calm heart exercise:

Heart
My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 12 times
and warm
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 12 times
warmer
My arms and legs are / completely heavy and 12 times
warm
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My chest feels / warm and pleasant * 68 times
My heartbeat is / calm and steady 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 68 times

* This phrase helps to achieve a calm heart response, but


it will be dropped after this exercise.

Practice this routine two or three times a day for two weeks.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Phase 4: Phase 4: Breathing

Breathing Do the Warm-up. Then begin the following routine which


incorporates all your previous work and adds command of
your breathing as well:

My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 12 times


and warm
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 12 times
warmer
My arms and legs are / completely heavy and 12 times
warm
My heartbeat is / calm and steady 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My breathing is / supremely calm 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time
Practice this routine two or three times a day for two weeks.

By this time you will probably have begun to notice some


pleasant and surprising effects from your practice. But
continue on to further refine your sense of bodily command.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Phase 5: Phase 5: Stomach

Stomach Do the Warm-up. Then begin the following routine which


helps you add a radiant feeling of central warmth and peace
to your body:

My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 12 times


and warm
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 12 times
warmer
My arms and legs are / completely heavy and 12 times
warm
My heartbeat is / calm and steady 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My breathing is / supremely calm 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My stomach is getting / soft and warm 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

Practice this routine two or three times a day for two weeks.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm
Phase 6: Phase 6: Cool Forehead

Cool Do the Warm-up. Then begin the following routine which


helps you add a calm, stabilizing sensation of coolness to
Forehead your forehead:

My arms and legs are getting / limp and heavy 12 times


and warm
My arms and legs are getting / heavier and 12 times
warmer
My arms and legs are / completely heavy and 12 times
warm
My heartbeat is / calm and steady 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My breathing is / supremely calm 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My stomach is getting / soft and warm 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times
My forehead is / cool 68 times
I feel / supremely calm 1 time

Practice this routine two or three times a day for two weeks.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Completion
Condensed Autogenics Formula
By this time you should have mastered all the six phases of
the basic training. Your final condensed autogenics formula
will now be as follows:

Warm-up (as in previous sessions)


My arms and legs are / heavy and warm 12 times
My heartbeat and breathing are / calm and 12 times
steady
My stomach is / soft and warm 12 times
My forehead is / cool 12 times
I feel / supremely calm 12 times

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm

Summary To maintain your proficiency, practice at least once a day.


Some persons prefer going to sleep this way. If you
maintain your practice faithfully, you will find that by using
only one or two cycles of the final routine you can achieve a
pleasant and calm autogenic state under almost any
circumstances.

But make no mistake: It takes long, hard practice to master


the exercises, and they take you only as far as your own
intelligence and desire will allow.

May you go far.

And, if you do go far, please send a donation to this website


to express your gratitude for what you have received here.

www.GuideToPsychology.com/autogen.htm
Changing In general, changing unwanted behavior involves three
basic steps:
Unwanted

Behavior 1. To know how ugly the behavior is and how much


damage it causes to yourself and to others.
2. To know the damage caused by the behavior.
3. To know the benefits of new and different behavior.

It isnt sufficient, however, that you know these things


intellectually; it is important to know them by feeling them
in the depths of your heart.

Autogenics can be helpful in changing unwanted behavior


because you can use your autogenics skills to work through
each of the three basic steps of change by actually feeling
the elements of each step with the help of autogenic
visualization and suggestion.

Of course, some long-standing personality problems have


roots deep in unconscious conflicts, so you may need
professional psychotherapy rather than autogenics. Still,
even in these cases, the autogenics approach can be worth a
try.

So heres how to do it.

First, enter a state of relaxation by practicing your condensed


autogenics formula. This is important because the next two
steps (if done properly) will arouse considerable anxiety,
and you need to be able to reduce that anxiety again with
your autogenics skills.

Second, create a negative mood state in which you visualize


the harmful and disgusting effects of the unwanted behavior.
For example, if you bite your fingernails, see the ugly, raw
nails; notice how uncomfortable and embarrassed you feel;
see your fingers getting scarred and deformed. If you smoke
cigarettes, smell the stench of the smoke on your clothes and
body; see the stains on your fingers and teeth; notice your
shortness of breath and coughing; visualize the poisons
coating your lungs and other internal organs. After the
intense negativity of this mood has been felt fully, reduce
the anxiety with relaxation.
Third, contemplate how miserable and wretched your life will
be if you do not change your behavior. For example, if you
bite your fingernails, see yourself socially inhibited, fearful,
and lonely, hiding your hands from view everywhere you
go. If you smoke cigarettes, see yourself wheezing for breath
and dying of cancer. Imagine your children suffering from
their own addictions because of your negative influence.
After the intense negativity of this mood has been felt fully,
reduce the anxiety with relaxation.

Fourth, create a positive mood state in which you visualize the


beneficial effects of new, healthy behavior, all the while your
anxiety from the previous step begins to dissolve. For
example, if you now bite your fingernails, see yourself as
you could be with beautiful nails, moving your hands
gracefully and without embarrassment. If you now smoke
cigarettes, see yourself as you could be, calm and confident,
relaxed and able to concentrate, free of frustration and
tension, a positive influence on others.

Fifth, reinforce your positive mood with positive statements of


validation. Repeat them several times. Create your own, or
select from the following examples.

Be careful, though, not to tell yourself lies. If


you try to claim that you have the most brilliant
mind imaginable, that you will trample all
competition underfoot, or that you will become
the greatest such-and-such the world has ever
seen, then such narcissism will lead you right
into self-destruction and everlasting loneliness.
But if you successfully complete the autogenics
training, all the statements below are honest
and humble reflections of the discipline,
patience, and respect for your body that the
training requires.
My confidence is strong and steady. I can deal with
everything as it happens. I have no need for
[cigarettes, coffee, alcohol, drugs, etc]. Substances
no longer control me.
My [fingernails, hair, thumb] are[/is] an important
part of my body, so I will care for them[/it] with
kindness. I have no need to harm them[/it] or [bite,
twist, pull, suck, etc.] them[/it].
I have no need to rush or be concerned about my
speech. I can talk slowly and clearly. Just as I can
take one calm breath after another, I can speak
calmly, one articulate syllable at a time. I have no
need to stutter.
I can work calmly and confidently. My mind will not
wander. My self-confidence will not be bothered by
small mistakes. I can meet all obstacles with
confidence.
I approach all tasks with a calm focus on the matter
at hand. I do not lose my concentration by
distractions. I act with discipline and resolve.
I listen to and respect my own body. I can present
myself to others with respect and dignity. I will listen
to and respect others.
I can remain calm, relaxed, and composed in any
situation.
I can dissolve tension and anxiety before it builds.
All cravings will pass within 10 minutes. I have the
patience to remain calm and to wait.
My calmness and patience can result in compassion
and understanding. I can get along well with
anyone. I will return kindness to any insult.
My experience of peace and calm is not threatened
by anything outside myself. I have no need for
rivals; I have no use for jealousy. I wish good to all
persons.
There are no good days or bad days. I can do
what needs to be done at all times. I uphold my
promises and value my word. In my relaxation, an
unlimited source of ideas is available to help me.

Sixth, conclude with a simple closure to the relaxation


session. Take a few deep breaths and affirm that I feel /
supremely calm.
Gratitude Has this web page been helpful? Then please help support
this website in gratitude, as a down-payment on the
success of your hopes and dreams!

What is the point of success if your heart is stained with


ingratitude?

No advertisingno sponsorjust the simple truth . . .

Notes:

1. Schultz, J. H., & Luthe, W. (1959). Autogenic training: A psychophysiologic approach in


psychotherapy. New York: Grune and Stratton.

2. Schultz, J. H., & Luthe, W. (1969). Autogenic therapy: Vol. 1. Autogenic methods. New
York: Grune and Stratton.

3. The autogenics exercises presented here have been adapted from Ostrander, S., &
Schroeder, L. (1979). Superlearning. New York: Dell Publishing Co.

4. Relaxation practice can help to alleviate a persons anxiety about the developing symptoms
of any disease, and thats good because if a person stays calm, then anxiety wont fan the
flames of the symptoms. This doesnt mean that relaxation practice can cure a disease, but
relaxation can delay the progress of a disease and minimize the symptoms. Nevertheless, its
always possible that a person of strong belief can use autogenic suggestions to so minimize
the negative effects of the symptoms that the person does not become incapacitated to such
an extent as other persons without such relaxation practice. Therefore, its well worth the
tryand not just for the specific symptoms of a disease, but especially because Autogenics
practice could promote a generally enhanced quality of life. All that matters is that you
believe in the depths of your heart that there will be benefits.

Additional Resources

Music:
Dovesong International About Positive Music (and negative music).

Related pages within A Guide to Psychology and its Practice:


Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Self-administered Systematic Desensitization
Stress
Trauma

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