Autogenic training exercises:
Exercise No. 1
Master the postures used for autogenic training. Whenever possible, try to stay in one of these postures for 5–10 minutes. While in the posture, try to relax as much as possible. If you feel discomfort in any part of your body, try to correct the defect in the posture that is causing it. If you do not have enough time, assume the posture at least for a few seconds. Finish the relaxation in these postures by performing the exit procedure. Do not use the exit technique 1–1.5 hours before going to sleep.
Exercise No. 2
To relax the masticatory muscles with the head in an upright position, silently pronounce the sound “Y” (the Russian vowel Ы) and let your jaw hang loosely. Sit like this for several minutes and observe how, as the chewing muscles relax, a wave of relaxation spreads throughout the body, how the facial muscles relax, the eyelids become heavy, the gaze becomes fixed, and the surrounding world becomes slightly out of focus due to relaxation of the muscles that focus the lens of the eye. At first, observe your face in the mirror. Finish the exercise by performing the exit from the autogenic state, since even at the initial stages, with good relaxation of the facial and masticatory muscles, an autogenic state of one depth or another arises.
Exercise No. 3
With the head in an upright position, relax the chewing muscles by silently pronouncing “Y”. Then, to relax the tongue, silently pronounce the syllable “teh” (“Тэ” in Russian); in doing so, the relaxed tongue will gently rest against the back surfaces of the lower teeth. Observe your state. Allow your heavy eyelids to drop. Finish the exercise with the exit procedure. If you do not have the possibility to practice for 5–10 minutes, perform the exercise for a shorter time, at least for a few seconds.
Exercise No. 4
Assume one of the training postures and relax, paying special attention to the “relaxation mask” on your face; close your eyes. Breathe calmly, as in sleep, inhaling and exhaling through the nose.
Focus on the sense of calm that arises thanks to the silence, the comfortable posture, and the closed eyes. Do not try to suggest to yourself some special, “perfect” calm; passively focus on the calm that you actually have at this moment. Practice exactly as long as you can remain passively concentrated. If you start to become distracted, you should perform the exit. Before sleep, do not perform the exit procedure.
Exercise No. 5
Assume one of the training postures, relax, and focus on calmness. While continuing to feel calm, concentrate on the real heaviness of your right arm (for left-handers, the left arm). Passively observe the calm and heaviness until the sensation of heaviness begins to fade and you start to become distracted. Perform the exit (except during sessions before sleep). As your relaxation deepens, the heaviness will also be felt in other parts of the body. Passively observe it wherever it appears.
Exercise No. 6
Relax in one of the training postures and first focus on calmness, then on calmness and heaviness. After that, while continuing to feel calmness and heaviness, concentrate for a few seconds on the real warmth in your right arm (for left-handers, the left arm). Then perform the exit from the autogenic state.
Exercise No. 7
Relax in one of the training postures. Focus on calmness, then on calmness and heaviness, and then on calmness, heaviness, and warmth. After that, while continuing to feel calmness, heaviness, and warmth, notice where in your body you currently feel pulsation and passively concentrate on it. After a few seconds, perform the exit from the autogenic state.
Exercise No. 8
Relax in one of the postures for autogenic training and concentrate on calmness, heaviness, warmth, and pulsation. Then, without ceasing to feel these sensations, focus for a few seconds on any aspect of your breathing. After that, perform the exit from the autogenic state.
Exercise No. 9
Relax in one of the training postures and concentrate on calmness, heaviness, warmth, pulsation, and breathing. Then, without ceasing to feel them, focus on the feeling of warmth deep in the upper part of the abdomen. After a few seconds of concentration, perform the exit. Later, the time of concentration on the warmth in the solar plexus area will be gradually increased, just as with the previous exercises.
Exercise No. 10
Relax in one of the training postures and concentrate on calmness, heaviness, warmth, pulsation, breathing, and warmth in the abdomen. Then, without ceasing to feel them, focus for a few seconds on a sensation of coolness in the forehead area. After this, perform the exit from the autogenic state.
Exercise No. 11
Make a table. In the first column, list the tasks you are facing, starting with the simplest and ending with the most difficult. In the second column, write down the states that interfere with achieving each task. In the third column, place a complex positive image for each situation. Consult with the leader of your training sessions. In the autogenic state, together with the six standard exercises, contemplate the complex positive image of the simplest task.
After achieving this task, you can move on to the next one. Example:
Task Interfering state Complex positive image
Quit smoking A pulling sensation “in
the pit of the stomach”,
anxiety, the thought:
“I’ll just have one last
cigarette.” Calmness, warmth in the solar plexus, the formula (affirmation): “I can!”
Calmness, warmth in the solar plexus, the formula (affirmation): “I can!” Calmness, warmth along the spine, the formula (affirmation): “I can!”