Exercises for Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control

Limb Heaviness

In 1932, German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz first published Das Autogene Training (autogenic training) as a therapy later taught in European clinics. Autogenic training consists of a series of 6 exercises which are outlined in the following pages.

To achieve optimal results with this suggestive conditioning exercise, wait at least an hour and a half after eating a meal, then assume a comfortable sitting or lying down position. Relax all your muscles from your toes to your head and take deep, abdominal breaths. Breathe slowly, and exhale for twice as long as you inhale. For example, inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 6. Do this series 3 times; then inhale to the count of 4 and exhale to the count of 8. Do this 3 times; then inhale to the count of 5 and exhale to the count of 10. Repeat 3 times; then go in reverse. Breathe in for 5 beats and out for 10 beats; then in 4 and out 8; then in 3 and out 6. Each time repeat the sequence 3 times. This is your "warm-up."

Now silently repeat to yourself the following “limb heaviness” (relaxation) affirmations: Say, "My right arm is getting heavy," 6 to 8 times; then say, "My right arm is getting heavier and heavier," 6 to 8 times; then reiterate, "My right arm is completely heavy," 6 to 8 times; visualize its heaviness like lead; then say, "I feel perfectly calm," 3 times. Then open your eyes and throw away the heaviness. Flex your arm and breathe deeply. Now begin the cycle again, including the warm-up. Spend 10 to 15 minutes each time and do this 2 or 3 times per day. To intensify the effect, visualize yourself in a peaceful, background setting, and actually imagine your arm getting heavier. Don't try too hard; just relax and let it happen.

Do the exercise with your right arm for 3 days. Then using the same formula, do the same exercise with your left arm for 3 days. Then do it with both arms together for 3 days. Then do the right leg for 3 days; then do your left leg for 3 days; then do both legs together for 3 days; and finally do both arms and legs together for 3 days. Thus, the heaviness exercise takes 21 days. If you achieve genuine heaviness sooner, move along faster, but be thorough. If you continue to practice, results will be yours. Belief has little to do with the process; practice alone is important.

What you are achieving here is a consciously directed altered state of awareness, similar to self-hypnosis. With continued practice, you will get use to producing a physical response by simply suggesting it. After mastering this conditioning exercise, you will be able to bring about this adjusted state in yourself in less than a minute, and under any circumstances.

Limb Warming

To demonstrate the suggestibility factor in the mind/body relationship, have an unknowing partner agree to a tolerance to pain test with his back turned towards you. Tell him that you want to momentarily touch his back with a lit cigarette to illustrate his control over pain. Instead, touch his back with a piece of ice of similar diameter sheathed in a cloth (to prevent water drips) and watch a redness develop on his back. This mind/body reaction to the expectation of a suggested result is the basis for many similar hypnotic 'feats' as well.

Autogenic training allows you to achieve a suggestive state of mind using consciously directed affirmations. Once you learn how to interrupt your automatic bodily controls with your conscious mind, you can direct your body to shed excess fat from specific areas, maintain profuse hair growth in balding spots, and heal and repair damaged or diseased cells. In fact, you’ll find your body will easily fulfill your conscious suggestions once you learn how to direct it.

Each autogenic exercise in autonomic control should be mastered before moving on to the next in sequence. Right now do one cycle for limb heaviness of the arms and legs. It should take you less than a minute. Once heaviness is established, begin the exercise for warmth. Say to yourself, "My right arm is getting limp and warm," 6 to 8 times. Then repeat, "My right arm is getting warmer and warmer," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "My right arm is completely warm," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "I am feeling completely calm." Using your imagination, actually feel your arm getting warm. Remember a time in the sun when it really was warm or actually go into the sun and remind yourself how it feels. Actually sustaining your conscious awareness in a certain body area will automatically bring a blood flow to that body area and an accompanying warmth at the same time, so you should master this exercise quite easily. Repeat the procedure 2 to 3 times a day for 3 days. Then do the left arm, both arms, right leg, left leg, both legs and then both arms and legs for 3 days on each sequence. Then sum up the first two exercises in a combined fashion. Say, "My arms and legs are getting limp and heavy and warm," 6 to 8 times. Then repeat, "My arms and legs are getting heavier and warmer," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "I feel completely calm."

Always before repeating a cycle, open your eyes and throw off the heaviness and warmth. Then repeat the process again. Only begin the warmth formula after the limb feels heavy.

Calming The Heartbeat

To make voluntary that which is normally involuntary is bringing conscious control over areas of your body that are normally reflexive or automatically governed by "subconscious" signals. If you can consciously exercise control over your breathing, you can do the same with your heartbeat. Belief has little to do with the process; practice alone is important! Laboratory investigations have shown that muscle response, blood flow, skin temperature, brain waves, metabolism and blood chemistry shift in the direction of a relaxed state during practice, and abnormal conditions move slowly toward normalcy with continued practice. Actually, many emotional problems are also relieved with autogenic training, and these techniques are widely used in Europe to help people along these lines! You can get good at anything with continued practice, so why not get good at consciously mastering control over your autonomic bodily functions?

In the beginning, do this exercise lying down. Do the "warm-up" of "Exercise -Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control (Limb Heaviness)," and then repeat the heavy to warm formula 3 times. Now mentally bring your conscious awareness to your heartbeat. Become aware of it in your chest or in the pulse of your wrist or wherever. At first, resting your hand on your chest might help.

Now visualize an anxiety situation for yourself -- confronting a mugger, being buried alive or whatever. Can you feel its increased rate of speed? Now repeat silently, "My chest feels warm and pleasant," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "My heartbeat is calm and steady," 6 to 8 times. Visualize and feel your heart beating slower in response to your inner "thought beat." Visualize your heart beating slower. Then repeat, "I feel completely calm," 6 to 8 times. Practice this exercise for 10 minutes twice per day for 2 weeks.

Rhythmic Respiration

Mastering these autogenic training exercises gives the participant the same control over your body as the yogis and lamas of the East. People with ulcers, gastrointestinal disorders, even heart problems and abnormal brain waves, improve these conditions by mentally taking charge of their bodies in a relaxed way.

Do the "warm-up" of "Exercise -- Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control (Limb Heaviness)" again. Then say, "My arms and legs are getting limp, heavy and warm," 1 to 2 times. Then repeat, "My arms and legs are getting heavier and warmer," 1 to 2 times. Then say, "My arms and legs are completely heavy and warm," 1 to 2 times. Then say, "My heartbeat is calm and steady," 1 to 2 times. Then say, "I feel completely calm," one time.

Now repeat, "My breathing is supremely calm," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "I feel completely calm," one time. Do this exercise for 10 minutes 2 or 3 times per day for 2 weeks. It is considered mastered when you can breathe calm and rhythmically without difficulty, after light activity or nervous stimulation.

Abdominal Warming

Through practice with autogenic training, you will get better and better at consciously directing the physiological functions of your bodily cells when it becomes necessary. Accompanying this process, you also will achieve the side benefit of better emotional control as well. Studies have shown that repeated exposure to upsetting people, places or things actually lose their emotional impact, after continued practice with autogenic training. There is more acceptance and less objection to the way people are in the world. Some psychiatric patients relax so deeply that they can ask their subconscious such questions as “What do I really need to be happy?” and receive the answer in a dream-like visualization. Other people find that they can induce a deep meditative state more easily after mastering these autogenic exercises.

Begin this exercise with the "warm-up" of "Exercise -- Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control (Limb Heaviness)." Then repeat the brief form of the heavy to warm formula, the heart and breathing formulas. If you prefer, you can rest your hand on your abdomen during the exercise. Now repeat to yourself, "My abdomen is radiating warmth," 6 to 8 times. Then say, "I feel completely calm," one time. If you find it easier, visualize the sun warming your abdomen. Do this exercise for 10 minutes at a time, 2 or 3 times per day for 2 weeks. If you feel a definite warmth before that time, then move on to the next exercise, but continue to practice and be thorough.

Cooling The Forehead

This is the last in this series of 6 autogenic training exercises. Each of the exercises must be learned before proceeding to the next in sequence. Unlike yoga, autogenic training does not involve difficult postures or breath control exercises. There is no equipment and there is little time actually devoted to practice (5 to 10 minutes 3 times per day). Yet learning this ingenious combination of suggestion and conditioning will enable you to bring about deep therapeutic relaxation under stress automatically. With just a thought, you can relax any part of your body at any given moment during your day.

To begin this exercise, start with the "warm-up" of "Exercise -- Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control (Limb Heaviness)." Now repeat the short form of the heavy to warm formula and then the heart, breathing and abdominal formulas. Now say, "My forehead is cool," 6 to 8 times. Then repeat to yourself, "I feel completely calm," one time.

With this exercise, imagine a cool breeze blowing across your forehead. To get the right feeling, actually stand in front of a fan to see how it feels at first. Then afterwards visualize the same feeling in your mind, but don't focus your conscious awareness on your forehead or you will bring about a warm blood flow into the area.
Repeat this suggestive conditioning for 10 minutes at a time, 3 times a day for 2 weeks. When you experience a definite coolness on the forehead, you've mastered it. Upon terminating a session, open your eyes and begin to move gradually by flexing and stretching your muscles to throw off the heavy feeling.
To maintain facility in doing these autogenic training exercises, practice at least once each day using these techniques in your daily life. Invent your own techniques revolving around the same suggestive principles. Remember, practice is the key, and you can get good at anything through practice.