What is Autogenic Training?

Dear Readers,

Whenever I mention Autogenic Training, I am asked, "What is Autogenic Training?"
In contradiction to Germany, my native country, very few people in the US have heard about it.

Here is a short answer:
Autogenic Training is a relaxation technique. To be more specific, it is a mental relaxation technique.

Unlike yoga, for example, it is not physical but mental. With Autogenic Training, we don't relax by moving the body but by quieting the mind. When the mind quiets down, the body follows.

We quiet the mind by repeating six mental phrases.

The six mental phrases are:

• My arms and legs are heavy.
• My arms and legs are warm.
• Calm and regular is my heartbeat.
• Calm and regular is my breathing.
• My solar plexus is warm.
• My forehead is cool and clear.

It is relatively easy to learn, if you practice daily for a few moments.

Once learned, it takes only a few moments to shift into a state of deep relaxation.
You can apply it in almost every situation. You may sit at your doctor's office or at a meeting, and nobody will notice that you practice Autogenic Training.

Although it is relatively easy to learn, Autogenic Training has its subtleties. Therefore you need a class and/or an experienced teacher. You find, however, very few opportunities to learn Autogenic Training in the US.
My website is one of very few English sites that inform comprehensively about Autogenic Training, and it is the only one that offers a Self-Study Program which allows you to learn this method in depth at your convenience.

Check it out and go to www.developserenity.com. To get a quick overview, watch the slide show at www.developserenity.com/autogenic_training.htm.