So, you felt or realized that you need to CALM DOWN.
quick and simple calming
options (this will prepare you for longer, deeper calming if needed):
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Next, choose what suits you in the situation around you:
The history of auto-training to calm the nervous system
There is a version that auto-training arose quite a long time ago. Back in the 20th century, a neuropsychologist named Oskar Vogt discovered that some of his patients had the ability to independently enter a trance or hypnotic state when they needed it.
From that moment on, relaxation for the nervous system began to rapidly gain momentum. There were many other scientists and psychiatrists who determined the pattern of earlier recovery using similar techniques.
There is also a version that yogis have had the ability to self-soothe themselves since ancient times. This is available to them without the help of auto-training; they cope with such situations using other methods.
But still, the most important person in the history of the development of auto-training is considered to be Johann Heinrich Schultz. He worked as a neurologist in the city of Frankfurt am Main and already in 1936 became the head of the Institute of Psychotherapy. His main work was the therapy of the mentally ill. In those years, he made many discoveries on the topic of relaxation of the nervous system and the system of calming the human psyche.
Schultz published his own work entitled “Autogenic Training,” which was subsequently translated into many foreign languages.
What is auto-training
This is a certain psychological technique that helps a person acquire moral peace through some self-hypnosis techniques. The essence of this process is calming the nervous system and relaxing the whole body, even under conditions of daily stress. According to psychologists, auto-training refers to hypnotic effects, but the main feature of self-hypnosis is direct participation in the process. The value of such training lies in the ability to:
- control muscle tone;
- induce the necessary emotional state at will;
- have a positive effect on the nervous system;
- concentrate on what you want.
Who is auto-training intended for?
Autotraining has a number of useful properties for every person. There are special complexes aimed specifically at women or men. They have significant differences. But there are also combined sets of exercises that do not differ in their effects on a person by gender.
Contraindications to the use of auto-training:
- serious cardiovascular diseases;
- diseases of the nervous system;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases.
If a person has a stomach ulcer, then he should avoid exercises that require a feeling of warmth in the stomach area. It is necessary to deal with other diseases in the same way, excluding this area from exposure.
Text for reassurance.
Take a comfortable position. Close your eyes. Breathe evenly and calmly.
Imagine that you are in a mountain clearing with an incredibly beautiful view: distant peaks covered with pine needles, gentle slopes, dozens of small mountain streams uniting at the foot into a crystal-clear lake. It reflects the blue skies and snow-white clouds like a mirror.
You deeply and with pleasure inhale the light, transparent mountain air. It fills the lungs and, together with the blood, penetrates every cell of your body. You feel how lightness and purity fill you. Feel the smell of young fresh grass. You touch it with your hands – it’s juicy, bright green.
But a bright forest bird flew past and sat on a branch of a bush growing nearby with unknown berries. This is her world, her home. Just like yours. Here you feel confident and safe. You are calm, balanced, and your thoughts are clear and precise. You know what you should do, where you should move next.
Take a deep breath and open your eyes.
You can choose the texts that suit you using the link:
Where to start relaxing the nervous system
Relaxation of the nervous system should begin with preliminary preparation. To do this, you need to find a free room in which there will be a minimum of extraneous noise and sounds, and there will be no other distractions.
There are people who shed tears during treatment using this technique, cannot calm down and feel extremely depressed. This really happens and this moment passes quickly.
Indications and contraindications
Auto-training is suitable for people suffering from such ailments as neuroses, panic attacks, neurasthenia and other psychosomatic diseases. Self-hypnosis shows good results in curing diseases based on emotional stress (bronchial asthma, endocarditis, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, constipation and others). Auto-training should not be done by those who suffer from vegetative crises, delirium, a state of unclear consciousness and somatic attacks. Self-regulation helps heal the nervous system of children and pregnant women.
Managing muscle tension
To relieve muscle tension, it is good to first take a warm or hot bath with aromatic oils. The hot temperature reduces tension in tense muscles, so the training will be more successful.
To eliminate stress and depression, it is good to perform the following exercises:
- bend the torso to the sides;
- perform several lunges;
- raising your arms up and stretching as high as possible.
Various dances are also good for relieving stress.
Text for auto-training
They lay down like this. Calm, comfortable, without crossing arms and legs.
First - preparation. Lie on your back in bed or on a couch or sofa with a low pillow under your head; Place your feet shoulder-width apart, relax your legs, and keep your toes pointed to the sides; bend your arms slightly at the elbows, place your palms down; the hands are not in contact with the body.
If you are lying without a pillow, then your arms should be extended straight at an acute angle to the body, palms facing up. The difference in hand position depends on the position of the head (with or without a pillow). Changing the position of the head requires changing the position of the arms due to discomfort in the shoulder joints. Remember the symmetry of the pose!
Important! Maintain the “Mask of Relaxation” throughout the meditation - this is a facial expression in which the facial, chewing muscles and tongue are maximally relaxed. Each tense muscle has a stimulating effect on the brain, and this prevents the occurrence of an autogenic state. There are muscle groups - facial, chewing, tongue and hands - that have a greater impact on the state of the brain than other muscles, so more attention is paid to their relaxation. To relax your chewing muscles, practice in front of a mirror before auto-training. With your head upright, silently pronounce the sound “Y” and let your jaw drop. Then, to relax the tongue, silently pronounce the syllable “Te”, while the relaxed tongue gently rests on the back surface of the lower teeth. Remember that only passive concentration gives a physiological effect.
Now the eyes are closed. Recite the text below to yourself (pre-learned, but not thoroughly, general meaning). You can turn on music, you can without it. It’s good if someone reads this text to you first. Or you can listen to an audio recording of auto-training with the already recorded voice of another person.
Text
“I'm relaxed! I turn my attention to the “relaxation mask”. I breathe calmly through my nose... like in a dream, inhale... exhale, inhale... exhale... (speak 3 times).
Relaxation
Relaxation practice is taught by Polina Sukhova (demo version).
My body is filled with pleasant calm and relaxation. I am in a cozy, warm house, which is located in a beautiful and colorful forest, filled with birds of paradise, kind animals, lush greenery and delightful flowers... there is a waterfall nearby.
It’s lightly raining outside the window, drops are slowly rolling down the glass... I’m lying on a soft bed with my eyes closed.... There is no one nearby... just me and the colorful nature outside the window. And all around me there is one great calm...
The energy of relaxation has penetrated into my right hand, into my shoulder, it flows like water in a stream down my forearm into my wrist... passes into my hand, filling each finger with serene silence. Having made a circle with my brush, my calm attention rises up my arm, passes my shoulder, and slowly flows over my chest. The energy is directed to the left hand, filling the shoulder and forearm. It descends into the wrist, envelops each finger, they become calmer than ever, they are completely relaxed. My attention rushes up my arm... comes out of my arm, floats across the calm sea like a boat through my chest and flows into my legs, hips, knees... calves... feet. They are filled with relaxation... every finger is relaxed and serene.... A wave of calm spreads up the legs, crosses the whole body, all the organs in turn. I feel this wave with every cell... and this pleasant wave rushes to my head. She is calm... facial muscles are completely relaxed. I see with my inner vision and feel how every wrinkle straightens. Under the eyes, at the nose, at the mouth... The face is resting. I feel a pleasant calm and relaxation in my body...
Heaviness
Heaviness slowly sets in on the body... Pleasant heaviness. I'm lying in a bathtub filled with warm water. Now the water is slowly leaving the bath, but the heaviness in the whole body remains. I contemplate it where it is. The weight slowly moves into the right arm and into the shoulder; it feels heavy, as if lead had been poured into it. The heaviness slowly rolls into the forearm, hand, and now the little finger is filled with lead... then the ring finger... the middle finger becomes heavier than the hand, it has become the heaviest in the whole body... The heaviness moves to the index finger... from there it comes out... straight into the thumb... and goes up the hand... then to the shoulder... and then, like a heavy wheel, it rolls into the other hand... goes down. The forearm fills with lead... a wave descends into the hand... it fills like an apple that is ripe and ready to fall down. My fingers were filled with metal. The middle one is the heaviest... it is huge... it pulls towards the ground... The energy of gravity slowly begins to rise up... the shoulder... comes out into the body and sinks down into the right leg... The thigh fills up... the calf... the foot. Fingers like bunches of huge grapes are pulled down. The energy of gravity passes into the left leg and permeates all parts in turn. The heaviness makes its circle and goes up... again into the body. Every internal organ passes through... the genitals are saturated with heaviness... the wave goes to the kidneys... the attention of heaviness flowed into the liver... from there into the lungs. It's easy to breathe, but they're heavy. We pass the heart, it beats evenly, nothing interferes with it, then it is heavy, a pleasant heaviness, like after visiting a bathhouse. The heaviness comes out and rushes to the head... The head has grown to the bed. I feel like my eyelids are stuck to each other. I feel how the heavy chewing muscles and jaw are being pulled down... the tongue is like lead... The heaviness has done its job, it leaves the body and head into the world.
Warm
The feeling of heaviness is replaced by a feeling of lightness. Now there is a complete state of relaxation. The whole body is airy. The sky brightens, the sun appears, the forest around comes to life, the birds rejoice in the warmth and light. I rejoice with them in this divine beauty of the world. This world is now located exactly inside me, my body, in my thoughts. The body and thoughts are light and weightless, they are filled with solar energy of soft warmth. Your hands get warmer, your shoulders warm up in the warm rays. Warmth descends down the hands into the fingers, and each finger lights up with warmth like a New Year's garland. This warm wave rises up like a sunny stream and passes into my left hand, beginning to light every cell of my body with warmth from the inside... shoulder... forearm. This energy passed through the brush and filled the fingers one by one. They lit up, and a warm stream rushed upward, rolled like a warm ball over the stomach and slid into the right thigh. The calves, feet, toes, legs are getting warmer. The energy has done its job here and is slowly rushing into the left leg. Descending like a waterfall, capturing every cell of space with its rays. Thigh... calf... foot... It descends to the very bottom, lighting each nail with warmth... and moves on. The heat is directed to the stomach, and as it passes, it ignites everything that comes in its way. Genital organs. Gentle warmth goes like a ball of sunshine through the body, flowing into the kidneys, from there to the liver... it gets warmer. The energy rises up into the stomach... Further into the lungs, they are filled with a gentle warmth, pleasant and joyful... And finally, the heart... it is my flashlight that lights up with the warmth of care and joy. It works clearly and rhythmically... Everything is fine! From the heart, heat comes out to the skin in the solar plexus area. In this place, the skin of the abdomen warms up... and this heat energy expands clockwise. Inhale… exhale…. inhale... exhale... The clock spins and warms the solar plexus... inhale... exhale... Attention on the solar plexus... inhale, exhale... As you exhale, the heat moves inside the abdomen, it warms with a pleasant deep warmth, spreading throughout the body.
I am so relaxed that my body has become so light that my hands are missing. The legs are weightless, they are not there. My body ceases to be felt. It loses its outlines, I lose its boundaries, it becomes everywhere and nowhere, pure solar energy.
I slowly return back to the room, I again feel my body, how it breathes evenly and slowly.
Heart
A calm pulsation passes through the body - this is good. I feel the pulse of my healthy body. It tells me that everything is okay. I concentrate on my pulse. I feel how every cell responds to the smooth rhythm of life. My attention slowly turns to my breathing.
My breathing is calm... I don’t control it, I just watch it. It flows like a stream, calm, clear water, very soft. I feel good, pleasant, as the slightly cool air first enters me and soon it is lost in me, warmed by the warmth of my body. Breathe easily and naturally. The movement of my stomach is exactly in time with my breathing, smooth and calm. Breathing harmoniously lifts the whole body up and gently lowers it down. I can breathe easier than ever. I love this life - it's wonderful! The world is beautiful, and I am part of this world.
Exit
I had a great rest, I am full of strength and energy. I really want to live and do everything I have in mind. It's time to go back.
I'm starting to come out of a state of relaxation. I return to the room in which I am now lying. I begin to feel myself, my hands, my fingers, which can move. I feel my lips, which can move. The muscles become elastic. I slowly clench my fists, feel the strength in my hands and fingers. I pull my feet over me, straining them. I feel the power in my legs. I bend my back upward. Now I simultaneously feel a powerful force in my whole body, the body as one whole - a powerful core of energy.
Getting ready to take a deep breath, I hold it for 2 seconds. At the same time: I exhale vigorously through my mouth, unclench my fists, open my eyes and exit. I woke up!
I am cheerful, charged with new energy. There is a noticeable surge of strength in the body. I go out into life with a cheerful state of energy and inner peace of mind. I am ready for fruitful work. I can handle anything!!
What is autogenic training?
Autogenic training is a set of specially selected exercises with which a person can get rid of many obsessive states, balance the nervous system, and ensure the normal functioning of many functions in the body.
Autogenic training can be aimed at relaxation or, conversely, at restoring energy balance. The disadvantage of this technique is that not all people can complete the course to the very end. Many people quit exercises before reaching the middle of the cycle, because they do not notice the results from the very first sessions. However, a person can observe the result only towards the end of the cycle.
In some cases, it is advisable to use this technique in combination with medications or other training. But this point must be clarified with your doctor.
How to relax the nervous system
Self-conducting auto-training to calm the nervous system is possible thanks to some existing techniques. For each of them, psychologists have compiled detailed step-by-step instructions:
- An example of self-regulation using breathing, after which the body will become calmer and more balanced:
- take a deep, slow breath, counting to yourself to four;
- stick your stomach forward, keeping your chest motionless;
- hold your breath for the count 1-2-3-4;
- exhale smoothly, counting from one to six;
- Before the next inhalation, hold your breath again for a few seconds.
- Autotraining for muscle tone control:
- Sit on a soft, flat surface;
- inhale and exhale deeply;
- mentally find the most tense areas of the body;
- concentrate and tighten the places of the clamps even more (while inhaling);
- feel the tension that appears;
- release it sharply (as you exhale);
- carry out the procedure several times.
- Auto-training exercises using the verbal method:
- formulate an order to yourself;
- repeat it mentally several times;
- If possible, say the order out loud.
Dynamics of the autogenic state
In dynamics, a person cannot always assess his condition objectively. Therefore, most often for this purpose people resort to the help of someone close to them or a professional. However, you can independently assess your own condition by observing processes in dynamics.
Video for autogenic self-regulation
If you don’t know how to relax using auto-training to calm the nervous system, then these useful videos are for you. Experienced psychologists will share the secrets of self-regulation. Doctors will answer your most pressing questions: what verbal commands exist, does therapeutic music help the nervous system, what auto-training techniques are best to use. Learn how you can calm your central nervous system through self-directed mental, verbal, or breathing exercises.
Auto-training to calm down, positive words
Therapeutic calming auto-training. Psychotherapist A I Frolov www.ozdorov.ru
Text for relaxation
Healing mood for the stability of the nervous system from Sytin
Music for relaxation
Music for relaxation and psychological relief, from stress No. 7
Autogenic training according to Schulz
Schultz argued that the mechanisms of hypnosis and self-hypnosis are almost completely identical, therefore autogenic training according to his system was structured as follows. The creation of special conditions was considered a prerequisite for its correct implementation. He included these conditions:
- absence of extraneous sounds in the room;
- lighting in the room should be moderate, not too bright;
- lack of distractions;
- The room temperature should not be too hot or cold.
A prerequisite must be the presence of motivation and confidence in the control of one’s actions.
The Schultz training itself is carried out as follows:
- the first exercise is to repeat some previously prepared phrases like “I am completely calm”, the duration of this exercise is about 40 seconds;
- Then you should repeat to yourself: “My hand is getting heavier,” then about the other hand, about the rest of the limbs;
- combine the first and second parts of the exercise;
- add phrases about legs, about the calmness and heaviness of legs and arms;
- connect the previous phrases together.
The duration of each subsection in the exercise varies from approximately 40 to 60 seconds. This complex should be repeated for at least 5 days.
This complex for nervous relaxation is considered initial and can be used by anyone, even the unprepared. If a person has certain skills in relaxing the nervous system, then he can somewhat improve the Schultz complex using his second complex.
It is carried out in a similar way, only the phrases included in it contain the following words: “My heart beats calmly”, “I emit warmth and light” and the like.
Basic techniques
It is possible to learn the basics of psychoregulation thanks to the works of the first inventors of autogenic training, Vladimir Levy and Johann Schultz. The methods of these psychologists for the use of self-discharge in the medical field and everyday life formed the basis for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system. Autogenic training, described in the works of Levy and Schultz, will help you gain self-confidence, improve the functioning of your internal organs and relieve psychological stress.
Autogenic training according to Schultz
This technique of restoring the nervous system helps to reveal a person’s natural ability - self-hypnosis. The main goal is to set your body up for recovery through meditation, complete relaxation of the body and moral calm. According to Schultz, after auto-training, certain therapeutic effects occur:
- physical and moral calm;
- strengthening the central nervous system;
- awakening the body's defenses;
- gaining self-confidence.
According to Vladimir Levi
The self-regulation training course according to Vladimir Levi consists of using self-hypnosis formulas to relieve moral and physical stress and restore the nervous system. The therapeutic effect is achieved both verbally and through imagination. The auto-training mastering program takes place over a 15-week course, and its main part is based on the principle of mental “tension-relaxation” of muscles. Such therapy helps if you are fully interested in the process and believe in your own capabilities.
According to Vladimir Levi
Levy's nervous system relaxation program includes a set of exercises that are performed regularly for 15 weeks. After the course, most people note a significant improvement in their well-being and the disappearance of previous symptoms.
Autogenic training has many differences from hypnosis. It is accessible to many people and some are pleased to know that they can independently regulate the direction and purpose of the exercises. Whereas during hypnosis they are controlled by the mind of another person.
Self-regulation techniques
Managing your psycho-emotional state is called self-regulation. As a result of successful work on yourself, you can achieve the effects of calming (reduce emotional tension), recovery (eliminate manifestations of depression) and activation (increase psychophysiological reactivity). Natural methods of self-regulation of the nervous system are:
- healthy sleep;
- healthy food;
- music;
- rest and others.
It is difficult to use such auto-training techniques at work and in other public places where stress or fatigue may occur. The most accessible methods of natural self-regulation are:
- laughter, humor;
- thinking about pleasant things;
- smooth body movements (stretching);
- admiring pleasant things (flowers, paintings, etc.);
- bathing in the sun's rays;
- pleasant sensations from breathing fresh air;
- support with compliments.
