Online Counsellor Coach

Autogenic Training


Here is a free Autogenic Training MP4 with guided instructions. Recorded by Gearárd Mac Réamoinn for you to follow along with and practice.
Listen here or on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/1115138529

Gearárd Mac Réamoinn has been practising and teaching Autogenic Training to his clients for 25 years.

Autogenic training (AT) is a relaxation technique developed by German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz in the 1930s. It involves using self-suggestions (autogenic = “self-generated”) to induce a state of deep relaxation and reduce stress or anxiety.
Here’s a clear breakdown:

What It Is

Autogenic training teaches you to use verbal formulas and mental focus to influence your body’s physical state — for example, to make your body feel warm, heavy, and calm. It’s a form of self-hypnosis aimed at balancing the autonomic nervous system (the part that controls stress responses).

How It Works

You mentally repeat phrases (called formulas) that help bring about relaxation. Typical examples are:
  • “My arms and legs are heavy.”
  • “My heartbeat is calm and regular.”
  • “My breathing is calm and even.”
  • “My body is warm.”
  • “My forehead is cool.”
    • These phrases, repeated slowly and with focus, lead to measurable physiological changes — like slower heart rate, reduced muscle tension, and lower blood pressure.

    Structure

    Autogenic training usually involves six standard exercises, practised in a quiet environment:

  • Heaviness – feeling of heaviness in limbs (muscle relaxation)
  • Warmth – feeling of warmth (improved blood flow)
  • Heartbeat – awareness of calm, steady heart rhythm
  • Breathing – slow, natural breathing
  • Abdominal warmth – warmth in the solar plexus area
  • Cool forehead – sensation of a cool forehead (mental calmness)

    • Benefits

    Scientific studies have shown that autogenic training can:
  • Reduce stress, anxiety, and tension
  • Improve sleep quality
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Relieve chronic pain and headaches
  • Enhance emotional regulation and concentration

    • Typical Practice
  • Done once or twice a day (10–15 minutes per session)
  • Ideally, in a quiet space, sitting or lying down
  • Requires consistent practice over several weeks to see results

    • https://britishautogenicsociety.uk/

    Autogenic Training

    Autogenic training directly affects the autonomic nervous system — the system that controls stress responses.
    When you repeat calming formulas (like “my body is warm and heavy”), your brain shifts from the     sympathetic (“fight or flight”) mode to the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) mode. That triggers:
  • Lower heart rate and blood pressure
  • Slower breathing
  • Reduced muscle tension
  • Improved circulation
  • Increased alpha brainwave activity (similar to meditation)
    • In short, you’re teaching your body to self-induce a relaxation response — a skill that becomes stronger with practice.
    © 2025 Gearárd Mac Réamoinn Contact Me