Achieving Autonomic Muscle Control (Cooling The Forehead)

This is the last in this series of 6 autogenic training exercises.

Each of the exer- cises 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.