“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James  The term autogenic means coming from within. This autogenic exercise lowers physiological stress, increases blood flow, and decreases muscle tension through the repetition of simple phrases. The active part of this relaxation method comes solely from your mind. Research has shown autogenic training can improve pain, sleep, anxiety, and low mood.*

The script below is one example of many variations. The basic idea is to focus on releasing the muscle tension in different parts of your body in succession, until you have relaxed your entire body. You end the exercise by scanning your entire body for tension and letting go of any muscle tension that is still present.

Read through the following script to get an idea of how the exercise proceeds. You can then repeat these statements (or something similar) to yourself. Remember, the actual words are less important than using your mind to release the muscle tension throughout your body.

Sample Script

My right arm is warm and heavy. My right arm is warm and heavy.

My left arm is warm and heavy. My left arm is warm and heavy.

My right arm and my left arm are warm and heavy. My right arm and my left arm are warm and heavy.

My forehead is calm and relaxed. My forehead is calm and relaxed.

My face is calm and relaxed. My face is calm and relaxed.

My entire head is calm and relaxed. My entire head is calm and relaxed.

My chest is warm and heavy. My chest is warm and heavy.

My stomach is calm and relaxed. My stomach is calm and relaxed.

My entire upper body is warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed. My entire upper body is warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed.

My left lower leg is calm and relaxed. My left lower leg is calm and relaxed.

My entire right leg and my entire left leg are warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed. My entire right leg and my entire left leg are warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed.

My entire body is warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed. My entire body is warm and heavy, calm, and relaxed.

My right thigh is warm and heavy. My right thigh is warm and heavy.

My right lower leg is calm and relaxed. My right lower leg is calm and relaxed.

My left thigh is warm and heavy. My left thigh is warm and heavy.