Relaxation on demand - stress management advice from the book 'Autogenic Training: A Clinical Guide' by psychology professor Wolfgang Linden

Men's Fitness, Oct, 1998 by Terry Mulgannon

When you start out, wear loose, comfortable clothing, and choose a quiet place for your practice sessions. Then determine which of these three standard postures will work best for you: 1) Lie down on your back with your head on a pillow, legs spread about a foot apart and your arms a few inches away from your body. 2) Choose an easy chair, a good office chair or a similarly comfortable seat with a high back and armrests. Ease back into it with your head supported, feet slightly extended and arms on the supports. 3) Use a conventional chair or stool, slumping slightly forward with your head down and your arms hanging between your legs, elbows supported by them. Whichever position you choose, you should be able to relax and maintain it easily without any conscious thought.

Practice at least four or five times a day. Assume the position you like best, close your eyes and take eight to 10 deep breaths. Then repeat each of these phrases in your head 10 times while trying to experience the feelings you're referring to:

My arms and legs feel heavy. My arms and legs feel warm. My breathing is deep and easy. My heart rate is calm and steady. My stomach feels warm and comfortable. My forehead feels cool.

When you're finished, take several more deep breaths, telling yourself three times that when you open your eyes you'll feel alert and refreshed. After you open your eyes, slowly stretch and flex your arms and legs, rotate your head back and forth, and prepare to get up.

It'll probably take a couple of weeks for your nervous system to begin responding to your commands, and you may want to do extra work on any commands that seem hard to visualize. However much success you have, the training itself is calming, and it'll become more effective the longer you do it.

If you don't feel relaxed, it's possible that autogenics isn't for you. In that case, you may want to try meditation, biofeedback or yoga. Or margaritas, but that's another article.

Terry Mulgannon wrote about cholesterol in our September issue.