I sit relaxed in the grass, feel the individual stalks between my fingers and let the lukewarm August air blow around my nose… Closing time! Well, almost at least. In a moment, autogenic training will begin in the BLUEf!T Park, I am waiting for the other participants and I am quite curious what to expect. In advance, of course, I did some research: Autogenic training is a relaxation technique developed by psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich Schultz. You are probably wondering why this course is offered at TUI BLUE? Yes, I wondered the same thing! Actually, however, it's obvious: A column of BLUEf!T is mental balance, i.E. Inner harmony and harmony with oneself. Autogenic training is used, among other things, to help me relax and fall asleep. It is even used in competitive sports and competitions, so that athletes can better cope with stressful situations.
Short and sweet: Autogenic training seems to be perfect for me! Not that I compare myself to a competitive athlete, but today it's too warm for me to relax after a long day at work from BLUEf!T Guide Lars at the otherwise torment to let. It makes me sweat to think about our last workout with the fitness tracker or in the BLUEf!T room think.
Table of contents
3, 2, 1… Relaxation!
Autogenic training = deep relaxation
''…And we wake up again''
Everyday stress? As if it had never been there!
3, 2, 1… Relaxation!
In the meantime, all participants of the autogenic training have arrived and the session starts. We pull the cozy Fatboy beanbags in the shade and look for a nice spot. Everyone snuggles comfortably into the soft giant pillows and BLUEf!T Guide Lars explains us briefly the procedure of the autogenous training. Then we are supposed to close our eyes. As an old skeptic, I naturally ask myself how I am supposed to relax deeply and clear my head in just 20 minutes, after all I have had a stressful day at work.
My many trains of thought are abruptly interrupted when BLUEf! Guide Lars starts to speak in a calm voice. I really close my eyes now after your first reminder. We start with the so-called gravity exercise. We imagine how first the right arm and then the left arm become very heavy, then the right leg as well as the left arm.
I must add that it is a very pleasant heaviness and not the kind you might feel in your legs after a long jogging run. Quite the opposite – during autogenic training it feels pleasantly warm.
Autogenic training = deep relaxation
It continues with the breathing exercise. I breathe calmly and gradually I notice how my breathing rhythm normalizes and my heartbeat slows down.
Just a few minutes ago I had a million thoughts in my head, which are now gradually being displaced by deep relaxation – autogenic training actually seems to work!
This is followed by the so-called solar plexus exercise, which focuses on the center, i.E. The abdomen and the chest. We imagine the heat flowing from the solar plexus to the abdomen and from there to the chest. By the way, the solar plexus is a vegetative nerve plexus, which is located in the abdomen of the human body. This largest autonomic nerve plexus of the body serves to control some organs like stomach or intestine.
In the meantime I can say that I am as relaxed as if I had been on a long and wonderful vacation. I lie relaxed in the soft giant cushion. Let the warm breeze blow around my nose. Now we imagine that our faces are heavy and our foreheads are cool. As if a cool washcloth is lying on my forehead. And I can tell you, with the heat on the Turkish Riviera, a cooling down is welcome to me.
''…And we wake up again''
I hear Lars' voice whispering from far away that he is now counting down from five to one and we are waking up again. Arrived at one, we will open our eyes. Oh no, I do not like yet! And that's when I hear it: ''3,2,1 and we slowly open our eyes''.
As I open my eyes and look at my surroundings, I remember that I'm still in the BLUEf! Park at the TUI BLUE Palm Garden in Kızılağaç befinde. Not waking up in my bed on a peaceful Sunday morning. Hach, that was nice!
We get a few more minutes to come back to us completely. Afterwards BLUEf asks!T Guide Lars, how the results are with us and whether the relaxation effect has set in.
Everyday stress? As if he had never been there!
My personal conclusion is that autogenic training helps me to relax and to forget the stress of everyday life completely! Who would have thought that? If I'm honest: I don!
I think that we allow ourselves far too little time in our daily lives to relieve stress and maintain our own mental balance. It is important to allow yourself a little time out now and then. And twice a week 20 minutes? Sounds feasible!