Yesterday I went, as I do every year, to the AGM and seminar day of the British Autogenic Society. I am a Founder Member (1984), having trained in 1982,  and have worked closely with BAS for many years.

Yesterday we presented 5 of the 10 most recently qualified members with their Diplomas in Autogenic Training. Much congratulation and joy!

The afternoon presentation was two hours of inspiring knowledge from another old-standing member: Dr Brian Kaplan. He has been teaching AT since 1987 (not as long as me!) alongside his practice in Homoeopathy. He stated yesterday:

‘If I had my way, I would make it mandatory for every GP surgery to run an Autogenic Training course every evening for their patients’.

He had explained the horrifying statistic that 70 – 80% of patient complaints are stress symptoms, or symptoms exacerbated (made worse) by stress. At any given time this figure is never less than 50%.

He said, ‘OK. Everyone knows this, and yet nothing is done about it. NOTHING! Everyone in this room knows how sad and unnecessary that fact is. Doctors and the health service (and therefore the patients too) all wait for real trouble to manifest itself, when in fact patients could be given the tools to help themselves and prevent serious illness’.

Dr Kaplan’s theme was the danger of medical research being too objective. Measuring outcomes of a method like AT is possible – we do not need random control trials for a non-drug method when there is plenty of anecdotal evidence showing that patients know when they feel better, and the doctor realises they have significantly reduced their visits to the surgery.

However, we ended the day with laughter – the other much-ignored medicine for good health.

Two people have recently finished AT courses with me. There is a certain pattern: they thank me, I congratulate them. They have done the work / made the changes. I teach the method, they put it into practice and with any luck profound changes occur.

The first (I shall call her Debbie) worked in a small group over 9 sessions. She wrote recently:

‘No one could have explained to me the difference it would make on me and my outlook on life!  Even if they had I would not in a million years have believed them! AT has changed the way I look at myself and also the way I deal with stress and stressful situations in my life, for this I will never be able to thank you enough.

‘I have tried meditation, yoga and various other “relaxation” methods before but never had the motivation to carry them on afterwards. AT is so easy to do and so easy to fit into your life (no matter how busy your life is!), I will always make time to fit Autogenics in now – I look forward to it every day.’

The second (Carol) also worked in a group, and writes:

‘I have two minds (one inquisitive, the other sceptical). So I thought hard about signing up to a course, make the step and give it a try. It’s a decision I do not have a glimmer of regret in making.

‘I have explored various methods of relaxation, as throughout my life I have suffered periods of depression and anxiety.  I’ve never been able to maintain these (other methods) for longer than a month or two, mainly because of the impracticalities of whatever props, music, clothing, breathing techniques or ambience needed to “get into the zone”.

‘Autogenics has been different. I’ve found the simple and practical relaxation exercises easy to fit into my lifestyle. Your support and guidance through my journey has been invaluable. I have completed the course feeling a much happier, healthier, calmer, patient, less tired and stressed, more focused, revitalised and complete person – both within my personal life and how I engage with others in my work life.’

Thank you Debbie and Carol. No wonder I like my job!

Isn’t it always a surprise when we are told that the longest day of the year is now behind us?

June 21st comes around faster and faster, and although we can joke and exclaim about it (‘Where is the summer?’ ‘The nights are drawing in – already?’) for some of us this feels really depressing. I mean – REALLY depressing.

A condition of cyclical low mood is now recognised, for some people, as being related to lack of sunlight. Yes – we all feel better in the spring when the sun starts to shine. But some of us respond to the short days and long evenings and nights with increased anxiety, irritability and fatigue. The acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder is apt: SAD.

While I can never promise a particular outcome when you use AT, I have worked with a number of people with SAD. The best results seem to occur when the AT course is learned during the spring and summer months. So if you are a SAD sufferer I suggest that you think about it NOW. Drop me an email or give me a ring (details on the contact page) to discuss how to go about it. The total of time we work together is around 4 months: initial consultation, 9 weekly sessions; then a follow-up a few weeks later.

Starting in July brings you to the end of the course in October (give or take some holiday period maybe, or waiting for a small group to gather).

I won’t promise to make every day a spring day, but I can give you hope that rather than suffer ‘heart-sink’ at the mere mention of passing the longest day, you will find yourself joining the ranks of those who simply raise an eyebrow – then make the most of today.

I am often asked how we know Autogenic Training (AT) works. Maybe we don’t know. There are some occasions where we simply cannot explain a change. The answer usually lies with the client.

My favourite story is the ‘fingernails lady’. Iris, age 70, had started the AT course because of her irritating dry cough, and sweating a lot. When she came for a follow-up session 4 months later she said she no longer coughed in embarrassing places like church – it was now confined to when she did AT so it no longer spoiled her life. It had been a hot summer and the whole world was sweating so that didn’t matter any more.

Then Iris held out her beatifully manicured hands and polished nails. ‘Look’, she said proudly. ‘I have stopped biting my nails. I started at the age of 5, and it got so bad I used to be punished for it: 65 years of being cajoled, persuaded and bribed to stop by all my friends and family. I could not; sometimes they were so bad they bled, and I have always hidden my hands. One day a few weeks ago I looked at these strong and growing nails and couldn’t believe they were mine. Now I invite a manicurist to my house once a month.’

This story illustrates the best of the unknown. We do know that positive emotions affect our physical health. Molecular change seems to occur with both positive and negative emotions (a very good book by Candace Pert – Molecules of Emotion describes the science of this). I could tell, by the great beam of pride on Iris’s face, that she was actively changing for the better, her internal molecular structure. I am a great believer in joyful pride.

Best of all is the spontaneity – these changes happen all by themselves. All we have to do is notice them…

This week the conversation I had with a client who has been using AT for 4 months included so much positivity I was (yet again) bowled over by the power of Autogenic Training (AT).

Rachel (not her real name) spoke about the subtle changes she is noticing in her life. She has been under a lot of work pressure, and one day, talking to colleagues she found her anxiety levels running very high indeed. However later, she was able to use her autogenic techniques to clarify her thoughts and emotions. This new understanding of herself is helping her deal with difficult situations: ‘I am able to stand back and accept’. Next time she was with colleagues around similar conversations, she noticed her reaction was much calmer.

A later conversation with one of these colleagues alone showed her she was able to listen effectively, and although she did not agree with him, she did appreciate his point of view. ‘I could empathise, even though we were poles apart in our perspectives. I have noticed how everything seems clearer. I am not so quick to jump into my anxiety, because I now know that fear is really masking my anger.  Now I recognise it I can step back – knowing I can handle that.’

Rachel also notices how her whole demeanour is calmer. She is sleeping better; everything around her, although busy, feels focused and manageable.

‘Subtle’ is certainly the word. AT happens by itself. It is not my business, as the therapist, to tell Rachel how she should or should not feel; or how to talk (or listen) to others. Rachel is her own therapist, using AT and bringing about profound changes from within herself (autogenic).

My role is to teach her the skills and support her developing process. So all I need is someone who is motivated to bring about change for themselves…

Why have I been working with Autogenic Training (AT) for more than 25 years?

Because I have seen, time and again, amazing results from this simple yet powerful method of self-help.

I used to be a nurse, and when I reached a time of life when family and work crowded each other out, something had to give. I was a shouting mum, and I didn’t like it, so in 1981 I learned Autogenic Training (AT)  for myself: 8 weekly sessions in a group of 6 people.

It changed my life. Corny? Yes – but true. Over several months, I realised how quickly and easily I could enter a deeply relaxed state, just for a few minutes, and how useful it was to restore energy. My children told me I had stopped shouting; I realised I was catching far fewer colds, so my immune system was more efficient. A minor skin condition completely disappeared.

Who had done this? I had.  This was a radical idea when compared with nursing / surgery / medication.

So I trained as an autogenic therapist, was a founder member of the British Autogenic Society, served on the Executive Committee, and working as part of the training team since 1993, I help new therapists gain their autogenic feet.

There is nothing like seeing the smile on the face of the person who has suffered anxiety and panic for 20 years, saying ‘It doesn’t matter any more’.

I know that person has done their own work on themselves. They are unlikely to have to do it again. What a gift! No drugs; no constant revisiting a GP or therapist.

Yes – it is the best job in the world.