Autogenic training - Definition and Overview

Autogenic training is a term for a relaxation technique developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Schultz first published in 1932. It usually involves a series of sessions in which the patients learn to relax their limbs, heart, breathing, to induce a pleasant, warm feeling, but to induce a feeling of coolness in the forehead. The technique is used against stress-induced psychosomatic disorders.

Schultz emphasized parallels to techniques in yoga and meditation. However, autogenic training is devoid of any mysticism; rather, it is a method for influencing one's autonomic nervous system.