Self Induction Script
Create a script for a personal mental practice tape recording. Include all of the following:
I. Introduction & general instructions,
II. Some form of breath awareness/training,
III. At least three of the following methods of relaxation response induction (progressive relaxation, autogenic training, meditation, guided imagery, self-hypnosis, open focus training),
IV. At least one self-affirmation suggestion,
V. At least one visualization or guided imagery task,
VI. A personalized cue, &
VII. An instruction to return to alertness. Scripts should be typed and double spaced. Extra credit will be given for recording the script into an MP3 file that you can play on an I-pod, computer, or tape recorder.
Scripts should be typed and double spaced.
Extra credit will be given for recording the script into an MP3 file that you can play on an I-pod, computer, or tape recorder.
I. Introduction
A. Some people will give a short induction instruction to set the stage for the rest of the session (or start the process of focusing on an issue). This is optional and may be very individual.
Instruction example: “The following experience is designed to guide you in the use of the ‘Master Skill,’ image rehearsal. Before you begin the deep relaxation process, bring to mind a specific upcoming event where you want to perform at your peak. Develop in your mind a clear idea of the outcome you want to produce, and the knowledge of how, specifically you will know when you have achieved that outcome. …Make a commitment to yourself to set aside all other issues in your life for a few minutes and choose to give this inner training experience the amount of attention it deserves, now, within, make a commitment to yourself to devote the next few minutes to developing the kind of mental discipline and the kind of mental image rehearsal that creates winners.” Emmett Miller, “, Optimal Sports Performance Imagery” in Imagery in Sports, Eds. Anees Sheikh & Errol Korn, 1994.
B. Start with a general introduction to the relaxation session.
Instruction example: “Place yourself in a safe place where you can be assured that you will not be disturbed or interrupted. The next 45 minutes is a time for you to devote solely to the practice of relaxation. Get into a comfortable position, sitting in a chair that provides full body support or lying on your back on a firm bed or on the floor. “
C. Give some general instructions for focus of attention.
Instruction example: “Focus your attention on the sensations within your body. Unless otherwise instructed, keep the focus of your awareness on these bodily sensations during the exercise. If your mind starts to wander to other thoughts do not criticize yourself, just let the thoughts go – see them drifting off like clouds in the sky – and return the focus of your attention to the sensations within your body. “
II. Short Focus on Breath
Direct the focus of attention to the breath and start to give directions for relaxation. Most inductions use at least a brief reference to the breath. Longer focus on the breath as a primary means of relaxation was reviewed as a part of pranayama training and will be further covered under meditation. Examples are included in your text pp. 251-253.
Instruction example: “Take a deep breath and let it out slowly while you allow your body to relax. Continue breathing normally while you focus your attention on the cool temperature of the air as you inhale energy into your body and then focus your attention on the warm temperature of the breath as you exhale the tension from your body. With each exhale feel the sense of warmth and relaxation spreading throughout your body. Take one more deep inhale and slow exhale and again allow your breath to return to normal.”
III. Relaxation Induction Techniques
A. Progressive Relaxation
Your text has a good script example on pages 254-255. Here is another:
“Clench your right fist… feel the tension in your hand…locate, intensify, and feel the tension in those specific muscles… hold… and now release…allow those muscles to relax…let your hand drop…release any resistance to gravity… feel the tension draining out of your hand..feel the difference between tension and relaxation as you allow the hand to become even more relaxed.”
Continue through various parts of your body such as:
Hand, lower arm, upper arm, neck and shoulders, jaw, forehead, eyes, tip of nose, entire face (scrunch up your entire face), tongue, yawn, back, lungs (take a big breath, hold, feel the tension in your chest), lower back, pelvis, buttocks, abs, thighs, knees, lower leg, pull back your foot, point your foot, curl your toes, etc.
Timing and voice modulation help the process. Pause about 20 – 30 seconds after each contraction or time with breathing (approximately two breaths after each contraction).
B. Autogenic Training
In autogenic training various mental suggestions are given. You focus on the sensations suggested.
This method was originally developed by Johannes Schultz in the early 1930s. Your text has a good explanation of the original instructions pp. 258-260.
It has been expanded to many suggestions.
Instruction example: “Focus your attention on the sensations which emanate from within your body. Keep the focus of your awareness on these bodily sensations during the exercise. Repeat each of the following phrases to yourself twice, or until you begin to feel the bodily sensation which the phrases suggest.”
Suggestions might include any of the following:
My right arm is feeling very heavy; warm and heavy; heavy, warm and relaxed.
My breathing is slow, calm, and relaxed.
My forehead is cool.
My heartbeat is regular and calm.
Feel the spreading sensation of relaxation.
Feel the spreading sensation of relaxation as you relax deeper and deeper.
You are breathing slowly and deeply.
You may notice a sensation of warmth and heaviness throughout your body, as though you are sinking deeper and deeper into the chair or floor.
You may feel as light as air, as though you are floating in a cloud.
Suggestions might also include any of the following:
You are so relaxed you can feel the persistent gentle pull of gravity, grounding your body in space. You are fully supported by the floor. You can completely let go and you will suspend in space, grounded and safe.
I feel quite quiet.
My ankles, my knees, and my legs feel heavy, relaxed, and comfortable.
…feel smooth, relaxed, and comfortable.
My whole body feels quiet, comfortable and relaxed.
Warmth is flowing through my hands, and they are warm.
I am feeling calm and relaxed.
My breathing is deeper and easier.
My body is relaxed.
My body feels comfortable and serene.
My whole body is warm and heavy and relaxed.
My mind is still.
I feel serene, still, and secure.
Here is an example used by Rae Tannenbaum a peak performance therapist:
“You might say to yourself I am feeling calm and relaxed… My breathing is deeper and easier… My body is relaxed… My body feels comfortable and serene… My whole body is warm and heavy and relaxed… My mind is still. I feel serene, still, and secure.” Rae Tannenbaum
C. Guided Imagery for Relaxation
Various guided images are used to deepen relaxation.
Other guided images are used to accomplish some task such as increasing confidence, coming to insight, increasing creativity, facilitating physical recuperation and healing, or staging a peak performance. We will cover more about guided images when we cover visualization. And you can create a guided image for the task portion of this assignment. See Rae Tannenbaum’s confidence induction as an example.
Here we will briefly review guided images as a means of deepening relaxation or self hypnosis.
Instruction example: “Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. You may decide to walk down the staircase. With each step down you will become deeper relaxed, with each step you will become more calm, more serene, deeper and deeper relaxed and calm.”
Instruction example: “Imagine yourself peacefully lying on a towel on the beach. It is a pleasant day. Not too hot, not too cold. You can hear the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore and the calls of various seagulls. You feel peaceful and calm. Your tension is draining into the sand as you become more and more relaxed.”
Instruction example: “You’re invited to step into a place that feels comfortable, a place such as a meadow. And as you step into this meadow you might notice the colors you see, the sounds you hear, and the smells in this place. And as you walk through the meadow notice the flowers and allow the images to wash it over you without any effort. And you may experience yourself going deeper and deeper into a quiet still place. And as thoughts and sensations move through you, you might just allow yourself to experience them. And as you move through this meadow you’ll see a beautiful tree. And near that tree will be a place for you to sit down, a place where you could be very comfortable and still for the next few moments, the next few moments of internal time.” Rae Tannenbaum
“Allow yourself to feel as if you are in a bubble of white light …imagine in your mind that all around you is a bright and glowing white light …you know you are creating your own circle of protection…are you able to imagine taking deep slow breaths?…Can you imagine breathing out and relaxing completely? Are you able to imagine deep and effortless breathing? You might imagine that all around you, you are bathed in a peaceful energy… without any effort permit yourself to breathe in that peaceful energy that surrounds you. ..Now might be the time to breathe out, if you’d like to, all of the aches and pains and tensions stored in your body… “ Rae Tannenbaum A Safe Place For Vocalists(www.inner-act.com)
D. Other Relaxation Techniques
Meditation , Open Focus, and further relaxation techniques will be covered in later lectures.
E. Combining Various Relaxation Techniques
1. Breathing and Autogenic techniques:
Instruction example: “Begin to breath deeply..and as you do…pay particular attention to the sensations you experience as the air leaves your body. Let yourself feel that with every breath you take, every exhalation..you are breathing out tension…discomfort…stress…and strain. When you do that, you can feel the muscles in your body relax…most prominently in your chest, but also in your other muscles that may be particularly tense, such as your shoulders..and neck…and back. It is just as though when you exhale, you exhale the air…and all your troubles…all your discomforts…and all your anxieties. “ Errol R. Korn
2. Breathing, progressive relaxation, and autogenic techniques:
Instruction example “As you take a deep breath, lift the back of your left hand and tense your forearm…hold your breath and the tension in your forearm…feel the tension..focus on the sensation of tension…notice what it feels like…and now exhale and relax…feel the tension draining out of your forearm as your arm settles back onto the floor…feel your forearm becoming more heavy, warm, and smooth…your breathing becoming more steady and rhythmic…feel gravity gently pulling your arm down as the floor supports its weight.”
IV. Guided Imagery or Visualization Task
At this point in your tape you will insert a task. You can create a short script for increasing confidence, coming to some personal insight (maybe consult a wise advisor), increasing creativity (in-class example), facilitating physical recuperation and healing, practicing a skill, overcoming test anxiety, or staging a peak performance. Always phrase your activity in positive terms!! Never mention what you do not want, only mention what you do want!
V. Self-Affirmation
At some point in your tape have yourself say a positive affirmation to yourself. This can be something that you have prepared before you ‘go under’
Instruction example: “You are completely calm, focused, and alert as you take a test.”
Or instruct yourself to come up with the affirmation during the session.
Instruction example: “Look around and somewhere in your special space you will find a poster..on this poster is a picture of you achieving a great success…Next to the picture is an inspirational saying, an affirmation which inspires you.. Read the affirmation aloud to yourself and let yourself remember this inspiring saying.” Dr. Jan
VI. Cue to Remember and to Reenter Your Relaxation State
Suggest that you will come up with and/or remember a cue word (and possibly a gesture/behavior) that will ‘cue’ you to remember and be able to reenter this relaxed state.
Instruction example: “Imagine a cue word or phrase that represents to you this feeling in your body and mind, this state of deep relaxation. While you are in this deeply relaxed state scan the focus of attention through your body, repeating your cue word or phrase to yourself, as you notice how you feel. Later, in your waking state, you will be able to remember this cue word, repeat it to yourself and remember what this deep state of relaxation felt like. Your cue word will be your key to returning to this feeling, this state of mind. Repeat your cue to yourself creating an image (such as being surrounded by a bubble of white light) or a behavior (such as touching your forefinger to your thumb) which you associate with your cue word or phrase and with this feeling of deep relaxation. Repeat your cue to yourself, once again, as you notice how comfortable and relaxed you feel.”
VII. Re-Entry
To close the session always instruct a return to an awake and rested state. If you induced relaxation with a guided image, reverse the sequence to restore alert consciousness.
Instruction example:“In your own time, when you are ready, begin to allow yourself to find a closure for your meditation. In your own time, when you are ready, begin to allow yourself to return, back to the outside space. Allow yourself to reawaken and return, feeling alert and refreshed. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to stretch, beginning with fingers and toes. Open your eyes and reenter the outside space.” Anna Wise, The High Performance Mind: Mastering Brainwaves for Insight, Healing, and Creativity, 2004.
Instruction example:“Imagine yourself at the bottom step of your staircase. Walk up the stairs. With each step up you become more alert, rested, and aware of your surroundings. As you walk up the stairs allow yourself to reawaken and return feeling alert and refreshed. When you reach the top you will open your eyes feeling refreshed, alert, and calm.”
Instruction example: “Now gradually bring this sense of energy to a more active level as you return to an awareness of the space around you. As I count from one to ten, feel the feeling growing even greater within you…one…breathing it into every part of your being…two…that feeling of calm energy…three…you are ready…four…ready to act…just as you planned…five…as you feel yourself coming up…six…more and more awake…more and more ready…seven…filled with the secure feeling of confidence…eight…becoming more and more awake…alert and clear…feeling your body want to move…to stretch…nine…coming all the way up…letting your eyelids open…ten…ready to go into action…NOW!” Emmett Miller
That’s it. Remember to include all seven elements in your script for full points!!