Respiratory Autogenic Training ( R.A.T.)

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This is a short course of respiratory autogenic training in preparation for childbirth. I learned while I was waiting for my first child.

Exercises are essential to achieve a high level of relaxation. The feeling of this, for giving an idea, is like the time to fall asleep.

Even if the course is short, it’s really applicable to all situations filled with stress.
It consists of seven exercises, plus one for the phase of expulsion.
You do not perform the exercises at once, start by grade, one at a time.

1° Exercise

• Hold your arms forward as to push a door. Stay in this position for 1 minute.
• Practice long inspirations, followed by exhalation to fall.
• Practice long inspirations combining the rotational movement of the head on the neck.
• Exhalation associated rolling forward.
• Close your eyes slowly tightening the eyelids, remain in that position for 20 seconds with eyes closed.
• Count from 1 to 10, mimicking markedly the numbers.
• Remember simulated movements.

Exercise of recovery valid for 7 exercises: You move the fingers of the hands like to play the piano. Rotate the wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees, the hips, hold your hands as a fist and you do two normal breaths. Open your eyes.

2° Exercise

• Close your eyes and leave the body.
• Evoked feelings of the first year.
• Imagine seeing your body from the outside compared to the position in which it is located.
• Immerse yourself in your body and you seek the sensations of: weight – tone – heat – contact.
• Save your feelings.

Exercise of recovery.

3° Exercise

• Find a good position. Abandonment of the body. See the image of your body from the outside.
• Immerse yourself in your body and you seek the sensations of: weight – tone – heat – contact.
• Immerse yourself in the right hand trying to remember the appearance of the back and palm of the hand.
• Looking for the sensations of weight – tone – heat – contact.
• Then go in search of the same feelings for the other segments of the body: right wrist, right forearm, right elbow, right arm (then switch to left hand, wrist, forearm, etc..)
• Search also the same feelings for right thigh, right knee, right calf, right ankle, right foot (then repeat on the left side).
• Abdomen (anterior): it raises and lowers with each breath, it expands and contracts.
  Abdomen (rear): it lowers and raises with each breath.

• Chest (anterior): it raises and lowers with each breath.
  Chest (rear): it lowers and raises with each breath.

• Perineum: breathing slowly see how the perineum also expands and contracts with each breath.
• Neck: vision external, and internal immersion.
• Head: vision external, and internal immersion.
• Save your feelings.

Exercise of recovery.

4° Exercise

• Find a good position. Condition of calm, imagining that you are in another place. See the image of your body from the outside. Perception of weight – tone – heat – contact.
• In the vision outside of the body appear together segments of hands, forearms, arms, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, chest, abdomen, perineum, head, neck.
• Immerse yourself in the body, repeating: my body is whole full.
• Is filled the space between the left and right side of the body. Repeat 10 times.
• Is filled the space between the upper and the lower part of the body. Repeat 10 times.
• Is filled the space between the front and rear of the body. Repeat 10 times.
• The whole body is a space full. Repeat 10 times.
• The area of the body expands and contracts with each breath. Repeat 10 times.

Exercise of recovery.

5° Exercise

• Find a good position. Close your eyes. Abandonment of the body. External vision.
• Perception of weight – tone – heat – contact.
• Save your feelings.
• The whole body is a space full.
• Is filled the space between the left and right side of the body.
• Is filled the space between the front and rear of the body.
• Is filled the space between the upper and the lower part of the body.
• The area of the body expands and contracts with each breath.
• The whole body breathes.
• My breath breathes me.
• The breath goes away.
• The breath breathes me.
• The breath swings me.
  With each expansion of the chest mentally repeat “the breath breathes me”.
  With each expansion of the chest mentally repeat “breathe me”.

Exercise of recovery.

6° Exercise

• Find a good position. Close your eyes. Abandonment of the body. External vision.
• Internal draft. Perception of weight – tone – heat – contact.
• Is filled the space between the left and right side of the body.
• Is filled the space between the front and rear of the body.
• Is filled the space between the upper and the lower part of the body.
• The whole body is full, it expands and contracts with each breath.
• The whole body breathes.
• The abdomen, chest, nose, mouth breathing.
• The air enters and exits through the pores.
• The whole body breathes.
• The breath breathes me to any expansion of the chest.
• Breathe me (beat hands for 1 minute).

  Each point should be performed 10 times.

Exercise of recovery.

7° Exercise

• Find a good position. Close your eyes. Abandonment of the body. External vision.
• Internal draft. Perception of weight – tone – heat – contact.
• The whole body is full.
• Is filled the space between the left and right side of the body.
• Is filled the space between the front and rear of the body.
• Is filled the space between the upper and the lower part of the body.
• The whole body is full and is in motion.
• The whole body expands and contracts with each breath.
• The whole body breathes.
• The breath goes away.
• The breath breathes me (beat hands for 1 minute, for 5 times)
• Remain paused for a minute.
• The uterus contracts (beat hands for 1 minute, for 10 times)
  During the respiration mentally repeat “breathe me”.

Exercise of recovery.

8° Exercise. Push out

• Body relaxed.
• Si aspetta che arrivi la contrazione.
• Inhale deeply so much air.
• Bend the neck and the body forward.
• Push as to defecate.
• Exhale air quickly.
  more you push, more the perineum is relaxes . If there is still the contraction, you give the second push.

  In the interval between a contraction and the other you do the slow breathing.

This year, to do in preparation for the birth only in the last weeks of pregnancy.

I would also give you advice. In anticipation of delivery, prepare the tissues of the perineum massaging with special oil.
Take the part of the perineum with the thumb and forefinger and massage inside, but you will find explanations in the leaflets of that purchase.

It is used by the 6th month of pregnancy. It is found in shops for organic produce. I have found the Weleda, but it is likely that there are others. The skin will become more flexible by reducing the risk of lacerations.

Very useful!