Tips for Special Relaxation Training

For special relaxation training a lying body position, where the body is as relaxed as possible, is generally recommended. You can also choose an upright body position for relaxation training. An easy strain of the body as is developed in an upright position is just as favorable to release (chronic) tensions and to relax the musculature as a lying position. Settle on the position in which you achieve the best results.

If you get too sleepy in a lying position, you should think about an upright position. Of course, your progress in relaxation training is also related to habits in everyday life. Pay attention to a relaxed posture in everyday life, too.

 In which situations do you (unnecessarily) tense your muscles? Are these perhaps special social situations? How relaxed is your back when you sit at the desk? Which muscles do you tense while driving a car? What happens if you relax these muscles?

If you have some experience with the Laxman, additional relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or autogenous training can be combined very well with audiovisual stimulation. These practices can also be converted as audio courses as MP3 files and transferred to the Laxman. So you can perform your training everywhere (e.g. during your breaks at work). Thus, you can naturally combine other techniques (e.g. superlearning, language courses, suggestions ...) with the Laxman, too.

Tips for Special Concentration Training

In order to check the progress of your power of concentration, you can count the number of interruptions of your concentration while having a session and write them down afterwards.

An interruption is a situation in which your mind is no longer focused on your concentration object (see below "mentality"), even if this lasts only for one or more seconds.

Please keep in mind that a rising number of interruptions can also be a consequence of refined observation. After some time of practice you can check the progress on the basis of your recordings.

For a successful concentration training prolonged sessions (starting from 30 minutes daily) are especially recommended. The more often and longer you practice, the faster your concentrativeness will develop.

Please, select an upright body position for your concentration training since a light strain of the body supports the concentration. The choice of the program depends on your personal disposition. Usually, the alpha state is favorable for concentration. If you tend to excitability or tiredness, however, appropriate other programs can be useful (in case of excitability rather theta or delta frequencies whereas in case of tiredness rather beta or alpha frequencies). Thus, try out different programs. In general, the pure impulse programs are more suitable for concentration training, since they offer less acoustic diversions.

The Body Position

Choose a comfortable body position. You should stay in this position during the entire session. Lying positions can make you sleepy. You can also choose an upright position, in which the body is relaxed, however not completely lackadaisical (e.g. sitting upright on a chair, armchair, or on the heels with a straight back). A slight strain is favorable for your concentration.

 A suitable analogy for this kind of strain might be a lurking tiger ready to jump or an oarsman waiting for the starting signal. The classical meditation positions (asanas) as known from Hatha Yoga are particularly suitable.

Feel free to experiment with different positions, in the long run, however, it is better to settle on a position and maintain it. After some time a favorable mental attitude is attached to this special body position, just as one usually becomes tired when taking the usual sleeping position in bed.

To summarize this: In principle each position is good in which you are successful. There is no "perfect" body position. When having longer sessions (more than 30 minutes) each position can become a bit uncomfortable. Nevertheless, try to keep the body calm and relaxed. If you have chosen your position, put on the eyeglasses and the headphones. Your first program should have a medium length (20 to 30 minutes). Select the program you like from the menu. Experiment with volume and brightness. If possible leave the contrast at 100%. The intensity of light and volume has no influence on the quality of the stimulation. Adjust the impulses as it suits you.

The Mentality

For optimal progress we first recommend to observe the contents of your mind during the session.

Please, do not judge the emerging thoughts, pictures, sensations, or emotions or identify with them. Practice in the "art of pure observation"; interested, but not involved - like a biologist who studies the behavior of a rare species. You can make notes on your experiences after a session. After the first sessions, for concentration training for centering your mind it is favorable to concentrate on an object. Such an object can be the sensation of raising and lowering the abdominal wall while breathing (kinesthetic object), or the visualization of a form (e.g. a ball of a defined color and size) (visual object), or the sound of a syllable, a word, or a sentence you repeat internally like a mantra (auditive object).

If you note that your mind deviates from this object simply return to the object. In case a particularly interesting thought turns up, please also brush it aside for the time being and, where necessary, write it down after the session. As with the body position you can at first experiment with different objects. After some sessions you should settle on the object with which your concentration is best and maintain it. After some time a favorable condition is attached to this object. If you prefer a less intensive training, you can just let your mind drift and enjoy the session.