Page 88 - How to Shine on Stage

tion of the muscle groups. During the relaxation, the PMR practition-
er guides the client with suggestions, such as to focus on the breathing,
on the body, to calm down, relax, and close their eyes. The third stage
is referred to as “turnkey” relaxation and lasts two to three minutes. At
this stage, we focus only on breathing: we inhale, relax before exhaling,
and then exhale. We repeat this exercise several times. The next stage,
known as differential relaxation, lasts only about a minute to a minute
and a half and teaches us to relax a specific muscle group while the oth-
86 er muscle groups remain active. This is followed by a quick relaxation
stage, where we inhale deeply a few times, use relaxed suggestion, and
then slowly exhale. The last stage of learning PMR is the practical appli-
cation of the technique in situations that arouse stress and anxiety in us.
How to Shine on Stage tematic relaxation of muscle groups using a relaxation recording, au-
Autogenic training (AT) is a form of self-hypnosis. It comprises the sys-

to-suggestions, or self-guiding. It is a process of bodily self-regulation
using the power of thought (Romas & Sharma, 2017). The autogenic
training technique is the opposite of the progressive muscle relaxation
technique; physical relaxation is achieved by auto-suggestive influence
of the mind on the body—by suggestions that are spoken in the mind.
AT requires concentration and patience. The basic sequence of autogen-
ic training usually consists of six stages which we practise systematical-
ly in order to induce autohypnotic effects in the body. It is important to
also self- suggest with a feeling of heaviness and warmth. By concentrat-
ing and repeating the suggestions, we can induce a feeling of heaviness
and warmth in the body, stabilize the heartbeat and calm our breathing.
Autogenic training can be an effective technique for dealing with per-
formance anxiety: after a few weeks of regular practice, when one has
already mastered relaxation, one can also relax the muscles before and
during performance, thus overcoming the problems such as accelerat-
ed heartbeat and hyperventilation (Habe, 2001). Autogenic training is
a popular excitement regulation technique, especially in the European
countries and Japan (Romas & Sharma, 2017).
The Alexander Technique is a method by which one learns how to elim-
inate, or at least reduce, tensions in the body caused by certain habits of
movement and thought. Thus, one learns to achieve lighter movement
with less effort (Harel & Munden, 2008). The Alexander Technique has
a long history of helping performing musicians to reduce stress and the
likelihood of performance injuries. Musicians perform some of the most
complex and demanding physical movements, which they repeat over
and over again. Therefore, the usage of the term repetitive strain injury
has become quite common in the recent years.