Roger Melling Vittoz was a Swiss doctor who dedicated himself to research and clinical practice but who was affected by numerous physical pathologies that ended up undermining his mental health. For this reason, he ended up becoming interested in mental problems.
Thus, he began to practice hypnosis with some success but he did not feel completely satisfied since it left the person dependent on the hypnotist. In other words, to obtain the benefits of hypnosis the patient depended on the doctor who applied the procedure.
With this idea in mind he began to venture into other techniques and began treating “incurable” patients. The results achieved gave him worldwide notoriety.
Vittoz’s basic idea is that the “sick” brain sends a series of vibrations or waves, so he focuses on identifying the fundamental functions that allow brain regularization and control. From this theory he proposed his method of Psychosensory Relaxation, which at the time was the subject of a great debate in scientific circles.
What is the Vittoz Method exactly?
This method is really a psycho-pedagogical system aimed at reestablishing the balance of nervous and psychic activity but it also focuses on optimizing its functioning as well as preventing possible dysfunctions.
The method is based on mental exercises and psychosensory practices that teach us to develop the unity, awareness and will necessary to manage our thoughts, emotions and actions in a more positive way.
Currently the Vittoz Method has proven its effectiveness in treating problems such as:
- Difficulties with attention, learning and memory
- Problems with self-control and adaptation to new situations
- Tension, fatigue, anxiety and stress
- Depressive and neurotic states
- Psychosomatic diseases
- Dependency
- Difficulties managing emotions
However, due to its preventive nature, this method can be used by all people who want to improve their quality of life and prevent mental problems.
The Vittoz method exercises that you can apply at home
The exercises that he brings up have a logical order and each of them prepares us for the next one, so I recommend moving on to the next one only once the preceding exercise has been successfully completed.
1. Sensations Exercise
It begins with the psycho-sensory relaxation exercise, which will be carried out in three stages.
In the first, the person (who may be lying or sitting) is invited to become aware of their body, through sensations. It begins with the deepest sensations that allow you to feel and locate the different parts of the body such as the head, arms, legs…
Then, we focus on the sensations that come from outside: the noises, the colors, the texture, the smells, the freshness of the air. The set of these sensations, internal and external, gives us awareness of the bodily self and, consequently, allows us to affirm it in its material reality (an essential aspect for those who doubt themselves).
In a second time, the person is asked to relax and the state of muscle contraction disappears. It is ideal to apply progressive muscle relaxation since this provides a rest to the peripheral nervous system that facilitates the next stage of the exercise: becoming aware of the sensations.
Now the person is suggested to make the decision to “not think.” With this idea the brain will be freer to freely perceive sensations: to make the exercise easier and more effective, it is suggested that you welcome the sensation of your foot, your ankle, your calf, and so on for all parts of the body, on the right side and then on the left side, saying: “Feel the sole of the foot, the calf…, the palm of the hand, the wrist…”
The sensation of the body thus polarizes all the attention of the brain and preserves the field of consciousness from associative intrusions. In this way, the conditioning of the arrest of associations of ideas is established: it is brain control in action.
2. Pendulum Exercise
With this exercise, concentration on a mental image is enhanced.
In the first exercise it was about perceiving a tactile sensation, so a whole set of visual sensations come into play. The person is asked to imagine an old pendulum clock. This visual sensation is complex, so it is important to simplify it: The pendulum is presented alone, clearly, with two parts, the axis and the disc; with two colors, gray and yellow; animated by a slow and regular oscillatory movement. In this way the brain does not associate but rather perceives the image.
The image of the pendulum must be maintained for at least 10 minutes. This exercise is very simple but is very useful for people who suffer from anxiety.
3. Exercise of Conscious Acts
This exercise is useful for learning to control actions, making it ideal for violent and aggressive people.
During the conscious act, the brain must be solely receptive; Its function is to accurately record the act that is executed; The brain must feel the act and not think about it…
In this exercise we must simply open ourselves to the experience but not with a critical eye in search of details but simply as if we wanted to absorb what surrounds us. A state of abandonment must be achieved where we feel and perceive the environment but without analyzing it.
It is about achieving unforced attention where every detail is perceived but does not become a cognitive overload. Achieving this state may take months since there are no structured steps but rather it is about understanding the concept and gradually developing this attitude of facing the world.
4. Mindful Walking Exercise
As its name indicates, this exercise simply requires you to walk consciously, feeling first the right foot, then the left foot, perceiving the entire movement of the foot as it rests on the ground. Then attention extends to the legs and later to the movement of the arms.
This simple exercise provides an extraordinary feeling of calm and balance that spreads throughout the body.
Of course, mindful walking can be practiced whenever you want. But, at the beginning it is recommended to always do it the same moment everyday.
5. Exercise the Graphics
This is a simple exercise of concentrating on figures.
It consists of making, in your imagination, with the help of white chalk on a black board, the proposed drawings, which increase in complexity.
As an example, a number eight, or better, the infinity symbol, a triangle, three concentric squares, the Star of David, the digit one… It is important that all attention is concentrated on these drawings.
First you have to make the drawing, then look at it for a few seconds, and finally erase everything without thinking about anything else. The exercise of graphics teaches the brain to be present for as long as necessary, and thus prolongs concentration by strengthening the faculty of attention.
6. Delete to Control
After having extended brain control to the domain of sensations and actions by learning to live in the present, it is necessary to go further. You have to learn how to disappear a thought since this is the key to maintaining control and balance
First, you must choose 3 to 5 different objects and place them next to each other on a sheet of white paper. After noticing the objects in front of you, you have to remove one and put it aside. At that moment the main thing is to close your eyes and know if you have actually mentally eliminated the object in question.
It will then make a second object disappear, and a third object, and so on, until all objects have been deleted. If the operation has been done well, only the vision of a white sheet of paper without any object will remain in your mind.
The exercise is then repeated, only this time mentally using two or three figures. As soon as you can clearly eliminate the figures, you must move on to the letters, then to the words and finally to the phrases. Of course, the word must be deleted letter by letter, and then in its entirety, as well as the phrase.
Once learning is over, this technique can be applied to eliminate words and phrases that express disturbing ideas.
By writing and erasing, the affirmation of the will not to suffer passively is expressed, which is why a different inner dynamic is developed in the face of life.
Elimination allows us to free ourselves from memories preserved in our memory and is an ideal technique to combat insomnia due to recurring thoughts.
Reference:
Velay, I. (1971) Pratique de la méthode Vittoz. París: Editions du Levain.
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