What is sophrology?
Sophrology is a natural anti-stress and relaxation methodology that has become very popular in continental Europe, notably in Spain, Switzerland and Germany but primarily in France where it is recognised as an effective support for certain patients in their health service. You can read more about the history of sophrology here.
By practicing sophrology, you will learn 3 essential anti-stress skills:
a) Breathing control;
b) Muscle relaxation;
c) Mental relaxation and visualisation
In time, practicing these skills helps you to manage external stress triggers such as challenging situations (noise, traffic, crowds) and people (work and personal relationships)
Sophrology also helps you switch negative thought patterns to positive ones.
This could be self-doubt, negative thoughts and/or reflexes that do not help us move forward. Whilst this is quite normal, it is not healthy in the long run.
Typical thoughts and ideas that keep repeating themselves include
- I will not be able to do this
- I’m terrible at it and it’s going to fail
- That’s the way I am and I’m not able to change
Sophrology helps us to become more aware and to reprogram the usual reflexes and negative thoughts.
When the body, mind and emotions are in harmony, we can observe our lives with more perspective and objectivity. We separate things and we go through life with more serenity.
The law of repetition and that of association say that when an association gets repeated again and again and again it becomes real. As such it is important to repeat the sophrology exercises daily, or at least several times a week. Eventually Sophrology will become a permanent part of your daily life.
What makes sophrology unique is that we do exercises sitting, standing and walking. This means that there is a sophrology exercise that you can do wherever you are and whenever you have a few spare moments. e.g. while at the school gate waiting for your children, on the train to work, while standing at the checkout in the grocery store, in nature, in the office, at home, anywhere.
SOPHROLOGY WALES 