Hi, my name is Sophrology, Amazing Sophrology

Some of you may have heard about it, some probably have no idea what Sophrology is. So, I decided to make an introduction and let you know about this amazing relaxation technique that I practice and teach since 2011.

Back in 2011 it was almost 20 years that I was on the personal development path when I started thinking it may be time for me to start spreading the knowledge and experience I have gained so far and continue gaining each year.

A year before that, I had my last contract ending with a multinational company I was working for and went through a burn-out (I found out about it during my training to become Master Practitioner in Sophrology). I went through a lot of questioning about my life, my career, my future, my purpose in life and my values.

What came up, as I said before, was that I need to be of service to my community and the world with what is my true passion.

Then, I figured I don’t have a significant degree in anything I was learning and practicing up until that moment and decided to find something I would love teaching and practicing, get a degree/certification and start building from there.

Soon after, I « accidentally » stumbled across a TV show talking about Sophrology and how it can be an alternative and a complementary method for hyper active children, instead of only medicating them all the time. As I fervently oppose to any kind of unnecessary medication, especially for children, and as I believed that medicating these hyper active children is definitely not the solution, this got my attention immediately. I decided I need to explore more.

I then found out that one of my acquaintances was already enrolled in a school preparing people to become Sophrology Practitioners, and after assuring me that it is a serious school, I took contact with it and enrolled it as soon as I could.

And, my journey with Sophrology started.

Ever since, this wonderful and useful practice never ceases to amaze and surprise me. It’s been 7 years now that our relationship lasts and grows, and I hope we will stay together till death do us part.

So, what is Sophrology and why I cannot stop praising it?

Sophrology is a relaxation technique that is exploring, modifying and improving the Human Consciousness through light sitting and standing exercises and energetic auto-massage (dynamic introspection or energetic toilet) practice.

It can be done individually, as well as in a group.

Sophrology have and acts on 5 levels: physical, emotional, intuition, intellectual and transcendent.

Let me explain the 5 levels separately:

1. Physical/Corporal Level – During the first level, we make a lasting contact with our body, we become more aware of our body, and we learn to decipher more clearly the signals our body is sending us all the time. We also learn how to be in the present moment, focused and concentrated on what we are doing at the moment, to ground ourselves, manage our stress and relax. In other words, this level will enable us to feel good in our body;

2. Emotional Level – The second level, as its name suggests, enables us to work on our emotions and better manage our emotions in the first place. After being well anchored in the present moment (which is 10 to 20 sessions into the first level), we are now ready to project ourselves into the future, make plans, overcome obstacles (exams, competition, fear of airplanes or any other phobias we might have, giving birth, moving, separation, grief, etc.). As a result, we start feeling much better and be more at ease with any of the emotions from the spectrum arising at any given moment;

3. Intuitive Level – The third level will enable us to work on our intuition, memory, and creativity. After mastering the first two levels and feeling calm, relaxed and psychologically strong and confident enough about our present and our future, only can we look back into our past, knowing that we can now have and position ourselves at a healthy distance from past hurtful events, situations and people, examine them from a different perspective and see them for what they truly are, past events that no longer have power over us and our life;

4. Rational/Intellectual Level – At this level, we are able to make connection between present, future and past. Our intellect has been involved in the practice since the first session, so it has all of the elements to be able to help us identify and emphasize the relevant discoveries throughout our Sophrology practice so far;

5. Transcendental Level – the 5th and final level of the Sophrology practice enables us to go beyond and surpass ourselves, by sensing, seeing, feeling, knowing we have dormant potential within that we were not aware of until that moment. Since now we have the tranquillity of mind and body and spirit, the confidence, the courage and the energy to work with those dormant potentials within, we are able to use and utilize them to advance in our life, grow further and change our destiny.

Therefore, the Sophrology spectrum is very large: from relaxation, through better management of your stress and emotions, to better facing of life's challenges, such as: exams, competitions, any kind of grief, anxiety, depression, insomnia, divorce/separation, public speaking and any kind of public appearances, preparation for giving birth, etc.

It can be practised at any age from 5 to 125 (by always respecting our limits, without judgment and by doing what's good for us at the moment of the practice).

At the end of the session, a time for sharing is proposed, if the apprentices wish to participate.

It is also recommended that you keep a journal of your sessions, so that you can easily memorize the exercises that will enable you to become autonomous in your practice very soon, but also to keep track of your progress at the same time.

Autonomy is one of the goals of the Sophrology practice, harmonizing the body, spirit and mind is the final goal.

Sophrology will help you focus, improve your memory, gain and improve your self-confidence, concentrate, better manage your stress levels, improve and make an ally of your intuition, have clearer and better vision of yourself, others, your life and your path and purpose, overcome obstacles (exams, divorce, moving, competition, etc.), it helps with insomnia and with many other difficulties you might have or meet in your life at this moment.

It will bring you to the present moment and help you see the world from a better perspective, as we always look for the positive first in our Sophrology practice.

Personally, it has helped me to be more calm, focused, organised, better manage my stress and emotions, better use my creativity, stop procrastinating and become a lot less judgmental and critical toward myself and others, deal with burn-out and anxiety, as well as depression, take a healthy distance from past events, gain more self-confidence and become more assertive and courageous in setting clear and healthy boundaries with people, situations, even with myself.

As for my apprentices, it has helped them with dealing with burn-out, anxiety, stress and emotions management, dealing with fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, trauma, divorce, separation, grieving, overcoming other obstacles such as exams, giving birth, competition, public appearances, and many more.

Nowadays, doctors, psychologists, and even psychiatrists recommend Sophrology for all of the problems I mentioned above, and many more. Of course, those who know about it.

I have made it my purpose, my goal and my mission to spread the word about this amazing technique, because I trust it with all of my heart, because it has and it is helping me every day, and because it helps other people as well. Also, because it truly is an alternative and an additional method to all kinds of medication, and many other healing modalities and therapies.

Sophrology is not a therapy, it is a relaxation technique. And, we do not work with clients, but apprentices.

It has been created in 1960 and developed in the 60’s and 70’s by a Columbian neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Alfonso Caycedo. He trained in Spain to become a doctor, and it is there that he developed Sophrology, along with some of his close collaborators. Sophrology is nowadays mostly known in the Francophone world (France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada), also in Spain and Andorra, but it is more and more spreading around the world as well.

Feel free to explore more about this amazing relaxation technique and see if it resonates with you and if it is something you wish to continue practicing, and why not even teaching it.

If you have questions, comments about it or experience with it, please feel free to let me know in the comments section. I will respond to all of them gladly.

Love, Light and Blessings to Your Hearts, Minds and Souls!

Namaste,

Lepa