By Dominique Antiqlio

Lockdown has been doing some weird things to my body. While people are boasting better night’s sleep, energy levels so high it’s coming out their ears, glowing skin, cleansed auras and perfect handstands, I’m out here having the weirdest dreams of my life, waking up at 5.45am every day (thanks, body clock) and generally drifting from task to task feeling scatterbrained and lacklustre. 

It’s ironic because as someone who regularly teaches yoga, mindfulness and meditation, I find it so natural to help others find a more balanced mind and feel energised and present, but I’m finding it so damn hard to heed my own advice (I guess there’s a lesson in that- nobody’s perfect). 

I was asked if I fancied joining a Sophrology session with an expert in the field, Dominique Antiglio, via Zoom the other day - I had no idea what sophrology meant, my first thought genuinely was “the study of sofas?” If it was, I could get on board with that, as I like to consider myself a professional couch potato…

Sadly, as it turns out, it’s got nothing to do with sofas. But, it’s a really cool method (similar to mindfulness) that can help people feel healthier, calmer, and happier. 

I really enjoyed my first ever sophrology session, and I actually had the best night’s sleep afterwards (I didn’t wake up until 7.30am, which is big for me). So, as I was curious to delve a little deeper into how sophrology actually works, I picked Dominique’s brains about why this new (relatively speaking) mindful practice is so popular. 

How did you first stumble across Sophrology? 

At 15 years old, living in Switzerland, my body showed me the way. I started to feel an intense tiredness, faint for no reason and suffer from all sorts of recurrent infections. I knew something wasn’t right with me,  but my GP couldn’t find a way to help me so sent me to a Sophrologist. Within 5 Sophrology sessions, my body got back to a state of balance, no more fainting, my tiredness and infections cleared. 

Most importantly it set me on a path of awareness, discovering how to be more in the driving seat of my life rather than a passenger, if you will. Along my journey of self-development I have discovered a lot of methods, but Sophrology has always been at the heart of my journey as I find it  grounding, liberating, simple and powerful to help me in all sorts of situations.

In a nutshell, what is Sophrology? 

Sophrology is a modern form of meditation that has been very popular in Continental Europe for the past  40 or so years. Basically, it’s a blend of Western science and Eastern philosophy/practices to help transform the way we feel in our daily lives. 

What it involves is a unique sequence of exercises that combine relaxation, breathing, gentle movement and visualisation that have been designed specifically to help with stress-management and self-development. It is particularly effective in easing anxiety and sleeplessness. The method is organised around 12 gradual levels of practice that promote calm, confidence, resilience, optimism and self-discovery. It is a practice that can be done literally anywhere at anytime - even 10 minutes a day will do the trick! 

How is different to more traditional methods of meditation? 

Sophrology can be tailored to individual needs. People with a specific request for e.g. around preparing for a competition, exams, childbirth or even a change in life like going to live abroad. As I said lots of people start Sophrology in order to better manage stress, sleep or anxiety and then discover there is much more to it and carry on the journey of self-discovery through the 12 levels. 

The best way to see the difference between Sophrology and other practices is to try it and see if it resonates with you more than other mindful practices, but there are a few differences between sophrology and other types of mindfulness. 

Firstly, the method helps people to gradually refine their awareness of the body through concentration, relaxation and movement so that practice after practice people know how to get to a state of relaxed alertness and can use the body to guide them through their self–development journey.In Continental Europe, some professional sportspeople use it to get ready for competitions, so there is also a performance aspect that is very useful in Sophrology to help people feel confident and at their best for important events in their journey. Sophrology is a simple way to make self-development accessible to everyone and promote freedom, responsibility, find our purpose and embody our most precious values. Self-development doesn’t need to be necessarily painful or difficult, and Sophrology really shows this - it is a way to remain conscious and feel empowered while going about our daily lives. 

Is it something that needs to be practiced on a regular basis, or can people just come back to it whenever they need? 

One session or two sessions will be a fantastic way to de-stress and positively connect with yourself. However, like anything in life, the more you practice the deeper the transformation.

If you had to pitch sophrology to a friend or family member who has never tried anything like it, what would you say? 

Would you like to try a simple exercise that can make you instantly more relaxed and empower you anytime, anywhere? 

Would you like to write for us?

We are looking for people to share their stories, practices and passions at justbreatheproject.com. Do you have something to share? It could be a cause you think we should know about, a new way of thinking, a book that helped you through a tough time or perhaps, you have a talent you'd like to share? If you are interested please send a headline and a short intro to submission@justbreatheproject.com

You might like