Sophrology, meditation used to treat depression and PTSD, with breathing exercises based on yoga and Buddhism, can help you switch off and relax
- Almost unknown in Asia, sophrology employs a simple sequence of exercises to connect with your body and mind to achieve relaxation and well-being
- We’re wired to find peace within ourselves but society has lost that path, says a practitioner. Sophrology ‘guides you very gently towards this path again’
In times of heightened anxiety, meditation can help quieten frazzled minds. But what if you constantly struggle to switch off? Well, there is a meditation method for that, too.
It’s called “sophrology”, and it has been around for decades. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone: despite being widely practised in France, Switzerland and increasingly in the UK, the practice remains relatively unknown in Asia. So what is it?
“Sophrology is a modern form of meditation,” explains Swiss sophrologist Dominique Antiglio, founder of the London clinic BeSophro, and author of the book The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology. “It uniquely blends relaxation, breathing, visualisation and gentle movement.
“You are guided through a simple sequence of exercises that you do to connect with yourself, connect with your body, connect with your mind …” The goal? To “find within yourself the positive resources to deal with daily life.”
Colombian-born neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo founded sophrology, “the study of consciousness in harmony”, at the University of Madrid in 1960, after trips through India, Tibet and other parts of China to learn the foundations of yoga, meditation and Buddhism.