Sophrology Living in harmony
Are you looking for a way to sharpen your mental focus, relax your body and improve your running performance? Sophrology could be the answer
Words Claire Chamberlain
While mindfulness is a household term nowadays, you would be forgiven for not having heard of the practice of sophrology. However, its popularity is on the rise throughout Europe, and in France and Spain it is commonly off ered to help relieve stress and improve mental clarity. But what exactly is it? “Sophrology is a wellbeing and self-development guided practice – an evolution of meditation and mindfulness – that blends Eastern philosophies and Western science to tap into your resilience and strength, so you can deal with life’s challenges more eff ectively”, explains Dominique Antiglio, sophrologist, founder of BeSophro and author of Th e Life- Changing Power of Sophrology.
Origins
A form of dynamic (moving) meditation, sophrology originated in Spain in the 1960s, developed by Professor Alfonso Caycedo. A doctor and surgeon specialising in psychiatry and neurology, he was interested in developing gentle and therapeutic ways of improving people’s daily lives. Aft er travelling through Asia and immersing himself in yoga, Japanese Zen and Tibetan Buddhist meditation, he came to create sophrology – a series of easy-to-perform physical and mental exercises that can help lead to a calm, alert mind and relaxed body.