The rise of Sophrology

Sophrology is a form of dynamic meditation that has been popular across Europe for many years, particularly in Switzerland, France and Belgium.

Dominique Antiglio, Sophrologist at BeSophro clinics and author of best-selling book The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology, was instrumental in sharing the concept with the British public to help support mental health, anxiety, fear, stress and sleep issues.

Antiglio offers online courses and during lockdown has been hosting a regular series of free guided Sophrology sessions on Instagram Live.

She has also introduced online courses and webinars that allow participants to explore a particular area, for example, a 15-day online course like Relax, Reset and Overcome Stress.

“Practised regularly, it improves the quality of your sleep, increases energy levels and focus, helps you let go of anxieties, and teaches you to enjoy the present moment,” Antiglio explains.

The technique was founded in the 1960s in Spain by Professor Alfonso Caycedo, a psychiatrist and neurologist looking for ways to treat war veteran patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Having spent years researching eastern philosophies and western science, Caycedo fused the two together with the goal of stimulating and rewiring our brains to induce deeply relaxing alpha brainwaves.

Sophrology can be practiced lying down, sitting, standing up and even whilst moving, and combines breathwork, meditation, visualisation exercises and light body movement to engage both the mind and body.

These techniques help to bring people into the present moment, to better manage the daily pressures of modern life.

The dynamic meditation has been adopted by elite athletes to create a sense of calm and sharp focus before events and is used by the Swiss Olympic ski team and French national rugby team to aid focus and boost performance.