Over the last 50 years, Europe has benefitted from a highly effective method of focus and relaxation that we’re only beginning to hear about in North America. It’s called sophrology.

With all the powerful benefits, it’s covered by health insurance in France and Switzerland. It’s no wonder world-class athletes, professionals, and expectant mothers are flocking to learn sophrology. Follow us as we explore this fascinating self-development and relaxation method so you can see if you can benefit from it.

What is sophrology, and how does it work?

Sophrology, meaning “the study of conscious harmony,” is a holistic system including physical and mental exercises that promotes health, well-being, relaxation, and alertness.

Founded in the 1960s by professor of psychiatry and neurology, Alfonso Caycedo, sophrology was first created to treat war veterans suffering from PTSD and depression. Caycedo combined techniques from Zen, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhist meditation. He also included hypnosis and relaxation to create a system that allowed participants to release and redirect challenging emotions.

A sophrologist leads each session. There are 12 levels of practice that start very basic and gradually deepen as the practitioner advances. Sessions may include guided focus on the body, visualizations, exercises called dynamic relaxation, and more according to the individual’s needs.

The different levels of sophrology

As said, sophrology has 12 levels of practice, and can be used to improve wellness in many ways. You can try this personal development technique on your own or with a sophrologist. Normally, when working with a sophrologist, they will guide you through the 12 levels of the practice. Here’s what the first four levels and beyond may look like:

Level one.

The idea at this level is to aid with releasing deep tension, enhancing body awareness, and encouraging awareness of the present.

This level is often used to help people dealing with public speaking anxiety. It can help with confidence, becoming grounded, and increasing focus. And it can aid in the betterment of stress-related symptoms.

Level two

When reaching the second level, the goal is to explore the mind and its potential infinite possibilities.

Using creativity, imagination, stillness, and concentration, level two works to prepare the participant for a better future.

It’s said that level two is effective in improving focus and concentration.

Level three

At this point, level three works to create a stronger union between the body and mind. The vision is to become free from limiting beliefs and thought patterns that may be affluent.

And it can help someone enjoy the present moment more. Additionally, instead of dwelling on the past, level three also works to reconstruct the past so we can view it as a reward.

Level four and beyond

Level four is intended to help us discover what values are most important. And as someone progresses through the next levels, the union between the body, mind, and soul is reinforced and developed more through the use of sounds, cell memory, and more.

Different sophrology practices you can do on your own

With so many levels, sophrology can be intimidating and seem too intricate to do on your own. Working through each level may be difficult to do on your own. Still, you can practice specific techniques that sophrology teachers to help improve your life.

Whether you’re looking to improve anxiety or mental health, there are methods you can apply to your life.

You can use it to release tension within your body and create muscular relaxation. Follow these steps:

• Step one: lay down or get into a seated comfortable position.
• Step two: scan your body and find areas where you’re holding tension.
• Step three: focus on letting go of any tightness you may be holding in those areas.
• Step four: tense your entire body by tightening and flexing all your muscles.
• Step five: as you reach an exhale, release the tension you’ve been holding.
• Step six: use a visualization technique to envision all the tension you’ve released leaving your body in the form of a dark cloud.

You can also work to control your breath. Follow these four steps:

• Step one: put both hands on your stomach and follow along as each breath moves through your body.
• Step two: track each breath as it enters and exits your nostrils. Notice your belly rise when you inhale and how it moves backward as you exhale.
• Step three: maintain an equal count of breathing for your inhale and exhale.
• Step four: as time passes, slowly add a count of 1 to the exhale until it’s double the time of the inhale.

The health benefits of sophrology

Sophrology is used by the French rugby team, celebrities, businesses, and students. It’s also practiced in hospitals during childbirth and is part of the Geneva police force training. Such high-profile popularity could only result from tremendous benefits.

Sophrology's most commonly reported effects include more focus, less stress, better sleep, more self-confidence, and greater happiness. But that’s not all; recent studies also demonstrate sophrology’s benefits when applied to healthcare for chronic conditions.

Children with asthma who underwent sophrology sessions alongside standard treatment had improved airflow compared to those who didn’t practice sophrology. Another study at the Institut Curie observed that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced less stress and fear while using sophrology techniques.

Sophrology for better sleep

With such a variety of relaxation techniques, it’s no mystery why sophrology is used to promote better sleep. Overall, sophrology can help with sleep by:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Clearing the mind
• Helping you relax

Some sophrology exercises recommended at bedtime include tensing and releasing muscles, abdominal breathing, and focusing on positive images. Inspired by various traditions, these techniques are physically and mentally relaxing before sleep. If you want to experience what soothing bedtime exercise feels like, you can try SleepMoves in the BetterSleep app.

Is sophrology the new mindfulness or yoga?

While Eastern meditation practices and yoga certainly influence it, sophrology isn’t about reinventing the mindfulness wheel. It addresses sophrology practitioners' specific needs and goals, like improving concentration and calming pre-exam nerves.

As a more comprehensive practice comparatively, sophrology sessions include relaxation, breathing, physical exercises, and visualization. But much like its influences in mindfulness, the purpose of sophrology is for the practitioner to better deal with challenging circumstances in life that are out of one’s control.

With such a holistic, dynamic approach and obvious benefits, there’s no doubt that sophrology will find a place amongst the most popular wellness trends in the world.

Is it any different from meditation and breathwork?

As mentioned, a sophrology session may include breathing and visualization - both popular strategies used with meditation and, of course, breathwork.

Sophrology's core difference between the two methods is that it doesn’t just follow one process.

Instead, sophrology works as a collective practice - combining meditation and other popular wellness practices with modern life stress management techniques often used by clinical psychologists.

Even so, the focus with sophrology is not solely on the mind. It also focuses on the body by using movements and other physical approaches.

Sophrology takes ancient wellness practices of the past meet with the new era’s form of wellness. And what you get is a powerful practice that is used to help students, athletes, and many others with stress management.

It bridges the gap between popular mental practices such as meditation and physical practices like yoga. Thus creating a unique approach to wellness that provides a vast array of benefits that would otherwise be only possible if each practice was done on its own.

Conclusion

Sophrology is a powerful practice you can do with a professional and, to a certain extent - on your own. If you learned anything new or interesting, share this with your social circle, so they can also learn about this incredible practice, its benefits, and how they can do it on their own or with a professional.