Move over mindfulness
A popular wellbeing technique that mixes meditation with movement promises to boost health and calm the mind. FLORENCE PAROT explains how to try sophrology in your own home MONDAY
The Puppet Takes: Five minutes In this exercise, you jump up and down gently like a puppet with no strings. If you have problems with your knees or back, try bobbing up and down with your feet firmly on the floor. ●Stand with your eyes closed and perform a body scan (see box). ●Jump gently up and down, moving your body and arms in a relaxed way. Breathe naturally. ●As you finish, take a few minutes to listen to how you’re feeling. Forearm Lift Takes: Five minutes You can do this exercise sitting down if standing is difficult. ●Stand with your eyes closed and perform a body scan. ●Keeping the upper half of your arms by your sides, breathe in and lift your hands to your shoulders, then breathe out and let them go back down again. ●Imagine you are breathing out stress and tension and breathing in peace, energy and calmness. Walking on the spot Takes: Five minutes This exercise mimics walking. ●Stand with your eyes closed and perform a body scan. ●Slowly and gently start walking on the spot, noticing how your feet and legs move and the contact between your feet and the floor. ●Increase the speed for a short while, then slow down again. Notice how you feel. The Cushion With this exercise, you use a cushion to symbolically get rid of something. If you want, you can go for it and throw the cushion with full force. ●Standing with your eyes closed and holding a cushion, perform the body scan. ●Imagine all your negative emotions are in the cushion. These may include anger. Breathe in deeply, breathe out loudly and throw All sophrology exercises start with a relaxing body scan, where you move your awareness around your body. ●Close your eyes and try to feel your whole body. Then, focus on your head and face. Imagine calmness settling in. Unclench your jaw and allow your mind to become quiet. If your mind wanders off, gently remind it to focus on the cushion on the floor. ●Do this three times, then listen to how you are feeling. Visualisation: Colour Nature Takes: 20 minutes ●Sit down, close your eyes and perform a body scan. what you’re doing. ●Move your attention to your throat and neck, imagine your muscles unknotting and your throat relaxing. Relax your shoulders. Focus on your arms, all the way to the tips of your fingers. ●Bring awareness to your Imagine yourself in a poppy field with a red sun on the horizon. Bathe in the red light and absorb its energy. ●Imagine walking past an orange grove. Breathe in the colour. ●Enjoy the sun’s golden yellow light as you walk through a field of sunflowers. chest and upper back, breathing gently. Focus on your abdomen, imagining all the organs working in harmony. Move to your legs and hips, sense how your legs and feet are placed. ●Bring yourself slowly back into the room by becoming gradually more aware of the environment around you. Gently move and stretch. Breathe in the colour. ●You have reached a green forest. Let yourself be immersed in the green colour. ●Follow a path to the sea, which is a deep blue colour. Imagine swimming in the sea, surrounded by blue. ●Night comes in and the sky is deep indigo, full of stars. As dawn breaks, the sun shines on a field of lilac flowers. ●Imagine you are breathing in the energy of all these colours. Let go of the colours and notice how you feel. ●Extracted by MERNIE GILMORE from The Sophrology Method by Florence Parot (£12.99, Octopus) To order a copy call 01872 562 310, or visit expressbookshop.co.uk