Sophrology is a structured method created to produce optimal health and well-being. It consists of a series of easy to do physical and mental exercises that, when practised regularly, lead to a healthy, relaxed body and a calm, alert mind. The exercises are called dynamic relaxation (relaxation in movement).
The first things people generally notice are: more restful sleep, improved concentration, fewer worries, increased self-confidence, and a feeling of inner happiness. The most common remark after a few days of training is along the lines of:
'In general nothing has really outwardly changed in my life,
but I am happier, things seem easier, I have more energy
and I wake up feeling glad to be alive.'
Statistics
Athletes coached by Dr Raymond Abrezol between 1964 and 2004 have won over 200 Olympic medals. Abrezol is currently the head trainer of french and german speaking Sophrologists in Switzerland and is now participating in the first training seminars for English speaking Sophrologists in the world.
Over 300,000 members of the public have followed courses of Sophrology in french speaking Switzerland over the last 25 years. Over 3,000 medical, social and pedagogical professionals have followed the trainer trainings. The figures in France are much higher as there are several well-known Sophrology schools.
Statistics from Group Mutuel (one of the largest health insurance firms in Switzerland) drawn up in 1994, 1995 and 1996, show that clients pertaining to the Association of Sophroprophylaxia (i.e. people regularly practicing Sophrology) cost the insurance company, respectively approx. 34.8%, 35.07% and 25.68% less than the average insured person.
A Brief History
Professor Caycedo was born in Columbia in 1932 and practiced medicine at the University of Madrid, before working under the phenomenologist Herr Binswanger in Switzerland.
Caycedo originally set out to find a way of healing depressed and traumatised clients by leading them to health and happiness with the least possible use of drugs and psychiatric treatments. He journeyed extensively to study the Eastern philosophies of Yoga, Zen and Buddhism, each time viewing them within a western scientific framework. Each discipline, theory and philosophy was approached with the intention of discovering what, exactly, improved people's health, both physically and mentally, in the fastest possible time and with lasting results.
On his return Professor Caycedo designed a method of healing, creating a 12 level training programme from both eastern and western philosophies that took into account our modern way of life - with its speed, stress and problems. The training is divided into 3 cycles – the reduction cycle, the radical cycle and the existential cycle. Professor Alfonso Caycedo named his method 'Sophrology' in 1960 and called it ‘a training of the consciousness and the values of existence,’ or ‘Health & Happiness Training’. Now, after 45 years of research, fine tuning and experimentation, he has extensive evidence of the effectiveness of the Sophrology method.
Sophrology was initially firmly within the field of psychiatry and medecine until Dr Raymond Abrezol discovered its unique benefits, and brought it to the attention of the healthy public. After practising Sophrology for a short while, Dr Abrezol began to observe a noticeable improvement in his tennis game. As an experiment, he introduced his opponents to the method, and they began to see their tennis vastly improve. He was consequently invited to coach the Swiss ski team and other Olympic athletes.
The rapid growth of Sophrology throughout the French-speaking world can largely be attributed to Dr Abrezol running trainer training programmes for a large number of influential doctors and sports coaches, many of whom now run Training Centres throughout France. His enthusiasm and his success with athletes opened doors for Sophrology to be taught in many areas of life.
There are now many sophrology schools in the french speaking countries and also many adaptations of the original Caycedian Sophrology, you will find La Sophrology Dynamique, la Sophrologie Médical, La Sophrology Gynacologique, La sophrologie sportive, all of them came from the same roots, are all based on phenomenology and have been developed according to the knowledge and experience of the Sophrologist.
Energy Centre, run by Dorna Wilson Revie is now the first officially recognised school in the world to offer Professional Sophrology Practitioner Diploma Courses in english. The Sophrology taught at Energy Centre is now called Sophro-ki to reflect its integration of NLP work, Coaching, Tao energy work, shamanic intution work and other energy medicine techniques, thus enriching and broadening the scope of applications of the orginal Sophrology.
Benefits
Sophrology assists each person to rediscover their self-confidence and hidden potential. Group classes bring improvements in communications and inter-personal relations. Students have a stronger resistance to stressful situations, whether mental or physical. Since they have many more choices of how to act and react, it is easier to break out of old habitual patterns into more successful ways of operating.
The most important part is regular practice until the benefits of the Sophrology Training become part of everyday life. Learn more about the 3 different cycles and 12 different levels.
If you would like to know about Sophrology training courses please click here.
