Sophrology Exercises for Stress Relief
Sophrology is a discipline that was created in the 1960’s by a Columbian neuropsychiatrist named Alfonso Caycedo. Sophrology is about personal development, learning to slow down and relax while concentrating on being. In the special circumstances that we are now facing, sophrology can help us relieve our stress. All the exercises below are simple enough that they can be done with children. You can do all, or a few anytime you feel the need.
“Heart to heart Breathing”:
-Goal: Calm down, slow down, reassurance, comfort
Sit on a chair. Hold your child on your lap, facing you, stomach against stomach, and heart against heart. Close your eyes and breathe together. Concentrate on your lungs expending and shrinking and your heart beats synchronizing with each other. Do this for as long as necessary.
“Hands Throwing”
- Goal: Get rid of negative thoughts
Stand with your feet at shoulders’ width, arms along your body. Breathe freely and shake your hands while lifting your arms above your head. Inhale deeply through your nose, as you exhale throw your hands down in front of you.
Repeat 5 to 10 times then place your arms back along your body and close your eyes, focusing on the sensations in your hands and arms. Focus on your arms and hands as if they were the only parts of your body.
Go back to your center
-Goal: Let your body find its center so that your mind can follow
Stand up straight, feet together. Put your palms together in front of you and lift slowly above your head. Pull on your hands as much as you can so that your whole body is a straight line. Bend slightly to the front then to the back while keeping the soles of your feet firmly on the ground. Only your ankles are moving. Exhale as you lower your joined hands back to your solar plexus and let your arms fall to our side.
Repeat 3 times. This can be done with your eyes closed or with your eyes open and looking at the ground while keeping your head straight. When you are finished stand with your eyes closed, arms along your body for as long as you want.
“Ventilation”
- Goal: free your ribs to breathe better
Stand straight with your feet at shoulders’ width, arms straight in front of you. Keeping your feet still, pivot your upper body to one side and to the other as if you were trying to look behind you. As far as you can go without pushing yourself.
Repeat as many times as you feel necessary.
Free your body from negative feelings
-Goal: Disassociate Body and mind. When your thoughts are taking over and making your body tense
Stand with feet at shoulder’s width, arms along your body. Start shaking your arms in all directions, shake your hips, then your legs, all the time keeping your feet firmly on the ground. Finally move your head from side to side.
Breathe through your mouth.
After a few minutes, stop and concentrate on the sensations in your body. Repeat if necessary.
“Shoulder raising”
-Goal: Free your neck and shoulders from tensions
Standing with your feet at shoulders’ width, inhale as you raise your shoulders as high as you can. As if you wanted to cover your ears with your shoulders. Hold your breath. Exhale strongly as you suddenly drop your shoulders back to their normal position.
Repeat 3 times or as many times as needed
