LEADING ON FROM my discovery of Sophrology, I spoke to Dominique Antiglio, a leading Practitioner in the UK and bestselling Author, to ask her how Sophrology can help you to age well.
Me: What has Sophrology got to do with ageing well?
DA: If we think about ageing and Sophrology, and how Sophrology can help, Sophrology is a mental wellbeing practice so it can support us through the challenges that ageing can bring.
Me: As we age, we can lose confidence in ourselves – do you relate to this?
DA: Yes, I think as we age new questions can arise about: Who I am, where am I going, am I still able to do this, am I able to take on this new challenge? When we need that confidence boost in order to prepare for a new event – for example, an interview, for the wedding of your child, for anything that is challenging, Sophrology is a wonderful method to prepare ahead of an event and feel empowered and confident on the day. Combining body awareness and visualisation within a relaxed state, it prepares the brain and the person’s consciousness to perform on the day. A bit like a sports person would prepare for a competition but instead just for the daily things in life.
Me: We all have a tendency to be self-conscious, especially in these times of instant images on ‘Insta-Book’, and I don’t believe this changes with age – do you?
DA: I think body image and self-esteem are extremely important, and as we age we can see our body changing and we start to be extremely judgemental about our image in the mirror, which can also have an effect on our self-esteem. I think the practice of Sophrology and the fact that we are learning to connect with how the body feels and establish a connection with ourselves beyond what we see in the mirror creates a positive perspective on ourselves and help us shift our value system. The practice is very liberating because suddenly we can exist, not only through the way we see ourselves in the mirror but we can start to cultivate the positive aspect of how we look but also how we feel, what we value in life, and become more centred and more whole.
Me: And what about the deterioration of our brain power?!
DA: Sophrology also helps with focus and productivity. I think training the mind is essential as we age. Training the memory, training all the cognitive functions, in order to remain productive, sharp and feel empowered in our minds. The process of emptying your mind of unnecessary thoughts and learning not to over-think everything in your life, is also a really important aspect of ageing well. We can decided to remain centred and connected to the things that really matter. Being able to control the mind a bit more, having the concentration and productivity is the goal. Our training certainly requires concentration, which is why we start with 5 minutes a day and build up to 10, etc.
Me: Obviously you are still young, with a young family, but how do you see Sophrology helping you in the future?
DA: Sophrology has helped me since I was 15 years old and has accompanied me through all the important steps in my life. I hope it will continue to give me the sense of self, the clarity about who I am, and to cultivate what is important to me in my life. As we age our perspective on life, through our experiences, changes. Often our value system also evolves so we can’t live with the same value or priorities when we are 20 or 60. The deeper practice of Sophrology – when you do it for a while and you journey through the 12 progressive steps and levels of Sophrology – gives you very unique insight into who you are, what you stand for, who you naturally connect with and can reveal to you your purpose and what is important to you. I think if you know who you, you are very likely to age well because you can focus on the things that you love and the things that really resonate for you, rather than conforming to what society perhaps wants for you, or what your family wants for you, and I think that is the path to freedom.
Ann Fitz
The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology: A practical guide to reducing stress and living up to your full potential by Dominique Antiglio
