29 Mar 2012

SOPHROLOGY AND I

Jenny Matlock
more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday



I like my yoga classes, because I do soft gymnastic and that keeps my muscles and the whole body fit. Our teacher had the good (?) idea to also introduce us to Sophrology. The official explanation of this thing is :

Sophrology is both a science which studies the human consciousness and techniques and methods using body mediation.It aims to reinforce the balance between our emotions, our thoughts and our behavior, to find our inner-resources and to improve their quality of life.
(if you want to know more just ask Wikipedia)

Curious from nature I was ready to try out the exercise. He put a CD player in the middle of the room, told us to lay down on our mats, close our eyes, relax and do what the voice told us. I did lay down and tried to relax and listened to the waves of the ocean coming out of the CD player. Suddenly a very honey soft voice told us to take consciousness of our whole body. I did and stated that my back ached. Then she told us to breath deeply and start relaxation from our face on til the toes. When I arrived relaxed at my toes, I suddenly thought that I have to go to the pedicurist, because my toe nails became too long. Quickly the voice made me come down on my mat for relaxation and breath with my toes. I tried but it didn't work, my lungs wanted to breath and my toes refused. Before suffocating, I quickly used my lungs again. My neighbor got a caughing attack.

The waves continued and the sweet voice told us to take conscience now of all parts of our legs and relax each muscle up til our waist. My back ached more. When finally we came to the chest and had to breath in with the chest and out with the belly, one jumped up, because she had got a cramp. This mixed my breathing up and I didn't know anymore with what I was breathing, but the waves made me think of laying at the beach, and I just started to dream about holidays, when besides me a man started to snore. We tried not to laugh but you could hear some giggles between the waves, the soft voice, and the breathings.

Finally the voice talked about our faces, to smooth all muscles and wrinkles (which didn't work with me, my wrinkles are still there) and then the whole session was over. We all sat up with more or less back aches, and only two of the whole group (we were 11) found this nice and efficient, all the others complained that the mats were too hard !

The result for me was I am not made for this, it made me rather stressed and I always had the wish to laugh, I couldn't keep my eyes closed because I found it more funny to watch the others in their breathing efforts.



And for my back it wasn't ideal either because I felt like the princess in the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea This was my first (and last) experience with Sophrology !







15 comments:

  1. I've never heard of sophrology, but I did try to meditate one. The teacher said imagine walking through a beautiful stream with a tame animal by your side. I thought of my two cats looking all wet and bedraggled. I wanted to laugh and never went back.

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  2. LOL what an experience day!
    Thanks for light my mind about it, I didn't have idea about this theme.
    I think the cats are so right!And I'm always very relaxed with Luna taking a peaceful nap by my side, or my lap while I'm reading or even blogging!
    hugs
    Léia

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  3. Oh I love that bed. lol
    I think I would be the snoring person. Totally relaxed.
    Don't have to go far with me. lol
    xoxoxo

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  4. I tried to do this in a class and kepts having my mind wander!

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  5. I love yoga and enjoy the meditation at the end, but usually fall asleep!

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  6. Gattina I laughed out loud all through this post -- even before the cartoons. I never heard of sophology, but have had yoga and relaxation classes that ended with this sort of exercise and had all those experiences (including the snoring neighbor) -- too funny. The total body relaxing stuff (head to toes releasing all tension....)works pretty well in bed though when you can't get to sleep. (Just using my own inner voice, not a tape or anything.)

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  7. I'm with you. I'd be thinking about a pedicure or some other inconsequential (and I'm certain inappropriate to yoga-tistas) thought... great post.

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  8. I doubt i would have been able to hold back my giggles if someone next to me started to snore :)

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  9. This is so good for us! Amazingly hard at first, depending on your teacher....but it's so worth the time invested if a person sticks with it! My daughter started the push for all of us!

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  10. It sounds like a very expensive word for 'sleep'! Which I do every night and I don't need a cd to make me do it either!!

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  11. LOL re the cats' take on it!!

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  12. I've never heard this term before, but I have done those kinds of relaxation and meditations.

    I got an answer about the problem commenting on my blog. Wordpress made changes so that it wants you to log in to your Wordpress or Gravitar account. (I'm not a fan of this change.) If you use a different e-mail address, you shouldn't have this problem. Also, I changed it so you don't have to use an e-mail address.

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  13. I love the cartoons!
    What an experience!
    very funny in the telling! not so fun while it was happening.

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  14. You gave me a good chuckle...

    Note to Self: Never try Sophrology!

    Silly post!

    Thanks for Sharing it with us for the letter "S"!

    A+

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