It’s Friday, the second week of lockdown. another During a sleepless night, I faced my first wall of quarantine life. I was near tears of panic as I typed at my desk (the kitchen table of my crowded shared house), wondering when I would ever settle into the same cheerful, productive work-from-home routine that my colleagues were enjoying on Instagram.
My friend has started painting! Everyone I know is running 5km! I Even though there is still so much to be grateful for in the current situation, I am struggling to adjust. My housemate had a loud house party call over the weekend, but I just didn’t seem to have the energy, so I stayed in bed. Tiger King I was ignoring WhatsApp, I was exercising and eating well but my sleep was erratic and I felt like I had lost “control” of my life during lockdown, which made me feel increasingly claustrophobic and anxious. Then finally, on a Sunday evening, a lightbulb went on in my head and I remembered Sophrology.
A while ago I had a one-on-one session with sophrologist and author Dominique Antilio at the BeSophro clinic in London, and she introduced me to a wellness practice I’d never heard of before (pretty impressive for a millennial like me who’s constantly bombarded by wellness fanatics on IG). She introduced me to sophrology, a type of “dynamic meditation” that combines breathing techniques, movement, visualization, and grounding.
If you’re thinking this is some Gwyneth Paltrow Goop-ish story, bear with me. It’s basically, dislike meditation. And I definitely fall into that category. Sitting still in silence fills me with a buzzing, anxious energy that makes me want to jump.
But Dominique explains why it’s so important to make time for these calm moments in your daily life, especially now: “One of the best ways to overcome coronavirus-related stress is to make an effort to stay in the present moment. The reason is that so much of this stress is centered around the unknown and uncertainty. Once your mind is seized by these fears, thoughts can escalate quickly and cause unnecessary stress.”
So what exactly is dynamic meditation? Dynamic meditation combines the usual meditation of thinking (sitting still and breathing deeply) with gentle movement and visualization techniques, without having to sit cross-legged the whole time. For example, you could place your fingertips on a specific part of your body (such as your throat) while breathing deeply, focusing on relaxing that area. Or you could move your arms quickly to create “tension” in your body, then breathe out forcefully when you stop moving to release the stress. Your “routine” won’t be the same every time, so it stays fresh.
Of course, coronavirus has affected everyone differently, and people’s anxieties, finances, and free time vary widely. But this is one wellness technique that doesn’t require hours of your time or draining your account if you don’t want to. It can take just 5 or 15 minutes to get started, and there are free online resources to access.
Sophrology in Practice
In my session with Dominique, she spent 30 minutes asking me questions about my lifestyle, my stress levels and triggers, and how I look after myself. It was like a mini therapy session as we discussed it all in her cozy office in Mayfair. Afterwards, she recorded a 13-minute introductory session with me that I could download at home to practice every day.
In my session, we did some gentle breathing exercises, like taking deep breaths while placing my fingertips on my throat, chest, and stomach. The most intense exercise involved me standing up, taking a deep breath, holding my breath, and then moving my arms up and down quickly to “build tension.” It felt silly, but as I exhaled and stopped moving my arms, I felt all the tension from the day just leave my body. I felt like I was on a cloud, cuddling a puppy while Harry Styles sang me a lullaby the whole time. it is How relaxing it was.
To help me maintain the stillness even longer, I was asked to visualize a pleasant outdoor setting for a few minutes. I visualized a river in my parents’ hometown, with lots of trees and birds and the sound of calming water. I was nearly drooling when I regained consciousness. It took all my strength to come back to reality, thank Dominic for the session, and catch the subway home.
I hate to say it, but back then (this first session was before the coronavirus pandemic) I didn’t keep up my home practice for very long. It was only 13 minutes a day, but in those pre-lockdown days I was always enthusiastic. busy, Most of this is of my own making: if I wasn’t working late, I was running around town having beers with friends, rushing to press events after hours, going on questionable Hinge dates, and occasionally working out (no point in whining, right?).
I am really enjoying all of this, but just typing this makes me feel exhausted. I have always been on a treadmill of activity. 13 minutes of free time per day I want to do something nice for myself. course I only had 13 minutes. Now I understand. I’ll be honest: I just didn’t want to stop and sit still. It wasn’t until I was isolated that I realized how much of a whiplash I had from activity, and how my body was desperately trying to slow down and relax in a big way.
Rethinking Sophrology
So, on the second weekend of lockdown, I dug out the audio recordings and did a cozy session in bed. And when I finished it, the frustrations of the week felt like they had vanished. Like they were far away. I was already taking care of myself in other ways, like breathing fresh air and cooking delicious food. But this act of slowing down and taking time for my mental health felt like something I’d been missing.
For me, the trick was to move during my sophrology practice, so I wasn’t just sitting there like a statue and feeling restless. I slept well that night and woke up feeling mentally more present, which was a huge win.
I can’t sit still in traditional meditation, something Why not try a session to help you move beyond the anxious state you are in. Now more than ever, it’s important to be kind to yourself and cherish every moment of calm you can.
You can try BeSophro’s free Instagram Live sessions at @BeSophroLondon or, if you want to commit to it more regularly, try the 15-day BeSophro Relax, Reset and Beat Stress course (£40).
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Maddie Alford is the Fashion Editor for Cosmopolitan UK and Women’s Health UK, responsible for fashion content across online and print publications. Maddie specializes in shopping galleries and first-person reviews of the best fashion buys, from jeans and jewellery to wedding dresses, gym wear and winter coats. She also writes editorials on pop culture, viral fashion, travel journalism, fitness and the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and style. Maddie is also a fashion stylist and has worked on over 100 shoots for Hearst, including photoshoots featuring Rae, Niall Horan and Lena Dunham. Previously, Maddie worked in fashion PR and e-commerce, including stints at ELLE US and UK, Net-a-Porter, InStyle and Time Out New York. After graduating with a BA in Journalism, Maddie has 10 years of experience in the fashion industry in both London and New York City. She is passionate about second-hand shopping, inclusive fashion, running on Regent’s Canal and finding the coziest pubs in London.
