How lack of confidence can affect your life
Not having the confidence to confront issues at work or with your family can have a negative effect on your health and well-being. We don’t want to dwell on the negative, but these are some factors that we need to consider when we don’t feel confident in our lives:
- we may not ask for what we want (a job promotion, a pay rise, a new relationship, divorce)
- we don’t use our inner resources and don’t achieve our true potential
- we don’t perform well at major events (job interviews, important speeches and presentations, exams)
- as mothers we don’t feel prepared for or fear giving birth
- as parents we feel daunted by the responsibilities
- we might not be able to deal with our emotions
- we might feel insecure about our body image
We want to be in the driving seat in our lives and to do so we need to block out the noise of the outside world and reconnect with our selves, with our own centre.
To reach our goals or dreams we need to define what we want out of life.
What is Sophrology and how it can help to build confidence
Sophrology was created by neuro-psychiatrist Professor Alfonso Caycedo in Madrid in 1960. Professor Caycedo wanted to help psychiatric patients with other forms of therapies to improve their quality of life. The foundation of Sophrology lies in his studies of consciousness and how to achieve more balance. Sophrology uses different tools from visualisation, body awareness exercises to breathing to reach a sense of well-being.
Professor Caycedo studied yoga, meditation and Japanese Zen as well as relaxation techniques, phenomenology and psychology. Some of these principles are an integral part of the 12 levels of Sophrology also called Caycedian Dynamic Relaxation. Sophrology aims to develop your consciousness and your inner resources while helping you create more inner strength and abilities. For more information on Sophrology, click here.
Let’s look at how Sophrology works to help build your confidence.
Learn to be in the driving seat
When you lack in confidence you lose your inner centre when facing challenging situations; in other words, you tend to give too much importance to what other people think, how they react, how they judge you. The outside world overtakes your inner world and you may end up feeling overwhelmed. However, these are feelings and our interpretations of events; we might create worst-case scenarios in our heads and lose a sense of perspective.
Sophrology allows you to be more present within yourself and through repetition of your Sophrology practice, you can become more aware of your body, and feel more in control of your reactions to events and perceptions. A regular Sophrology practice can help you drown out the noise and understand which thoughts belong to you and which thoughts belong to others; you learn to take responsibility for your thoughts and actions while learning to deal with stress.
Transform fear into motivation
Fear can stop us from being truly happy. It is a strong emotion, so why not harness its energy to create a positive challenge within ourselves? We can learn to grow our awareness and presence and learn to dare more. It all starts with acting as you are confident. You can dare to fail and you can dare to learn.
With Sophrology you can prepare for specific events using powerful visualisations, allowing the brain to envisage a positive outcome. Dare to open up to more opportunities in your future.
Learn through the body
There is a famous TED Talk by Amy Cuddy about the mind/body connection called “Your body language shapes who you are”, click here to watch the video.
If you change your posture for two minutes, it can really change how your life can unfold.
We are influenced by our non-verbal physical communication with ourselves: our emotions and feelings, as well as our posture, can have an effect on us. By changing our posture for only two minutes we can potentially lower our stress levels (by lowering our stress hormones).
In the talk, Amy shares an invaluable insight: power is how you react to stress. Powerful people are not only more driven, but they are also more able to deal with stressful situations.
Confidence is not only in the mind but also in developing better body awareness. The mind affects the body and vice versa.
Using Sophrology exercises, and notably, through our breath, we can learn to identify what causes stress in the body and deal with it.
Through a regular Sophrology practice we can program the body to access its inner resources so that we are prepared when we confront a specific situation or event. We also learn to accept the body as it is.
Accept what is: non-judgement
Over time we may become stuck with our old beliefs and inherited behaviours.
The way to move forward from there is to start from the here and now. Through breathing and dynamic relaxation exercises, we learn to focus on the present and drown our inner critical voice.
Be in the moment
Being in the moment is about presence, creating balance in mind, body and emotions. We tend to live too much in our heads, imagining situations, fearing events, being concerned by what other people say.
Learning to be more present in our bodies, listening to it and connecting with it allows us to shed the remnants of our past that may slow us down or limit us.
Knowing yourself and working on your values will ultimately create a sense of inner confidence because once you become aware of your core values it will become easier to make a decision.
This is how Sophrology can help you. It is a structured and practical approach to self-development. The exercises are simple and deep. Sophrology is for everyone, no matter your age, physical capacities or background.
At BeSophro we offer both individual and group classes to help you raise your confidence
Individual sessions:
- ideal to address specific issues and prepare for important events (job interview, birth)
- you can gain lasting benefits from attending 5 sessions with a daily 10-15 minutes self-practice
- you get a recording of each session so you can practice anywhere, in your own time
What clients say:
“I thought I knew my body, my mind, and my breathing but after just one session of Sophrology with Dominique, I was able to connect with them like never before. The session brought me a sense of connectedness to the here and now; calm and peacefulness descended over me. Dominique has a wonderful way of describing simply and clearly what to do and what is happening at all stages of her guided sessions.”
“I was surprised to feel the benefits so soon and so clearly: less stress, much more energy and generally more well-being.”
Group sessions:
- offer a friendly and supportive environment
- classes are very practical so you gain access to dynamic relaxation tools and techniques straight away
What clients say:
“The techniques are very easy to learn and very effective and some of them can be utilised anywhere. Dominique is a very good teacher and her calm demeanour and clear explanations made a really interesting and relaxing class.”
“Using Dominique’s gentle breathing and relaxation techniques, I found myself able to relax more easily and rapidly, as well as enjoying improved sleep patterns. Sophrology helps to achieve harmony for the body, mind and soul and Dominique’s gentle manner and genuine interest in her clients makes her classes very enjoyable.”
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, just click here.
