Have you ever been stressed? I’m sure not! You are future or passionate naturopaths, always an herbal tea in your hand or a meditation exercise in mind. All that happens to you is divine will and you accept it with love. You grow from each experience and inspire everyone around you like a guide with a long beard and all dressed in white (linen).
Or, you are like me and you make mistakes, you yell at children, you sometimes want to cry. In short, stress takes over and you no longer know who (or what complement) you are turning to.
Never mind!
Sophrology is an Acquired Taste
Like all meditation methods, you have to wait a bit before mastering it properly. The first thing is to really want to be less stressed. Then, it is to learn in concrete how one manages to breathe (because in fact that is it, sophrology). Then then it’s to accept that we will not transform into a buddha overnight because like everything, relaxation therapy takes time.
I speak as if I were an expert but I am like you, in discovery mode. We are inspired by our CMDQ courses to always find more ways to be cooler. Indeed, we can read that among other things, in cases of migraine or high pressure, relaxation therapy, meditation and yoga are very practical. Meditation + yoga = it’s good, I spent several years mastering the basics and luckily it gives good results. Sophrology = brand new! So I share with you. And with my children.
How to Breathe with Children
Children are not always relaxing. But thanks to sophrology, we learn to breathe with them and perhaps even, thanks to them.
These recipes are valid with toddlers of 3 or 4 years old, those who take the most energy from us.
The Massage Exercise Before Sleep
We take 2-3 minutes in bed with our child before they fall asleep. Once lying down, we rub our hands together, one against the other, to start stimulating the energy …
Then we make circles around the navel with the hand in a clockwise direction. This is where we focus our attention on the belly that rises and falls, like a wave.
The hands can also be raised a little higher, at the level of the plexus under the chest, one hand on top of the other. On inspiration, we imagine a beautiful flower that opens and on expiration, the same flower closes.
Again, in practice, it takes time to master just this little exercise. Already you have to remember to do it, while at bedtime, you just want to turn off the light … You have to remember to lie down next to them, which can be a feat in self. And then you have to go over the phase: “Mom, what are you doing here? Are you sleeping with me?” The new one, even for kids, is a little weird and it takes a while to get used to.
2. We Act As If We Are a Tree
This one is already easier because we are still often standing next to them. For any reason (they are bored, they cry, they bicker …) we can change the atmosphere and do a relaxation therapy exercise. It’s not always that they get on board but it’s worth a try just to distract … who knows?
The child is standing next to us. We pretend we are a big tree, strong and solid … the feet are the roots firmly anchored in the ground, they prevent us from falling. And the hands sway with the wind, with our breathing … once to the left, once to the right. We raise our arms all the way up we try to touch the sky, then we bring them back down to the ground when exhaling.
3. Draw me an Eight!
This exercise reconnects the body and the mind … the child tries to draw an 8 lying in the air, then another and then another. The eyes follow the movement of the finger. We can try the right hand, then the left hand …
Not bad when we are all seated on the armchair or at the table, while waiting for the meal. It keeps them busy and they really try to do well. It remains to be seen if this will still be the case after eight times …
Pssss …. thanks to coolparentsmakehappykids (french website) for this intro to “parental” sophrology!
What Else to Counter Stress?
In holistic nutrition, we of course take into account the “stress” component and here are some “nutrition” suggestions to complete the picture a little.
It is important to consume large amounts of high-quality protein and unsaturated fatty acids, as the body needs these materials to make the hormones and neurotransmitters involved in the stress response. Foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids and protein allow the nervous and hormonal systems to function optimally, making it easier for the body to respond to stressful circumstances.
A deficiency in vitamins B5, B6, B8, B12 and magnesium makes the body sensitive to stress. The needs also increase during times of stress, as this condition causes the body to use more of these vitamins in the metabolism. These elements also play a major role in the proper functioning of the nervous system. It is therefore important to ensure an adequate intake of these elements.
Stimulants and acidifying foods also contribute to increased vulnerability to stress: they should be avoided or at least reduced.
Sprouted seeds and algae are useful in this case, because these foods are particularly rich in vitamins and minerals: they revitalize, stimulate and allow the body to cope better with stress.
Conclusion: Sophrology and Company
In conclusion, fortunately we will always find other anti-stress techniques, other supplements. Precisely, only a few days ago, I was trying a new machine to diffuse essential oils … Again, positive results guaranteed! It is a machine in the shape of a dog’s head, which blows the essential oil in the form of vapor, and in addition makes little relaxation noises. As the icing on the sunday, it projects soft lights on the wall in the shape of a moon or a cloud. I spoke about it in my last article on HE Niaouli. This is to tell you that the children, it seems to me in any case, were suddenly calmer: it’s true that I started with lavender, to be sure not to miss my point.
In short, it’s not just yoga (which I often do early in the morning) or just vitamin B (there’s always a complex in my cupboard) … it’s the will not to let go win through stress. And from there, the “Universe” sends us all kinds of means to equip ourselves in this adventure which is the quest for serenity. In truth, no one is 100% serene in this world, all the time there are tests and adventures of all kinds. I believe that the message of alternative medicine, and perhaps of life itself, is to find through these challenges ways to use what is already in us. To operate, through controlled breathing, through concentration ect. , the maximum potential that is given to us. Thus we arrive at the real joy, that of being able to have a good time with our children, without the cries but with the smiles.
———-
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
Leave a Reply