Now is the Time to Prepare Your Future
Needless to say, 2020 was a tough year globally, dominated by the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with many of us having experienced loss, fear, stress and uncertainty. And while 2021 isn’t exactly a clean slate, it is a chance to reflect on our blessings, on how strong and resilient we’ve been and about what we really want to bring into the new year with us.
2020 has taught us that the way we think about time no longer fits with the way life is, for example waiting for things to happen, start or end. We have learned that uncertainty is here to stay and the way to cope with it is to find and rely on our inner strength and creativity to make things happen.
You can prepare your future by following a Sophrology blueprint, and it could look like this: let go of the past à embrace the present moment à set up your intention and personal goals à align with your life values à make things happen. There are many Sophrology exercises that can help you make things happen in 2021, including the Clearing Breath and ‘Futurization Exercise’. Let’s discuss all of these and show you how you can live every day with intention.
Letting Go of the Past
If you think about an event as soon as you have experienced it, it already belongs to the past and it is so easy to carry stuff with us that we can no longer influence or make good use of to move forward.
We can therefore reflect on past experiences we still hold on to, especially the ones that upset us or that we hope to make peace with and consciously decide to let them go. You could use a symbolic act such as writing a letter or throwing a stone in a river, or anything else that will let your body and mind know that you have decided to move on and no longer want to hold on to your past.
A breathing exercise like the Sophrology Clearing Breath is a great way to start. With eyes closed, you breathe in and focus on one region of your body starting from the head and face, gently tensing it and relaxing it on the out breath.
Embrace the Present Moment
All we have is the present moment and more than ever it is the happiest place to keep our attention on! In the present moment uncertainty no longer negatively impacts us and we can experience the aliveness of every experience without feeding our anxiety. Those of you who are familiar with Sophrology know that all the exercises that taught you to be aware of sensations in your body and your breath through movement will be really useful to help you feel grounded and enjoy life as it is now.
The Power of Intention
Your intention is what sets things into motion, it starts a whole chain of events that culminate in you achieving your goals.
There is a lot of power in intention, the ability to visualise a better future and the commitment to follow through with action. The power of intention was popularised by self-development author and speaker Dr Wayne Dyer. The concept is deeply rooted in gratitude, kindness and support for others. It is related to our state of being – the more relaxed, at peace and grounded we are, the more we feel connected to the energy that’s all around us. Things start to fall into place, people react more positively to us, we find ways to solve problems that seemed unsurmountable before.
When we act according to our intention, we can experience joy and a sense of purpose. Intention is a great catalyst for positive change and it relies on individual action and not external factors. No matter what is going on in the world, we keep on and we keep going to fulfil our life’s mission. It’s about being the best you can be and allowing life to flow. For some of us, this may sound like such an unattainable experience and while it does require work, it is something that everyone can live by, starting with setting personal goals. How do you want to live your life in 2021? Would you like to be more aware of your health, find more head space in your daily life, spend more quality time with your loved ones, find your life partner or develop a new business or creative idea?
Personal Goals Aligned with Your Values
Setting personal goals can give us the motivation to take action. Goals feel “right” when they align with our life’s values, such as family, love, freedom, health, justice, nature, independence, joy. Working towards something that will help us achieve what we believe in feels natural and unproblematic, it gives us the energy and strength to persevere, and helps us to find joy and fulfilment in everyday activities.
You can set goals for any area of your life, from work to family, and you can make your goals as simple or as ambitious as you like. It might be a good idea to start with something small and achievable, because achieving that goal can give you a boost of confidence and the motivation to continue to bigger things. Goals make it easier to move into action.
Check in with yourself and what you truly want in life, what makes your heart sing and what makes your mind buzz with excitement.
Sophrology is a wonderful way to connect with your inner self, find a sense of calm and discover what you truly want in life so you can create a better future for yourself.
Finding Values with Sophrology
One of the most practical ways to discover what our true values are is to practise some form of mindfulness. Our consciousness will reveal what our innermost values are, and we can then visualise how to set things in motion based on them.
Sophrology is a unique mindfulness practice and a mental well-being technique that allows you to achieve a state of balance. Your mind, body and emotions are positively engaged, empowering you to be in control of your experiences, overcome anxious thoughts and stressful worries, and create the energy that empowers you to confidently identify your values, reach for your goals and stay connected to your true self, no matter what situation you find yourself in. We work on our values in Level 4 of Sophrology.
The Sophrology practice won’t tell you exactly what your values are, but instead give you the tools to explore what is meaningful to you, what makes you happy and guides you in your daily life. In other words, values are our inner check if our goals are aligned with what is important for you.
As long as we stay true to our values, nothing can dent our confidence and that’s what the power of intention is all about, it’s what makes us focused and determined to go on each day.
Futurization
You have set your intention, worked on a plan with your goals in mind and discovered what your life values are. The next step is to put all of this into action. This is where the Futurization Exercise can really make a difference in helping you gain clarity on how to put your intention into practice.
The Sophrology Futurization Exercise is a useful tool to create a mental picture of what your future could look like and help you unlock these inner strengths, setting on your path towards taking positive action.
It is a visualisation exercise in which you see yourself having experienced your future, a future you have designed using all your senses and paying attention to all the details. You build a picture on your inner screen looking at the people around you, what you are doing, which emotions you feel. Notice the sensations in your body as you do this visualisation exercise.
For example, you may want to get a new job next year. You can build an image in your mind of how your new place of work looks like, the interactions with your colleagues, see yourself succeeding and getting acknowledged for your achievements. The more vivid the picture the better, as that will give you the motivation to make things happen.
You then take a moment to pause. Integration pauses are essential to embody the positive changes from the session. It’s also essential to work at the pace that suits you as there is no rush when it comes to self-development, it takes time to process new discoveries.
Futurization exercises empower us to build resilience towards an uncertain future, but also teach us to be flexible, face challenges and to remain calm even if we don’t achieve all our goals or if we need to change our plans. Keeping a non-judgemental attitude is one of the main pillars of Sophrology: we don’t judge ourselves if we fail or if we succeed. What’s important is that we build a positive mindset and open ourselves to new opportunities, regardless of what life throws our way.
The mind starts to settle and instead of focusing on your anxieties or tension you start enjoying a sense of calm. New ideas may come to the surface at this stage.
Through a regular practice you can better identify who you truly are, what is important to you and what your priorities are. You then begin to develop a renewed energy that you emanate outwards. This is because when you fully embody your life’s values you exude them and live them in every action. This type of radiant energy is recognised by others, who respond to you more positively: they want to spend time with you and listen to what you have to say.
By practising Sophrology you allow anxieties and worries to wash away by reconnecting with your breath and your body, focusing on the present moment and building the foundations for a better future.
Do you want to learn how to practise Sophrology? Our online course is a great place to start.
