It’s good to talk
Women in Wellness
‘I get to speak with a lot of amazing people. It’s something I learned to do professionally as a business journalist, and I enjoy the opportunities I have to speak on radio about wellbeing with the BBC. Recently, I spoke with two women who have something special to offer in and around a subject that’s close to my heart – meditation’
Sunita Passi, founder Tri-Dosha.
DOMINIQUE ANTIGLIO – Expert Sophrologist, founder Be-Sophro
How did you encounter Sophrology?
As a teenager I was sent to a Sophrologist by my GP in Switzerland as I was suffering from lack of energy, recurrent infections, and I wasn’t happy in my school environment. In 5 sessions, I turned my life round: I was given a simple combination of breathing and relaxation exercises, simple movements and visualisation to practice daily for 10 minutes. It not only brought my energy back and cleared my infections but I understood why I was stressed and how I could start to positively deal with it. I studied with Alfonso Caycedo, the Founder of Sophrology in Spain and became a full time Sophrologist to help people transform their life with the method.
Who is Sophrology for?
Sophrology is a journey into the resources of consciousness and helps to create a sense of harmony within mind and body. The combination of movement, breathing, visualisation and the fact it is practiced in a state of relaxation also makes it unique. Beyond learning to live in the present moment, it is particularly useful to address stress-related issues, and to prepare and enhance performance for specific events like exams or sport competition. Beyond learning to be less judgmental, the exercises develop a positive attitude towards ourselves, our future and the world around us.
Tell me about BeSophro.
I created BeSophro to support people in their everyday life. As a Sophrologist my role is to help people discover their inner strength and resilience so they can enjoy a positive, empowered and happy state of mind everyday. At BeSophro, we offer workshops, individual sessions, online courses and we hope to inspire people to lead a happy daily life;
You’ve written a book…
My book The Life Changing Power of Sophrology is the first widely published book in English on Sophrology. The book includes everything you need to know about Sophrology, my own wellbeing journey, case studies, practical exercises, on-the-go exercises as well as an audio guide where I am taking you through 13 short practices for stress-management, success, confidence, sleep and so on…
Buy the book on Amazon.
And the future?
I would like to continue to share Sophrology with as many people as possible. My book is going to the US soon and I look forward to see how people will respond. I am also creating online courses so that Sophrology becomes more accessible to everyone.
MICHELLE LANGER – Corporate wellbeing facilitator, founder Tranquillo
Have you yourself had a self-care practice on a regular basis?
I started experimenting with meditation in 2002 and became a student of Deepak Chopra in 2003. When I learnt his method Primordial Sound Meditation I started meditating daily and haven’t missed a day since. That’s been about 15.5 years and I became a teacher 12 years ago.
What is the Tranquillo event all about?
One of my clients is the world acclaimed cellist Jane Oliver. When she started meditating she noticed a synergy between the effects of listening to certain types of cello music and the calming effect of meditation. She thought of blending the two and we founded Tranquillo – mindful music events combining guided meditation and live cello in spaces infused with relaxing essential oils. It’s a 45 minute experience that we provide at drop-in sessions, corporate events and private parties. Guests leave feeling calm, centred and positive.
Why do you want to grow your meditation services in the UK?
It’s incredible to see the transformation in attitudes towards meditation over the last decade. When I first started teaching, my corporate clients, CEOs and sports people wanted to keep it secret. Meditation was seen as alternative or as an admission somehow of weakness. With the explosion of the modern form of mindfulness, scientific research showing its powerful benefits and with its adoption by key figure heads, it’s now become a badge of honour. The CEOs who saw me in private are now inviting me into their companies where wellbeing is now a key benefit to retain and support staff. I see people from all walks of life often motivated by a desire to tackle stress, to bring some calm to over stretched tech-filled lives and it’s incredible to watch the transition when they start to introduce a meditation practise. I love teaching people and witnessing that aha moment when they realise they’ve got the tools that will not only reduce stress but also provides a pathway to feeling more present, content and in control of their lives.
Describe your vision for the future.
Right now my energy is divided in four main areas. We are growing Tranquillo, I’m working as a facilitator for Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global fighting the burnout epidemic through corporate wellbeing programs designed to boost wellbeing and productivity. I’ll continue to teach group courses in meditation and mindfulness and expand my work in schools where I teach teachers and children and bring wellbeing on to the curriculum.
I’ve connected with so many wonderful people in this field that in the future I’d like to bring them together and offer holistic retreats. Rather than having a fixed grand vision I’ve always tried to follow the flow. I think it’s about knowing what you’re about, what you do best and then being open to the opportunities the universe presents. I try to follow my favourite Rumi quote ‘Live life as if everything is rigged in your favour’. Many of my clients and the projects I’m most proud of have come through chance encounters and word of mouth so I like to be open to the unexpected.
Thank you Dominique and Michelle!
Something I’m doing more of is facilitating and speaking at live events where there’s an opportunity to get across messages about meditation, wellbeing, Ayurveda, and women entrepreneurs. If you’d like to enquire about my availability, go to www.sunitapassi.com
Until next time … Namaste!
Sunita x
Founder, Tri-Dosha
tri-dosha.co.uk
