Camino Way of Life
My story, Sophrology and the Camino de Santiago
I’m half French and half British and I now live the USA, in South Carolina.
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My passion is to help people love and accept themselves.
I haven’t always loved and appreciated myself.
In fact, I spent a huge chunk of my life plagued with stress and worry.
My ex gambled all our money away: stress is something I know intimately.
It wasn’t until I was well into my 40s and working as a drama teacher in Paris, that I found the courage to say: ENOUGH and to change my life.
From Drama teacher to Mind-body therapist
Helping people love and accept themselves.
I owe a lot to my students.
Actors can be very vulnerable and so I was always eager to find the best stress-management techniques to help them overcome their fear of being on stage, of being judged by others...
I also wanted to help them be authentic, daring in their creativity, access, and express the strong and deep emotions of their character and be able to release the emotions once they got back home.
I experimented with and wove together many exercises based on:
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Breathing
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Posture
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Movement
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Body Awareness
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Emotional Intelligence​
We had a lot of fun! We also got great results, but the icing on the cake was when my students told me how this work helped them in their personal lives.
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Some of my students mentioned there was a similarity between what I was teaching and a popular "French" mind-body practice known as sophrology .
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It's a mind-body training system that helps you increase your sense of well-being and relieve you of stress and anxiety.
I decided to learn more about it.
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I went back to school and became a Certified Sophrologist.
I also trained and certified in Hypnotherapy, Laughter Yoga and NLP.
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SOPHROLOGY ?
The term sophrology means, literally, ‘The Science of Harmonious Consciousness’.
Widely practiced in Europe, sophrology, AKA Dynamic Relaxation, is a structured method, using a variety of exercises, some grounded in ancient wisdom and some based in Western practices including the latest finding of modern science.
Sophrology uses visualization, simple postures and physical movement, combined with attention to breathing and awareness, to deeply relax the body and mind, while also introducing a sense of vitality and stimulating the cognitive functions, such as memory, imagination and concentration.
It's a very simple way to radically improve our well-being.
Sophrology Blends the Best from East and West
Ancient
Eastern Wisdom
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Yoga
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Qi Gong
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Japanese Zen
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Tibetan Buddhism
SOPHROLOGY
A unique & powerful blend
of ancient wisdom and
modern practices
Modern
Western Practices
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Progressive Relaxation
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Hypnosis
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Phenomenology
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Positive psychology
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Neuroscience
All the exercises are tailored to your needs.
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They help calm the mind and relax the body
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They gently re-wire the nervous system and help you respond differently to the world
Done regularly, you harmonize your mind, body, and spirit.
You realize that you have everything within you to grow.
You start to trust yourself -and life- more and more.
You start living a conscious and harmonious life.
For me, personally, Sophrology and the Camino go hand in hand.
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in September 2014, after going through a really difficult relationship that left me feeling shattered, I woke up to a beautiful day and 2 sentences in my head, like an inspiration.
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Walk a Camino
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Become a professional Sophrologist.
My Camino was a path of transformation.
It was a "Heroine's journey" that totally opened me to the “rapture of feeling alive” as Joseph Campbell puts it. It was a path of healing -naturally- just by walking and being in nature. It helped me become conscious of some deep inner wounds and start caring for myself as a mother would for her beloved child.
I can honestly say that my Camino opened me to Love.
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In many ways sophrology does the same thing.
It gently helps to release our inner tension, fears. It harmonises our body, mind and spirit.
It helps us-very gently- to live a more conscious and happy life.
SOPHROLOGY AND THE CAMINO WAY OF LIFE
Beth B,
Yoga Instructor,
Oklahoma, USA
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"I am truly amazed at the benefits of sophrology which I describe as bodywork on a cellular level.
I now sleep deeply after feeling stretched, balanced, and grounded.
Thank-you, Kate."
Cécile N,
Climate Reality Leader
Los Angeles,CA
"When I met Kate I was a very anxious person 24 h a day. Through simple but powerful exercises, she guided me into a new life (literally!)
With her sunny presence and wonderfully reassuring smile and patience, she taught me how to set my thoughts on a positive outcome, instead of directly jumping onto my usual obsessive fearful ideas.
I had never felt at ease with meditation, I didn’t know how to “empty my mind”, so I was a bit nervous about what she would offer me to do, but her approach was totally different. She had me try several different simple exercises so I could choose the ones who resonated more with me and repeat them at home. That was exactly what I needed. We also worked on my self-confidence via hypnosis, which was new to me and a fantastic experience!
I trust Kate entirely.
To me (and people knowing me), there is definitely a before and an after Kate. I’m not the same person since my sessions with her and I’m forever grateful!
Icannot recommend her enough"
Sarah N,
Legal Counsel
Paris, France
"Working with Kate turned out to be one of the best ideas in my life !
I had absolutely lost my self confidence .
She helped me reconnect to a childlike sense of fun and focus on enjoying the moment.
I still use the exercises she taught me.
I’m definitely more confident and positive whatever the challenges I face"
TESTIMONIALS
SINCE WALKING MY FIRST CAMINO...
and using sophrology on a daily basis
I no longer worry all the time.
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To tell you that I don't ever worry about things would be a lie.
But I catch myself doing it very quickly and I immediately do a few simple exercises to release the pressure.
It's amazing to see how -by simply being able to relax on the spot- we can really empower ourselves.
Relaxing deeply helps us access our creativity and find "the way" through and out of our problems.
I can deal with uncertainty.
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Uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today.
Whether it concerns the global pandemic, or your finances, health, and relationships, much of what lies ahead in life remains uncertain. Yet as human beings, we crave security.
This sense of security I have found within myself.
My inner sanctuary, is available to me whenever I feel the need to retreat from "the noise of the world".
I trust my inner guidance
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When I access my inner calm, I know that my intuition (higher self, God...) is guiding me and supporting me.
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I can weave a new story
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I used to define myself as a "born worrier"and ....life gave me a lot to worry about!
I also defined myself as an "asthmatic"and ....almost died in a severe asthma attack when my first child was only 6 months old.
I stopped doing that. Completely. I stopped letting things or people (including myself) define me.
I changed my ways, my habits and regained my physical health and emotional well-being.
No longer identifying with my life circumstances or life situation, I was able to shed my old "skin" and re-invent myself. Like an actor takes on a role, using the power of my imagination , I saw myself differently and my world changed accordingly.
I know it's never too late
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I found the Love of my life thanks to the Camino (see our story: )
and , with him, we explore what it means to live a Camino Way of Life as we help others on their own journeys. It's never too late to be happy.
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If you would like to find out more...and see how I can help you,
Contact me (see the box below).
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