10 Ways to Nourish the Soul

Soul is the space within yourself where you feel peaceful, inspired, connected, loved and loving.  Due to everyday demands and the way most of us have been socialized, the soul tends to get neglected. Yet, without it you can feel depressed, isolated, hopeless and unbalanced in our lives. Though nourishing the soul may not be the thing that directly pays your bills, it is the aspect of yourself that makes you feel alive so you can make healthy and happy choices in your everyday life. 

Here are 10 Ways You Can Nourish Your Soul: 

1) Call or write a letter (try pen and paper instead of an email) to someone who you love and appreciate and tell them what they mean to you in your life.

2) Meditate on loving-kindness for at least 10 minutes a day.  Here is a metta prayer you can use:

May I be safe
May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be content
May I love myself completely
And with great kindness
Just as I am now
No matter what happens


May you be safe
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be content
May you love yourself completely
And with great kindness
Just as you are now
No matter what happens


May we be safe
May we be happy
May we be healthy
May we be content
May we love ourselves completely
And with great kindness
Just as we are now
No matter what happens


May all beings be safe
May all beings be happy
May all beings be healthy
May all beings be content
May all beings love themselves completely
And with great kindness
Just as they are now
No matter what happens

3) Visit somewhere new, somewhere you've always wanted to go but haven't made the time. This can be a coffee shop, a town close by or even make a plan to take a trip somewhere far away.  New sights and people can do wonders for opening up a whole other dimensions of yourself. 

4)  Connect to something art-full.  A poem, a piece of music, a beautiful movie, a spiritual story -- anything that opens you up to beauty, compassion, love, wonder, majesty or your humanity.

5)  Do something kind for a complete stranger. Let it be spontaneous or something thoughtful. Giving for the sake of it can be truly fulfilling.

6)  Show your vulnerabilities. Tell a close friend/loved one or counsellor some of your life story, including your hurts and struggles. Recognizing you are fallible and deserving of loving care with another is one of the greatest spiritual strengths.

7) Create a space in your home where you can beautify and infuse meaning into it. Some would call this an altar or mesa.  It's a small part of the world where you can connect to that intimate inner part of yourself, knowing you matter and have it reflected back in the things that expand your feeling of being loved.

8)  Do something just for you and make it special. This could mean taking a bath with rose petals or making an indulgent dessert for yourself. Really schnaz it up and know that you deserve to be treated this way.

9) Explore your talents and abilities. If there's something you always wanted to do but felt you weren't good enough at it, try it out! Overcome self-doubt and judgment and just let yourself play with it. You can get a book at a library or take an intro class. There's lots to explore about your heart and soul there.

10)  find some new friends. Often on our soul journey, we are held back by the way people used to see us.  It is important as you grow, to find your company of other like hearts to support you and encourage. You can meet new people at gatherings, through spiritual circles,  at a yoga/health studio, or even at a coffee shop where you like the atmosphere. Branch out and you will find a whole new tree of other people.

This blog has been written by Heather Embree of www.blossomingheart.ca