When I first became interested in ‘Wellness’ my main focus was on detoxing & nutrition in regards to being healthy and aging well. It didn’t take me long to realize that to be completely well we need to feed every part of our being…feed your soul, mind & body.
How Do You Define Soul?
Here are a couple of definitions from Webster and Wikipedia:
the moral and emotional nature of human beings b: the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment c : spiritual or moral force
Aristotle defined the soul as the core or “essence” of a living being
What happens when you neglect this area of your life?
I don’t know about you, but when I neglect this key area of my life… (feeding my soul) which I have a tendency to do by having too much on my plate at once…things start to get out of whack… I lose my joy and I’m not much fun to be around!
7 Ways to Feed Your Soul
1. Create a morning routine. For me, that means getting up early, so I’m not rushed. It starts with a shower, making coffee, taking my supplements, 8 minutes on my Bemer, quiet time with God/prayer, reading, followed by listening to podcasts while I get ready for the day. Making the time for this daily routine makes a huge difference in my outlook and how my day goes.
2. Do less. For those of you who are type A personalities, that’s a very difficult thing to do… there’s so much to accomplish everyday! Reduce what you do each day…choose the 5 most important tasks…things that must be done and will make the biggest impact…focus on those until they are completed each day…this equals less stress and a sense of satisfaction.
3. Make time for the things that matter most. For me that’s my family and friends. Recently I came to the realization that I was not spending my time in a way that spoke that truth to the people in my life, and as a result, I’ve made some changes to set boundaries on my time.
4. Music. There’s nothing like great music for soothing the soul and making you feel good…it’s one thing I would have a hard time living without!
5. Nature. Being in awe of all the amazing beauty that surrounds us on daily basis…things that so often get taken for granted in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. It’s hard to pick a favorite…in the summer I love the beach…listening to the sounds of the water, sea gulls, bright colored umbrella’s and children playing in the sand building castle’s.
6. Do mini-meditations. This is as simple as sitting where you are, closing your eyes, focus your breathing…deep…in thru the nose out thru the mouth, visualize things that make you happiest, goals you wish to accomplish, etc.
7. Great Food! I LOVE good food, a glass of red wine and some good company to enjoy it with…ahhh…what a nice way to end the day.
I hope this list will encourage you to think about what feeds your soul and you’ll make time for them.
Be Well!
8/6/10