Three Ways to Nourish the Soul Without Food
You know your body needs to consume food in order to survive. When you were a baby and you sensed that you were hungry, you cried and someone provided you with the nutrients you needed. Each day your body used that nourishment to grow, and now that you are an adult you accept this process of feeding your body with food.
But what about your soul? How does the soul cry for nourishment and how do you feed this aspect of yourself?
I believe the soul speaks to us in many ways. First it speaks as a gentle nudge in the form of an inspired thought. Then it might try to get our attention by lining up with odd occurrences or synchronicities in the world around us. Next we might feel a sense of discomfort in some area of life. And finally, if we don’t answer these calls, the soul will speak to us (cry out) through our own emotions of frustration, anger, sadness, or boredom.
The problem is often compounded by the fact that we just don’t know what to feed the soul. So often people attempt to nourish the soul with food, just as they would feed the body. And this doesn’t solve the problem, it doesn’t make the discomfort go away, so they feed themselves again. Unfortunately this type of emotional eating usually just leads to weight gain and a never ending cycle of unfulfilled needs.
Does this sound familiar to you? Well the first key to changing anything is awareness. If you become aware in those situations of trying to fuel the soul with donuts and pizza, then you can choose another, more soul fulfilling course of action.
When the soul cries it is asking to be nourished with experiences, not things. A salad itself does not fill the soul, but the experience of shopping for ingredients, preparing a salad with care and sharing that salad with others CAN fill the soul.
If you pay attention to your present surroundings and notice how you feel, you are communicating with your soul and this puts you in a great place to offer your soul the nourishment it wants. You might be surprised to learn that the simplest things are often the most satisfying. The soul after all does not care what kind of car you drive or how much money you make. It is only concerned with with giving and receiving the feelings of love, joy, and peace.
Each individual soul has its own unique preferences as to what they find fulfilling and how they access this love, joy and peace. In my own life I have found three ways to nourish your soul without food.
Three Ways to Nourish Your Soul Without Food
1. Personal reflection – When you take the time to stop fulfilling the needs of the external world and just sit with yourself, in silence, you can often hear the soul speaking. In my experience this practice has helped me to realize, more than once, that I was doing things in my life that really didn’t light me up. Personal reflection has been a great tool in helping me stay aligned with my soul’s purpose.
When can you take some time today to sit in silence, doing nothing? A few moments is all it takes.
2. Self expression – I’ve always been a big advocate of positive self expression in whatever form that takes for each person. I know that when I am making something, whether it be painting, writing, singing, graphic design or speaking, I am tuned into Divine Source. The point of self expression is not money and admiration, but rather a sense of inner fulfillment and bliss. The best aspect of self expression is that the more you open up to express yourself, the more space you create for even more inspiration and creativity to flow. And thus more bliss!
What is one thing you can do today to move some creative energy?
3. Connection and intimacy – I’m not necessarily talking about the moments you spend with a romantic partner. Connection and intimacy is a bond that is formed when you accept and appreciate someone or something for who/what they are. The first requirement for this is to allow yourself to be truly present in the moment (practicing #1 and #2 above can help you get in the moment). One of my favorite ways to practice intimacy is by going out into nature. I keep my eyes and ears open for nearby animals and interesting plants. If something catches my attention I stop to make a connection. You can bet if you do this the animals are also aware of you. Try it.
How can you experience a moment of connection and intimacy today?
Ultimately the soul is easy to please if you just practice feeding it for a few moments each day. I think you’ll find that if you do this, it will improve other areas as well.
How does your soul like to be fed? Share below.
