Get In Touch With Your Soul
I’ve been talking a lot lately about the connection between the mind, body, and soul. Today I want to talk specifically about the soul or spirit. How do we fulfill the desires of the spirit? How do we get in touch with our soul?
Feelings are the language of the soul. We feel in our souls.
I'm not usually a fan of lists in writing, but here I go. These are the things that work for me when I feel lost, in no particular order:
- Meditation
- Gratitude
- Mindfulness
- Music
- Writing
- Reading
- Art
- Nature
- Yoga or Exercise
- Laughter
- Service
- Deep Conversations
First and foremost the fastest and easiest way to get in touch with who you really are is through meditation. I just sit in a silent place, I literally sit on my couch and recline it so my feet are up. I recite a mantra, Wa-He-Gu-Ru, which means Wonderful Guru, or God. It’s a Sikh mantra that is used for meditation.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply in and out reciting this for an hour. If you do it for fifteen minutes you will see benefits. My grandfather told me if you do it for five minutes a day it will change your life. Scientific studies have proven that meditation really helps with depression and anxiety.
There are many ways to meditate. There are youtube videos and apps, all of which are excellent. If sitting meditation doesn’t work for you, read about walking meditation or other types of meditation. There are also many types of guided meditation. I recommend Deepak Chopra for the guided ones, but there are a lot out there.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is the cure for depression for me personally. I have battled depression on and off my entire adult life, the day I started meditating every single day, the depression just disappeared. That is not a scientific study, that is experience.
Since the beginning of time, the prophets, the gurus, the saints, have all talked about meditation. Every religion and spiritual path has some kind of meditation in it. It is the most phenomenal experience you will ever have if you do it regularly.
I feel joy, bliss, and euphoria when I meditate. I feel peace. I feel a love for everything that I have never felt before. The only thing I can compare it to is someone who once told me that cocaine makes you temporarily love everything. Then he started meditating and it was even better and not temporary.
After meditation, I would say the single strongest thing that will lead you to inner peace is gratitude. UCLA did a study and found that regularly expressing gratitude actually alters the molecular structure of your brain making you happier and healthier.
Some people write down things they are grateful for, like three a day or something. Some people just force themselves to think about it on a regular basis. I will admit that I promote writing it down, but I don't it. I do, however, try to notice very regularly what I'm happy about and how lucky I am. This has literally altered my reality.
Mindfulness is another very powerful and important way to feed your soul. What does it mean to be mindful? It means to notice every moment. To breathe. To notice your feelings without judgment. To be aware of your surroundings. To actually taste the food you are eating. To listen to people when they are talking. To actually be alive while you are living.
The next way to touch your soul I think is through music. I think listening to music can heal you in many ways. They have done many studies on this. I am sorry to say I can’t remember the exact studies I am referring to, but you can google them sometime. It doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to, if you prefer heavy metal or hard rap, you do you. The music itself will still do its work.
There is a relationship between music and intelligence too. They often say those who can play a musical instrument become better at math and other things. Besides the fact that music is just phenomenal in all ways, it is truly a spiritual practice. In fact, in my religion, Sikhi, our entire scriptures are written in poetry that can be set to music and sung.
Music is the way to god.
Writing I think falls into the category of spirituality because it is a way to get to know oneself. I have learned so much about myself and I continue to learn more every day because I write regularly. I don’t even write in a journal. I write on this blog and I write books, and even then I have obtained beautiful wisdom from this process.
Writing your thoughts and ideas makes them more real. It helps you organize your thoughts. It helps you work out your problems. It helps you find your truth. I don't practice it, but I have read that writing in a journal is extremely therapeutic. The only reason I don't do it is that I know someday someone will read it. But that is not a valid excuse. Surprisingly I'm more private than I appear.
Julia Cameron wrote an exceptional book called, The Artist's Way in which she promotes the idea of writing what she calls, "Morning Pages." This is literally a verbal vomit on paper every morning when you first rise. It is very cathartic and transformative.
Reading is also invaluable. I cannot tell you the value of reading fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. I recommend all three. You enter into other people’s minds and worlds and it is just fantastic. You learn new philosophies with non-fiction, you learn about life through fiction, and you learn about irony through poetry. And much much more through reading anything at all.
Art, in all its forms at its best, touches our soul. Whether it be visual art, cooking, dancing, or any art that exists, it will take your soul to a new level. I consider fashion to be art. When I was in grad school in New York, I would go to the world's biggest Macy's and sit in their women's clothing section and write because the colors and styles literally inspired me.
This is also true of nature. They did a study that The New York Times reported and found that if you get 2 hours of nature a week, your happiness will increase significantly. They said anything less than 2 hours does not increase your level of contentment. Keep that in mind. Walk outside, garden, or just notice the flowers and trees.
OK, I'll admit I don't do yoga because at my heaviest weight I was afraid to sit on the floor because it was very difficult for me to get up. I have not sat on the floor in a long time, I am still afraid. I dream of being a yogi one day because yoga literally combines mind, body, soul like nothing else. I intend on trying it this summer.
I do, however, walk. That is my form of exercise. The New York Times reported a study that exercise makes people happier than money. (Notice money is not on this list.) Shocking, but I can see how that is true. There is a deep connection between moving your body and moving your soul. Just try it. It will change things.
I have a special place in my heart for laughter. I think hilarity is the way to happiness in many ways. At my lowest points in life, it was often laughter that carried me through. I have a good sense of humor which means not only that I can make other people laugh, but I can laugh at the world. Life is funny. It’s hilarious in fact. It’s a big joke. Laugh at it.
Service may seem like a strange thing to put on this list, but if you believe in karma as more than half of the world does, then you believe that your actions have spiritual power to create your circumstances in this life and the next. The two tenants of Sikhism are seva and simran. That's selfless service and meditation.
You don't have to necessarily help the homeless, do something for someone you love. Do it with love. The only service that I do in my life is to help my blind father who I honestly believe is a saint. It says somewhere in the Sikh Scriptures that serving saints is the highest work you can do. But even serving assholes works.
And the last thing that I think helps us get through this life, is deep conversations about the meaning of life. I have these often with close friends and family. I believe that talking can be a form of meditation if you are talking about love and peace. It helps you solve your own problems and the world's. And don’t be afraid to spice it up with a little hilarity. Everything is connected.
You may have noted that I don't mention prayer or religion. I am not sure what prayer is and I'm not sure what religion is. However, if either helps you get in touch with your soul, go for yours. They have done studies that people who have been prayed for by other people heal from illnesses faster and better. So there may be something to it. There is also a fine line between meditation and prayer, depending on how you do either.
You may also note that I have not mentioned god much here. I don't think you have to believe in what we traditionally call god in order to get in touch with your soul. I believe in god, but I also believe in a different god than what is taught in traditional religion.
And one last thing I forgot to mention is love. Just love and you will touch your soul. Love people, animals, nature, art, whatever. Love yourself. Just love.
All of these things that I mention here connect to the mind and body as well. Everything is literally connected at a very deep level. It is all one.
One Love,
nina