Are You Aware of Your Soul’s Needs?

I took a class on Creativity and Collaboration this week, where the teacher talked about nourishing the soul. “If you find yourself reaching for comfort food, it might be that your soul is not being nourished”, he said.

The opposite feels like fishes and loaves – when our souls are nourished, our bodies are satisfied with just the right amount of good food. We don’t have the need to reach for the cookie jar right after dinner.

I invite you to reflect on that.

What happens if you visualize a particular moment when you were engaged in a creative process that was deeply spiritual for you?

Maybe you experienced a piece of music that filled your soul. Or maybe you were completely immersed in the beauty of the sun setting on the horizon. Or maybe you sat quietly while holding your lover’s hand and your soul felt at home.

Observe what sensations arise in your body.

Even just visualizing that experience and bringing your awareness to every detail of it will create a response in your body. And if your soul was truly nourished in those moments, you will feel your body bringing up that satisfying feeling when nothing was lacking. You will feel nourished again.

I took a class on Creativity and Collaboration this week, where the teacher talked about nourishing the soul. “If you find yourself reaching for comfort food, it might be that your soul is not being nourished”, he said.

The opposite feels like fishes and loaves – when our souls are nourished, our bodies are satisfied with just the right amount of good food. We don’t have the need to reach for the cookie jar right after dinner.

I invite you to reflect on that.

What happens if you visualize a particular moment when you were engaged in a creative process that was deeply spiritual for you?

Maybe you experienced a piece of music that filled your soul. Or maybe you were completely immersed in the beauty of the sun setting on the horizon. Or maybe you sat quietly while holding your lover’s hand and your soul felt at home.

Observe what sensations arise in your body.

Even just visualizing that experience and bringing your awareness to every detail of it will create a response in your body. And if your soul was truly nourished in those moments, you will feel your body bringing up that satisfying feeling when nothing was lacking. You will feel nourished again.

There are an unlimited number of ways that a soul can be nourished – and awareness is the first step. As I was thinking of all the ways that keep my soul connected and ‘fed,’ I allowed myself to miss some of the things I used to do to nourish my soul.

Like going to art museums, symphony concerts, poetry readings, and songwriters rounds.

Or in-person collaborations and living room gatherings with artists’ friends (musicians, dancers, actors, filmmakers), where we would get into deep conversations about the creative force behind everything.

Or singing a chant in an old church and hearing the walls sing back.

Or sitting on a couch completely still and listening to a full symphony.

But one thing that has been nourishing for my soul over the past year is my morning mediation followed by certification classes and trainings. On those days when we had teacher-led, students-participating live webinars, I felt like a kid who wakes up a million times during the night to check if it was finally 8 am to go to her favorite place.

It’s been amazing to connect with a community of people who all share the same intention and desire to learn and then to help others discover how to nourish their souls and live a more balanced, joy-filled, healthy, and abundant life.

How do you know your soul is nourished? What are some of the ways you compensate when your soul is not being nourished? How much are you aware of your soul’s needs?

What can you do this weekend to nourish your soul (other than going to Church)?

Take out a journal or just ponder this over your morning cup of coffee. Really be present in the experience of it.