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We don’t nourish our souls. Our souls nourish us. We don’t do something to our souls so much as have our souls do something for us. Our challenge is to open ourselves to receive this nourishment—to rekindle our connections with our spirits, spirits that are always there waiting to nurture, heal, and direct our lives.
To bring out the best in yourself and enjoy your life to the fullest, nothing is more important than learning to open to, and accept, the nourishment of your soul. As you do, a calming sense of peace and connectedness develops within you. This peaceful feeling deepens your levels of thought, releases the innate healing powers of your body, reminds you to be grateful for all the gifts of life, and broadens your perspective, so that you can be at peace.
"Many paths are available to reconnect with one’s soul."
When I take time to meditate, the energies of the soul take me to a higher viewing place, where I can see different aspects of issues that are often invisible to me when I am caught up in my fear or ego. As I open to my soul, I become much more compassionate with others and more loving and accepting of myself. If my body is sick or injured, I begin to feel better. If I am emotionally upset, my soul energy helps my emotions level out. I feel a sense of inner peace—a level of contentment that I believe is impossible to obtain without connecting to one’s spiritual self. It allows me to come at life from a place of intention and creativity instead of fear and reactivity. In short, as I rekindle my relationship with my soul, my entire life becomes greatly enriched.
Many paths are available to reconnect with one’s soul. I practice different disciplines, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, sweat lodge, Sufi dancing, and chanting. These activities allow me to slow down and refocus, so that the “opening” to spirit can deepen. I begin to feel “soul energy” and “soul awareness.” I am flooded with peace, relaxation, insights, and a sense of oneness with all things.
I believe that if people would do some form of physical and mental relaxation every day, all the conflicts we take for granted as a normal part of life would eventually disappear. When you set aside time for peace and tranquility—a massage from a loved one, a yoga class, deep meditation, or prayer—it’s hard to stay in a conflicted state of mind.
When the benefits are so consistent and reliable, one has to wonder why so few people engage in these soul-energizing practices regularly. Many people are still unaware of the personal and social benefits to be gained. People often tell me, “I don’t have time to meditate.” When you set aside the time in a disciplined way, wonderful things happen in your life. You no longer need to spend your day stressed out, frustrated, engaged in conflict, or “putting out fires.” You spend far less time—if any!—in these energy-draining states.
An investment of 30 minutes of meditation will indeed take 30 minutes of your day—but you will receive a happier, more peaceful, and productive day in return: you will actually increase your capacity to “get things done.” You’ll be far more creative in problem-solving, and you’ll work much smarter on everything you engage in. You’ll live in greater harmony with everyone and everything. In short, every aspect of your life will work better.
Most of us live very fast-paced lives, which can fool us into believing we don’t have time for meditation or quiet time. As you take a few minutes each day to quiet your mind, you will discover another nice benefit: your everyday, “ordinary” life will begin to seem far more extraordinary. Little things that went unnoticed will begin to please you. You’ll be happier all around. Rather than focus on what’s wrong with your life, you’ll enjoy what’s right with your life. The world won’t change, but your perception of it will. You’ll start to notice little acts of kindness and caring from other people rather than the negativity and anger.
In addition to meditation, try visiting holy places, putting yourself in the presence of spiritual people, attending a church or other place of worship, chanting alone or with a group, or repeating affirmations such as “I am not my body” or “I am a source of love and peace.” My wife and I do regular meditation retreats, and we also have what we call our “annual day of silence.” During this day, we each spend the whole day alone in a room—away from each other. For 24 hours we don’t talk, read, write, or watch television. We meditate, do yoga, think, rest, and simply “be” by ourselves. It’s amazing what this period of solitude does for our sense of well-being. It opens the channels, so that our souls can get through to us.
I believe that we are all different and that we each have to find our own path. The best way to learn what specific soul-nourishing techniques are right for you is to experiment. Start somewhere. Be willing to try different things. If you happen to be kinesthetic by nature, try tai chi, yoga, Sufi dancing, or something else physical. If you’re more of a mental type, try some form of contemplative meditation. Or if you’re emotional, try something celebrative, such as singing praise to God or chanting in a group. Do something, anything, to reconnect with your soul energy! If you trust in yourself and immerse yourself in some sort of spiritual discipline, I can assure you that your life will begin to transform.
One very powerful way to connect with spirit and make a difference is to engage in some kind of selfless service, such as feeding the homeless, teaching the illiterate to read, tutoring in an inner-city school, or volunteering at church.
As you continue along your path, be gentle with yourself and remember: We don’t have to save everyone with our actions. Neither do we have to achieve all our spiritual growth in one day. Begin slowly, focus on each small step, and be concerned only with today. There is so much joy to be found on the journey! Do what you can do today. Over this time, little by little, you’ll be nourished by your soul and you will deeply nourish others in the process. Do all of this in love, and your life will truly become a miracle.
Excellence in Action: Try meditating for 30 minutes each morning.
