Soul Tending
In past years, April has meant it’s time for spring cleaning, the creation of new projects, and an overall flurry of busyness. It’s the month to open the windows to inhale fresh air. Plant the garden. Clean the garage. Cull the closet.
This Spring feels different. My energy is low. I’m more interested in paying attention and caring for my inner world, rather than my environment and outer world.
I’ve learned that if I don’t practice self care and nurture my soul, I’m not able to think clearly or be fully present. The following list expresses my evolving and current ways of soul tending.
This spring I’m practicing soul care as I…
Consciously choose to slow down. I am literally moving more slowly to purposefully notice what’s in front of me, step by step. Following my inner guidance throughout the day, moment by moment, is the only way I can function right now.
Eliminate toxicity (as much as possible). I know the activities and things that are not good for me, such as: over saturation of information, endless scrolling, processed foods, alcohol, too much coffee…you get the idea. Moderating my active engagement with the news and social media, and discerning my physical needs to remain healthy, these are ongoing practices requiring my attention and intention.
Choose to be in silence. Sitting in silence, especially during the hour before dawn, resets my spirit and fortifies my inner world. In candlelight, I enter into the stillness. It’s here, that I feel safe and held by unseen hands, to fully feel the grief and sadness for all that’s happening in people’s lives, near and far. Within the quiet, there is also spaciousness for me to breathe in the Peace that passes understanding, and find my center to anchor me for the day.
Put pen to paper. I open my journal to a blank page, put the pen to paper, and allow my feelings to flow onto the page. I think of it as the practice of daily inner hearth-keeping.
Capture my dreams. When I awaken I reach for my bedside notebook and pen to capture the stories, images, symbols and feelings associated with my nocturnal dreams and visions. Throughout my life, my dreams have informed, inspired and guided me. Scribing them in my notebook (a sacred dream incubator) affords the opportunity to reengage and explore the dreams in depth.
Pray. My prayers naturally flow forth during my early morning, silent and contemplative hour. Throughout the day, I also remember the names of those I’m praying for as I shower, make the bed, fold laundry, pour a cup of tea, etc. Sleep at the end of day usually punctuates my night prayers.
Connect with family. My blood and bone relationships, time with my husband, and connections with beloveds, near and far, are as important to me as the air that I breathe.
Engage with my heart through my hands. Stitching a prayer cloth, mark-making with watercolors, letter writing, arranging lilacs in a vase…these intuitive creative responses lower my blood pressure and calm my nervous system.
Choose books as oracular wisdom. I turn to my books when I need upliftment or inspiration. I choose a book from the shelf, open at random and allow my eyes to fall on the page to read the first line I see. Lately, I’m selecting books from my shelf of children’s literature and fairy tales. It’s rather magical to discover that Alice’s tumble down the rabbit hole has a whole new meaning.
Rely on my spiritual sisters. My community of spiritual sisters, our Belle Coeur Sisterhood, is a central tenet of life-giving energy for my creative heart and soul. I rely on my sisters’ sacred feminine wisdom for guidance and spiritual sustenance, as patriarchy continues to wreak havoc across the world.
Allow the tears to fall. God has given us the gift of tears. Often my tears can catch me up when I’m in the shower. More than likely, they come unannounced when I read, see or hear of another unconscionable injustice. Sometimes it’s an unexpected flood of tears from hearing a piece of music that brings to memory someone dear, now beyond the veil. The accumulated grief from the loss of beloveds and friends, the awareness of the tragic events of those living in war torn countries, the abuse and degradation of those on the margins…when I allow myself to truly feel the myriad circumstances of human suffering and sadness…tears and wailing are the appropriate physical/emotional/soulful response.
Contemplate my next right action. I stay informed through preferred and trusted news sources. The endless causes needing support of all kinds, begs the daily question, “How am I to respond, in service for the highest good, in the name of Love.” This daily inquiry is my ongoing quest.
Hold fast to faith, hope, love and God’s Peace. In the end, all my practices, tears, prayers, and feeble attempts to “do my part,” ultimately bring me around to what anchors me. My faith in Christ, my hope in the resilience of the illuminated human spirit, my love for life and my family, and the Peace that only God provides.
Navigating the current terrain of mine fields peppering the landscape of daily life, requires the body, mind and soul to align with Spirit, to ensure physical, mental and spiritual well-being and right action. It’s impossible to respond perfectly, no matter the depth of one’s practices and intellectual wisdom.
However, the creation of a list of what serves your highest good creates awareness and the opportunity to foster self-care. When soul tending is practiced there is a ripple-out effect benefiting the whole. When the soul is nourished, there is flow, centeredness and the opportunity for co-creation with the Divine in the name of Love.
How do you tend your soul in these turbulent times? What are the life-giving, uplifting, and essential practices, engagements, communities, and experiences that keep you centered?