What is Soul Care?

One of the most important relationships we have in life, is with ourselves. To maintain and develop this relationship, we have to devote time, attention and care. Many of us, including myself, has so much going on in life that we have forgotten how to take care our well-being: how to eat well, rest well, think well, act well, feel well, and love well. And often, we become so preoccupied by work, school, goals and other agendas in life that we have forgotten to learn to sit with our emotions and to tend to them. Until we start to feel blue, lethargic, anxious, frustrated, angry or sad, is then we try to find quick fixes to suppress those emotions even more in order to drown them out. By not attending to our inner needs, we go into a vicious cycle of neglect, negativity, and numbness, which may develop into poor judgments, unhealthy relationships, overwhelming stress and anxieties. Therefore, to take care of our soul is as important as it is to drink water when we are thirsty and eat when we are hungry.

Soul Care is the foundation to nourish this honest and sincere relationship. It is about learning to take care of ourselves by tapping into our inborn intelligence: Our Creative Imagination. There is an intrinsic link between Creativity, Healing and Spirituality. When we turn our unspoken or undiscovered emotions and feelings from experiences into works of art, it changes the context of the experience and gives it meaning. And every time you create, it is something that has never existed before, because Creativity is about moving forward. The Art-making process helps to elaborate our emotions, feelings, and true desires. It is a powerful way to reach deep into our hearts and speak for us in unique and authentic ways. This in-born desire to create comes from our Soul’s innate way to heal itself. That is why creating art, dancing or singing comes so naturally for children, because creativity is a gift given to us when we were born. And this innate gift can only be manifested through our imagination, where imagination is fundamental to all human activity, as it gives us the power to remember the past, to shape our way of knowing, and to project possibilities for the future.

Yet you may wonder, what exactly does Soul Care means? What exactly is a Soul? And how does the caring of the Soul or Creating Art helps us heal from previous traumas, crisis, difficult challenges in life, and to discover our authenticity?

Let me break it down, and look at the connection between Soul, Caring of the Soul, Authenticity and our Creative Imagination:

Soul

Soul is one of the most difficult concept to define. Yet, what is difficult to define is usually the easiest to describe. Because to define something is to control its meaning. And to describe something is to let your heart feel, where feelings are always evolving and react spontaneously. Just like the love we have for our family, children, and friends, or the passion we have for certain things. We can go on and on describing how much we love and enjoy that person or the subject or an experience. Those feelings are unlimited, continuous and unfolds in every aspects of our life. That is why, the Human Soul is not something that we can put in a box. Because Soul is not one thing or another. It is everything we have within us, from our mind, to our body, and to our spirit. It is the combination of our feelings, thoughts, emotions, will, desires and sense of self. Our Soul does not merely dwell in the body, but is expressed by the body. Our Soul is the pillar of our well-being, our inner compass, our heart, and most of all, our very source of love.

Soul care is about valuing the connection inside of you. It is the care of the persons in their wholeness. It is a holistic care paying particular attention to a person’s inner lives, as well as attention to a person’s external behaviors and physical existence. Just like our body, which needs to be fed the right food, exercises, sunlight, and water to maintain its health, our emotional health is just as practical and attainable as physical health. Therefore, Spiritually, Mentally and Emotionally, we also need to be cared for and fed properly. Exercise for the mind and emotions is just as beneficial as exercise for the body. Soul Care nurture the inner life and guides expression of this inner life through the body into external behavior. And Soul Care aims to promote a psycho-spiritual-emotional growth in a person’s life to promote and maintain the well-being of the person.

Authenticity live in our hearts. It derives from the heart and the very core of our soul. When we live in an authentic way, it means being true to ourselves. Allowing ourselves to discover who we really are deep down, while not being afraid or ashamed to show it to others and ourselves. Authenticity is about acknowledging and accepting our shortcomings and insecurities, as well as our talents, gifts and unique qualities.

I hope this article will help you understand more about the meaning of Soul Care. For more information or sharing of your own experience, please feel free to comment below or email me~

Thanks for reading this! May you have a peaceful day today~!

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