As humans, we are complex and multidimensional beings. We are present in the physical world while simultaneously being energetic and spiritual.
Many people believe that, at our core, we are infinite beings having a temporary human experience. What moves on from lifetime to lifetime is the individual soul.
Yet we are taught how to take care of our physical body – through workouts and proper nutrition – but how many of us are taught how to nurture our soul?
Not as many. But there’s research on the topic – so here are 6 ways to nurture the soul, as backed by science.
1. Meditation
Meditation has been shown to have countless benefits: stress reduction, increased sense of peace and presence, less anxiety and depression, and a connection to something bigger. The main way in which meditation helps us nurture the soul is that it changes our state of consciousness. Meditation helps us move from beta brainwaves, the state for everyday activities, to alpha brainwaves where we’re relaxed. It’s also possible to attain deeper states of consciousness, like the delta level, solely through meditation.
From these states, we relax the mind chatter and can hear the voice of our soul. We can listen to our intuition and inner guidance and let ourselves be guided toward our life purpose.
IONS has been a trailblazer in meditation research for decades and has led the Future of Meditation Research Project.
2. Intention
Intention functions like a cosmic magnet. It is your request to the universe for what you want. Intention setting is a powerful practice that gets you in tune with your soul’s desire. Intention works whether you believe in a greater intelligence, God, or just the workings of your mind. Your mind is equipped with something called the reticular activating system, which is a filter calibrated by what you focus on and believe in.
Intentions embody emotions and bring us back into alignment with our truest self, it is a representation of wholeness. They focus less on the material and external world and operate more as a guiding light in our journey on this planet
3. Connection
IONS Guiding Hypothesis is that everything is interconnected. By embodying an awareness of this interconnection, we can tap into information and energy not limited by space and time and can profoundly amplify transformation, innovation, and well-being.
Seeking connection is natural for the soul. Kindness and positive human interactions are inherently nurturing. In a world that is increasingly socially disconnected, connection is especially nurturing to the soul. Experiencing connection and community has been shown to improve overall well-being.
4. Movement, Music, and Dance
Movement is a way of releasing stuck energy that prevents you from listening to your soul. It can energize you to take actions aligned with your soul’s desires.
Music is a portal to connecting with your soul and its wisdom. When you listen to it, you can remember things beyond what your conscious mind can conceive and beyond this lifetime. When you create music, you voice your soul.
Similarly, dance is an expression of your soul. When you dance from your soul instead of your mind, you let the universe move through you and express itself through the vehicle that is your physical body.
5. Being Outside in Nature
Nature is nurturing your soul because you feel how everything is connected: the trees, the birds, all animals, fungi, and plants. You instinctively know that you’re part of this oneness – a knowing that sometimes can get lost in our modern society. The beauty of nature can act as inspiration for all kinds of creations.
Also, nature is a reminder of abundance. When you see the number of flowers in a meadow, the number of leaves on one single tree, and the endless flow of water in a creek, you’re reminded of the abundance around us.
6. Openness to Ongoing Learning
Many individuals, religions, and traditions believe that our souls incarnate to learn lessons. For some, this perspective seeks an openness to ongoing learning to challenge certain beliefs. Chris Bache shared in an IONS ConnectIONS Live webinar how lessons may be stored in the collective unconscious, so that we are constantly learning from each other through the invisible field that connects us all. And when we leave, none of our experiences are in vain – they are accessible to those remaining on Earth through that same field.
Openness to ongoing learning is not a skill that comes with some experiences or is unique to some people. It’s all about perspective: there’s something to learn in each situation if you know how to look for it. No matter our age or education, there are always new discoveries to uncover. Ongoing learning keeps our minds sharp and our souls nourished.
Conclusion
The paths mentioned in this article are just some ways to nurture the soul. For the expansion of consciousness, we must put more emphasis on ways to nourish our souls and make soul care an integrated part of our daily lives. Only then can we truly heal as one interconnected humanity.
