Soul Yoga

Life is hard on a sensitive soul, often requiring us to hide them, close them, or ignore them altogether. If you want to nurture your soul - and you should – consider trying some soul yoga.

Conventional yoga is an ancient discipline that revitalizes the body, mind, and spirit. Through stretching and breathing exercises, yoga helps release pain, stress, anxiety, and physical tension. It helps clear the mind and restore the flow of blocked energy. Soul yoga works similarly by stretching the emotional heart. In doing so it ope and comforts the deeper sensitivities of the soul. Though no physical movement is required, it will surely be a moving experience.

These exercises in emotional reflection will put you back in touch with your soul and help breathe some much needed comfort into this vital core of your being. The reflections may take no more than 5-10 minutes. Their value lies more in your ability to feel the sentiments you're reflecting on than the amount of time you reflect. If this provides you with a positive experience, consider making it a routine. Doing this once a day, once a week, or just once in a while will keep you in touch with a part of yourself that can be easily lost in the noxious clamor of daily life.

Find a peaceful environment for reflection, then search for the answers to each of these questions:

Today…

…I feel grateful for….

…I feel sadness for…

…I feel sorry for…

…I would like to offer forgiveness for…

…I would like to receive forgiveness for…

…I feel compassion for…

…I am lovable because …

…I feel joy for…

…I seek peace with…

That’s all you need to do. If these reflections felt like a stretch for you, here are some ways to enhance the experience of your soul yoga.

• Answers to deeper questions take time to emerge, so patiently listen for your heart's replies.

• Go beyond hearing the answers and allow yourself to feel the sentiments of your answers.

• Value the small things as well as the large and everything in between.

• Consider expressing your answers in a written journal entry or speak them out loud to a person you trust.

Opening your heart to the sentiments of gratitude, sorrow, regret, forgiveness, mercy, grace, honor, compassion, love, joy, and peace is a delicate and vulnerable experience. Doing so is a courageous and loving act. As you become more comfortable circulating these feelings through your mind and heart, you'll soon find yourself more able to express them with other soulful people who cherish the same rewards.

Remember that it's always good to know how and when to serve up a nourishing dish of soul food.