How to Feed Your Spirit
Spirit is energy that goes beyond the confines of the physical body. Sometimes referred to as the soul, spirit needs the physical body to experience, develop and grow. Receptive to positive and negative energies, both body and spirit absorb and resonate with these energies.
One can be “feeling low” or “on a high” depending on the preponderance of one type of energy over the other. Our spirit, which is used to high levels of energy and vibrations, suffers from the constant erosion of the human experience.
In order to maintain a higher vibration, it is important to feed our spirit the higher vibrations that it needs.
This isn’t as easy to do living this human life in today’s world. It seems as if everywhere we turn we are confronted with and surrounded by problems, thus, lowering our spirit’s vibration.
The world today is fraught with these lower vibrations. Whether the problems are small or at crisis levels, they can, and usually do, lower our spirit’s equilibrium. Throw in negative news, natural disasters, extreme weather patterns, politics, unseen electromagnetic disturbances and the upcoming holidays, we are up against the “perfect storm,” draining those higher vibrations out of our spirit.
Each of our spirits appear to have a GPS which guides us towards attaining higher, positive energies through its own instant messaging system: transient thoughts, gut feelings, intuition and the voice of our conscience constantly asking, “do you really want to do this?”
Consider asking yourself, “Does this feed my spirit?” When you chose a movie to watch, order food or schedule dinner with friends, question the spiritual nutrition of your choices.
The spirit does its best but humans have free will and may choose not to be aware or listen to these messages. Living wrapped up in the constant feeding of the media’s negative news, gossipy reality shows, life’s worries, self-doubts and fears, one gravitates to and is more focused on heavier, lower, negative energies. Sinking into negative lower energy drains our spirit, which translates into feelings of negativity, sadness and dis-ease of the body.
A constant diet of higher, positive energy is needed to enrich our spirit and keep us happy and healthy in the process.
Six Ways To Feed Your Spirit
Breathe
Find the rhythm of your breath to feed your spirit the Life Force energy that air brings. Raise personal vibrations physically and energetically through deeper, regular, patterned breathing practices.
Raise Your Awareness
Being conscious of what we are doing and experiencing each moment brings about the full appreciation of the present moment. Try not to rush through things unaware of what you are doing. This includes being mindful of personal thoughts and actions.
Everything has the ability to be precious. Take advantage of each opportunity to see the beauty, wonderment and enjoyment in life. Let each one of the human senses participate in every experience. This opens the doors to joy and laughter.
“Living in the moment” may be a small phrase but it has huge impact increasing vibrational energy levels. When you enjoy each moment you increase the degree of your appreciation. Whether its nature, places, things, animals or people, continue appreciating it all. This increased state of appreciation naturally evolves into feelings of connectedness with all. Focus on the connections with family, community, animals, nature and all things on and of the Earth. Be receptive to the love and kindness from others and readily reciprocate.
The sensations of awe inspiring experiences are moments which we cannot fully comprehend through our five senses. Things that look and sound too beautiful literally take our breath away. Moments of awe force us to look at things and ourselves in a different context of being. Everything viewed from a perspective of awe raises feelings of gratitude. It forces us to look beyond the obvious realms and cultivates comprehension of the universal totality of interconnectedness.
Meditate Daily
Modern lifestyles of the human race don’t leave room for the art of “being in the moment”, which helps to switch off the things that may be bothersome. Presence extends the parts of the brain that control concentration, focus, and problem solving, which allows the higher energies in.
Self-Nurture, With Self-Compassion
Give yourself permission to put yourself first. You are a loving person and you want to spread that love around. Remember, you have to make yourself the primary target of unconditional love. When you are charged with love for yourself you can then share it with others. Think of yourself as being the parent and child simultaneously, showering yourself with love, patience, forgiveness, kindness and compassion.
Realize that you are a wondrous and powerful being with a loving nature that gives you the immense capability of creating more love.
We are the ones that hold the power of love. When we realize this consciously we are able to see that we are One, Whole, and Interconnected. The love we hold in ourselves is fluid and once we recognize the capability of loving ourselves, the flow of love permeates to everyone and everything around us.
One of the prominent researchers of self-compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff, includes two more important practices: 1) recognizing your personal struggles as being part of shared human experiences; and 2) holding one’s painful thoughts and feelings in “mindful awareness”. Self-compassion emphasizes the way we respond to our personal thoughts and it matters greatly. Instead of being self-judgmental and beating ourselves up, we should observe (without the emotional attachment) that we are sharing these thoughts with the human community and we should treat ourselves kindly with no self-judgment and ridicule.
Eat High-Energy Foods
Each type of food contains its own level of energy. Intake of higher energy foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, nourishes body and spirit. Intake of low energy foods, such as junk food, that are nutrient-poor and preservative-rich introduces a lower energy level and drags body and spirit energy levels lower. Consistent intake of high-energy foods positively feeds the body and the spirit.
Show Kindness
To express kindness is to show your gentle nature towards others, to help others through good deeds and by bringing happiness and joy to others (and yourself). Acts of kindness bring givers and recipients a sense of personal satisfaction, connectedness with others, calmness and often relaxation. Acts of kindness ease pain, increase energy levels and reduce high blood pressure.
In true expressions of kindness, the giver expects nothing tangible in return.
Expressions of kindness are shown in many different ways. Kindness can be expressed in words: speaking kindly to others, including and especially to those who don’t expect it (salespersons, wait staff, telemarketers, etc.). It can be expressed in your body language: a smile, a gentle touch on the arm or shoulder, or a hug. Expressions through an action of work: carrying someone’s package, doing a small repair job, shopping for someone, volunteering to build a home, working in a food pantry or preparing food for a homeless shelter. Kindness is also expressed in the giving of donations of food, clothing and money to charitable organizations. From the person offering a simple smile to the major philanthropist, all are expressing their kindness.
Avoid Energy Vampires
Ever notice how being with some people seem to leave you feeling sad, lonely, irritable and drained? They can make you dizzy and give you a headache. Spending an afternoon with them is similar to how you feel after running a three-day marathon. Your body feels drained and all you want to do is get some sleep.
You have just been in the presence of an energy vampire, bombarding you with negative feelings and thoughts, while at the same time draining off the higher energy you have been methodically working to increasingly raise in order to feed not only your body but your all-important spirit as well. Despite working diligently to keep your energy levels and maintain a positive outlook, you are now attracting an energy vampire.
Negative people often search for a jolt of high energy from people holding a higher energy.
Through this attraction, energy vampires lock on to your positive energy and begin to siphon off your energy stores. They pull you into a conversation of streaming troubles, complaints and gossip: then you are caught in a situation where your higher energy spirit is trying to “uplift” this person through sharing kindness, patience, compassion and support. However, your own energy is depleted.
Here are a few tips to counteract the effects or avoid energy vampires:
- Visualize an energy field shield or bubble. The shield repels negative energy but allows the flow of positive energy in and out
- Stay present in conversations with others in order to discern when the talk is turns to energy drainage
- Once identified as an energy-draining conversation, steer the conversations to happier, lighter topics that the energy drainers truly enjoy
- If this is unsuccessful extricate yourself from the situation (tactfully, of course)
- In the case of energy vampires, seek to cut them out of your life. If this isn’t possible, as in the case of a relative or coworker, keep contact to a bare minimum and use an energy shield.
How to Feed Your Spirit Over the Holidays
With the holidays quickly approaching here are a few tips to survive this energy draining time of year:
- Remember to spend quality time with those you love
- Set and stick to clear boundaries when choosing which celebrations to attend. Attend functions with positive people, in whose company you truly enjoy, and skillfully turn down those celebratory occasions you know will make you uncomfortable
- It’s okay to admit to yourself that you are tired and take some time to rest, self-nurture and rejuvenate. Keep up a daily meditation and exercise routine
- Enjoy your favorite holiday foods but remember to keep up your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Acknowledge your inner child, seeing things through the eyes of wonder and awe
Try these practices daily in order to keep your energy levels high and nourish the often forgotten, all-important spirit.
About the Author
Soul Retrieval: The Shamanic Nature Of The Soul
You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
::~ C.S. Lewis
The shaman’s toolbox is a personal and intimate gathering of powers. Some shamans learned through direct experience, others gleaned through master teachers, and still, others are simply gifted in the thrall of journeying to the depths of the invisible realms.
A few tools are so foundational, nearly every shaman utilizes them. Soul retrieval is one such tool. Not only is it universally effective, but it’s also the pervasive root cause of illness overlooked by many in the medical field.
The shaman performs soul retrievals, which are the result of soul loss. The basic idea is this: as traumas occur, little pieces of us take flight or run away. This is called soul loss. A soul retrieval gathers the soul’s “parts” and ushers them home.
Let’s break this down a few ways so we can understand why this spiritual illness is so damaging.
Navigating Soul Loss
The soul is our most basic life force. As soon as the soul leaves, the body dies. Anyone who has been with a loved one at the moment of passing can tell you once the soul departs, the person looks different, empty even.
Our soul is multi-faceted and complicated, to say the least. Not only does it venture through lifetimes, but it may even leave our body occasionally and visit other places. Shamanic journeying, astral projection, and remote viewing are examples of the soul taking an escapade, but not fully departing the physical body.
The soul can explore realms and come back. In a soul loss, however, parts of it venture off and stay gone until we come lookin’.
Soul loss occurs through a number of ways and for a number of reasons — from physical or sexual abuse to traumatic situations, or even just a bad fight. No one knows with certainty why a soul aspect decides to depart, but it’s a common occurrence and one rarely addressed in our modern society.
Soul loss cannot be prevented. It’s simply part of the package in this human condition, and one that can be normalized so it doesn’t sound as startling as the name suggests.
Shamans look for hints that soul loss has occurred. When they find clues, soul retrieval is a next step to restoration for the client.
Here are some red flags that may suggest soul retrieval needs to take place
- You may notice a part of you feels dead or lost.
- You were in an accident years ago and haven’t been the same since.
- There’s a long-gone relationship that you’ve never been able to shake.
Common symptoms of a soul loss include
- Depression
- Feeling incomplete
- Feeling stuck and not knowing how to move through it, or
- Feeling not like yourself, disconnected from those you love.
Not all traumas cause soul loss and, in some instances, a piece may just decide it’s all too much and hightail it outta there. I had one piece do exactly that: she wasn’t happy with the choices I was making as a young adult — I enjoyed my drinking phase, while she found it destructive!
Though we cannot prevent soul loss, we can become energetically sensitive enough to recognize when something is off. With this skill, we can do our own psychic maintenance to ensure total wellbeing.
Activating Soul Retrieval
Soul retrieval is a favored tool in shamanic healing. It can be the much-needed blessing in any number of situations to bring the soul back to wholeness.
The healing session is much like a massage — lying down in a comfortable space — while the shaman works. Your shaman uses an ancient technique of “journeying” into the spirit realm to find the pieces of your soul that are ready to come back.
Journeying is the most trusted tool of the shaman (though to you, it may just look like someone with their eyes closed). Drums often help set the tone and aid in the voyage. Since you’re lying on the table, chances are it sounds pretty soothing!
The retrieval itself is incredibly interesting. In some cases, the parts are eager to come back, excited to once again experience the physical world. Other times, the parts are still repeating the trauma that sent them away in the first place, and they need sweet-talking…or even negotiation.
In one of my personal soul retrievals, I had a soul aspect who agreed to come back only if I soaked in a bath weekly. To her, this was an important need that wasn’t being met. To keep her around and bring completion to the healing, I needed to nurture her — and myself — more. Pretty cool, right? A perfect example of requiring negotiation before she agreed to return.
When the retrieval is complete, the shaman may blow on your head, heart, and/or stomach to help the pieces land back in their home.
Welcome Home
The pieces who do come back act as blessings, helping us feel more complete, content, and purposeful. Our heart space opens wide to receive them, and whatever ailed us may be lifted. Heavy emotions, once centerstage, are lessened in intensity. All of this allows for better flow, appreciation, and a return to passion and vitality.
Once the retrieval is complete, your job is to celebrate their return and make them feel welcome! Talk to them, follow through with the requests they made, and do your best to avoid another departure. It may also help to write and share their story so you don’t repeat it!
In this traditional world of invisible medicine, it’s empowering to know that such tools are available. In all cases, find someone you trust or get referrals. Since this is energy work, we all navigate it differently and require our own unique subtleties.
