United States
United States
Cheryl Muir is a Relationship Pattern Interrupter who helps frustrated women gain power over the dating drama that consumes them. Cheryl’s superpower is identifying the themes and patterns causing chaos in the love lives of smart women. By zeroing in on the core wound behind each pattern, Cheryl’s clients shift in just one session. Cheryl is no-nonsense, and has an unorthodox approach to healing from twin flames and karmic love. Based in England, Cheryl is a Certified Life Coach with a decade of experience in the study of the human condition. Her work has been featured in Soul & Spirit Magazine, The Huffington Post, Elephant Journal and Tiny Buddha, as well as the Plenty of Fish and Go Dates blogs. For more information, take Cheryl’s quiz, Have I Met My Twin Flame, at www.cherylmuir.com.
We live in a world of duality. Where there is light there is dark, and all the shades in between. We’re familiar with the light and the feel-good side of our spiritual path, yet navigating our shadows is an equally important part of healing and evolving.
Looking at the less-than-loved pieces of us takes immense courage. It feels uncomfortable as we peel back the layers of our heart, our soul and our psyche. This prompts us to feel a lot of heaviness as we shed these old layers. It’s a little like when a snake rests as it’s shedding its skin. And though this process feels uncomfortable, it’s a sign you’re on the right track. Because as the saying goes, feeling is healing. Feeling your emotions helps you to move through them. On the other side is not only peace, but the highest and best version of yourself.
As we’re traversing these deep waters, our soul can feel in need of soothing. Soothing your soul isn’t a way of avoiding the process, but rather, supporting you in moving forward by offering respite.
Whether you’re healing what hurts, entering a Dark Night of the Soul, or simply navigating unchartered emotional waters, here are my top five ways to soothe your soul.
Whatever your art of choice, creation is a way to transform your emotions into something productive and, in the process, it’s cathartic. We release our emotions through writing, journaling, painting, dancing, making music, or any other art form. Some of the most stirring songs, films and plays were transcribed when their creator experienced a surge of emotions. Equally, know how powerful your emotions are and create from that place. We create from all emotions, and our darker and less comfortable emotions are no exception.
Water symbolizes the emotions. And, considering our physical vessels are comprised of approximately 60% water, it’s no surprise this clear nectar is so soothing for us. Some of my favorite ways to use water therapeutically are through swimming, walking beside the coast and listening to the waves, or taking a long hot salt bath. In addition to surrounding the exterior of our bodies in this life juice, ingesting it works wonders too. For example, drink nourishing teas in the winter, such as chamomile and aniseed- or fennel-based tea which sooth and relax. In the summer, naturally fruit-infused water is the way to go. Slice up cucumber, strawberries and fresh mint, place it in the bottom of a large jug, and top up to the brim with ice and water. Keep in the fridge and guzzle away!
While this may not sound like an obvious way to soothe our soul, consuming lots of fluid helps us. It’s said we have two brains – one in our mind, and one in our gut. So by treating our body with care in the drinks we consume, we’re helping our gut produce more feel-good hormones to help us, well… feel good. Conversely, reaching for dense drinks with lots of manufactured carbonation, sugars, syrups and artificial sweeteners will provide a short-term hit but will place stress on our system as our body works to cleanse from it.
It’s a cliché for a reason! And it’s because it works. Spending time in nature, be it parks and gardens, walks by the sea with your dog, or a beautiful summertime beach day, nature is good for the soul. It helps to quiet our mind and settle our energy.
To quiet your mind while out in nature, place your attention on everything you see, hear and feel. Really draw your attention to your senses and take it all in. Observe the swaying of the leaves in the wind. Hear the birds singing to one another. And feel the sun – or the rain, or the crisp air – on your skin. This draws your attention to the here and now, and away from whatever is running rampant in your mind.
To settle your energy, place your bare feet on the grass (weather permitting!) and ask Mother Earth to take everything from you anything that is heavy and dense. Visualize all of your worries, fears and sadness as a dark matter moving through your body down into the soles of your feet. Release this energy through your soles and into the ground. Ask Mother Earth to transmute this material into a lighter vibration and use it to enrich the soil and feed the plants and the trees.
If you’re not close to parks and gardens, or if the weather doesn’t permit extended time outdoors (got to love those Canadian winters!), then bringing the outside in is a solid second option. Place a well-loved plant or a vase of flowers in a location where you will see it often. Spending time with animals is also a tonic for the soul. Whether it’s your dog or cat or a friend’s furbaby, or whether you’re volunteering for a shelter, animals emit pure unconditional love which is so incredibly soothing for us.
What is connecting? Connecting is twofold: connecting to your higher power, and also to your own inner wisdom. This helps you to pause from your thoughts and tap into a higher – and more calming – truth. There are many, many tools out there to help you do this and here are two of the quickest ways.
Prayer and meditation. Prayer is when we ask, meditation is when we listen. A quick practice for this is to sit with your eyes closed and ask, “God, archangels, ascended masters (whomever you believe in), what do I need to know? What am I not seeing? Help me to understand. Thank you.” And then sit in quiet meditation by simply taking deep breaths in and out, and focusing on your third eye which is the space located in the center of your forehead. You will hear a word or phrase, see an image, or simply know or feel what to do next. This guidance is subtle, but so powerful.
Secondly – crystals. The vibrations carried by crystals support us at every stage of this journey. I love the energy of rose quartz to navigate the healing journey, particularly to ease the sadness associated with heart healing. It’s a very high vibration crystal. Other personal favorites for healing include malachite, snowflake obsidian and black tourmaline. These crystals help to absorb any dense and heavy energy you may be carrying. Be sure to cleanse them regularly to keep them working at their best.
The power of spending time with our soul family is potent, and we shouldn’t underestimate the impact it has on us at a soul level. Firstly though, what do we mean by ‘soul family’? Our soul family are those who are here to assist us on this journey. They are the friend we instantly bond with, the colleague who always has our back, and the friendly face at the workshop who we clicked with right away. Our souls recognize them. And by spending time with these people who reflect our goodness back to us – Robert Holden calls these people “believing mirrors” – we are uplifted.
There we have it! A whistle-stop tour to soothing your soul throughout your emotional healing journey and spiritual awakening. Which methods have you tried? And what steps will you have a crack at as a result of reading this? I would love to know! Feel free to tag me on social media, or reach out through my website: www.cherylmuir.com
It takes courage to face your shadows and I commend you for your strength.
You’re doing a beautiful job navigating the journey of your soul’s growth and evolution.
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