The Winter of your soul and SIX steps to a soulful Spring

rnARTICLE 28.02.2013 "The Winter of your soul" And six simple steps for the soul!rnIt happens! So heres how to bring on a soulful Spring! The " Winter of your soul" is somewhere we have all visited. None of us our strangers to this murky place. Best described as what it is not, as being the time your soul is not rejoicing life, but instead feels absent or dormant, in need of a jolly good shake and perhaps a playful tickle to awaken it from its hibernation! We have all been here, at times of confusion, loss, in grief, despair, depression or exhaustion- you name the over riding emotion that has you trapped in that soulful Winter and you can be assured it is a negative one! Sometimes there is a sunny spell in your Winter, brief and elevating but this serves only to highlight painfully how your soul is trapped in a frozen winter of numbing weariness. Motion slowed and body wary, a day can feel like an eternity; of pain or dull chores, necessary appointments and superficial smiles to name a few with no connect to you lifes purpose, deep joy or soulful revelations. So if you are experiencing a Winter of your soul or would like to be better equipped the next time is falls, here are some of my tried and tested tools and recommendations to help it thaw out smoothly to allow the soul to bud, blossom and flower again successfully! rnSIX SIMPLE STEPS TO A SOULFUL SPRING! 1). Take a deep breath and then several more, repeat daily, frequently. 2). Start by looking at your diet. Exchange fast energy release meals and snacks such as chocolate, sweet drinks or fast foods for ecological, slow release energy foods, such as porridge ( oats, brown rice, quinoa) with stewed fruits or honey. Snack on mixed nuts and dried fruits, eat plenty of fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, salads and pulses. (fresh fish and meat optional). 3). Reduce / eliminate caffeine and increase your water intake to a minimum of 1 litre per day, plus green tea or fruit infusions. 4). Start exercising outdoors; walking, cycling, jogging, riding- whatever you are physically able to do. Remember to breathe deeply and let your mind go, focus on nature and what it is doing not the mental chatter in your head! Admire natures beauty and her processes. 5). Often additional group exercise classes assist in the process of renewal, encouraging positive interactions, new acquaintances and new body skills. I recommend Pilates for strengthening weak backs, Yoga for muscle tension and relaxation, Zumba for developing stamina and reenergizing. Other traditional sports such as tennis can also provide the movement and exercise you require. All increase the movement of energy around the body and stimulate your Qi, which in turn reawakens your spirit and lightens your soul. 6). Numbers 1-5 are the essentials for kicking your soulful Winter into Spring but also very necessary to maintain a routine all year round. rnWhen your soul is in winter mode, investing in certain wellbeing treatments is also recommended. Often when our energies are low, our emotions depressed and our physical body in pain or just plain tired we need to know when to ask for help. rnThe key is then to ask! rnThere are many holistic, wellbeing practitioners professionally dedicated to rebalancing our bodies. You may need physical readjustments from a chiropractor or physiotherapist, acupuncture to rebalance energy meridians, or herbal remedies for varying ailments and emotional imbalances. I reccommend a Kinesiologist who can diagnose which element ( physical, biochemical, mental, emotional or energetic) is out of balance as a priority, then address that with a number of treatments. Naturapathy is another option which looks at the best global alternative treament practice for you. Then INVEST in yourself and your Wellbeing! You will likely notice an immediate improvement! rnNow that you have addressed these six basic steps, you may feel you are still loitering in a soulful winter, that your body has responded positively to this new routine ( minimum 1-2 wks) but that your soul has still not quite started to bloom! Worry not! On the road to continual personal and spiritual development what you need above all else is patience, tolerance and perseverence! I know from many years of experience! Finally, I suggest meditation on your life path and lessons to date, images from your dreams which inspire and offer suggestions ( keep a note book by your bed). Perhaps take up that interest or hobby you have always wanted to do, visit the friend that nags at the back of your head, call an old mentor and seek possible guidance, see what book falls off the bookstore shelf into your hand, it will doubtless give you subtle or strong pointers of direction. You should be pleased to know that the "Winters of your Soul", although hard at the time, are usually deeply productive on a developmental level. You are often processing old chapters of your life, lessons to learn, changes in circumstance, integration of new directions and energy upgrades. All this takes place on an unconscious level and when you are ready to reconnect to spirit and soul it will happen, spontaneously! Above all, during these Soulful Winters, be very KIND TO YOURSELF, give yourself time to heal, regenerate, love yourself, treat yourself and then one day soon you will emerge like the caterpillar from its cacoon a bright, light, beautiful butterfly and fly! BELIEVE!!!! Keep your faith in the unbelievable, the extraordinary, the power of love. Our lives are a cycle like the seasons and the mother earth we are so connected to. rnWe must all experience the death of Winter, the rejuvenation of Spring, the joy of a soulful Summer and the introspection and withdrawel of Fall and they happen innately, not necesarily in tune with the seasons. You can decide to participate and feel the process, connect with it and positivly encourage your soulful movements through the SIX SIMPLE STEPS FOR THE SOUL ! Love and light, Leonie (Eli) Amond, rnKinesiologist and Healer, rnValencia, Spain