Do You Want to Infuse Your Soul?
Soul Inspirations from the Art World
I was looking at this beautiful art book the other day and noticed a quote from the artist, Picasso, which inspired me to write this Soul inspiration. He said: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” What might it take to infuse your soul?
What an inspirational quote! Whether it’s art, music, dance or something else you find yourself inspired by, the important aspect is about infusing the soul. How many times have you stopped to look at a piece of art, whether it’s in a shop window, a gallery or someone’s house. You stand there taking in the expression of the art, but something is stopping you from feeling the connection. It’s not the actual artwork but the frame. It’s the frame that prevents the connection. In a way, that can be likened to the soul too. When you wrap your soul up so it can’t express or connect, it’s like putting a frame on it.
Our Healthy Souls Need to Breathe
It’s so important to allow your soul to breathe, so it remains healthy and pure. You won’t want to contain it in any type of frame, as it will quickly become stagnant. It’s like a goldfish tank without the oxygen keeping the water fresh and revitalized. The soul is just the same.
Art can be just one of many ways for you to express yourself. Whatever you ultimately choose depends on your talents, your habits, your likes, and dislikes. For some people, gardening can be a wonderful therapeutic activity for their soul, whereas for others, it might be baking, playing music, or dancing. Whatever works for you, I encourage you to just go with it. Engage your body with your senses so that you produce something from the inside, which you can then apply to the outside.
The Significant Benefits of Infusing Your Soul
The benefits of infusing your soul can be quite significant. One of the current practices I hear a lot about in all walks of life is mindfulness. Again, this can be an amazing way to infuse your soul through regular mindfulness practice. It’s really nothing more than just being in the now. I know I’ve often talked about that, but as it’s become such a popular term, it’s worth reminding you about just being in the moment. It’s all about shutting off those thoughts that keep going round and round, keeping you stuck in an endless cycle of trying to figure things out or resolving problems, or in a state of constant worry. Mindfulness harnesses the mind and keeps it in the now.
So, when you’re enjoying whatever activity you love most, just focus on that one activity. Enter the experience fully, without preconceived ideas of what the outcome should or could be … just go with the flow. What you’re doing in the process is training your soul to remain calm and aware of the now, rather than running wild in the chaos of the moment.
John’s Lesson
To achieve the sort of soul infusion I’ve written about I find that the ‘breath’ is a great way to infuse your soul with power and energy. We draw in psychic energy through the breath, which is known as prana. This is a Sanskrit word meaning, “Absolute Energy.” It is the universal principle of energy or force. It can be found in all forms of life. We’re constantly breathing in air charged with prana. With normal breathing, we draw in and breathe out a regular amount of prana.
By controlling and regulating our breathing, it’s possible to acquire more of this valuable psychic energy source. The yogis know that by practicing certain breathing exercises, they can draw on this energy – this vital force, and use it in every part of their lives, whether it’s for meditation, relaxation, or even manifesting a goal. Equally, it can be directed to work on a certain part of the body and assist in the localized healing process. This particular Breathing Meditation is a wonderful way to spend some time each day, not doing anything, but just being.
Exercise: Please lie down or sit with your back straight and get nice and comfortable. Good. Breathe through the nostrils, and inhale steadily, nice and slow. Breathe into your stomach slowly and let the air move up to your lower lungs and then into the chest area. Hold the breath for a few seconds. Good, that’s great. Exhale very slowly, holding the chest in a firm position, drawing in the abdomen slightly and lifting it slowly upward, as the air leaves the lungs. When all the air is exhaled, relax your chest and abdomen.
A Breathing Exercise to Infuse Your Soul
This exercise should be carried out in one slow continuous breath. The entire breath will be distributed to all three parts of the lungs. Some people prefer to do this exercise in a mirror while placing their hands on their abdomen, then their lower ribs and then finally to the upper chest. You can also try using a rolled-up blanket and place it on the three different areas one at a time to feel the breath rise and fall in each area.
In the beginning, this exercise will seem a little jerky as you breathe into the three parts of the lungs. Soon, you’ll be able to complete this in one smooth breath. Once you’ve learned to master the Complete Breath, you’ll quickly understand how it will benefit you in all your future breath work and meditations. You can do this exercise a few times a day to help you get the feeling of breathing freely and calmly, but most importantly… completely.
Please note, that this exercise is not meant to be forced, and should not result in holding your breath for long periods of time. If you feel any physical discomfort, please stop immediately and return to your normal style of breathing. If you do suffer any discomfort, visit your doctor first to make sure that this exercise is not too strenuous for your system. The purpose is to infuse your soul health, not create physical pain.
Live a Soul-filled life!
