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I’ve always been intrigued by the word soul.
In the 90s, I got into a group called Soul II Soul. Their hit Keep On Moving always called me on to the dance floor. More recently, I started tuning into Oprah’s show– Super Soul Sunday– setting the DVR to record weekly. And when it’s time to hit the spinning studio, I sign up for –of course–SoulCycle. I even tried a dance class called Shake Your Soul (read my review here!)
Back in the day, I can remember referring to something cool as that’s so soul.
I think I got it from my boyfriend who surfed, which by the way is a totally soul sport, according to him.
But what exactly does it mean — soul?
In her show, Oprah closes each segment with Soul to Soul, a quick-fire Q & A that asks about life’s big question– one of which is What is the soul? Answers range from Brené Brown’s The soul is the sacred space where my head and heart meet to Maya Angelou’s The soul is the spirit, it longs for all.
The soul is deep stuff.
A little mysterious.
And intangible.
In music, soul is a genre, rooting back to rhythm & blues and gospel.
In the late 60s, Aretha Franklin was behind the headline of Time Magazine’s, The Sound Of Soul.
So The Queen Of Soul is also The Sound Of Soul.
That’s a lot of soul.
To me, the soul is:
Pure feeling — without getting tangled up in emotion.
The voice of truth without any thought behind it.
The inner sense of purpose and knowing when you are in alignment with something greater.
When I’m connected to my soul I get goose bumps. I also notice a calmness and clarity within my self and my surroundings.
I think soul and essence go hand in hand.
Dancing always helps me tap into my soul.
So does yoga.
Playing with my kids (in total presence– without any preoccupations in the way) can do it too.
As so can writing.
For me, it has to be free expression — when doing doesn’t hinder being.
This song screams soul to me.
How do you tap into more soul?
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Hmmm yoga and guided meditation help. Sometimes after just getting my space organized? No clutter? That helps find my calm and let’s me hear my true voice. Soul… Intangible to define, hard to know if your tapped into some days.
Inner work……
At the moment my favorite way to tap into my soul is to sit still and let fabulous funny memories enter my mind. Once I am smiling……..I did it!
Oooo, thanks for the deep and soulful post, Elysha. Your observation that “soul and essence go hand in hand” really resonates for me. I need to contemplate this more…thank you for giving me something soul-satisfying to chew on, my friend. xoxo
Jenny, I’m right with you on the clean space…that definitely gives me a sense of calm within myself + surroundings.
So wise + succinct, Rob. Thank you!
Smiles…another sure-fire sign of tapping into the soul. Thank you, GGW!
So glad this resonated with you, ST. This is a subject near + dear to me (which I think you know:)) There’s still more to contemplate on my end as well… Hope you’re enjoying your Sunday + thank you for your continued support. I appreciate it! xoxo
Ooh, I love this post (cool track at the end!) I adore Brene Brown’s definition of her soul as where her head and heart meet. For me, my soul is the infinite part, the calm in the centre of the storm, the piece of the Divine that I carry around with me. Meditation, yoga, beauty, presence, writing, a clean space, early morning, art…oh so many things that wake my soul up!
The piece of the divine that you carry around with you…that’s a good one to remember — especially when times seem tough. Thanks, Sara!