Recently I was chatting about my experience in Nepal (see my last blog) with a good friend. We were discussing the phenomena of how our body and mind’s functioning improves when on holiday than compared to day to day life.

For me, it was my ability to digest wheat which normally disagrees with me. For my partner, it was his ability to tolerate starches and sugars, which he normally steers clear of due to inflammation building up in his body. For others, pain seems to melt away. For others still, they are able to physically achieve great feats (I guess that was true for us too during the trek). And others find they are much more creative and develop new ideas or art while out of their normal routine or away from home. Some manage all of the above and more.

What is this I asked?

Guy’s response was ‘it is because your soul feels free’.

This has stayed with me and keeps popping back in my mind.

Most people believe they have a soul or spirit or something else. This is not a discussion about religion or the afterlife. It’s a discussion of there being something more to us than our physicality. Something driving us.

When we break out of the pressure of our daily routine and eliminate everyday pressures of traffic, housework, deadlines, bills etc our soul flies free and emotional, mental or physical ailments can all but disappear. Come back to normal life, and all of a sudden they may return.

Have you experienced this?

The other side to this is the dreaded crash on holidays. You know the one, just when you jump on the flight, the sniffles begin. Then the headache etc etc. Next thing you know you’ve spent your entire holiday in the hotel room eating room service. This sounds like your body signalling to you that it has had enough. Think adrenal burn out/ cortisol overload. This is a clear sign you need to support yourself and add in some down time to daily life and think about making some serious (or perhaps not so serious!!) lifestyle changes… see below

However, back to the soul being free business (which intricately ties into both these cases)…

If, when our soul feels free our body improves it’s ability to function, why is this not something we are all striving toward? Why are we looking at the small parts of the body and relying on pills and remedies to counteract these small components of ourselves. Why not aim big? Lets look at the source and focus on our soul feeling free!

What makes your soul fly free?

If that is something you can’t consciously answer right now, perhaps this is where you need to be directing your energy, time and even money.

Perhaps you could let go of some that pressure that you are building up in yourself. Allow things to go wrong. Allow the yourself to be late. Allow the dishes to sit dirty on the bench for a night.

Allow time for something that sets your soul free.

It might only be a moment, but that moment could build and build into something greater than you ever thought possible.

It could heal your body and mind.

It could change your life.

Things that make my soul fly free…

Meditation

Dancing

Sunshine

Snuggling with my cat

Laughing

Jumping into the ocean

Hiking in the bush

Working with others to inspire their lives

Rachelle

xx