How to Feed A Hungry Soul
A Hungry Soul is Real Hunger
Are you hungry? Not in your belly, but in your soul? A hungry soul is real hunger, but chocolate isn’t the best answer.
As a soul care advocate, I often write about the use of spiritual practices to satisfy soul hunger by connecting with the divine, growing in wisdom, and finding peace on a daily basis.
A spiritual practice strengthens your soul and opens your heart to the divine, God, or Higher Power. I often use the word “Mystery” because of the unknowability of all things in the realm of the divine. A spiritual practice is a banquet for a hungry soul.
I won’t linger on the obvious – prayer, studying sacred texts, using candles, incense, and music. I have written previously about one of the most effective spiritual practices hidden in the process of aging.
But today, I am focused more on other ways to feed a hungry soul.
Not many of us think about consuming food for the soul. Every day, our soul gets as hungry as our body.
We are taught from birth to eat three times a day, but seldom are we taught that some of what we are feeling is soul hunger…hunger for beauty, silence, nature, wisdom, and insight.
The problem is, soul hunger feels an awful lot like ‘body hunger.’ And this results in that growing urge to find a snack in the middle of the day.
Unfortunately, Oreos don’t make this feeling go away.
When is your soul hungry
What does your soul feel like when it is hungry?
I have discovered that I can’t tell. Soul hunger and belly hunger are translated the same by my brain.
I can intentionally listen to my body, but soul hunger is more apparent only in retrospect.
Here is an example using those Oreos again. I could say I am grateful because the cookie jar is full and I am free to take a treat anytime I want.
And, of course, I get ‘hungry’ several times throughout the day. At this level, the only satisfaction I feel, if any, is in my body.
Until I stand on the scale and suddenly, I am in conflict. Oreos – good or evil?
Then, as I reflect deeper on what I am thankful for, it may be that I am grateful for the love of the person who filled the cookie jar.
Or perhaps I am relieved I had cookies to give my grandchildren.
When I see these cookies as a symbol of abundance and joy, my soul begins to be nourished…and I don’t have to eat even one of them!
I may practice restraint and experience gratitude for growing strength in this area. Or I may lament the fact that I ate too many.
Because I also practice feeding my soul, I can avoid going straight to guilt. Instead, I nod my head with understanding and accept that I am a good enough person without being perfect.
Reflection as food for your soul
The secret is not how the cookies feed my body but how I grow from reflecting on their presence in my life.
One of my daily practices is a gratitude journal that slows me down so I can reflect on my day. I am grateful for things that have fed my soul, and more so when I go deeper with my reflections.
This practice of reflection is only one way to feed your soul, but it is powerful and worthy of finding a place daily. (See resources about reflection at the end of this article)
There are many hungers
One of the challenges of staying well nourished in your soul is to differentiate soul hunger from all the other hungers.
Jan Choszen-Bays, in her book ‘Mindful Eating,” talks about belly hunger (that’s easy to know) and cell hunger as the only hungers that are satisfied by food.
Cell hunger occurs when you wander down the aisles in a grocery store and are drawn inexplicably to load your cart with spinach. Those are your body cells sending you a message.
She goes on to describe more hungers that are not satisfied by food. Mouth hunger, for me, is the need for ‘crunch’ or heat in my food.
The Japanese understand eye hunger when arranging a beautiful artwork with sushi, rice, and spinach on a simple plate.
On the other hand, we grab a cardboard box with a hamburger wrapped in paper and wonder why we are still unsatisfied at the end of 2000 calories. Eye hunger is as real as belly hunger, but is not satisfied by the same food.
Heart Hunger
Heart hunger is another phrase for soul hunger. Once more, our brains say “feed me” when we are lonely, bored, upset, or confused. That’s when we need soul food the most.
I feel nourished and stronger after strolling through leaves in autumn or listening to classical music while doing the laundry.
I have learned to be very intentional about my ‘soul diet’…those things that keep my hand out of the cookie jar and my heart focused on matters of the divine.
Some resources to feed your soul
Reflection, a process of thinking deeply about life, is a cornerstone of the practices that will feed your soul.
If you don’t know where to begin, I would like to suggest you check out The Reflective Collective, a free private FaceBook group that provides a daily prompt that you could use for reflection or journaling practice.
You may be uplifted by other group members’ comments and become more aware of your soul hunger…and new ways to feed it.
Another resource I invite you to check out is “Simple Spiritual Practices,” a short course on feeding your soul without using food.
If you are caught in the struggle between feeding your body and your soul, you are not alone!! It can be a daily practice to pause and listen to what your soul is craving.
TheReflectivePen is a good place to pause,
and pausing will feed your soul
