The way we nourish ourselves determines our ability to shine our light in the world. And nourishment doesn’t just come in the form of food and drink and sunshine; it’s equally important to nourish your spirit.


 What made your soul feel most nourished this year?
What a yummy question!  What nourished my soul this year?  2013 was a good year, in part because of being present with myself and others and being aware of what feeds my soul.  I’ve been on a spiritual path for many years and this lists grows and changes as I do but here is what is working in the present moment…

We had the chance to go to the beach twice this year – lovely!!!
My daily yoga practice feeds my soul.  It’s just 30 minutes in the morning but boy does it make a difference.  It brings balance and focus into my life in a way that is noticeable when I choose to sleep in and skip this important step to my day.  I finish the Yoga with a short meditation, prayers and my gratitude list.
In 2013 I participated in one and facilitated 2 women’s retreats – definitely yummy nourishment!  One was at a retreat center I have been retreating at for years – EarthSprings in Texas hosted by Glenda Taylor an amazing woman and friend.
This year I also had the privilege of facilitating a retreat in March and a retreat in Nov. up in the Highlands, NC.
A few from the porch of our Retreat home.
  

Waterfall we hiked to in the Highlands, NC

 At all of these retreats my soul was filled up with laughter, nature and the fellowship of amazing women.  It was a chance to take a break out of the busy world and breathe.  A chance to reconnect with my higher self and with Great spirit and take some time to listen.

In addition to these wonderful weekends I was lucky enough to connect with the Atlanta Interplayers.   
Interplay the philosophy and practice (from their fb page) is

good for the body
good for the spirit
good for the heart
good for the mind  

It is a great way to unlock the body’s wisdom and for me every time I do it I feel terrific – It’s sooo much fun!  And as a recovering serious person this definitely feeds my soul.  The practice itself and the incredible people I have met on “play dates.”
A picture Sammie took of my doing an Interplay move 🙂
Another thing my crew created this year were art nights!  This had been on our list for years and in 2013 we created a once a month event where friends gathered together with the sole purpose of creating. We painted, crafted, laughed and nurtured our creativity.
a fire at one of our Girl Scout Campouts
Love feeds my soul 🙂

Having fun before the Fall Parade 🙂
As I write this post I realize one of the threads that is running through it is laughter.  One of my New Year’s “resolutions” for 2013 was to laugh more.  Joe and I went to several comedy shows, played together in Interplay and sought out opportunities to laugh.  We also attend a faith community on a regular basis that nurtures us.  We threw in lots of time in nature with Kayaking, Girl Scout Camp outs, A camping trip to the beach and it all adds up to a fantastic year- 2013 Joy-filled and soul satisfying.
Namaste,
Christine