Soul Work

I close my eyes and sink down into my heart. I feel it’s warm embrace inviting me in, and I open the door to the depths of my soul. I fall, endlessly, or am I floating? Nothing to see, to hear, but inky backdrops of the night, that once brought me fear, now gives me peace. There are no expectations here, no responsibility, no perception of who I am in the world. I just am, suspended in darkness and anchored in love, peace washes through me as starlight twinkles below.

My mind’s eye touches the surface of an outstretched lake with a caress I feel in my bones. I submerse myself in its cool stillness, I sink slowly until I am enveloped inside the womb of my soul. I am surrounded, yet spacious. I am cocooned, yet free. In the silence of the water I hear my own heartbeat, and she whispers to me,

“You are always at home here, there is space to simply be. If you ever feel lost, close your eyes and follow me.”

With a smile of gratitude, I glide back up to the surface with a swish of my tail. I am greeted with a golden shimmer, like fairy dust, twinkling across the gently lapping waves, as a rising full moon crowns the black horizon. I admire her beauty from the shallow banks of silky earth and sand. I am at the edge of the world, the center of my universe.

Goddess Sophia rises before me, her billowing curves of shadow and clouds of black hair enveloped in Archangel Jophiel’s golden cloak of light. Mother of Souls, at one with the angel of Beauty. Her infinite wisdom surrounds me, she is the seed within me. We sit together in the silence of inner knowing. This is all there is.

Nothing to wonder and nowhere to wander, I am in the presence of Goddess when I am here. Here, and now. I am Goddess in the remembrance of simplicity to be, in the oneness of space and time. Like water, my spirit guide, the Ouroboros at the eternal beginning and end of life. I remember that I am the droplet, and every ocean, river and pond. When all is said and done, I am here.

I am here.

I rise out of my chest, my soul flies heavenwards as I open my eyes, emblazoned with the fire of the Pheonix.

I am here, I am alive

I am free

To express the wisdom

That birthed me.

- Tūī Sophia stories

What is the soul?

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. If you’ve ever gazed into the eyers of a loved one for a length of time (otherwise known as eye-gazing, which can be very challenging for many) you may have felt a sense of timelessness, stillness, or depth beyond words. We mirror each other, so that we may simultaneously experience our soul reflected back at us. Something I contemplate is the difference between soul and spirit, often used interchangeably.

From a Māori perspective, the ideas of soul and spirit are not separate in the way Western traditions often describe them. Instead, they are woven together within a rich tapestry of spiritual energy and life force. Māori cosmology distinguishes between them through several key concepts, most notably Wairua (spirit) and Mauri (the life force or living essence). These principles recognise the interconnectedness of all being, reflecting an understanding that what animates us is both individual and part of a greater spiritual whole.

Whilst different cultures will explain it in their own way, what they all have in common is the understanding that spirit is a universal energy that flows through all of life and degrees of consciousness, whereas the soul is our individual essence that animates the body, containing memory and personality. We all have a unique soul, and we are all connected in spirit. We each have a piece of the multi-dimensional puzzle.

Soul as Energy

Based on the teachings of Matias De Stefano, particularly in his Gaia series Initiation and Journey of Remembering, soul and spirit are not separate entities, but rather different processes of the same being. He explains that they represent different aspects of energy and vibration throughout time.

Soul as Energy: De Stefano often relates the soul to the emotional, stored energy of experiences, or the "energy that connects past life experiences". It is the accumulation of life experiences and memory.

Spirit as Vibration: He describes the spirit as the "vibration creating energy". It is the underlying frequency, resonance, or "breath" of life that dictates how energy forms (spirit relates to breath, or respiration, which brings in energy).

Where is the soul?

Our soul lives within us. As a vessel of spirit, it may live outside the body, watching over us or traversing other realms. With ritual and practice we can anchor our soul into our body, enabling it to serve as the bridge between the physical body and the spiritual mind, allowing for the integration of higher consciousness into daily human experience.

Wisdom within

We can access the soul through our wisdom centers; the third eye, the heart and the sacral chakras. Otherwise known as our mind’s eye, our center, and our gut. We can communicate with our soul and channel its wisdom by focusing on one of these areas, for example, listening to your heart by feeling into the heart space and quieting the mind to know what you truly want. Wisdom can come to us intuitively, like when you have a gut feeling about a decision you’re about to make. On another occasion you might daydream about something you achieve in the future, and it looks like such a good idea you strive towards achieving it. Intuition serves many purposes, from survival to creativity. When we work with deeper layers of the psyche than the rational mind, we harness all of the lessons learnt from the soul, the self that remembers, and can make quick, often accurate, decisions when we trust our instincts.

Her Chakra by Tūī Sophia

What the soul provides

When you are connected to soul, the ego self can take a step back to create space for more peace and freedom. Less stress and drama, more simplicity and balance. When we can trust our instincts and listen to our intuition, we don’t need to overwork our conscious mind or waste time trying to figure things out. All the answers are already here, in the present moment, we just need to take a deep breath and go within. The soul lives here, it is wise beyond words.

Connecting to the soul and channeling its wisdom day to day takes practice and dedication. There is work to do here, soul work. You will come across challenges, face your fears, work with the shadow in order to see the light. The journey is a life-long adventure as you embrace your soul path in order to live a fuller, abundant life. This is where the magic happens, on the road with all its twists and turns. With a pinch of faith, a spoonful of patience, a dash of courage and a cup of compassion, you will find what you’re looking for.

Soul Work- tools to connect

I will provide you with a number of simple tools and techniques that will help you to quieten the conscious mind and connect you to your soul self, bringing more peace, clarity and harmony into your life. There are a number of tools within mindfulness and meditation that can be practiced daily in order for you to receive optimal, long term benefits for your health and wellbeing. These include journalling, time in nature, breathwork, meditations, artmaking and somatic movement. The techniques I discuss here are specifically soul centered, working with intuitive processes and the subconscious mind.

1.        Journalling – soul prompt

I found this technique on a soul discovery workshop by Rebecca Campbell. Before we get started, find a quiet, safe and comfortable space with a pen and paper or journal. You want to feel calm and relaxed, so remove distractions, perhaps light some incense and listen to soothing music. Once you’re ready to turn inwards, write this simply journal prompt:

my soul wants me to remember…

my soul wants me to remember…

my soul wants me to remember…

Write it out 3 times, or as many times as you need, until you get an answer. You can say it out loud as you go or internally. Allow your relaxed hand to take lead in completing the sentence and listen tentatively to any quiet thoughts or feelings that arise. The trick is to not think too hard, be open and attentive, and trust whatever comes through. Try this with your non-dominant hand for an intuitive boost!

2.        Artmaking - intuitive drawing with intention

Intuitive drawing involves having no preconceived ideas or prior planning and allowing the drawing to unfold in the present moment, revealing the hidden truth. Simply going with the flow, no expectations, intuitive drawing can be freeing and insightful, bypassing limitations of the conscious mind.

For this practice, select materials you would like to play with, such and paper and pens or watercolours. Set up a quiet space and clear your mind, taking slow, deep breaths. When you’re feeling centered, set an intention or ask a question. For example, your intention might be based on a feeling you want to explore, such as joy or love. It could be something you want to understand or something you want to encapsulate. You can ask a question or ask for clarity around a topic or theme.

Select colours that resonate, going with your natural instinct. Allow yourself to make marks and shapes, create patterns, get a feel for textures, whatever you feel like doing in the moment. The key is to stay present and curious, letting go of judgement or self-criticism. The outcome doesn’t matter, it’s all about the process. Notice any thoughts or feelings that arise. Notice how you respond to the work unfolding. Keep going until you’re satisfied, never stop in a bump of negativity. Remember, we’re going beyond the ego self here, the soul needs patience and attention to speak through the layers of our conditioning.

When you’re finished, reflect on the journey. What was your intention, and how does the artwork explore this? What did you discover along the way? What have you learnt, and what will you do differently or expand on next time?

3.        Meditation – visualising the dream

Visualization invites the mind’s eye to wander into possibility. Research has shown that when we vividly imagine an action, the brain activates many of the same neural pathways as if we were physically doing it, allowing learning and change to occur through visualization alone (Driskell, Copper & Moran, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1994). Through repeated practice, what we dream and imagine begins to feel familiar, achievable, and alive within us.

What is your dream? Your soul’s dream. Your dream for today, or a dream of the bigger picture. Whatever it may be, however big or small, consider how you want to feel. Feel it in your heart, in your smile, in your toes. Feel into the vision, so your body knows what this version of you feels like.

I often find meditation is best practiced in the morning, not yet preoccupied, moving from dreams of the night to dreams of the day. Find a quiet space and sit in your meditation position of choice with a straight back and eyes closed. Start by focusing on your breath, notice the breath moving in and out of your nostrils. When you are feeling clear and relaxed, imagine your dream life, or dream day, or your heart’s desire. See it in your mind’s detail as much as you can. Bring in all of your senses. What can you see, smell, touch, hear, taste? As the dream unfolds, feel it in your heart, overflowing love for this experience. Be present with it, as though it is truly happening right now. It is here. Feel that.

You can repeat this process as often as you need, or simply let it go and allow it to manifest in divine timing. A great time to practice visualization of a dream or wish is during the new moon. More on that in another article!  

4.        Mindful Movement – a walk in the park

The soul is at home in our hearts, and our hearts are at home in nature. Feeling the grass under your feet, breathing fresh air into your lungs, watching the birds fly amongst the trees, feeling sunlight warm your skin. These little moments of magic bring our heartrates down and spirits up. They say the best things in life are free. Most of us are lucky enough to be able to walk out the door and find at least a pocket of nature’s sanctuary nearby. Now let’s go on a walk in the park!

When you’re in your nature spot of choice, practice mindfulness. Put your phone away, and anchor yourself into the present moment. Feel your feet on the ground, and pay attention to every step. Take it as slow as you’d like, there is no need to rush here. Notice the colour of the grass, the sway of the leaves, the tone of the bird’s song. Enjoy the present moment as you relax into the space and let go of the hustle and bustle of life. Nature just is, and you can just be, here.

Living in alignment with your soul path

These 4 simple tools provide a foundation for you to connect more deeply with spirit and operate from the soul self. Practice them regularly, building a soul centered routine into your daily life.

To be present, to feel connected to the abundance of life and to trust your intuition means you are living in alignment with your soul path. It’s not about a destination, or achieving grand things, it’s the way in which you live. We will all get to the end eventually, but when you look back you might consider, did you witness the magic along the way?

Living in alignment requires authentic expression. At the core of spirit is the fundamental truth, and all layers of manifestation are expressions of truth. So how you express yourself, from verbal communication to physical movement, must feel authentically you in order to honestly express the soul. That means not making art to please others, or talking about things you don’t intend to do. Speak your truth, move how you want to move, do what you truly want to do! Now remember, the soul is peaceful, loving, joyful, compassionate. So authentic expression will be respectful and considerate of others by default, whilst simultaneously fulfilling your own needs and desires as acts of self-love.

Go deeper

There are many other ways to work with the soul than the ones mentioned here, the journey has only just begun. If you’d like further guidance and support on your path to a more meaningful and fulfilling life, please reach out. I offer personalised support to help you reconnect with your creativity, intuition, and sense of self through expressive arts and soul-led coaching.

Blessings

Tūī Sophia

All images in this article are subject to copyright of Tūī Sophia