Meditation is an excellent tool for gaining greater self-awareness and spiritual power. Acknowledging the relationship you have with God and connecting with your inner wisdom can give you additional clarity during recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). According to Yahlight founder Tonyah Dee, “Yahlight educates all ages on the use of Christ-centered meditation and prayer to create inner peace and to invoke a sense of surrender and connection to God’s living spirit within each of us.” The principles taught at Yahlight can help you explore different aspects of your soul and have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with a higher power.
What Does It Mean to Become Friends With Your Soul?
Your soul encompass many parts of your inner self, including your feelings, beliefs, desires, and values. Becoming friends with your soul means taking the time to really dig deep and find out what gives your life purpose and meaning. Soul searching may help you discover parts of yourself that have been hiding or have become lost. While learning to embrace your unique soul you may also discover a higher power within. This experience may help you to feel more comfortable with developing spirituality during recovery. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), “Spirituality is your unique experience of how you relate to something greater than yourself and provides meaning to your life.” The soul is at the center of each person’s spiritual journey.
Healing from substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders requires dedication to growth and a willingness to embrace new ways of thinking about life. Addiction and other maladaptive behaviors can numb the soul and cause you to repress your emotions or avoid looking at how your actions may have affected others. Becoming friends with your soul means facing the reality of SUD with grace and self-forgiveness.
Connecting With the Presence of God and Trusting Yourself
Your soul is a conduit between yourself and a higher power. By embracing the need for more inner power and becoming dedicated (for a season) to look inside yourself, you gain a greater understanding of your dimensional nature and your place in the universe. Christ is ever-present in your heart and waits patiently for you to take the time to trust yourself and reach out to him. Opening up to the voice of God and acknowledging your circumstances can empower you live in a state of truth, which will increase self-trust. This results in making better choices and healthy lifestyle changes.
Trusting yourself, connecting with the voice of God, and listening to your soul will do the following:
- Encourages you to make decisions aligned with your morals and values
- Fosters a sense of inner peace and spiritual harmony
- Supports emotional growth and healing
- Increases self-trust and resilience
- Provides clarity and direction in navigating recovery
The power of listening to God’s voice and his will is life-changing. However, everyone has a different healing journey. Some people benefit from relying more heavily on a higher power in their day-to-day lives. Other individuals may benefit more from receiving spiritual support during quiet moments of contemplation. Making friends with your soul will help you find that balance within yourself.
How Does Making Friends With Your Soul Help Your Recovery?
Evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies provide new insights and skill development. You can use mindfulness-based techniques and tools you learn in therapy to understand the effects of substance abuse on your body, mind, and spirit. Making friends with your soul is one way to heal the harm caused by SUD.
Grounding yourself and strengthening your relationship with your soul makes it easier to concentrate on the positive aspects of your daily life. Instead of focusing on the negatives or looking at the past and future, you can learn to accept your circumstances in the present moment without judgment. Staying grounded in the present and showing yourself forgiveness and grace allows you to engage with your soul and a higher power on a deeper level.
How Does Becoming Friends With Your Soul Improve Your Everyday Experience?
Everyone struggles with life stressors, doubts, and challenges during recovery from substance abuse. Becoming familiar with your soul and finding ways to focus on the things you value most in life allows you to reduce stress and cope more effectively with SUD. Psalms 36:9 states, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” A higher power, like Christ or God, is the light for our soul. It illuminates where healing needs to occur. It is a light in the dark. Becoming friends with your soul allows you to release the dark to overcome addiction, shame, and fear.
Peace and Harmony in Your Day-to-Day Life
Developing a deeper connection with your soul is a form of spiritual self-care. You may find it easier to feel peace and harmony in your day-to-day life if you spend more time in meditation, prayer, and quiet communion with your soul.
Fostering peace and harmony does the following:
- Increases self-confidence and self-esteem
- Reduces pressure to meet unrealistic standards
- Decreases stress levels
- Enhances satisfaction in everyday experiences
- Builds inner strength
- Increases creativity
- Boosts mood and creates a healthier outlook
- Improves mental clarity
- Strengthens relationships
Peace and harmony make it easier to achieve inner serenity. Introspection and self-reflection are essential to sustaining long-term sobriety and managing SUD. Yahlight promotes emotional balance and inner peace through meditation, prayer, and evidence-based therapeutic modalities. You can build a deeper relationship with God and your soul by spending time each day looking inward.
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Tonyah Dee has studied the Bible and wisdom traditions of the world for the last 30 years and teaches about finding ways to increase inner strength, stability, and confidence through practicing spiritual disciplines and healthy habits daily. Tonyah is a nutritionist, registered dietitian (R.D.), and earned her B.S. from Loma Linda University. She also holds certifications in Christ-centered life coaching, equine therapy, and meditation. Tonyah has been published in Scary Mommy, MSN, The Mighty, Mantra Wellness, CoveyClub, Thrive Global. Follow Tonyah on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Medium.