Caring for the Soul:Caring for the Soul:Part IPart I

Looking Inward andLooking Inward and

Nurturing the Self; A Special Crafting Nurturing the Self; A Special Crafting of Lifeof Life

Meaning of “Soul”Meaning of “Soul” Tied to life in all its particulars – simple pleasures.Tied to life in all its particulars – simple pleasures.

Good food, satisfying conversation, genuine Good food, satisfying conversation, genuine friends, experiences that stay in the memory and friends, experiences that stay in the memory and touch the heart.touch the heart.

Revealed in attachment, love, community, inner Revealed in attachment, love, community, inner communing, and intimacy.communing, and intimacy.

Accepts human foibles, disappointments, periods of Accepts human foibles, disappointments, periods of darkness and foolishness.darkness and foolishness. Sees dignity and peace in them.Sees dignity and peace in them.

Psychological and spiritual dimensions.Psychological and spiritual dimensions. Accepts paradoxical mysteries of life.Accepts paradoxical mysteries of life.

Brings imagination to areas devoid of it.Brings imagination to areas devoid of it.

Contemporary Symptoms Contemporary Symptoms of Loss of Soulof Loss of Soul

Emptiness.Emptiness. Meaninglessness.Meaninglessness. Vague Depression.Vague Depression. Disillusionment about marriage, family, and Disillusionment about marriage, family, and

relationships.relationships. Loss of values.Loss of values. Yearning for personal fulfillment.Yearning for personal fulfillment. Hunger for spirituality.Hunger for spirituality.

Distinctiveness of Care of the SoulDistinctiveness of Care of the Soul

Psychotherapy as a part of culture for treating Psychotherapy as a part of culture for treating symptoms of problems.symptoms of problems.

Care of the soul is fundamentally different Care of the soul is fundamentally different from psychotherapy.from psychotherapy. Continuous process of attending to small details of Continuous process of attending to small details of

everyday life.everyday life. Gives ordinary life a new depth and value.Gives ordinary life a new depth and value. Requires imagination.Requires imagination.

Care of the SoulCare of the Soul Care = Responding to expressions of the soul that is Care = Responding to expressions of the soul that is

not heroic or muscular.not heroic or muscular. Original meaning of care = attention, devotion, Original meaning of care = attention, devotion,

husbandry, adorning the body, healing, being anxious husbandry, adorning the body, healing, being anxious for.for.

Soul = quality or dimension of experiencing life and Soul = quality or dimension of experiencing life and ourselves.ourselves. Depth, value, relatedness, heart, personal substance.Depth, value, relatedness, heart, personal substance.

Observe how the soul manifests itself and how it Observe how the soul manifests itself and how it operates.operates. What is problematic may be necessary or valuable.What is problematic may be necessary or valuable.

Attempts to Escape to the OppositeAttempts to Escape to the Opposite When one is faced with “conflicting” When one is faced with “conflicting”

possibilities [e.g. independence and possibilities [e.g. independence and dependence] one is seen valuable and the other dependence] one is seen valuable and the other is seen negatively.is seen negatively. Often the negative is an important part of the soul Often the negative is an important part of the soul

that must be seen in perspective rather than as that must be seen in perspective rather than as something to be eradicated.something to be eradicated.

Observance of the soul can be deceptively Observance of the soul can be deceptively simple.simple. Take back what has been disowned.Take back what has been disowned. ““Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around a Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around a

lake.” lake.”