What's a Soul Place?
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my latest post with the caption that goes like: Did you know that we all have a least one Soul Place?
SO, WHAT IS A 'SOUL PLACE'?
A Soul Place, or power place is a space or place that you feel particularly drawn to, and that makes you feel 'at home'. It is your soul's true home in nature, a place where you feel as much a part of it, as it does of you. This is a place where you feel completely at peace, it could be a forest, an ocean, a ruined castle, or even the city...But wherever it is, you get a spectacular sense of belonging when you're there.
I guess right now, you're either instantly thinking of where your 'Soul Place' is, and wishing you were there right now...Or you're thinking "I have no idea where my 'Soul Place' is, how do I find it, have I already found it?"...And that's fine, keep reading to learn how to find your soul places:
5 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU'VE FOUND YOUR 'SOUL PLACE':
1) You feel Inspired. This one is a pretty big deal for me, because this has happened SO many times at my 'Soul Places'. When you are in your 'Soul Place', you should feel inspired to be creative. You might suddenly remember lines from a song, or a poem, or a book and you may feel the need to be creative in order to express and process the overwhelming emotions you feel, being in this place.
2) It feels like a familiar place, even if you've never been there before. There is nothing here that your soul finds stressful, you recognise everything, and everything feels completely homely. You're familiar with all the sights, noises and textures, and you feel totally comfortable with it. You're home.
3) You feel completely at peace. You don't feel the need to talk, or even to move around. This is a place where you are completely content. You are protected from all of your worries and stresses, and the space allows you to feel rejuvenated and look at your problems from a different perspective when you return. This is a place where you know you can relax.
4) You feel overcome with emotion. It may be because you feel you never want to leave the place, or because you feel so at one with where you are, but something about your 'Soul Place' stirs emotions in you. You feel connected to something, part of a bigger picture, but at the same time it makes you realise how insignificant your problems are in the grand scheme of things.
5)You feel kind of nostaligic for the place. Even if you've never been here before, theres a sense of nostalgia telling you that you have. You are completely familiar with everything here, and when you leave you know with 100% certainty that you will return,
And that's how you know! So...Where is my 'Soul Place'? Well, I have a few, but I'll narrow it down to two for you.
The first, is in and around Vancouver, including Vancouver Island. I visited the island a few years ago with my family and instantly loved everything about the area. This acknowledgement is a reminder that we are on the traditional land of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, the traditional territories of the Lkwungen (Esquimalt and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke and W̱SÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) peoples.
The second, is Oahu, Hawai’i. Home to some of the most beautiful beaches full of sea creatures, rock pools, and hills, I could explore the islands forever. If you ever go there, there's a lovely beach house restaurant in the north shore, which overlooks the ocean. It's beautiful. I love the ocean, and so much of my work is inspired by nature and the sea, and how I feel when I'm there. Aloha, It is with profound reflection that I offer up this Land Acknowledgement, acknowledging Hawaiʻi as an indigenous space whose original people are today identified as Native Hawaiians. The ʻāina on which we gather is located in the ahupuaʻa of Waikīkī, in the moku of Kona, on the mokupuni of Oʻahu, in the paeʻāina of Hawaiʻi. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of Indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today. For this I am truly grateful
So, do you have a 'Soul Place'? Where is it? I'd love to know!