How do we know when the spirit is well? Unlike physical health that has numbers, diagnostic tools, etc.; the spirit itself is unseen. Yet for many people the issue of their mind is found in the spirit. The spirit goes by a lot of names, soul or heart, but the spirit is part of you. In the spirit domain issues can be seen and unseen by the outsider, leaving many people fighting a hidden battle unsure what is causing their issues. I was recently reading through Luke’s writing of the gospel of Jesus in the Bible. In this recording Jesus gives a teaching about a “sower.” He relates the seeds to the kingdom of God, which is this new way of thinking and living. In this he identifies that sometimes the new way of living cannot grow in the person because the soil is unhealthy or unstable. The person hears the words and attempts the life only to see it be blown away by the wind or deprived nutrients and die. This may sound intense or weird to us today but as I reflected on this passage It’s way more applicable than you may realize.
Throughout spiritual texts, especially the recordings of the Bible, the concept of spirit is connected to a garden. The spirit is what grows a specific fruit, plant, etc. and you know the health of it by how the person feels and lives. If you’ve read through the Bible, you see this theme throughout the text. But what does it mean to have unwell soil? When I think of gardening, I think of what happens when the soil is not well. I am by far not a professional gardener, or would I even consider myself to have a green thumb but what I do know is that when the soil is unwell bad things happen. Remember, plants have roots and those roots help stabilize and feed the plant for growth. So, when those roots are planted in something that is toxic or unstable the plant itself will not grow. As a human this is the same. As we journey through life working to be the best version of ourselves our core can become damaged or toxic. No matter what bio-hacks or coping skills are presented nothing will take hold. It’s like a constant 2 step forward, 3 steps back journey. If you find yourself wrestling with this then maybe your issue is the soil you’re trying to grow your life in.
Healing soil is challenging, whether gardening or in the spirit. Given that the spirit is not seen it can be hard to know how to help it heal. I believe this is where the analogy of the garden is helpful. When healing unhealthy soil for planting there are core skills used that relate well to the spirit. Many times, the first intervention is rest. Soil can be overworked; crop after crop the soil continues to give life. Its worked, grows new life and worked again. The constant turnover leaves the soil damaged and absent of nutrients. So, before anything else give the spirit rest. Only you know what is restful for you but a great place to start is doing the opposite of what is working your soil. Work, entertainment, chores are all good but can wear down the soil. The constant flow of these activities into our life leads to the body, mind, and spirit being worked over and over. Taking time to rest from these activities can allow for healing. Whether for a few hours of a full day try and make a rhythm of rest. The second is avoiding toxins. Many times, soil becomes damaged because of toxins in it. We’ve all seen the news articles and media posts about this in our world today. The spirit is the same, it can become toxic. Maybe not with chemicals but from what is consumed. Fear media, consumerism, divisive information all can make the soil toxic. This is usually seen through the thoughts and emotions you experience. Worry, anger, hate, fear, anxiety are all toxic fruits from toxic soil. Lastly is the nutrition of the soil. All soil needs nutrients. Not just ever occasionally but consistent nutrients which help the soil grow healthy plants. The spirit is the same. Community, meditation, prayer, silence, worship all are ways to give the spirit nutrients. Creating a rhythm with these practices helps create a nutrient dense soil.
Maybe as you read this the concept of soil resonates with you, or maybe you’re over talking in analogies. Either way how your think, feel and behave are a result of what is being grown in you. If you find yourself struggling, take time to assess your soil. Stop, breath, and reflect. What fruits are your producing and what struggles are you having? Or maybe you’re looking to improve yourself. Changing thoughts, improving behaviors, enhancing your health. Is the soil in a place for this, if not how could it be? No matter your journey we all have soil we are trying to grow in. The question is not what is the soil but rather is it well enough for you to be the person you desire to be.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into work such as this schedule your appointment today. Working through the four pillar system we can identify if the cause of your issue is here and help create balance of the body, mind, environment, and spirit.
Dr. Josh