Uncaging the Soul

Have you ever felt your soul become uncaged?

I can’t say that I feel my soul very often. Usually, I go about my busy day and don’t think about the whole mind/body/soul thing. I use my body all the time, and my mind too. But when do I truly use my soul? I’m sure if I got really still and silent after I did a nice deed or tucked my kids into bed at night; I might feel my soul. But usually I just move on to the next thing that occupies my time.

But there are a few activities that without trying and without sitting really still, my soul pours out of me. I first noticed it in church a few years back, during the worship songs. I don’t have a nice voice and I don’t particularly like live music – but my soul does. When I stand and sing the Lords praise, I cry. I don’t cry out of sadness, or even happiness really. It’s an uncontrolled release of gratitude from my soul. Thanking me for uncaging it and letting it be closer to God. It happens every time.

Another time I notice it is during running. If I go out for a run, I feel the same beautiful release on my first step. I usually feel like crying then too, but I don’t. I just smile inside and enjoy the feeling of my soul getting some air time.

Then today I had the pleasure of feeling it again. Today is day 24 of the workout challenge. I decided to do Zumba, but my home DVD was not cutting it. So later in the morning, I packed my daughter up and headed to the YMCA to take a Zumba class. I’ve taken it before, months ago. I had the same feelings then as I had this morning. Beautiful release.

Before class, I felt tight and closed off. The music started and my soul gave a twitter. Something’s going on here. Then my legs started moving and – oh god – my hips! This white girl doesn’t move her hips regularly. After 10 minutes, I felt like crying. My soul was being freed by the uninhibited flow of my bodys limbs and hips, moving fast and in sync with the musica de latin. At one point, I wanted to scream out “ZUMBA!!!” Shakira style, but I resisted. Then… Wait! Red Light! I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Oh Holy God. Is that me?! I thought I was really getting this… do I really look like THAT when I do this?!

Thankfully, my soul didn’t care what my body looked like. It was free and beautiful in its own right and it was all okay.
I feel light and free now. My soul got a workout and God is good.
Have you ever felt your soul let free