All Souls’ Day could possibly be more than its traditional concept. We hope that we touch the people we cherish through prayer — somewhere far away. And we visit them where they have left their bodies. We bring flowers to where their bodies rest. And in silence and gratitude, we pause while reminiscing about our shared memories. Two in one But what if the body is in the soul and yet the soul is inside the body? You see, those who have had near-death experiences, those very souls who have stood between the heavenly and earthly realms, tell us it is so. Those who were in life-and-death situations leave their bodies and yet feel they are more embodied than ever. They are overcome with a lightness of being, moving at a speed that is faster than light. They have a glimpse of pure freedom and joy. They see the hospital room and their bodies from above and feel no pain. They are given an instant sense of clarity that their body was living inside a much larger field. And at the same time, they feel their soul was always inside their body — tucked into every breath. A relative who survived a near-fatal heart attack told me, “I was not inside my body. My body was inside me.” A contradiction, perhaps. But it was his truth. Our soul is inside the body. That is why a cut can make you feel bad and why sickness can cause one to feel helpless. This is also the reason why a hand held in yours is not only comforting to the touch but also stirs something much deeper inside of you. It is love, something unseen that touches the spirit. And your body is inside your soul. This is why, when you love someone, you feel larger than life. And why, when you grieve, you do not seem to fit inside your body of skin. It is clear that body and soul are interconnected. Beyond walking There are two kinds of walking. Walking with the body — muscle, heart, bone. You count your strides and sweat all the way up to 3,000 steps. The body needs to be trained to endure in order to get stronger. And there is walking with the soul — when you walk long enough that your mind becomes still, unmuddled by everyday stress. Your feet find a familiar rhythm. Your breath deepens. This is when your soul catches up and walks with you. You see, the first walk burns calories, while the second walk burns the illusion that you are alone. People who return from the threshold are made to go back. Their mission isn’t over. They never talk about it as a dimension that is far away. They know it as some place close by. It is the very breath inside you — and you inside the breath. On All Souls’ Day, try to walk both walks. Walk with your body to the cemetery. And keep walking with your soul. Walk until you feel that you have never left your dearly departed loved ones. Nor have they left you. You are still inside their love. And they are still inside you. Between here and the hereafter, there is not a wall. There is a path. And we are all walking it — body and soul. Affirmation: “Heaven is within me.” Luke 17:21, KJV: “The kingdom of God is within you.” Love and light.