Intuition

Trust Yourself And Your Intuition

The Oxford English Dictionary defines intuition as “the immediate apprehension of an object by the mind without the intervention of any reasoning process”.

Isaac Asimov said of it, “Intuition is the art, peculiar to the human mind, of working out the correct answer from data that is, in itself, incomplete or even, perhaps, misleading.”

How is your relationship with this aspect of yourself? Can you find your own way through a situation with incomplete data? Are you able to balance the left and right sides of your nature, instinct and logic, in order to create maximum persuasion?

We all have the experience of gut feelings, most likely in the form of danger. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is an unpleasant reminder of our intuitive natures. Or maybe you’ve experienced it in a romantic situation. We’ve all heard stories of a man or woman meeting their twin flame for the first time and thinking to themselves, ‘This is the person I’m meant to be with. I can feel it.’

Intuition is a muscle that can be strengthened. It is an aspect of emotional intelligence and with study, attention and patience, can be grown and used to further aid your persuasion skills.

Hunches, gut feelings and intuitions are entirely acceptable to apply in business matters, as well as, life in general. Following these are signs that Spirit is flawlessly guiding our lives as we’ve requested.

When I experience a moment of intuitive clarity, I feel it in the back of my stomach, radiating sharply. Other people experience it as a jump in their chest. Others still feel a hardness in the backs of their throats. By paying attention to these physical shifts, the world of self-calibration opens up to us. These shifts can sometimes make huge differences in the things we do and measures we take to close a deal or get out of a dangerous or difficult situation.

As a small disclaimer: Following hunches shouldn’t negate logic and reason, but act in concert with them. The ability to pay attention to hunches and intuition is sometimes relegated to woo-woo modern mystics and is often neglected or mocked in other situations. But think about EMTs or military personnel (especially ones in the line of danger) who rely on these abilities to keep themselves safe. Or think about business mogul, Lee Iacoca, who once said, “The only mistake I ever made was not listening to my gut.”

Think back to times when you had these feelings and didn’t heed the warning. What unpleasantness could you have avoided if you had (a broken heart, a stolen iphone. . .)? By checking in, centering, and gaining clarity, our life is enhanced immeasurably in all aspects.

Your Intuition Is Your Guide

Are you aware of your inner voice? Do you pay attention to it? (By the way, I'm not talking about the one who puts you down!) I'm talking about the one that softly whispers ideas and suggestions to you, the kind that the other voice might try to shut down, crying “Are you mad”!? This requires stepping out of our comfort zone, and that is to be avoided at all costs (even if the cost is living a life of mediocrity instead of the one of your dreams).

Sadly, the latter voice is the one most of us are aware of and pay attention to. The more gentle one, the one that is our intuition, is often ignored (if we can even hear it at all). The great pity here is that it's our intuition that really has our best interests at heart. Our shadow voice (the louder, more aggressive one) does have our welfare at heart too, but in a protective way.

What's wrong with protecting us? I know you’re thinking that! Well, it limits us and ultimately erodes our well being at a soul level. And believe it or not, that's not good for our physical or emotional well being! If you're unfulfilled at a soul level, slowly and imperceptibly you will develop a nagging feeling of general discontent which can have a rippling effect on your mood, self esteem and ultimately your physical and mental health. But that's for another article...

The gentle voice of your intuition will, if listened to, stretch you beyond your comfort zone, but never more than you are capable of. It will challenge you, but also support you. It always has your best interests at heart, at every level: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. It will not only gently nudge you in scary directions which will yield huge and unimaginable rewards, but it will also gently nudge you when it’s time to stop or turn around.

When you tune into your intuition and allow yourself to be guided by it you will be surprised at how much easier formerly assumed challenges will become. And how much good fortune lands in your lap (we call it synchronicity). And how good it feels to be at ease with yourself and all your life experiences, even the ones you wouldn't choose!

If you're not used to listening to your intuition, learning to tune into it will require time and patience. At first, you may be unsure which voice is which (especially as your shadow voice often sounds very reasonable), and using your intuition is very much like using your physical muscles. You need to use it regularly in order for it to be in the shape you want.

So how do you get to know your intuition better? First of all, start to watch out for hunches, feelings, ideas that crop up. Pay attention to the voice that accompanies it. Is it gentle, positive, supportive?

If it's aggressive, domineering, or using scare-mongering tactics it's more likely to be your shadow voice. If you're getting a feeling of warning, is it a loud and threatening one? (shadow). Or an insistent knowing one? (intuition).

The scary thing about trusting your intuition when it's new to you, is that it's not based on logic and often what it suggests to you cannot be justified logically. But with practice and trust, you'll learn that knowing that something is the right thing to do, is in your best interests. It'll be easier to shrug off your own shadow voice and that of others (who will fear for your best interests on your behalf).

The key to developing this essential trust in one’s intuition is to start small. Don't make life-changing decisions based on your intuition if you're not familiar with it (you might still be confusing your two inner voices). Do ask your intuition to guide you with smaller decisions, and wait for the gentle knowing feeling to arrive. Don't expect an instant answer, but watch out, for it will come and you'll know it when it does.

Over time, as you tune in more and more, you'll find you suffer less and less with worry or anxiety. You'll trust all will work out well, and often you'll find it works out better than you could ever have imagined!

Awakening The Intuition

We live at a time when the capacity to hear Spirit’s voice speaking within heart and mind has become greater, due to the intensification of light within the physical plane. As a result, even for those who have wandered far away from a spiritual path, the way back is more possible than ever before. All you need is a wish to return and give time and attention to the voice of inner knowing that you may have previously been rejected.

This inner knowing is what we call intuition. It takes place in silence and in the presence of inspiration that arrives from another level, often by asking and waiting. Though some intuitive perceptions are primarily focused within the human plane, for example, knowing someone so well that we can anticipate how they might react to something or what they might do, the kind of intuition that may be called ‘higher intuition’ comes from a different place. It is the voice of understanding that translates messages from the level of the soul where Divine truth, light, and wisdom can be heard.

There doesn’t have to be a great difference between human intuition and higher intuition. And yet, for many there still remains a large gap – a space that makes it more difficult to hear the words that are being whispered to and from the soul. In order to bridge this gap, mind and heart have to be willing and there needs to be at least the beginning of trust in one’s capacity ‘to know’.

Intuition does not need to be taught; it needs to be allowed. It is a capacity that has always been within us in a dormant state, waiting for us to turn towards it, as a flower turns to the sun. We can start with a small willingness to 'know’ more of truth, light, and wisdom as it applies to our own life and to the lives of those we love. We can begin to pray to have the obstacles removed that cloud understanding or diminish our perception of what this truth might be.

A desire to make contact with higher truth begins to open the doors to inner knowing, especially when such desire is accompanied by a willingness to receive and to pay attention to what has been heard or sensed. There are people who ‘know’ things who do not believe what their inner senses tell them. They invalidate and reject what they feel or believe. This choice begins to close the doors to higher perception as it gives more power to fear; fear of being wrong, fear of being different, fear of needing to change one’s life based on what is heard. In order to open the doors to intuition and to keep them open, we need to be willing to hear and know, and we need to be willing to trust.

Trust is not a simple thing, for it often involves a reevaluation of how we have lived our lives. It may be that life has compelled us to be more practical, more focused on the daily tasks of living and providing for others. Or, it may be that we have made mistakes in the past concerning who or what to trust. It also may be that we have forgotten that we have the capacity to feel more, to sense more, or to be more open to life on all levels. Trust involves not only a willingness to receive something from another level of our being. It also involves a willingness to believe in our own capacity to flow with life and to change what needs to be changed on the outside or on the inside in order to do so.

There are many who know a great deal but who are afraid to let themselves recognize this because of where it might take them. This fear must be let go of in order to open the doors further to intuition and to the greater perception of light and truth.

Especially today, when there are so many great issues before us as a collective humanity, and so many actions taken that can have a profound effect on all of humankind, it is especially important that we reclaim our ability to know and to trust, that gives rise to intuition. To do otherwise leaves us in the precarious position of not knowing what or who to believe, not knowing which direction to go in, in terms of making the world a better place and relieving the immense suffering that currently exists. Without access to the deeper intuitive sense that is part of us, we live at the mercy of public opinion rather than in the presence of truth.

For reasons that are both personal and are simply part of being human, it is essential, now, for us to open to the light that is present so that we can participate more fully in the collective life of humanity, as well as, in the circumstances of our own lives. It is time to allow our inner senses to awaken and to become the light-filled beings that we are. The time we are in asks this of us, and for each of us, our hearts ask this of us so that we can begin to solve the problems and challenges that are immediately before us.

We can begin with a prayer or meditation; we can follow that with a period of silence and emptiness in which we do not know and wait to be shown; we can make ourselves ready to become vessels of truth and light. The recognition of intuition’s gifts may not happen immediately, but it will happen, and all of life celebrates when one who has left the path of recognizing their Divine self begins to tread the path of return.

How Inner Wisdom And Intuition Can Strengthen You During Difficult Times

All of us were created with an innate inner wisdom which guides our lives, serves as an inner “truth meter” and helps us to make important decisions at critical turning points in our lives. Some call this natural gift intuition, spiritual guidance or “gut feelings”.

Each of us connects to intuition in our own unique ways. Those with artistic or musical gifts may call upon their muse to inspire them with creative ideas. Those whose work involves great physical or mental endurance may connect with their inner wisdom by challenging themselves deeply to break through the barriers that usually stand between themselves and their inner gifts. Some of us may live very busy lives with little time to tune into our inner guidance, but our dreams serve as messengers to share with us the important information we may have tuned out in the midst of a busy day.

Our intuition is a profound gift which connects our embodied physical self with our divine spiritual essence. The soul can communicate with our embodied self through this line of light, and we can develop this inner connection over time through meditation, prayer, and the desire to know ourselves more deeply.

Our intuition can be of great benefit at all times in our lives, and especially during times of great stress or difficulty. In situations where we are facing unanticipated challenges such as the loss of a loved one or an illness, many intense emotions arise from within us. Our habitual supports are removed or shaken, which can cause us to feel unmoored, adrift, without anything to hold onto.

Our intuition can act as a guiding compass, pointing us instinctively towards the support we need to get through the difficulties we are facing. When our minds fail us because we feel overwhelmed, the voice of our inner wisdom speaks clearly and will repeat itself as often as necessary.

If we are accustomed to being in control of our lives, and then suddenly are faced with a situation we cannot manage, we may feel frightened and desperate because our usual methods of coping no longer are working. Intuition however, will always work, even in the direst of circumstances, because our embodied human self in the physical world is always connected with our larger spiritual self.

In a time of challenge or crisis, our spiritual support systems are activated from the spiritual realms. Our connection with intuition or guidance is strengthened, and those loving beings in the spiritual realms that watch over us and guide our lives provide extra assistance.

If we have become accustomed to discounting our inner wisdom, or have simply shut down the intuitive parts of ourselves through years of neglect, it may feel as though we cannot find the thread of light that would re-connect us to our source. It is important to understand that no matter how disconnected we become from our divine inner wisdom, it is always present and available to us. Even if we have erected barriers to shut out our inner guidance for a time, these can be removed by our diligent prayer, meditation, and intention.

If we have been disconnected from ourselves for a very long time, the process of reconnecting will often bring up old emotions, thoughts and memories that we may have hidden from ourselves that we were not ready to deal with. During this re-balancing phase, it is helpful to participate in some kind of regular spiritual or emotional support system that can help stabilize our inner connection with spirit.

One of the most challenging aspects of the healing process is remembering that emotions and memories from the past are coming up in order to be healed and released. A support system can help us to anchor in the strength of our inner being, to allow the emotions and feelings to pass through us and to release from our body, mind and spirit.

As this cleansing process happens, intuition and inner wisdom are naturally strengthened, for there are fewer barriers between ourselves and our spirit. This deeper inner connection can provide a source of wisdom, freedom, empowerment and comfort during difficult times, and will sustain us throughout life with greater love, joy and peace. Inner wisdom is a great gift, and is intended not only to bless our individual lives, but to share with others to bless all of life by our connection with the divine.

12 Time-Tested Methods For Getting In Tune With Your Intuitive Abilities

The world today can be overwhelming! Each year, society seems to revolve more and more around technology, screens, and stress. It is far too easy to get caught up comparing ourselves to the perfectly curated lives we see on social media, or feel overwhelmed by the never ending 24 hour news cycle. It’s no wonder we can often find ourselves feeling caught in negative cycles of anxiety, fear, and stress.

Thankfully, we are all born with the ability to access a tool that can help us overcome all of today's modern struggles. A tool that can help guide us through life and stay on the right path. It is our one true superpower, an ancient wisdom buried within each of us. What I’m talking about is your intuition!

The definition of intuition is, “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning”. In other words, it's the bridging of the gap between our conscious and unconscious minds. For example, have you ever had an unexplainable feeling in your gut that instinctively told you when something you were doing was right or wrong? That was your intuition speaking. Now imagine what your life would be like if you were able to access that inner guidance system whenever you needed it. That sounds amazing, right? Who wouldn’t want more of that?

Listening and trusting that little voice is a marvelous thing on its own, but working to develop that little voice can make it even more powerful. We all have the sacred ability to grow and strengthen our intuition. The more we use it, the more it can expand and evolve. Imagine your intuition as a muscle that needs exercise and nourishment to flourish. Let’s take a look at the 11 best ways to get in tune with and develop your amazing gift!

Meditate: Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you know that you should be meditating. We hear about it everywhere! We all know that we should be meditating more. Let's take a look at mediation through the lens of helping us tune into and grow our intuition.

For most people, intuition has a very soft voice. If our minds are busy with the stresses of daily life, it can be very hard to hear that little voice. Meditation is a great way to clear the mind, quiet the constant inner dialogue and make room for our intuition to come through. Try this basic meditation to help you listen and tune into your inner spirit!

-Set a timer for 10 minutes.

-Find a relaxing and comfortable place to sit.
-Close your eyes and stay quiet.

-Listen to and feel your breath (really pay attention to it) without trying to change it.

-Just observe the breath. Notice any sensations that arise. Just BE present.

-When your mind wanders, just bring your focus back to your breath.

When your timer goes off, slowly open your eyes and take a moment to write down any important thoughts, messages, feelings, or insights you may have received during your meditation.

Dreams: During our waking hours, our cognitive brain is in control. It uses logic and reasoning to override our subconscious mind. However, during sleep that conscious mind rests, allowing our inner subconscious to shine though. We can learn alot about overcoming issues or problems by listening to this inner consciousness.

Keep a dream journal. Keep a notebook and pen right next to your bed, and immediately upon rising try to record everything you remember about your dreams. Dreams begin to fade from memory immediately upon waking, so make sure to grab your dream journal before you do anything else. Like most things, this takes practice, you will get better over time at interpreting and recording these dreams. You will be able to see patterns and occasions where your inner consciousness is trying to help you solve problems or guide you in the right direction.

Before going to bed, visualize yourself remembering your dreams. Picture yourself waking up and recording these dreams in your journal. Try to keep this thought in your head as you fall asleep. This will help imprint the practice in your mind and make it easier the next morning.

More nature: Spending time in nature, away from technology, is one of the best ways to quiet the mind. Nature is a great way for us to get in tune with our ancestral self and our celestial intuition. This is where we come from, our ancestors relied on their intuition for everything. For finding food, avoiding predators, finding the right path, intuition was one of the most important aspects of life. Anytime we immerse ourselves in nature's beauty, we have an opportunity to dip our toe in another world, a world where intuition rules.

Get creative: Do something creative! Paint, draw, build, sketch, anything that elevates your creative mind. When we are young, our inner voice is loud and not hesitant to shine through. As we get older that inner voice is pushed down with responsibilities and the stresses of life. Tapping into this creative part of our brain can help re-ignite those pathways and amplify our intuitions.

Get in tune with all your senses: Your intuition can flow through any of your five senses. It may come as a strange or loving sensation you feel physically within your body, or as a thought that seems to appear out of nowhere. It may be triggered by a certain scent, or even taste. Start noticing and paying attention to all of your senses. When was the last time that you really concentrated on your breathing, your sense of smell, your taste? We have all heard the phrase, “stop and smell the roses”, but it really can help in developing your intuition. The more you practice getting in tune with these senses, the more your “6th sense” can flourish as well.

Follow your hunches: A surefire way to develop your intuition is to test out your hunches. When you are going about your daily life, keep a journal and write down every time you have a hunch. When that little voice chimes in, be sure to write it down, so you can record and see how these hunches play out.  It can be as simple as seeing the weather reporting rain for tomorrow, but you have a feeling it will be sunny. Maybe a friend's partner gives you bad vibes, write down your feelings and see if it plays out. Follow your hunches and see what you can learn about your intuition.

Switch up your daily routine: The conscious brain loves routine and order, but the more regimented your life is, the further your inner voice is pushed down. When the mind is busy it can be especially hard to hear that little voice. Switching things up can throw your cognitive brain for a loop, and let your intuition shine through. Escape the daily routine, slow down and do something different. Your intuition will thank you.

Replay past events: Sit down and try to think back to a situation where things didn't go as planned, or didn't go as you wanted. Visualize yourself back in that situation, notice any feelings or moments where you felt as if something was wrong. Was there an opportunity to go a different way? Did your inner voice speak up for a moment, only to be overtaken by your cognitive mind? Try to evaluate some of these occurrences and look for patterns, look for ways that you could do things differently the next time. Look for ways your intuition was trying to guide you and the things it was trying to tell you.

Breathework: Hands down, breathework is one of the best ways to quiet the mind and get in tune with your inner voice. Try this 4-7-8 method to give your intuition the opportunity to shine through and bring your consciousness to the present.

-Start by emptying your lungs of air.

-Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.

-Hold that breath for 7 seconds.

-Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. 

-Repeat this process 4 times. 

This 4-7-8 technique will not only help with intuition, it is a great way to mitigate stress and lower anxiety. Basically, the whole world would be a much better place if everyone would practice this simple technique once a day!

Think less, feel more:  Our cognitive brain thinks, our intuition feels. Our minds are always reasoning, questioning and thinking their way through the day. After so many years of this, we don't even realize it's happening. If people could hear all the questions, our cognitive brain is bouncing around all day, they would think we are crazy!

Try to slow down and “feel” more. Feelings that are grounded in your body, are also grounded in truth. These feelings will never lie. Learn to listen to them more. Pay attention to those little signals that our body gives us. Heart beating faster, that knot in the pit of your stomach, feeling hot, feeling cold or a tingling sensation. You know the situation; you meet someone and immediately know something is off about them, you can just feel it. Maybe they are lying to you or treating someone poorly, your physical body can feel that and alert you. If you pay more attention to these physical cues, you could avoid many uncomfortable, painful or awkward situations. This is your intuition speaking and it's trying to guide you in the right direction.

Practice “sensing” people before meeting them: This is a great way to test and grow your intuition. Put yourself into a situation where you can sit and observe someone before meeting them.

Imagine yourself in line at the coffee shop, try to imagine what the person behind the counter will be like, before you speak to them or meet them. Take in everything you can about them just by looking at them and trusting your feelings. Try to create a mental picture of what they will be like, sound like, are they friendly, are they sociable or not? You can use this in almost any situation to test your intuition. This is a powerful and actionable way to help you get in tune with your senses, your body and your innervoice.

Have Gratitude: In this day and age, it's easy to look at the negative aspects of life and forget about all that we are blessed to have. We all do it! It can be so easy to overlook our health, the love of our families, food and water, our home or our community. Take time, every day, to recognize and give thanks for a few of these amazing things that we are lucky enough to have in our lives. This simple practice can open us up to a higher frequency and allow more of life's wonders to find their way to us.

-Gratitude improves relationships.

-Gratitude improves sleep.

-Gratitude improves physical health.

-Gratitude improves self-esteem.

-Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.

-Gratitude improves psychological health.

The benefits of practicing gratitude have been scientifically researched and proven to be powerful, real tools. Think about just how much a few of those positive benefits could drastically change our daily lives. Gratitude can truly open a plethora of doors to a better life, which in turn, will help our intuitions flourish!