3 Ways to Strengthen Your Intuition
Have you ever had a big question or an important decision to make?
I know how it’s like — the first thing we tend to do is look outside for answers.
We search on Google, get advice from friends and family, read books and consult the teachings of experts.
Yet, what’s often neglected is the most important authority of all: our own intuition.
Intuition is the ability to know or understand something immediately and without the need for reasoning.
When we cultivate intuition then we connect to an infinite pool of knowledge. As Steve Jobs called it, “more powerful than intellect.”
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” — Steve Jobs
It’s true, let your intuition lead the way.
If you sometimes have doubts or second-guess yourself, this could mean that you haven’t cultivated your intuition or haven’t mastered listening to it just yet.
Intuition is the inner voice connected with the Higher Mind that makes sure that every action we take, every word we speak and every thought we conceive is aligned with our authentic path.
By paying attention to our intuition, we not only begin to live a more mindful life, but we also know we’re doing what we are meant to do.
It’s not just for psychics either. Everyone can access and cultivate intuition.
Have you ever had a gut feeling? You know, that unconscious feeling that propels us to do something without knowing why or how.
It’s a “knowing without knowing.” Even if we’re not at a fork on the road, intuition is always there, reading the situation and trying to steer us the right way.
Yet, can we hear it? Are we paying attention?
3 Ways to Strengthen your Intuition
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroad? That’s intuition that we tap into when we’re making choices not led by the analysis paralysis that can sometimes come with the mind.
When we are led by higher guidance, we can become still and at ease with the path we chose, even when the big picture is not yet crystal clear.
It’s cultivating faith in the process, trusting that we are being led the right way.
Intuition is key to a confident and magical life. — Noelle Aquila
How To Start Listening to Your Inner Voice
✦ Journal
Journaling is a great way to get what’s on your mind down on paper. It becomes a way to listen to yourself, somewhat like a meditation. You can write about anything and everything that’s on your mind, without censoring and for your eyes only.
Morning pages, popularized by the Artist’s Way, is 3-pages of uncensored writing done first thing in the morning.
To start — Grab your journal, write about your day and your current thoughts.
Don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, or even making sense. Let the words flow right from your heart without censoring.
Doing this has a lot of benefits that I can attest to myself.
They center and clear your mind. We wake up with a ton of stuff floating around our mind. Morning Pages acts as a “brain dump” allowing us to return to a blank state, making way for our most constructive and creative thinking.
They help unearth creativity. Being clear and centered is a great pre-cursor to allowing your creativity to flow. It’s always been there — sometimes buried under mind-stuff.
They make you more calm. They act as a stress-relief as writing helps sweep away anxiety. Envy, fear, anger… these can all be put down on paper to be seen for what they really are. Illusions. By getting this stuff out, you’ll see how they aren’t so bad.
✦ Practice Body Awareness
We don’t call it “gut feel” for nothing. Do you know that the gut is a primitive brain? 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut. With a sophisticated neural network, the brain in your gut actually exerts a powerful influence over the one in your head.
Practice tuning into your body and becoming more aware of how you feel. Are you excited? Nervous? Or do certain energies make you feel anxious?
Listen to your body’s response to different people and situations, as well as different thought patterns.
As you become more aware of how you feel, you’ll start to become more self-referred and connected to your intuition.
✦ Pay Attention to Dreams
Dreams are from the subconscious mind and are a way to deal with repressed thoughts and emotions, usually using images that we come across during the day.
When the cognitive mind is busy, it can override the intuitive right brain and the subconscious mind — the wellspring of intuition. When you’re sleeping, your cognitive mind rests and opens space for the subconscious mind to signal you in dreams.
Connecting to what you’re feeling tunes you in more strongly into your intuition — which always speaks in feeling messages.
Inspired Living
Intuition is real energy that guides and directs you. In living in tune with our intuitive guidance, we become more capable of taking inspired action.
This is action that comes from the heart and is in tune with the synchronicity of the Universe.
A little secret…
If you have difficulties cultivating intuition, your third eye chakra may be overactive or blocked.
To bring it back in balance, try meditating and visualizing indigo light spreading from in between your eyebrows.
“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.” — Kahlil Gibran