Tuning into the Power of Your Intuition
Hunch, instinct, gut feeling, flash, premonition, sixth sense, inner voice, I can’t really explain it;
It just felt right/wrong.
We are all familiar with these terms used to describe intuition, but what is intuition? How can we tap into it? How can we live a more authentic life and make empowered decisions?
In a society that values scientific facts and rational thinking, intuition is generally underrated, ridiculed, and classified as paranormal activity. In the TV series Mindhunters, agent Holden Ford follows his gut feelings and is usually frowned upon by his colleagues. He manages to gain great insights and progress in his cases even though they are told to keep an eye on him since they are unsure about his strategies and intuitive approach.
Intuition is finally gaining more recognition among scientists, as we are becoming more open to the idea that we can use our hearts as much as our brains. Both play a key role in our everyday lives.
It’s great to hear incredible individuals give credit to their gut feelings. People like Albert Einstein, who was a scientist and claimed his insights did not come from logic but rather from his intuition.
And where would we be today without our iPhones? Steve Jobs was so focused on his vision that he purposely wore the same outfit every day so as not to get distracted from his path. He, too, attributed his success to listening to his inner voice, which he said was more important than his intellect. Richard Branson also claims to rely more on his intuition than on statistical research.
More good news: we all have intuition. It is our inherent birthright. It is not a talent that only a few gifted people have access to. So if we all have it, why aren’t more people listening to their intuition? We are taught to ignore it, and therefore we don’t trust it. We are under societal pressure to believe the facts, figures, and logic and to listen to the opinions of others.
The Latin word for intuition comes from “intueri”, which means knowledge from within. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes intuition as “the power of knowing immediately and without conscious reasoning”. Intuition is knowing without knowing, or knowing without knowing how you know.
Intuition is the inner voice of our true emotional self, though it is more than just a feeling. Our inner wisdom is anchored in our true selves. By aligning with our inner voice, we can find the answers we seek and tap into our true potential. And by staying attuned to our heart, it will always serve as our guiding light.
Basically, intuition is our primary guidance system that operates from the soul rather than the brain. We can compare it to our inner GPS, which helps navigate us through life. It is the invisible force that connects our conscious and unconscious minds.
Since we are all part of the universal network, we are automatically connected and plugged in.
Just like a computer can receive and process information, our inner compass has access to data uploads; however, too many distractions and disruptions can interfere with the downloading.
How to Reconnect with Your Intuition
- Stop the noise, the busyness, and the madness of running around every day. Learn to slow down and get off the merry-go-round. Spend some quiet time with no distractions so you can decompress, start listening to your own inner voice, and strengthen your capacity to maintain the connection to your true self. Go for a walk; spend time in nature; take a breather, literally; simply sit and be with yourself. Meditation is a great tool to declutter and quiet the mind. This makes it easier to tune in as you create the time and space to listen to your intuition.
- Do daily body scans. Your body is one of the first places we feel our intuition – that gut feeling. Checking in with your body can help you relax. Your body picks up signals from your subconscious that you may not be aware of yet. Pay attention to the physical sensations and cues as you monitor your body. Notice where your body is holding tension as well. Your inner feelings are also stored in your body, so you can also access your emotional self.
- Stop the overthinking, criticizing, and judging. You’ll end up talking yourself out of it if you overanalyze everything. The voice of fear pushes you back and encourages you to avoid and minimize your needs, while the voice of intuition pulls you forward and encourages you to move towards your true heart’s desires.
- Allow your intuition to guide you. Give yourself permission to shift your perspective and widen your view and boundaries so you can generate new creative ideas and explore new opportunities. Take note of persistent thoughts or recurring themes (emotional and physical problems). These are usually strong signals from your intuition that demand your attention and offer you an opportunity to do something different as you learn the deeper meaning or lesson in that situation.
- With practice, you will learn to activate and trust your intuition. Intuition is like a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the stronger it will become. The more you tune in, the more sensitive you will become and the more easily you will receive the messages. When it comes from your deeper wisdom, intuition is filled with the hope and excitement, not worry and anxiety. The inner knowing is like a calm, relaxing wave coming over you, a gentle whisper from your soul urging you and nudging you in the right direction. Instead of self-doubt and anxiety, you have the confidence and inspiration to make better and faster decisions. Don’t reject or dismiss those deeper insights. Start by practicing with smaller decisions. Take a chance and see what happens. You’ll be amazed.
- Keep in touch with your inner child, the seat of your creativity and natural intuition, that provides that undercurrent of pure and divine love, and connects us to everything and everyone. Nurture your inner child by making time to have fun, laugh, play, and relax. Take out your crayons, doodle, draw and create your own art. Your intuition thrives in the areas of your passions and creative endeavors.
- Journaling is such an important tool for reclaiming your mental and spiritual health. Writing helps you become more aware of your feelings and make sense of what they are trying to tell you. Journaling will also help you keep the lines of communication open, and find clarity and answers to your questions. Write to your intuition, ask a question and just sit with it. It’s like sending a message to the universe by pressing the send button on your email. Look within and allow the answers to come to the surface. By switching gears, you can override the conscious mind and go on autopilot, which may be scary and uncomfortable for some people, but learn to trust the process. The answers may appear right away or come up later on as you are doing something else.
- Keep a dream journal. By paying attention to your dreams, you are tapping into the wellspring of your intuition, the subconscious mind. As you are asleep, your conscious mind is out of your way, and you have access to your true self.
- Lean into your heart’s intelligence. Don’t rely solely on your brain. Using only your head might cause you to miss out on an important part of the puzzle. Don’t seek answers only outside of yourself. Don’t get smothered or silenced by the outer voices. Turn your attention inward and align yourself with your inner compass. Be open to receiving, recognizing and acknowledging it.
- When you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll start noticing synchronicities and coincidences. They will show up on your GPS as a sign that you’re on the right track. As you keep going, things will start to fall into place and make sense.
As we become aware of this powerful presence that dwells at the core of our being, we can learn to go with the flow and to live with our own inner knowing. Our inner voice can easily become neglected and lost with all the hustle and bustle of today’s world, filled with endless choices and overwhelming demands. All the more reason to deepen our relationship with our intuition, our guiding force that will point us in the right direction. By being honest with ourselves, we can connect to our higher power as we embrace and express the true essence of who we really are.
So when your intuition comes calling, are you going to pick up?
I think you already know the answer!
Antoinette Giacobbe M.A.
