The knot in the pit of your stomach. The voice in the back of your head. The subtle signs that reappear again and again. Intuition is that deep inner "knowing" that can't be explained by logic or reason. We've all experienced it, but did you know that harnessing the power of your intuition can improve just about every aspect of your life? Our intuition is our superpower. Think back to those times you had a hunch about something — how did it feel within your body? Did you listen to it? Did it turn out to be true? It's said that "gut feelings are guardian angels."
"Living intuitively can help us to climb the career ladder, strengthen our relationships, and support our personal growth."Watch This!
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Intuition surpasses our five senses as an innate response that bridges the gap between the conscious and subconscious mind. It arrives unexpectedly as a stream of knowledge and without us moving through the usual thought processes for accessing it. Modern life encourages us to constantly be switched on, which is why we often confuse intuition with anxiety. With multiple chats happening on multiple apps with multiple people at any given time, news alerts, and social media, the stress levels, expectations, and demands on us are high. So in the midst of it all, our intuition is often silenced by our overthinking, anxious mind.
We might experience intuition as a gentle wave of wisdom, soft and empowering. Anxiety, on the other hand, is the opposite: debilitating and all-consuming. You can spot the difference by noticing the cues of your body. It's anxiety if your heart is beating quickly, if your breath is shallow, or if you physically feel afraid. It's also anxiety if you find out the feeling is linked to a past situation or a "what if." Ultimately, intuition feels comforting, especially when we listen to it.
Living intuitively can help us to climb the career ladder, strengthen our relationships, and support our personal growth. It can lead us to our authentic purpose and toward long-term contentment. Intuition can show us what we need to thrive and how to be unapologetically but consciously ourselves. Trusting our intuition means trusting ourselves and the harmony that exists around us.
Interested in amplifying the intuitive talents we all possess? Keep reading for my favorite techniques.
Align With the Lunar Cycle
Everything in life moves in a cyclical nature, from the seasons to our breath to our menstrual cycle (if we bleed). Aligning to the cycles of the moon is an easy way to amplify our inner psychic and tap into the powerful feminine energy it carries. There are eight unique phases of the moon, and each phase holds its own energetic frequency, which is also influenced by astrology. With the new moon, we plant seeds of intention and manifest opportunities, thinking about what we want to grow within our lives. With the full moon, we reflect, cleanse, and release.
To start moon-cycling, getting yourself a planner, such as Ana Leo's Astro Diary ($19), which will guide you through the daily energies. With simple energy insights, you'll be able to map out when you might expect to feel most confident or motivated and use this to shine at work, kick-start a passion project, or go on that date. Apps such as Moonly or My Moontime (a holistic period tracker) will give you daily updates and can help you to manage your moods. If you want to take it one step further, I really recommend the Moonology Oracle Cards by Yasmin Boland ($20).
Journal Your Dreams
Our conscious mind is busy — really busy! Think of all the streams of information and conversations you are processing at any given moment. In any high-stress, fast-paced environment, our intuition is silenced as "logic and reason" spring into action. That makes sense, of course — we need to be alert to thrive within our surroundings. As we sleep, however, our conscious mind goes into rest mode, creating an opportunity for our intuition to kick in.
Our dreams can point us to our unhealed traumas and shadows. They can show us where we are storing energy and where we are avoiding the truth. We can even meet our spirit guides and channel messages in that space. So, pay attention to your dreams and what comes up for you; you can even ask for a sign before you fall asleep. Journal immediately upon waking to track any consistent patterns or cycles, and explore what they are leading you toward. Pay extra attention around the full moon, too, when the veil is thin.
Cleanse Your Chakras
Our chakras are our body's subtle energy centers, and each one is responsible for a different aspect of our mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. Through the different challenges we face, we may store energy in these centers, causing them to move out of alignment. This can cause everything from unregulated emotions to illness and injury. It can also affect our perception of our world and our place in it. Much as we might go to a therapist to explore our mental health and the gym to work on our physical health, we might choose to go to Reiki, sound baths, or a meditation class to work on our spiritual health.
Low-cost ways to cleanse your chakras include a gentle guided meditation or breathwork session, an Epsom salt bath, popping a crystal in your bra or pocket, and moving your body regularly. A tip: something like power yoga or high-intensity training will cleanse and release heavy energies, and a nurturing yin class will restore balance. You can also try a sound bath or Reiki session — both IRL and virtual sessions are really effective.
Get to Know Your Nervous System
The best way to get to know your intuition is to get to know your body. Consult your senses before, during, and after experiences to check in with how you actually feel. Is your nervous system calm? How are your energy levels? Do you feel light or heavy? Drained or content? The body talks to us constantly — and all we have to do is listen. Getting comfortable within your senses and with the subtle cues of your nervous system will help you to decipher whether a feeling is intuition or anxiety in the early stages. From there, you will be able to understand where within your body you feel intuition. For some, it may be a gut feeling; for others, it might manifest as goosebumps, a ringing in your ears, or a stream of consciousness that arrives front of mind. Let go of overthinking, and allow yourself to be led instead by the feelings your body presents.
Spend Time in Stillness
Getting comfortable in silence is one of the best ways to enhance your intuition. Explore where your mind goes when you remove all the usual distractions. Start by sitting down for three to five minutes — no phone, no noise. Close your eyes, scan your body, notice your breath, check in with how you're feeling. Try this every day for as long as you can, and you'll be surprised by the intuitive pings that come through.
