Developing intuition requires faith in your self. It’s valuing your self enough to take time to listen to your self, to trust your self, and to use this inner wisdom for natural healing.
Developing Intuition: A Personal Story
When I started writing this article, I had to stop because I was not doing what I was advising — “following my intuition.” I was caught up in activity, “Getting things done.” The word “intuition” comes from the Latin word “intueri” which means “to look inside” or “to contemplate.”
So that’s what I did, I took three days to just be, to contemplate. I realized that as long as I was focused on “getting things done,” my mind was full and busy, there was no space for new insight, no room for my inner wisdom to shine through.
Intuition is direct knowing or sensing that is beyond usual thought and use of senses. Take a moment and reflect on a time when you noticed your intuition.
I recall a snowy morning taking our baby son David to day care. We lived on the 3rd floor with back stairs going to where we parked our car. As I started down the stairs I slipped and began sliding. I raised David up holding him above me as I bounced down the stairs. I had a sore back, but gratefully David was completely untouched by the fall.
There is within all of us this inner wisdom that just knows what to do. Yet, in the busyness of modern life we miss its subtle cues. I invite you to discover your intuition with these 5 tips.
Developing Intuition Tips
- Slow DownIf you’re like most, you’re going too fast, driven by activity, and rarely take time just to be with your self. Here are few ideas to help you free up time for quiet contemplation:
- Reflect on your typical day: Take a piece of paper and note what you are doing during each waking hour. Then identify those things you can stop doing to make time for your self.
- Be a “News Connoisseur:” Take a 1-day break from the news in all its forms (email, FaceBook, texting, TV, etc.) to become aware of its affects on you and how much of your life it absorbs.You’ll likely notice you have a lot more time for yourself and feel better too. Continue the “news fast” for a week, then chose news that nourishes your mind.Just like choosing healthy food over junk food nourishes your body; choosing healthy news over junk news can nourish your mind and free up time too.
- Tune-InTuning-in to intuition’s subtle cues takes intention, attention, and practice.An example from my experience as a nurse was when I set my intention to learn how to take a pulse, an important vital sign.To detect the pulse’s subtle information, I had to learn to focus my attention and “tune-out” extraneous noise and my own mind’s chatter.I had to practice: First, I was delighted just to feel the radial artery’s pulsation. Overtime, I became more sensitive to its subtle cues. Now, its character, rate, and quality speak volumes to me on how the body is functioning.
- Separate the “Wheat From the Chaff”Chaff is the outer part of grain such as wheat. It has to be removed before the grain can be used as food. Similarly, developing intuition requires that you separate the thoughts that commonly fill the mind from intuitive thoughts.When seeking intuition, note the tone and quality of the message. Automatic thoughts, based more on early childhood experiences than current reality, typically accuse and demean, whereas intuitive thoughts are supportive and gentle in their guidance.
- Follow Your IntuitionNow that you hear or feel intuitive guidance — follow it. Simple, right? Well, not always. It’s easy to ignore intuition, especially if it’s telling you something your don’t want to hear.For example, I was preparing for a class. As I dried my hair a little voice in my head gently said, “Hurry won’t help.” I then looked at the clock and saw I was going to be late. I rushed to the class only to find that I had looked at the clock wrong and I was an hour early.I realized my intuition was teaching me a lesson that has been hard to learn, “Slow down. Enjoy what’s happening now, ‘Hurry won’t help.’”In developing intuition, its important to take some action on its guidance, even if the action is to say, “I hear you, but I don’t want to follow this guidance now.”
- Show GratitudeStrengthen intuition by relishing it, savoring it, appreciating it. I spend a little time each day savoring my intuitive insight, “Hurry won’t help.” This simple insight has brought a great deal of peace to my life. It is among the list of things that I am grateful for each day.What you appreciate and give attention to grows.
- Develop Self EsteemDeveloping intuition is developing your full potential. It is respecting your self, it’s self esteem, it’s trusting in your self and your inherent knowing.Use the methods of mind body healing, such as meditation and creative visualization, to reconnect with your birthright, to grow your self esteem.
Developing Intuition Key Points
You already have intuition, it’s an inner wisdom that just knows what to do. If you want to strengthen or rediscover it, these developing intuition tips can help you.
Resources
To try out a free program proven to develop intuition visit the Silva Intuition System.
