Intuition defined as "into the soul" is a natural gift we are all born with. It’s an inner guide, gut feeling, or sixth sense. My personal belief is that we all have an intuition, yet some of us may be more sensitive to it than others. It interacts with us on a daily basis with every experience from making a major life decision to deciding what product is better to purchase.
Have you ever walked into a bookstore and felt drawn to a book for no reason? You check it out and realize it’s exactly the type of book you need at this moment in your life. Or met someone and instantly felt a connection but couldn’t figure out why? This is your intuition guiding you to people, places, and experiences meant for your soul’s growth and expansion.
Intuition also helps us avoid specific situations, people, and decisions. For example, going on a date for the first time and getting a bad vibe about the person. That "bad vibe" is you sensing that person’s energy. Perhaps later you find out why you didn’t get the greatest feeling about the person.
We receive good and bad vibes all day in our work environments, personal relationships, family, health matters, and more. Intuitive impressions help us with major life decisions and also prepare and inform of us things to come or things that have passed.
So how can you begin to harness your intuition? The following are five suggested tips:
- Energy sensing
I attended a one-day workshop with James Van Praagh in New Jersey and he had us practice sensing each other’s energy centers or chakras with our hands. It was a really powerful way to intuitively sense information about someone spiritually, mentally and emotionally.
Energy sensing is a simple technique and one you can practice with yourself or with another person. Get into a calm meditative state. When you feel more relaxed, bring your awareness to your heart center. Notice how your heart feels. Pay attention to any feelings, colors, blockages that may arise. You can practice this with other chakra centers as well such as the throat, third eye or solar plexus.
Becoming more aware of energy allows you to be sensitive and open to new information.
Watch Spirit Talk: Auras and Energy{.inline-media .inline-video} with James Van Praagh to be guided through an energy-sensing exercise.
- Meditation
Meditation is a tried and true technique to tap into your inner wisdom and communicate with your higher self or a spirit guide. It not only helps with stress relief but also opens the door to your intuition. A simple meditation technique is concentrating on your breath for 5 minutes or repeating a mantra such as "Om Shanti," which means inner peace in your mind.
If you lack focus and concentration while being still, I suggest doing a walking meditation like walking in the park and taking in the sounds and smells of the season. You can also create, write, or do anything that brings peace and stillness to your mind.
- Signs & Symbols
Begin to notice repeating signs, symbols, or numbers in your environment. This may be a message from the universe, spirit guide, or your intuition guiding you or showing you something. For the longest time, I saw the numbers 1212 everywhere and took that as a sign of transformation and higher knowledge. You can interpret the sign as what you feel it may mean. Also notice how you feel or what you are thinking about when you see the sign as a potential way to interpret it.
- Quiet Time & Checking In
Set aside time each day for 10-15 minutes to turn off all electronics, check out from life, and tune into yourself. During this time, notice how you feel emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. You can pose a question to yourself about a particular concern such as "Is this career transition right for me?" Notice what feelings, emotions, or impressions arise. Write down what you experienced and practice this throughout the week at the end of your day.
- Dreams
In our dream state we are open and highly receptive to connecting with our intuition. Start to keep a dream journal or take notes in your phone of the dreams you have. Pay attention to recuring themes, symbols, or feelings you experience in them.
Also, feel free to concentrate on a concern or question at night before you go to bed. The next morning write down what you received if anything. Be patient as this exercise doesn’t always work immediately. You may also want to get some crystals for dreaming to help enhance your connection. Place them under your pillow at night before you fall asleep.
Practice each tip and see what resonates with you. You may also develop your own practices and methods that work for you with each. Build, expand, and let your intuition guide you.
