Practically Intuitive

Practical tips on intuition development

Many people tell me developing intuitive skills sounds easy. However, at times those same people find that not to be the case. The most common struggle is making a distinction between intuition and mind chatter (or clatter). My answer to this dilemma is don’t worry about it. I am aware this may sound rather unrewarding, but if you really think about it, it can also come as a huge relief.

Intuition is not about being right. Sometimes, making a ‘mistake’ can be a gift. The trick is in acknowledging and then interpreting these mistakes before you discard them. Everything you feel has meaning. It’s just a question of good housework or filing. As with domestic waste management being ecologically sound, compartmentalising our thoughts or instincts can be just as productive. People in the creative arts very often use mistakes to their advantage by making something of them. Part of you may believe intuition is simply a feeling which comes and goes. Like waves in the ocean, could you say one wave is better or better formed than the other? (I am sure surfers would argue this point). But if you imagine you are sitting on a beach watching waves crashing on the shore, it would be quite hard to sit there and judge them. Pointless even. They are just waves being waves and doing their job. It’s the same with intuition. Intuition is neutral and selfless.

To develop your intuitive skills you don’t necessarily need to attend workshops. It’s something you can do anytime, anywhere. I had some requests on sharing practical tips in developing your intuitive skills. Below are some I have chosen to respond to at this moment. I hope you find them useful.

 

Let go of any expectations or agenda when it comes to intuition development. Practice being flexible in your mind and if possible, in difficult moments always look for a wider prespective.

Be in touch with your body. Treat it with kindness and care.

Be light and playful around intuition development. Being too serious can interfere with the process.

Really listen to people when they talk. Be present. Notice how often when someone is talking to you, you are either judging them or already thinking about what to say next. Try and keep yourself out of it.

Slow down. Find at least 5 or 10 minutes a day to sit down, rest or simply be.

Make an act of kindness when you can and don’t let the person know it or tell anyone. Watch and notice what happens.

When your phone rings try to anticipate who is calling.

When you are about to pay at the supermarket try guessing the total amount before the cashier tells you.

When having to make a decision, notice how your body and emotions feel when imagining the first option (expanded, warm, aligned or contracted, anxious, fearful) then pause for a moment, and then again scan how your body and emotions feel when you imagine choosing the second option. In most cases you will notice a distinct difference.

Notice if you are someone who likes to collect objects around the house. Do some decluttering every so often. You will be amazed not only at the impact this will have on your intuition but also on your general well being. It’s proven that being tidy and organised does enhance intuition.

Imagine you are someone you admire and really think highly of. What does this “person” think about a specific situation? Write it down.

When you lose something, before you’ve given up hope try to be patient and ask your intuition where the object might be. Try not to expect an answer a second later particularly if you are feeling stressed, where you wouldn’t be able to hear it anyway. You need to let it go and be detached. Very often the answer will come when you least expect it.

Practice giving honest yes and no’s.

Learn to deal with feeling overwhelmed. In such cases slow down and try to follow the “one step at the time” mantra.

If you are a perfectionist and like to have things under control it is possible certain things might make your feel uptight. When this happens, ask yourself, is being uptight useful to me right now? See what happens.

Be open to criticism. Try not to defend or justify.

Eliminate negative and ugly language.

 

Sophia Colangelo, Founder of www.whatisintuition.net