Awakening Your Intuition

Intuition is knowing something instantly without reasoning. The word “intuition” comes from the Latin word intueri, which means to look within. Your own answers are continuously being revealed to you from inside yourself. Are you hearing the wise guidance that is yours to receive?

Practice makes perfect

The good news is that you have the ability to access your intuition at any time. Even better news is that with practice you can hone your ability to perceive your intuition naturally and easily, and benefit from its guidance. In Guide to Intuitive Healing (Three Rivers Press, 2000), psychiatrist and intuitive Dr. Judith Orloff describes intuition as “accessible to us all; it’s a still, small voice inside–an unflinching truth-teller committed to our well-being.”

Intuition is the wisdom within you: when you know who’s calling before you pick up the phone; when you take an immediate liking to someone after only briefly seeing them in a picture; and when you feel excited at the thought of a meeting that has not yet happened. When you listen to and trust your intuition, you begin to notice that it gently and beautifully points the way, and offers you the truth in every situation.

Trust Yourself

Intuition shows up in a myriad of ways and is referred to by many different names: a sixth sense, a vibe, a gut instinct, or a hunch. Intuition is perceived through physical sensations, dreams, synchronicities, instant flashes, images, and emotions.

Every individual has his or her own way of intuiting information. When you pay attention to your intuition and practice using it, you will become fluent in its language and be able to understand its subtle messages.

Sonia Choquette, PhD, intuitive, and best-selling author of Trust Your Vibes (Hay House, 2004) says that “birds have radar, whales have sonar, and we have our vibes.” In other words, we’re hardwired for intuition. Choquette also encourages individuals to think about how “our sixth sense should be our first sense” because of its importance and value in our lives.

You’re the Expert

When you rely on your intuition, you are consulting the best expert on you. When you quiet your mind and become present in the moment, you will hear your subtle inner voice telling you what your heart desires and what is best for you.

Using your intuition invites opportunities and possibilities that bring greater peace and clarity to all areas of your life. Your intuition is your personal guidance system that inspires your decisions and actions, and cultivates authentic and purposeful living. Are you ready to awaken your intuition and live an inspired life?

Try these five easy steps to access your intuition:

Step 1

Take at least five minutes from what you are doing and find a comfortable, quiet spot.

Step 2

Tune into yourself by closing your eyes. Begin to breathe gently and focus on each inhalation and each exhalation. Enjoy the moment.

Step 3

Following each breath, gently clear your mind of any mental chatter. Place your hands on your heart and, with each breath, feel yourself connecting with the place of inner wisdom.

Step 4

Focus on your heart and recall a person, place, or thing that you love and that creates positive feelings for you. Allow these feelings to expand.

Step 5

In this place of stillness, with your heart energy activated, think about a question for which you are seeking guidance. Take your time and allow the answer to reveal itself to you either in that same moment or at another moment in the day.

Opportunity Abounds

Taking as little as five minutes a day to tune into your inner self while quieting your mind and opening your heart will create space for guidance and inspiration to enter. By making this a daily practice, you will be on your way to strengthening your intuition and opening up to new possibilities and meaningful life experiences.