How to listen to your intuition: What your body is telling you
Intuition is often described as simple “gut instinct” – that ‘feeling’ in your stomach. Or maybe you “just know” something isn’t right or is meant to be a certain way. A hunch. These are definite signals to pay attention to. But it might take a little practice to build up to solely relying on them.
Often, we’re more clued in to some of the more “acceptable” cues from our body. Butterflies in our tummy. The hairs standing to attention on our necks. Goosebumps accomanied by shivers.
If you really pay attention, your body is giving you subtle clues all of the time —and when you really pay attention, you have rich intuitive data at your fingertips.
Connecting with your body’s wisdom
Below is an exercise I often share with students in my courses and events.
Think of an activity you are about to undertake. Maybe it is whether or not to take your child to the doctor, whether you want to work in a particular way or not, or simply whether or not you want to meet a friend for lunch.
Sit quietly for a minute and allow your body to relax. If you have the time, it’s even better if you can spend a few minutes in meditation (try one of my guided meditations, or download my free Head versus Heart Meditation below). Now, ponder your decision: Should I stay or should I go?
Without thinking, simply become aware of what happens in your body when you consider your options. Note how your body feels when you think ‘stay’, then a few minutes later notice your body’s response to ‘go’. One response may feel better than another. Or perhaps both are neutral. Simply take note.
What your body is telling you
When I teach the ARIA Method in my courses, we focus on interpreting the signs and symbols our body gives us. Sometimes, they are easy to interpret; other times, not so much. And sometimes, no answer means not yet.
What a yes feels like
For me, my body gives a positive response to a question by feeling relaxed, happy, warm and sometimes like it’s bursting open with energy (like tingles or burning skin). During client readings when I’m asked to look at two options for them, I will clairvoyantly see the two options side by side and one will be light and one will be dark. When this happens, I lean towards the one bathed in light. The dark is unclear, too heavy and most likely not the better option.
What a no feels like
On the other hand, I typically feel a negative response as a tightening, change/quickening in breathing, fear, stressed, tensed muscles (for me, particularly around the neck and shoulders), or a heaviness in my chest. If these symptoms show up, then guess what? Yep, I rethink the decision or look a little more closely at it.
What about feeling neutral?
Feeling neutral obviously doesn’t give much physical indication either way. When I get a neutral response, I tend to not make a decision straight away, or check whether I need to reconsider/rephrase the question. Sometimes for me, feeling neutral can mean the decision is a small one, inconsequential, or perhaps just to wait a little longer for more information. It’s like an amber light – slow down and be cautious. Perhaps try again later.
Start working with your body’s clues
Remember:
Practice makes perfect. Write it down so you can review your progress and what you learn. Sometimes hindsight is a great learning tool.
Start small. Try out these techniques on smaller decisions, like whether or not you want to eat something, or go somewhere for lunch. Then work your way up to bigger decisions, like changing jobs or changing your child’s diet.
Trust the signs, but don’t expect them to indicate a logical decision. You may need to spend some time interpreting them.
As that last point suggests, there is a distinction between your body’s response and your mind’s response. Your thoughts are not intuition, even though rational thinking is of course important. Your body may be open, ready and pointing you to change but your mind may still be fearful or negative. You need to have a clear mind and open heart for this to work.
For now, just get used to how you feel – this will tell you a great deal and with time and practice, it will make decision making in all areas of your life a hell of a lot easier, but not necessarily easy.
Have you ever noticed a physical reaction to certain people you meet (positive or negative)? Perhaps when making a big decision, you know your body reacts in certain ways. How do you listen to your body?
