Do you feel out of touch with your intuition? Do you tell people that you aren’t intuitive?
Tapping into heart-felt emotions and using your intuition are key to living the life you dream about. Unfortunately, negative emotions can block your natural intuitive ability.
Even if you don’t believe you are intuitive, you can learn to listen to your heart and pay attention to your intuition. It is easier than you think.
What is intuition?
Intuition is not something special that is only given to a few people. Every single one of us is intuitive.
Caroline Myss, author of Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can (1997), tells us “… intuition is not the ability to see what lies ahead, but the ability to recognize that the disturbances occurring in our minds and bodies are signals telling us that our present situation needs to change.”
Intuition speaks to us in many ways. It can be that small voice, a subtle feeling, a physical sensation, or just a knowing. Your way of receiving intuition is unique for you.
Some people think of intuition as heart intelligence. According to Doc Childre and Howard Martin (The HeartMath Solution, 1999), “Heart intelligence provides an intuitive direct knowingness that’s an essential aspect of our overall intelligence. When heart intelligence is engaged, our awareness is expanded beyond linear, logical thinking. As a result our perspective becomes more flexible, creative, and comprehensive.”
How to rediscover your intuition
There are two main reasons you aren’t using your intuition:
1. You are not paying attention to it
2. Negative emotions are blocking your intuition.
If you have stopped paying attention to your intuition, you can simply start paying attention. Since your intuition doesn’t speak to you with a loud voice, the first step is finding a quiet place. Turn off the music, the electronic devices, etc. For many people, being outside in nature can help.
When you find your quiet place, bring along a pen and paper or recorder. Intuition can be illusive and hard to remember. You will want to capture any insights you discover. Set a time limit. For most people 15 to 20 minutes will be enough.
What if nothing happens? Don’t give up. The first step is discovering how your intuition speaks to you. Some people need to ask a question and wait for an intuitive answer. Start with something small such as a lifestyle question.
How do you know if this is your intuition? Practice. The more time you spend listening, the more trust you will build.
What about negative emotions?
There are two kinds of negative emotions:
1. True emotions related to your current situation
2. Unresolved emotions from your past.
Both of these block your intuition. Negative emotions are so loud and distracting you can’t pay attention to your intuition. If you are angry or upset, you are not quiet enough to “hear” your intuition. This is when you need your intuition the most.
The first step is learning to quiet your mind. Regular meditation practice is one good way to do this.
Negative emotions from the past
If you are having trouble finding that quiet place inside, you may be holding onto painful emotional memories from your past. In The HeartMath Solution, we learn that “emotional memories and reactions can operate at a subconscious level and influence our thought processes.”
One way to release these past memories is to learn the poetry of emotion process. Through the use of metaphors, stories, and images, you can release painful emotions at the subconscious level. There is no need to relive painful events from childhood.
Carolyn Myss tells us, “Following our heart leads us to the most fulfilling path we can walk.” You can tap into your intuition and reclaim the life you were meant to live.
Click here to read more about the poetry of emotion process.
(Image: Angela Marie Henriette @ Flickr)
