What is Intuition?
Intuition, also known as the inner voice or inner knowing, refers to a deep-seated sense of understanding or perception that arises within us. It is a form of knowing that goes beyond rational thinking and logic. Intuition is often described as a gut feeling, a hunch, or an instinctive sense about a situation or decision.
Our intuition operates on a level beyond conscious awareness and is believed to stem from a combination of subconscious processes, past experiences, and our connection to a broader field of knowledge or consciousness. It can provide valuable insights, guidance, and understanding that may not be readily accessible through logical reasoning alone.
Intuition is often associated with a sense of clarity, resonance, or certainty. It may manifest as a feeling of alignment or resonance with a particular choice or course of action, or it may arise as a warning signal or a sense of unease in situations that are not in our best interest.
Cultivating and listening to our intuition can help us make decisions that are aligned with our true desires, values, and well-being. Intuition is a powerful tool that offers valuable guidance across multiple domains of life, encompassing relationships, career decisions, and personal development.
Its influence extends to diverse areas, including forming new connections, navigating everyday interactions, charting career paths, nurturing bonds with pets and children, as well as tending to one’s own health and mental well-being.
Intuition is subjective.
It’s important to note that intuition is subjective and can vary from person to person. It requires us to cultivate self-awareness and trust in our own inner wisdom. Developing a deeper connection with our intuition often involves practices such as mindfulness, meditation, self-reflection, and learning to distinguish the subtle signals and sensations that arise within us.
For some individuals, understanding themselves and hearing their inner voice is a natural and effortless process. They can swiftly make decisions based on their inner guidance.
However, for many others, this connection with their inner voice is not as strong. They struggle to discern their true feelings, thoughts, wants, and dislikes. Their inner voice has been silenced. The key to amplifying that inner voice is to actively seek it out and listen attentively. By doing so, the faint whisper of the inner voice gradually transforms into a resounding scream.
The reason we learned to disregard our inner voice is often rooted in the experiences we had with significant people in our lives. When those individuals failed to listen to our inner voice, they communicated that it didn’t matter.
Consequently, their voices became louder within us than our own. The clamor of everyone else’s opinions and expectations drowned out our own inner voice.
How it manifests.
The inner voice primarily manifests through emotions, sensations, and thoughts, although it can sometimes take the form of an audible voice within us. It represents the core aspect of ourselves, often referred to as the soul or inner self, constantly providing insights about our true nature and the world around us. Some people refer to the inner voice as intuition, as it encompasses inner knowing, perceiving, and wisdom.
Ignoring the inner voice compels the body to seek alternative ways of communication, often resulting in physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches, illnesses, and even diseases. Furthermore, the universe tends to amplify the inner voice through external circumstances, ensuring that we can no longer escape our inner truth.
It’s important to note that the inner voice is not always pure. It can be influenced and distorted by unconscious aspects within us, such as past experiences, fears, and beliefs. The inner voice reflects the state of our being, with all its purity and impurity. However, as we become more conscious, awake, and engage in shadow work, the inner voice becomes purer.
The key is listening to what it says.
Many spiritual gurus suggest disregarding the aspect of the inner voice that constantly criticizes, doubts, or passes negative judgments. Instead, they advocate solely listening to the protective, loving, confident, and clear voice.
I respectfully disagree with this approach. Even the nagging inner voice is a part of us. Not listening to it means neglecting our inner voice. In fact, this type of inner voice often directs our attention to the wounded aspects of ourselves that require healing.
By genuinely listening to this voice and recognizing its validity and importance (not necessarily its truth), we can address and heal the inner wounds, allowing the inner voice rooted in stillness, integrity, and confidence to emerge. Regardless of whether we engage in inner work to purify the inner voice, it is crucial to listen to what it has to say. It represents what is authentically real about us in the present moment.
Use it as a navigational tool
Ultimately, our intuition serves as a valuable tool for navigating life’s complexities, tapping into our innate wisdom, and making choices that are in alignment with our authentic selves.
When we disconnect from our inner voice, we enter a state of unconsciousness and self-denial. Our inner voice may be shouting, “I don’t feel comfortable with this person,” while we superficially claim, “I like that person.”
Or our inner voice may express a desire to become a doctor, but outwardly we say, “I want to pursue what makes the most sense for me.”
Sometimes, we ignore our intuition, leading to disastrous outcomes. Our inner self is always communicating its truth to us, and we must learn to listen. Otherwise, we lack a solid foundation to work with.
For instance, without hearing the inner voice, we cannot address shadow work. You may have encountered situations where you observe someone being triggered into an emotional state (a sign that their inner voice is desperate to be heard), yet they insist, “No, I’m fine.” Instead if you become conscious, pause and try and understand what made you react in a negative way, you learn and rewire the subconscious programming, you might not even be aware, exists.
When the inner voice is suppressed in this manner, there is no way to resolve the trigger because the person refuses to listen.
How can you learn to listen to your intuition?
- Shift your attention inward, focusing on your inner world. If needed, close your eyes to facilitate this process.
- Pay attention to the sensations arising within your internal world, experiencing them as unique sensory perceptions.
- If these sensations had a color, texture, movement, or shape, what would they be? What imagery arises in connection with these sensations?
- Mentally engage with the imagery and treat the sensation as if it can communicate with you, like a being or entity.
- Begin asking the sensation questions, allowing any inquiry to flow. Explore its identity, purpose, message, and the truth it wants you to acknowledge.
- Listen to the answers that come, whether as auditory input, knowing, or visual imagery. Recognize this as your inner self communicating, your inner voice responding.
- Continue engaging with the inner voice based on the received answers, engaging in an inner dialogue. There is no right or wrong approach, so trust your intuition and experiment.
- When strong emotions arise, such as triggering or inspiration, it signifies the inner voice calling for your attention. Don’t dismiss your feelings without reason. However, even when the inner voice isn’t urgently calling, it’s important to attune to it regularly, just as you would check in with a partner even in non-crisis moments. Learn to approach it willingly.
- If you’re unsure about the inner voice’s message, don’t rush it. Take your time to deeply observe and listen, allowing its truth to surface. Delay decision-making, if possible, not to avoid the situation, but to make choices from a place of clarity and alignment with your whole being.
This process allows you to connect with your inner voice and make decisions rooted in your truth. It’s important to give yourself the time and space needed to truly understand and align with your inner voice before taking action.
If the inner voice doesn’t communicate with you, it’s important to be patient. It may be testing your dedication to hearing it. After being denied, ignored, rejected, and minimized for so long, it doesn’t trust you and needs to see that you have moved beyond that abusive pattern before it speaks to you.
Practice connecting with your heart as the inner voice often speaks the loudest through the heart although it can communicate through any aspect of yourself. It is the true essence of you, so it can speak through your mind, heart, liver, pancreas, core, or any part of you that you wish to communicate with.
Flex it like a muscle.
With practice, your inner voice will become so loud that you won’t need to close your eyes or turn your attention inward to listen or interpret it. Visualization won’t be necessary to experience it. It will speak to you in a language you fully understand, rising up from within to meet you. Then, you can choose to express it to the world.
Expression is a powerful way to give permission for the inner voice to become louder. It is the opposite of suppression, which caused the inner voice to go silent in the first place.
Our inner voice is an ever-present companion, communicating with us about the experiences we have and the individuals we encounter. As we begin to attune ourselves to this inner voice, it becomes crucial to take moments of pause and reflection. We must retrace the words spoken and events that unfolded, examining the thoughts that emerged and the emotions that accompanied them. Through this introspective process, the inner voice unveils the intricate pathway that guided our intuitive response in that specific situation
It helps us identify the concrete reasons why, for example, we hesitated to make a decision that initially seemed like a good one. The more we recognize the underlying reasons for our instinctual reactions, the more we develop trust in our inner voice.
Find your tribe.
Create a circle of individuals who genuinely value your inner voice and actively motivate you to tune into its guidance. If nurturing this aspect of your life holds significance for you, openly communicate your intentions and seek their assistance. Request their aid in guiding you back to your inner voice whenever they observe that you may have lost touch with it.
They can guide you back within yourself, enabling you to listen, ask questions, and act in alignment with the answers you receive. It’s challenging to develop the ability to listen to our inner voice and act accordingly when surrounded by people who minimize, suppress, ignore, or disregard it.
If you persistently neglect and silence your inner voice, the universe will inevitably intervene, guiding you back towards its wisdom. Evading its influence will become impossible as your life grows increasingly unsatisfying. It is far better to embrace and live in alignment with your inner voice from the very beginning.
Construct and shape your life based on your authentic understanding, and refuse to let the voices of others overpower your own inner truth.
In my journey of self-discovery and working with others, I’ve witnessed profound healing when individuals tap into their inherent power and listen to their inner voice, which guides them towards their highest good. While I’m not immune to making mistakes or going against my inner voice at times, I now strive to uncover the reasons behind ignoring it and whose voices influenced my decisions.
Listen, she is speaking to you.
Article coming up on how you can keep your intuition sharp and focused.