Five ways to develop your intuition

Our intuition is an important guiding tool for us as women. Without it we are a bit handicapped honestly. Like my keys, wallet and phone, I don’t leave the house without it.

But intuition, fear-based thoughts and general mind-chatter can be confused with each other. Without a heightened sense of awareness we don’t always know whether this guidance is for our (and everyone else’s) higher good or just plain B.S.

Here are some ways to sharpen your intuitive voice:

1. Acknowledge the little whispers

Like I mentioned in previous posts, make it a point of being aware of ideas, flashes of inspiration, and intuitive feelings about day-to-day things that come to you. It could be the simplest things:

“Call mom”

“Drink more water”

“Avoid I-5″

Don’t dismiss these flashes as “nothing.” Pause and say to yourself, “This is my intuition.” Spend a few moments seeing it, acknowledging it, and then offering gratitude for it.

Feed it. And it will grow.

1. Listen to your body

Intuitive feelings often come accompanied with physical sensations and other sensory experiences. A sense of stillness and silence all around, or a feeling of relaxation, peace, expansiveness and lightness in the body is an indication that your intuition is speaking. On the other hand, if your body feels tight, tense or uncomfortable chances are that you’re responding to a learned fear or mind-chatter.

1. Spend time in nature

Have you noticed how birds land effortlessly onto branches or wires? Do you think the whole time they’re churning out time, distance and speed calculations in their heads to get the perfect landing? No. They just know. So do you. There is an inherent intelligence guiding the plant and animal world that allows them to create, live and thrive. When we spend time in nature we can get out of our mind and access this higher intelligence and wisdom.

1. Honor your emotions

Our emotions offer a pathway to our intuition. The areas in the brain that process emotions are also the same that develop our intuitive capability. If we don’t embrace and process our emotions completely we are cut-off from our supply of the precious gift of intuition. This is our nature. I talk more about the connection between our emotions and our intuition in video No. 3 of the Stress Less Love More video course. It’s free.

1. Meditation and mindfulness (present moment awareness)

Ultimately our intuition is accessed when we move from our head, to our heart and finally into a state of oneness where everything and everyone is connected. All the recommendations above bring us to a state of heightened awareness where we get out of our own way and allow something greater to commune with us. A daily meditation practice and the resultant experience of mindfulness will help you develop your intuition faster and stronger.

Like a muscle, our intuition gets stronger the more we exercise it. And the practice is well worth it. As a wise man famously said:

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."