Everyday Intuition

What is intuition?  It can be defined in many ways, a gut feeling, an inner knowing, etc.… To me intuition is the still small, calm voice inside that is always kind, loving and generous.  It always wants the best for you even if it is uncomfortable or scary.  It is your soul speaking, it is the truth.

Most of the time when I am talking to clients they are struggling with something painful that they have gone through; a break up, a job they don’t like, or other areas of life that just aren’t working.  Usually when we go through a process of self-reflection it is uncovered that they were aware of the voice of their intuition guiding them away from these negative things in their lives.

There are many reasons why we choose, consciously or not to ignore this voice of wisdom inside of us.  The general theme of the reasons are pretty simple though, it comes down to fear.  Fear that is imaginary, thought up by our brilliant imaginations that are so powerful!  False evidence appearing real.

Our ego and brain are scared most of the time.  They are scared of us listening to our soul and intuition and becoming the magnificent divine beings that we incarnated to be.  They would be out of a job if we outgrew them and followed our truth instead.

We rationalize this fear for many reasons that totally make sense logically: we need to stay in the job for the salary or benefits, we need to stay in a relationship because of the kids or fear of being alone, and we don’t set boundaries in a friendship because we would feel guilty.

Ignoring our truth means repeating the lesson.  Getting still enough to listen, and then trusting that inner voice is our life’s work.  When we do, things just feel better.  We are in alignment with our soul.  Discomfort, anxiety, depression, fear, boredom and other “negative” emotions are just gentle nudges from our soul that we are not listening, that we are out of alignment.

There is nothing wrong with being disconnected from our intuition, it just slows down the evolutionary process.  The more we ignore our truth, the slower we grow.  Again, this is ok, it’s just up to you.  Do you want to grow or stagnate?  Do you want to expand or contract?  Do you want to live in a positive magical world, or a black and white flat boring world?  It’s your choice.

Some simple ways to connect to your own inner wisdom are:

1. Slowing down and getting still. It is very difficult for most people to discern what’s true for them if they are busy, distracted, or thinking.  It’s very common for people to be in their heads thinking, whether they’re conscious of it or not, most of the time.  This mental processing blocks our intuitive process.  Finding ways to quiet the mind, and practicing often will allow the space for your truth to flow through.  Things like yoga, meditation, Qigong, Tai chi, spending time in nature, being active, or other mindful options to will help to get the flow going.

2. Paying attention. Of course this sounds simple and like it’s happening all of the time already.  For most of the people I see in my practice though, it is not usually something they are practicing.  Even beginning to be aware of being aware usually helps so much in helping people understand the unconscious scripts that are running through their minds all day that are blocking them from  their own intuition.  I recommend slowing down and mindfully checking in with your emotions and body multiple times a day to really get in touch with what’s going on internally.   Our bodies are super smart and they are trying to communicate intuitive information to us all day long, it’s just up to us to pay attention.

3. Paying attention to the world around us is just as important as tuning into our internal world when it comes to opening up your intuition. Everything is trying to communicate with us all the time.  You can sense this when you are thinking of a friend and then they call you that moment, or when you are deciding on where to go on vacation and suddenly see a giant billboard for the perfect destination.  There are so many examples of this, and all humans know how this feels whether they are fully aware of it or not.  These clues from our environment are here to help us to grow and expand along our path of conscious evolution.

4. Beginning to grow this part of us that has always been there but may have been dormant for some time takes practice.  Starting to quiet the mind and becoming more of what’s underneath the surface of your internal and external worlds will naturally create more awareness of your intuition.  As this occurs, it’s important to recognize and discern the voice of your intuition and how it’s different from the voice of your mind.  Intuition is soft, calm and gentle.  It doesn’t scream, it gently guides.  The mind or ego is generally more intense and based in fear.  Practicing finding these differences is an important part of developing trust in yourself and your intuitive process.

5. Building trust by validating your intuition also begins to happen naturally, and to help the process along it is helpful to proactively build trust in your inner guidance. Some ways to do this are by looking back at places in your life when you did hear that still small voice but chose to ignore it (because of fear) and then things didn’t go well.  This is an example of your powerful intuition being accurate, and then your logical brain overriding it.  Another way to begin developing trust in your intuition is to begin an intuitive journal.  Noting any intuitive guidance you feel, and keeping track of it in order to build you trust in yourself.

6. As you begin to trust your wisdom more and more it’s also very important to congratulate yourself all along the way. Self-love is a very important part of intuition.  The more you feel love for yourself, the more and clearer guidance you will continue to receive.

7. Beginning to share. In the beginning it’s ok to keep your new practices quiet while you’re building confidence.  Over time, it will be important to find some intuitive running buddies who are on your wave length and perhaps working on their own intuition as well.  Supporting and validating each other’s progress can really help us grow into our magnificence even more.

Working on intuition is a lifelong process.  It’s super fun and magical.  It helps you feel like your life is guided, and makes sense.  That there is something larger than us at work in the process.  And that you are a beautiful being of light, here to create miracles, because you are.  Good luck and have fun in the intuitive playground!

Shana Olmstead, Intuitive Consultant

Learn more about Spiritual Counseling with Shana Olmstead.

I see my life purpose as helping people to awaken to the truth of their divine nature, the powerful spiritual beings that they are. I have assisted hundreds of clients in my therapy practice to wake up to the understanding that we are all made of source energy, and are here to increase our consciousness and joy to help the evolution everyone on the planet. I am so excited and inspired to continue helping people through their own awakening! Contact me to schedule an appointment in person in Kirkland, Washington ​or for a phone or video consultation wherever you are located.