Intuition
Intuition is the act of knowing without knowing. Everyone has experienced this at some time or another. A feeling in the stomach, a tingle on the skin, an image in the mind, everyone has been touched in some way with a mental or physiological hunch about a person or a situation.
There are many explanations for this effect both secular and mystical, but the fact of the matter is some people just seem to know certain things. Have you ever thought about a person right before they called you? Have you ever made a decision without knowing why, which turned out better than you could’ve imagined? Have you ever found a friend in a crowded mall against all odds?
This is the realm of intuition. Although science has yet to discover the mechanics of how the mind can know information without receiving it directly through one of the five senses, it has been proven again and again through regulated clinical trials that the mind does have the capacity to receive information without direct contact.
What has also been proven is that people who meditate regularly seem to show an increased capacity for this skill. Meditation stills the mind, removing much of the static energy which clouds the perception of everything we witness. Meditation turns down the noise so that we can more clearly receive whatever information is most important to us.
But, meditation is not the most critical factor in whether a person can receive guidance from their intuition. The most crucial element is that the person has to trust in their own perception.
Many people hear voices, or talk to themselves, or feel compelled to do certain things or go certain places but they disregard these impulses as ramblings of the mind. If a person does not trust the feeling in their stomach or the hunch to go left instead of right, then even with all the meditation in the world they will never get in touch with their intuition.
Many of the most successful, entrepreneurs, businessmen, professional athletes, and peak performers attribute much of their success to following their intuition. When cultivated, intuition can be a powerful ally in any decision making process.
The first step in learning to use your intuition is learning how you tend to receive signals. These signals tend to be the same as the three major styles of learning, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. When you do feel premonitions do you tend to hear something, see something or feel something?
If you are the kind of person who gets that queesy feeling in your stomach when your not sure about something you would be kinesthetic. If you are the kind of person who clearly hears that some action should be taken you would be auditory. And if you are the kind of person who sees something clearly in your mind’s eye without knowing why then you would be visual.
Just like in learning, most people have access to all three, but most people tend to dominate in one area most of the time. Once you have figured out your preferred method of receiving we can now do a little exercise to warm up your antennas;)
Exercise:
Close your eyes, take three deep breaths and relax a little bit deeper on each exhale. Calmly let the chatter of the mind drift downward until it is out of your field of perception. Focus on the sensation of the breath as it moves into and out of the body. Now recall a decision you have been postponing. It could be anything, from switching electric carriers to staying with your spouse or partner. Any decision you have been putting off will do nicely. Now, gently ask yourself what have you been waiting for? Relax into this question and do not try to actively conjure an answer, but simply sit with the question and notice what arises. Now, gently ask yourself a specific question about this decision and allow yourself to sit with this question as well. Do not fabricate an answer, simply notice what arises naturally. (It is important to be specific because any answer provided will only be as specific as the question itself. It is better to ask, “Should I sign with company x?” rather than, “What should I do?” There could be a million answers to the later, but only one of two for the former.)
Sit with this question as long as it takes until you have a distinct feeling about what is the best decision. Do not search for rationalization, because this is based on hard data. Simply search your mind and body for a feeling of what is the best decision. Now make it! Don’t deliberate, or pontificate, simply commit to the decision as a scientific experiment. Research has proven that the longer we wait to make a decision the more convoluted the answer becomes.
How does it feel to commit to this decision? Is it a relief or are you afraid? In the comment section below tell me what this experience was like for you. Without revealing anything too personal tell me about your question and what you saw, heard or felt in relation to it.
Peace,
SaTek
