The book Developing intuition: Practical guidance for daily life by Shakti Gawain describes what intuition is and how to connect with it and also provides a series of supporting exercises. Shakti supports individuals worldwide with greater awareness, balance, and wholeness.
Instead of looking outside ourselves (for external authority) to guide our choices, intuition allows us to look inside (for inner authority). Where rationally there may be a logical progression with many steps, intuitively there may just be synergy taking you directly to the finish line.
Why intuition is neglected
We have inner knowing and sense of what is needed, what will be, or what feels right. That is our intuitive sense. Often, however, we discount it with counterarguments as it just feels like a hunch or gut response.
Most education and job qualifications focus on left-brain, rational, logical ability and ignore “right-brain, intuitive, holistic, creative capacities”. Our logical response is to doubt or even fear intuition. If we instead embrace it as a natural ability, it can support more effortless planning. With a shift to using intuition over systematic planning as a guiding force our lives flow and harmonize with those around us.
How to access our intuition
To access your intuition, tune in to the enthusiasm of juice around an experience, choice, or activity. This is not a mental message, but a visceral one. It also shows up in opposite polarity as a sense of not wanting to or being off and not quite aligned. Acting according to our intuition gives a sense of flow and energy whereas acting against our intuition leads to a feeling of depletion, depression, or numbness.
You may be aware of other-selves that also give you messages like the pleaser or perfectionist. These are often early learned responses and are usually more mental than the more coded intuition.
Allow the chatter of the mind to dim into the background and relax into your body. Tune into signals from your energetic voice rather than your stream of consciousness. One way to do this is to use progressive relaxation or breathwork. You can support connecting to your inner beingness through dreams, or with rhythmic movement and sound.
Ask yourself as you relax “What do I need to remember or be aware of?” It may feel like the thought, feeling, or image that you receive is “made up”, but even so trust that it will be relevant. It may come through chance interaction with what you read or hear. A response may also come later. Be confident that it comes when the timing is right and allow yourself to not know in the meantime.
Shakti says that the more emotional healing you do the more intuitive you become and more comfortable with uncertainty. Over time, you begin to receive your intuition and apply your logical brain to make it happen.
Using these principles
As a coach, we often support clients with connecting with their whole brain response, and this involves developing intuition. This is one of the reasons why I truly appreciate this book. You may even choose to add an experiential element to your coaching so that clients can experience more mindfulness. This can be with short meditations, chants, or through movement.
Check out my Self Alignment Program to learn more about up-leveling your own use of the Law of Attraction.
