Magnifying Your Intuition

Intuition is that inner message or gut feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that tells you some person, place, or thing is or isn't right for you. Intuition is essential for guarding your mind, body, and spirit against stress, energy loss, and harm. Maybe you've driven across town and, suddenly, felt you should take another route to your friend's house, even though you didn't know why, only to find out later that there was a flood covering the road. 

The Bible refers to intuition as the Gift of Discernment, known as empathy. Have you ever felt like not doing something but did it anyway, based on a hunch that you just should, and ended up being in the right place at the right time? Now, that's divine intuition!

When stressed, it can be challenging to understand what's happening in our lives or know which direction to turn, because stress can stifle our intuition. When intuition goes silent or can't be heard over the roar of stress, the result is confusion, doubt, poor decision-making ability, immobility, and stress-related symptoms and conditions.

Without using your intuition, you become like a feather in the wind, but using it provides direction and an anchor when you most need one. It may help you to know that knowledge fine-tunes intuition. For example, let's say you're considering going on a camping trip with friends but have a gut feeling that you shouldn't take a particular route or go at all. When you feel this way, it can be helpful to recognize it as a spiritual request for more information. Your first question should be, "Why might I feel this way?" or "What do I need to know or do to make a more well-informed decision?" You might grab a road map, check the weather forecast, take a peek at the traffic channel, or ask your friends to check their vehicle fluids. The more you know and understand, the better your ability to choose wisely based on intuition and knowledge. 

Here are some suggestions for magnifying your intuition. 

• Get quiet with yourself. When meditating, focus on your senses as you breathe in a relaxed manner. What do you hear (birds, dogs, bees, water, cars, people), smell, or feel (cool air, warm sun, the soft lining of your jacket)? When praying, think of those things you are thankful for or anyone who needs forgiveness. Meditate or pray daily and record any thoughts or feelings that arise.

• Get away from your routine. Remove yourself from the situation for a while. Take a walk around the block, a day trip to the beach, or a short stay away from home.

• Be honest with yourself. Never ignore your feelings if something seems off, even if you don't understand why. You will stop trusting yourself if you do this too often and for too long. It's easy to want to ignore feelings that urge us to say no to others or demand that we change, but being honest, especially with ourselves, is the best policy.

• Listen to your body. The body has its language. For example, when tired or overwhelmed, your body doesn't stand as straight and tall. Being around toxic people can leave you feeling drained of energy and feeling like you're stooping to their negativity. Backaches can be a sign that you're carrying too much responsibility and need support. A stomachache can symbolize control issues, either your own or those of someone around you.

• Pay attention to your dreams. Dreams are your mind's processing of your conscious and subconscious thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Keep a dream diary. Write down what people say to you in your dreams. If there are strong feelings, what are they? Look for insights, suggestions, and emerging patterns.

• Flip a coin. Why not? Give yourself an ultimatum. Say "heads", you're going to start exercising. Tails, you're going to remain a couch potato. Flip a coin. See how you feel about which side of the coin lands first. You have the right to change your mind at any time.

• Give kinesiology (muscle testing) a try. It's a simple exercise using your fingertips that can help you determine whether someone or something is a good fit for you. It is an excellent way to allow your body's energy system and intuition to speak to you directly. You can use kinesiology to determine which foods, herbs, oils, salts, and substances are right for you. Watch this 2-3 minute video that explains kinesiology very well.

• Whether you're trying to eliminate dysfunctional thoughts, attitudes, or actions or ease an old-fashioned headache, consulting with an oracle, such as runes, the I-Ching, pendulums, crystal balls, tea leaves, mirrors, or candles, or receiving a Tarot reading can also help to magnify your intuition, provide you with clarity, snap you out of the doldrums, and put you on track to a higher vibration, which attracts better health, love, and abundance.