Hi, it’s Pooja here on the Dóchas blog. I’m grateful to be sharing my thoughts on what I consider one of the most grounding and liberating processes that human beings can access—our intuition. What is intuition, and why should you trust it?

If you check out the dictionary entry about intuition, it’ll say something like, intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Now, being true to my intuitive process, I would offer my own definition: intuition is an internal process that serves as a way of coming back to yourself. Another way to say this is, by learning to listen to our intuition we begin to get back in touch with what our inner self wants to tell us.

However, we live in a culture that favours logic over intuition. Most of us have been conditioned as children to not value our inklings and hunches—we’re taught to disregard them if there’s no sound logic to defend our reasoning.  Over time, we can develop a process of internally invalidating ourselves and restrict ourselves to only relying on logic and reason to justify our emotional and physical experiences.  We think we need to back up all our actions with objective facts.

However, the idea that we need to objectively weigh the evidence for every experience we have is actually not very realistic! We all rely on assumptions to some extent, and it’s far better to get in touch with what is actually guiding us than to try to be completely logical. So here is some guidance for learning to trust our intuition.

Intuition vs. Anxiety

Intuition can feel like a “gut feeling”, a “feeling in the chest”, a “feeling in my bones,” or just a sense that “something is off and I am not sure why.” This might sound similar to anxiety, but it differs from anxiety significantly. Anxiety is fear of something bad happening, and the feelings we experience when we’re anxious are uncertainty and worry. The physical response we tend to have is an impulse to avoid whatever is causing the anxiety.

In contrast to this, an intuitive feeling is having a whole-body sense. It’s a much more grounded feeling. You might feel some fear of voicing this sense out loud, but overall you feel the need to stay with it anyway, to be guided by it. Intuition is readily available and we have a choice whether we listen to it or not.

The following are some ways I connect with my intuition. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some ways I continue to develop my intuitive process!

Learning to Trust Your Intuition

Believe that your intuition is there.

You don’t have to try to force some kind of feeling in your gut—your intuition can guide you without forcing it. But by believing it is there, you can be open and receptive to it.

Spending time in solitude, and with the elements earth and water.

Quietness and natural surroundings give you space to connect with yourself.

Connect with your body.

Here are some things to try: wiggling your toes, stretching, take a bath, taking a yoga class, walk near water and trees. Awareness of your physical body brings you into greater awareness of yourself as a whole.

Take note of your intuitive feeling as it arises. (For example, where it is, sensation, shape, colour, size, etc.)

Is there a feeling of unease, ease, warmth or friction, heaviness, or softness? For me, my feeling of intuition is often hard to put into words when it is developing, so I allow it to take its time. For others, it can be immediate. Either way, by paying attention to how it feels, it is easier to recognize it.

Connect with what is happening with your environment.

What is happening around you that you are getting an intuitive sense about? Pay attention to the details of where you are. But keep in mind your intuition may not be connected to something happening in the present moment.

Connect with yourself about the feelings that came up.

After going through this experience, think about the feelings you experienced. Do you want to act on this or not? What is your body telling you—does your body need nourishment, rest, movement, connection with others, or something else? This will help to guide you as you decide what to do with your feelings of intuition.

There you have it! These are some ways you can get in touch with your intuition again, and learn to trust it. I hope this has been helpful to you. If you ever are in a situation where you need a little more help and guidance in understanding your feelings, you can get in touch with us at Dóchas Psychological Services for some extra help!

About Dóchas Psychological

Dóchas Psychological Services is a well-established and trusted therapy clinic located in Spruce Grove, Alberta. At Dóchas we value the idea that everyone deserves a safe space. Through connection and education, our team works hard to build a trustworthy relationship with each of our clients. It is our goal to create a community for our clients to feel like they belong.

Disclaimer

Information provided through Dóchas Psychological Services blogs or vlogs is meant for educational purposes only. They are NOT medical or mental health advice. You can read more about our disclaimer here.