I’ve been thinking about the concept of intuition and what it means.
As a noun, Cambridge Dictionary defines it as: (knowledge from) an ability to understand or know something immediately based on your feelings rather than facts.
This definition resonates with me more than others that lean toward more nebulous ideas like instinct, direct perception or a power of knowing. To me, those feel very hard to define. Almost like an ability whose power resides outside of me. Something I am granted. Outside of my control.
But to know or understand something based on my feelings seems very much within my control. Something that is and has always been inside me, waiting to be recognized and utilized.
Do You Feel Me?
Some of you reading this far will already be experiencing a degree of cognitive dissonance with the concept of knowing or understanding by listening to your feelings. You may have grown up in a family or community that shamed or discounted feelings as unreliable or a sign of weakness.
I’d like to offer there is a distinct difference between having feelings and showing feelings. We all have feelings. Each one of us, all day, every day. Yup, even the toughest, no nonsense, drill sergeant ones of us. (I bet you have a name in mind right now!). Most of the shame or judgment we’ve experienced or heaped on others has come from feelings that were shown outwardly. But you can (and do) have feelings all day long and no one ever has to know a thing.
So, what are feelings anyway? Feelings are emotions. And emotions are sensations in your body triggered by the release of chemicals from your brain into your bloodstream. These chemicals are released in response to thoughts. Feelings are a response to thoughts? What does that even mean? Sounds suspiciously woo.
Woopsie!
Have you ever tripped and caught yourself just before falling? You might have noticed an immediate zingy electric wave course through your body. That sensation you just felt in your body is a feeling (emotion) called fear.
Now in that split second, you didn’t pause your trip midair like some cartoon character. Your brain had an automatic thought for you that caused the feeling of fear. It might have been as simple as “Danger!” or maybe something a little more colorful such as, “Oh shit, I’m about to fall on my face and I’m going to have to meet the wedding planner with my son, future wife and in-laws looking like I’ve been in a barroom brawl.” (This thought is colorful enough that you may suspect it’s true, and you’re correct. Here is the photographic evidence for your viewing pleasure.) Short thought or long thought, the zing served as a warning that allowed you to immediately understand the situation and take action.
That is a simple example and I don’t think we need to do a lot of deep thinking to understand the situation. Tripping could lead to falling. Falling could lead to hurting. Hurting bad. Tripping bad. Stop trip. There is no deep existential meaning here, well other than falling could alter or end our current state of existence.
That’s Deep, Man
But what about other situations in life where the meaning isn’t quite so obvious? How can you tune in to the sensations in your body to gain knowledge and understanding?
The first step is to notice what you are feeling right now. Pause, take a deep breath and notice what you are feeling in your body and where. You might notice a heaviness in your chest, butterflies in your tummy, shakiness or heat crawling up your neck.
The second step is to allow those feelings to just be there. Don’t try and stop or change them. This step is crucial in the intuition process. Often times when we begin to tune in and notice a feeling, we don’t like what we find and want to get rid of it right away. We may feel a sense of discomfort and to get out of that we resist, ignore or push away until we feel comfortable again. But the goal of accessing these feelings isn’t to feel comfort, it’s to gain understanding. So, we notice these feelings and allow them to be there.
The third step is to get curious, without judgment. Looking at the feelings we have noticed and allowed like a scientist observing a microscopic organism. The scientist doesn’t blame the organism for being there and doesn’t judge its attributes as good or bad. The scientist simply observes and notes what’s there.
The final step is to hypothesize the possible meanings of the data. For example, as you stand in line to ride the newest rollercoaster, you feel tummy butterflies. Is that excitement or fear? Both can feel very similar in the body, but getting curious can help us interpret.
What Does that Mean?
Interpretation (intuition) gives us the opportunity to test our hypothesis. And frankly our interpretation can completely decide the outcome of the results in advance. If you interpret your butterflies as excitement, you are likely to go into that rollercoaster ride with great anticipation, open and ready for a thrilling experience.
On the other hand, if you interpret your butterflies as fear, you are likely to approach this experience with great trepidation, concern and doubt. As the line shrinks and you get closer and closer to your turn, your fear may escalate. You might even choose to get out of the line to escape the feeling of fear.
Same butterflies, different interpretations, different experiences.
Tripping and rollercoasters aside, tapping into your intuition can help you understand many of the more important aspects of your life.
Intuition in Practice
If you want to practice using your intuition, start by answering these three questions:
- What feeling(s) am I willing to notice right now?
- What feeling(s) and I willing to allow right now?
- As I get curious and observe, what am I noticing?
What you have now is information, raw data gleaned from your body, without judgment applied. You now have the opportunity to apply thought and interpret what the data might mean. Don’t worry, your brain will likely offer you plenty of options, many of them negative or worst-case scenario. Our brain’s primary job is to keep us alive, so warnings and protection are top priority at first glance.
Try to not to hold onto those initial reactive thoughts too tightly. And don’t reach out to grasp for more thoughts, better thoughts. Allow the thoughts to come to you like waves, rising, falling and lapping at the edges of your mind. What are you noticing? Is there a message beyond the initial fight or flight responses?
Next, what interpretation of this experience do you believe will be the most useful in your life right now? How can you move forward from here in that belief?
Sharpen your Focus
You have just used your intuition. You’ve gleaned a single green stalk of understanding by tapping into the fertile field of your unconscious mind. You may now find your focus shifting to other stalks. Row after endless row as they stretch to the edges of your perception.
Come back. Focus on this green stalk. Observe it. Nurture it. Allow your insight and understanding to grow, develop and strengthen. After a time, you may look around and notice yourself by a vast expanse ripe and ready for harvest.
Intuition as a Practice
Do you suffer from “analysis paralysis”? You want SO many things out of life, but can’t stop overthinking long enough to listen to your intuition – your heart’s truest longings?
You can learn to tap into your feelings and begin to receive (and trust) knowledge and understanding that can give you immense satisfaction in your here and now and inspire you along your path to curate the most rewarding future you can imagine.
I can help you learn this process, then you’ll be able to repeat it on your own as long as your heart desires.
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