Intuition is what’s known as your “sixth sense.” It’s how you know things, seemingly out of thin air. We’re all born with intuition, though early on in life, many of us become conditioned — by our parents, caregivers, teachers, friends, society — to look outside ourselves for answers (or to just use our logical mind), when our heart always holds the truth.
Intuition is about knowing, not thinking.
Intuition = your inner knowing
The Difference Between Intuition and Ego
The intuition KNOWS. (I can’t say that enough!) It’s SURE. It feels like a “hell yes.”
Intuition travels fast. You might hear words in your head, or it can feel like a sudden “download” or “hit” of knowledge. Oftentimes, chills, prickles, other bodily sensations, or even visions accompany an intuitive hit, confirming this knowing.
Intuition just IS. It’s neutral, unbiased, and calm.
On the other hand, the ego questions, overthinks, and goes back and forth. It feels like confusion and uncertainty. Ego-based thoughts are much slower and can be “looping.”
The ego can present as self-critical and judgemental — and it’s almost always fear-based. It puts the pressure on, and makes you want to act rashly, out of fear or anxiety. It can sometimes feel compulsive.
How to Refine Your Intuition
The good news is that your intuition grows stronger as you tap into your own spiritual nature. Actually, your intuition never left — and refining it a process of remembering more so than relearning.
You can do this by practicing the art of finding presence in your daily life. Examples include: Mindfulness/slowing down, feeling your inner body, being still in nature or anywhere else, mindful movement, breathwork, meditation and visualization, accessing a creative flow state (writing, creating art, singing, etc.).
As your practice presence, you are also learning how to consciously relax your mind (and nervous system), which is the foundation for intuition development. After all, you can’t receive intuitive intel when you’re in a frazzled, anxious, or angry state.
Intuitive information can come in subtle ways, and so it requires a lot of conscious awareness.
The more you practice getting into this receptive state, the more natural it will become to be a beacon for intuition. Intuition will just flow to you naturally, without you having to do much (other than be your open self).
A Powerful Exercise for Honing Your Innate Intuitive Gifts
10-Minute Guided Walk Meditation
This exercise is simple, but incredibly potent. You won’t believe how good you can feel after just 10 minutes of not thinking in nature!
Here’s how to do it: Walk without headphones for 10 minutes, ideally in a park or other tranquil setting. Begin by breathing deeply into your heart for a few minutes, consciously trying to shut off your thinking brain. Practice softly gazing at nature in an almost trance-like state as you move. Listen for the birds, the wind, the rustling of the trees. Take in any smells around you. Feel the wind on your skin, in your hair. Feel the sun or the cold or the mist in the air. Don’t think, simply observe.
Bonus/Advanced: Channeling Walk
Once you feel comfortable with this walking meditation, you can either increase the time or start to practice channeling after 10 minutes have passed. This exercise takes things one step further. It’s about finding surrender, or surrendering to the presence.
Here’s how to do it: After your 10-minute meditative walk, ask yourself a question — something about your life or the world that you really want to know — and set the intention to allow your guide (or higher consciousness) to respond. You can ask this question outloud or in your head. Then, while walking, simply recite aloud whatever it is that comes to mind. I like to do this in the morning, when the park is less crowded, to avoid the stares 🙂 Feel free to turn on your recorder, to capture any wisdom or insight that may transpire.