Develop Intuition in 5 Steps
Intuition is like a limb, like an arm or a leg. It’s intimately and firmly connected to us. It’s the ability to understand without explanation. Direct knowing that comes from an instinctive feeling, rather than conscious reasoning. It comes from the Latin word intuit, which means to contemplate.
We assume our intuition is a flash of light arriving immediately, and without prompting. Sometimes it is, but contemplation takes time.
We assume there’s a force within us that will push the “right” answer to the forefront without effort and we will understand clearly and without a doubt what that voice is saying.
But here’s where it gets tricky…
If we haven’t been greasing that wheel or priming that pump, (meditating, journaling, practicing heart coherence, grounding, paying attention) it’s hard to discern the difference between distorted conditioning and authenticity, between fear and intuitive insight.
Intuition is slow. That doesn’t mean it’s not readily available. It means it moves like the rising sun: little by little and then all at once. One of my teachers says, wisdom is not on google speed.
It’s something much deeper and, unlike most of us…not in a rush.
Many of us desire to have a relationship with this aspect of ourselves. It feels magical and there’s no doubt it’s a strong access point into our personal power.
What we’re really saying when we want to develop our intuition is that we want to trust ourselves. We want to know that we can steer our lifeship effectively. We want to know that we make life affirming, supportive, well conducted decisions. And that those decisions will carry us where we want to go.
This is where it gets sticky because inevitably, life will sometimes carry us where we don’t want to go. Mistakes, failures and wrong turns are some of the ways we learn.
We have to change the metric. The point of developing your intuition isn’t to be right all the time. The point is to have access to the fullness of your senses.
Instead of a shout, let your intuition be a whisper. Instead of an absolute answer, let the relationship with your intuition be a flowing river, a perpetual unfolding into the unknown.
So how do you do it?
Step 1. Listen
This is a skill. It takes intention and practice to develop. It’s different from listening with your ears. Instead, it’s listening with your energy, listening with an internal antenna. It’s listening as a relationship.
Step 2. Apply discernment
Because intuition is outside logical reasoning, this also takes practice. The invitation is to consciously choose where to participate with deliberate intent.
Step 3. Take action
At first, this feels counterintuitive (pun intended). Much of our daily behavior is based on the day before. It takes intention and a high level of self-awareness to act outside of what we’re patterned to. For example, if you’ve got a lifetime of asking your friends and parents what you should do, it will feel unnatural to ask yourself first. Plan for the slight discomfort and steer yourself through.
Step 4. Observe the feedback
This doesn’t mean overanalyze, fret or second guess. It means have a gentle awareness. Get out your journal and notice what you’re noticing.
Step 5. Repeat
No topic is off limits. Whether it’s what to eat for dinner (intuitive eating) or bigger life decisions like whether you should move this year.
A couple tips:
Don’t expect yourself to be perfect at it.
This is an art, not a science or even a soft science. That doesn’t make it any less real, valuable, important, useful, relevant. It just requires a different perspective than we’re used to, and that takes some practice. If it seems like your intuition “got it wrong,” don’t hang up your hat.
Instead, lean back, soften and have another go at it.
2. Play
Taking yourself too seriously will rob you of the delight and joy that can come from this path. There’s nowhere to get to and you have everything you need.
Journal on this: if you already related to yourself as a highly intuitive person, what would be different?