Intuition is our instinct: it’s a natural ability that we possess as human beings to understand something without other conscious reasoning. if you are considering listening to your intuition for the first time, the idea might seem a bit frightening. The notion that you know exactly what you need and want and how to get there can be quite overwhelming.

Discomfort, fear, and burnout can be all-powerful clues that we need to turn inward to discover the truth. We don’t really need to wait until a specific moment of crisis to listen. Intuition is accessible to everyone. Without any doubt, we all possess this ability.

Everyone has different levels of sensitivity and awareness. Intuition is basically a subtle energetic guidance, that calm inner knowing that guides us through life. When you are experiencing intuition there’s no room for anxiety, because you “know” what to do.

Intuition is your soul’s way of knowing, a subtle energetic guidance that’s always there for you. Learning how to connect with and trust your intuition might help you live a life that’s perfectly aligned with your soul’s purpose. With some time and practice, you can learn how to tap into your intuition.

What does listening to your intuition really mean?

Listening to your intuition means navigating through the static noise of anxious thoughts, what you think you should do next because you give in to societal pressure or other people’s opinions. And since intuition is your soul’s way of knowing, it’s ultimately what you truly want and what serves you best.

You might even think of this as getting in touch with your higher self or even your deepest desires. Listening to your intuition and being capable to easily access that guidance can definitely help you live a freer life.

What does it feel like?

Intuition operates through different parts of our brain that are responsible for managing creativity, memory, and also recognizing patterns. And since our brains are neuronally connected to the digestive system (the gut), many people might experience “a gut feeling” when they experience intuition.

When people say they “have a gut feeling”, this is mainly due to the fact that our digestive system possesses neurons connected to this part of the brain where our intuition exists. Intuition is not always a feeling. When you experience intuition, you might not experience “a feeling”.

More often than not, intuition can feel almost detached, just like a wise part of you operates on your behalf. Intuition is also experienced in the present, whereas anxiety (versus actual intuition) seeks the future for disaster. Intuition is rather calm and rounded and is experienced as a “knowing.”

How do I know if I am listening to my intuition?

Given that intuition often presents as a “feeling of knowing”, when you actually listen to it you are less likely to question yourself. This can be quite confusing, especially if you’re very nervous about making a decision, struggle with anxiety, and even tend to doubt yourself.

With intuition you might not possess all the answers, especially the “hows” and “why’s” of any given situation, you might only connect with the “what.” Overthinking makes intuition way more difficult, especially since intuition is your capacity to understand something without conscious reasoning.

If you tend to analyze or even over think situations, it can represent a challenge, because you don’t have evidence that your intuitive decision is based on. It might not make too much sense for you. However, when you make a specific decision based on intuition, you are less likely to question yourself and feel insecure about your own choices.

Get to know what your energy feels like

Get to know who you truly are besides any of the roles you identify with. You can feel beneath the roles of parent, partner, friend, teacher, and so on, into who you really are for yourself when you’re alone and not needing to present your energy to someone else.

People often tell me I have a rather calming presence, which is quite nice to hear but it is still surprising to be because that’s not how I feel my own energy. I generally feel my energy as busy and excited. If I am spending time with someone else, I can make the difference between my own energy and theirs.

This is by far one of the things that you should prioritize if you want to develop your intuition and understand how to work with it. Meditation, breathwork, and journaling are all very helpful tools. However, it comes down to spending time with yourself and observing.

Understand how your body responds to emotions

Oftentimes, people will tell me that someone else’s energy is completely “draining them.” While I’ve experienced this feeling before, I have to take accountability for my part in the process. I don’t really believe it’s possible for someone else to “take” our energy if we are not giving it.

However, we do know that the act of engaging with someone can feel quite draining. Aggravation, anxiety, and having to assert ourselves over and over again can take a lot of energy. I find myself trying to resist someone’s energy, especially one that’s pushing my boundaries.

I have to remind myself to stay present and trust myself to hold my boundaries. If our boundaries are firm enough, essentially we can just skip the worry and anxiety that we might experience when they’re being threatened, especially since we know we can rely on ourselves.

Set boundaries that support you

Boundaries are quite difficult to keep, but still an essential part of caring for yourself. Saying no without any apology or explanation is saying yes to yourself, your energy, and anything you want to create. You can set boundaries that let you live fully in the present moment and that are fully aligned with your intuition as much as possible.

This can be quite difficult with the people we care about. Remember that you might be able to feel someone else’s emotions and that you’re not responsible for fixing them. As someone who’s developing their intuition, setting proper boundaries is the way to practice self-love.

Take an honest look at how relationships and situations can affect you

The ultimate goal when it comes to intuition is self-empowerment. Even if providing clear answers and sharing your own experience might seem a bit difficult at first, I hope you will be able to feel confident enough in your own choices and understand that being highly intuitive isn’t always a life sentence to feel the emotions of others.

Start to align your life with your intuition

When we mention alignment in a spiritual sense, we talk about being in alignment with our spiritual values and the truest essence of who we really are. Our conscious and unconscious mind, our physical body, our breath, need to be fully aligned with our truth or we might experience a sense of discomfort.

At a certain point, as adults, most of us develop a specific set of values, beliefs, and ideas that keep us in alignment. We also begin to firm ideas of what’s wrong or right, and what it looks like to experience a truly beautiful life. For instance, most people believe that they have to work hard and make sacrifices in order to be successful.

This is quite common. Through the way we’ve been conditioned, especially in our families, and in society, most of us have been perpetually reinforcing the wrong thoughts. When we experience a recurring thought, at some point it becomes a belief, and by the time we reach adulthood, most of us are ready to suffer and work hard for what we desire.

Now, I think you could use this read on how to delve into your intuition and psychic abilities, by Kimberly Moon. It’s a great read with many useful insights!

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