Are you listening to your intuition?

In one of my yoga classes this fall, we´ve been doing a yoga set to strengthen your intuition. I don´t know what you think about when you hear the word intuition? For some of you it´s probably something totally normal and for some of you maybe something strange and ”New age”.  The last 6 months or so I´ve noticed more than ever how my intuition has helped me in my life and it has been very important for making decisions and helping people. So in this blog post I want to share my thoughts on intuition. What it is for me, how it can help you in your daily life and how to strengthen it.

What is intuition?
The word in itself means:

• direct perception of truth
• fact
• independent of any reasoning process
• a keen and quick insight, the quality or ability of having such direct perception or quick insight

It can be about having a sense that something is going to happen or that something is just right without having any idea how that message is coming to you. It´s just there in an instant. It´s like you feel it in your gut. It can be a feeling of reading between the lines, having a knowledge in a certain situation or/and to, in a sub-conscious level, comprehend something.
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In the yogic tradition it is about strengthening your awareness and that is making you reach and get in contact with your inner teacher, your higher source of wisdom. Here you can see every moment in different aspects. You have the ability in every situation to feel what is best for you on a long term.
Personally, and I think many others of you, maybe know your intuition or at least have a sense of it. The hardest thing is to follow your intuition, to not act from fear and instead trusting your gut and having self–reliance.

 Maybe you hear that inner voice, whispering to you what you should do (or maybe it is even screaming at you) and you just ignore it and don´t act after your inner wisdom and knowledge, with the result that you in the end will not reach your goals or develop personally and spiritually as much as you wish.

​How do you know it is intuition and nothing else?
 
The sense of intuition is normally an instant feeling. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish your feelings. The feeling is immediate and sometimes another feeling can come quite rapidly after the intuition-feeling. It can be a feeling of fear or anxiety for example. I believe the intuition is always right, but that can also mean that you have to step out of your comfort zone and do things that can be challenging for you. And we need that reach a higher level of development personally and spiritually.

If you step out of your comfort zone and learn how to listen to your intuition you´ll be able to make right decisions in life and it will be easier for you to interact with people and also help people that are close to you. Life will be more fun, authentic and joyful. Not only to you, but also to people around you.

It is possible to learn to recognize the feeling of your intuition. The feeling is immediate, you know that gut-feeling that comes in an instant? When the feeling is right you sense excitement, a ”yes-feeling”. If you feel resistance or ”no-feeling” the decision is wrong. Sometimes you can feel confused or not sure, then you should wait and not take any decision at the moment.

If you don´t know if the intuition is a feeling of excitement you can ask yourself: from a scale 1-10 how much excitement do I feel right now? If you are closer to 1 the excitement is very low and your intuition tells you to not make that decision. If it is closer to 10 it is totally right!

​How can you strengthen your intuition?

❤ To be in contact with your intuition you need stillness. You need to stay away from stress. There are many ways you can do this. Here is a list of my 4 favorite yogic tips to lower stress:

• A breathing exercise to lower stress and anxiety
• Do a guided relaxation
• Try this meditation to lower stress (it´s my favorite!)
• Do these three yoga poses that helps to lower stress

 
 
❤ Visualizing helps you to strengthen your intuition according to the yogic tradition. It helps to balance the left and right brain hemispheres. Using pictures and ideas can help to “reprogram”  the brain. Here is one meditation that includes visualizing and also strengthens your electromagnetic field (the aura).

❤ In the yogic tradition the intuition is connected to the third eye point. This is the sixth chakra (in the kundalini yoga tradition). In the yoga I do, we always focus in the third eye point in the asanas as a way to connect and make it easier to focus, but it also helps to strengthen your intuition. The third eye point, or the brow point as it is also called, is in between the eyebrow 1,5 cm in (0,6 inches).

There are many yoga poses, kriyas and meditations that help to strengthen the third eye. Some poses are for example the bow pose, cat & cow pose, baby pose.

It is possible to train your intuition. Lower your stress, be in stillness, do your yoga, and learn in any given situation feel what you feel. Do the excitement practice above. Your life will be richer and you will develop both personally and spiritually.

Now I´m curious! How does your intuition help you in your life? Please comment below!