Intuition: What Is It and Does Everyone Have It?
Source: Motoki Tonn
Do you ever feel you need to do something but you can’t explain why? Or you feel like you just know something? That’s probably your intuition speaking.
It can be hard to recognize your intuition, let alone hear it. This is why you might be asking yourself: Do I even have intuition?
Everyone has intuition, but many people believe they don't have it because they haven’t learned to listen to it. When you start listening to your inner voice, your life will become aligned with what you truly want.
It’s taken me years to develop and trust my intuition, but now I don’t make any decisions without it. Looking back, I feel my intuition is always right. I may not be comfortable with what my intuition says, but I know that it will never let me down.
In this post, I’ll share with you what intuition really means, how to recognize it, and how to start using your inner guidance in your everyday life.
What Exactly Is Intuition?
Intuition is the feeling that you know something without really knowing how or why you know it. Some people refer to your intuition as your sixth sense.
I believe we have three different types of intuition: mind (subconscious), body (gut feeling), and soul (higher self).
The subconscious mind is great at pattern recognition and uses all the knowledge we have collected over the years to make snap decisions – without you having to consciously think about it. This feels like a deep knowing that comes to you in an instant.
But an intuitive feeling can also come from your gut – often referred to as the second brain – or from somewhere else in your body as a physical sensation.
Lastly, I think intuition is also a way for your higher self to guide you in fulfilling your soul’s purpose. This type of guidance can come in different forms, such as a vision, a feeling, or a strong knowing.
Does Everyone Have Intuition?
Every one of us can access our intuition. But most of us have been taught to silence it and not trust it.
Western culture values logical reasoning over something less tangible like intuition. A lot of us are uncomfortable trusting something we can't prove, so we ignore those internal nudges.
Some people are naturally more connected to their intuition, often because they are more sensitive in general (highly sensitive people, empaths, etc.).
Others can be really tuned in to their intuition because they have learned how to listen to it and trust it over time.
So if you feel you don't have intuition, you just haven't learned how to listen to it. Intuition is like a muscle — if you exercise it regularly, it will get stronger.
How Do You Tell If It’s Your Intuition?
Source: Motoki Tonn
Intuition is an instant feeling you just know something, without being fully aware of the reasons why. But it can be hard to follow for a lot of people because they don’t know what their intuition feels like. So how do you recognize your intuition?
Intuition is non-verbal
If your mind is racing, those thoughts are not intuition. Intuition feels like a strong knowing without the presence of words. It’s like a whisper. Your mind will be loud and trying to convince you of things.
Intuition is emotionally neutral
If you are feeling strong emotions, you are more likely getting triggered by your thoughts or something external. Intuition comes from within and is very subtle. It won’t encourage you to make sudden, rash decisions – which our emotions often will do.
Intuition is a physical sensation
Intuition is often tied to a physical sensation. When something feels wrong you might feel a tightness in your chest or stomach, a heaviness in your shoulders, or a general feeling of uneasiness. When your intuition is telling you something is right you’ll notice more of a lightness, openness, or sense of excitement — like butterflies in your stomach.
Intuition is in the present moment
Your intuition is always a response to what’s happening in the here and now. It’s like your inner compass, guiding you in every moment. Just like a GPS, it only tells you where to turn left and right when you need to. It doesn’t tell you the entire journey all at once.
Intuition is repetitive
If you don’t hear your intuition the first time, no worries. It will keep sending signals until you hear them. That is of course if you are listening. When you keep ignoring your intuition, your life might have to crash and burn before you get the message.
Can You Trust Your Intuition?
If you're not used to relying on your intuition, it may take some time to feel confident in trusting your inner guidance.
So it's helpful to start using it with low-stakes decisions first, like deciding what to eat for dinner or how to spend your Sunday afternoon.
One caveat to being able to trust your intuition is that you have to trust yourself.
And trusting yourself means you have a healthy relationship with all aspects of yourself – body, mind, and soul. When you start listening to your needs and supporting yourself fully, it will become easier to trust yourself – and your intuition.
Using your intuition doesn’t mean you should throw out all logic or conscious reasoning. It’s good to think things through. You need to find a balance between all the resources you have to make the best possible decisions for yourself.
How to Start Using Intuition In Everyday Life
It can be hard to follow your intuition at first because in modern society we’re so used to using our logic to create our lives. But not using your intuition means you’re missing out on your inner wisdom to guide you. To start using it, you’ll need to learn to bypass the mind and your emotions.
Here are a few ways to start tuning in to your intuition:
Quiet your mind. We need to slow down our thoughts enough to start noticing the nudges from our intuition. Also, turning off that inner critic is essential to learning to trust your intuitive knowings.
Slow down and be in the here and now. Connecting to your body will help you become more present. This will open you up to intuitive moments.
Embrace silence. Create some time to remove distractions and embrace stillness. This creates space for your quiet inner voice to be heard.
Spend time alone. When we’re constantly being influenced by others, we can’t hear our inner guidance. Give yourself time to think, introspect, and reflect without the input of other people.
Practice. Start practicing how to use your intuition with trivial decisions — especially when you can get instant feedback. When you are faced with a choice, pay attention to the initial split-second feeling you have — without thinking about it, analyzing it, or getting emotional. Notice any physical sensations in your body. What do you feel?
Journal about your intuitive experiences. How did you hear, see, or feel the signal in your body? And how did it turn out when you followed your intuitive hunch? The more you see evidence of your intuition working out, the more you will learn to trust it.
Learn to go with the flow. Use your intuition to learn to go with the flow. If you keep hitting a wall with something, stop and check in with your gut feeling. Are you getting any messages? Maybe there’s a reason you shouldn’t go down that road.
Final Thoughts
It can be hard to use our intuition at first because we’re all living in a very mind-centered society. But we all have intuition, and we can learn to listen to it over time.
The more you get attuned to the quiet inner voice, the better your intuition will get. And the stronger it becomes, the more your life will become aligned with what you really want.
XO
Annie
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