Listening to your inner knowledge
All of us has an inner knowledge, called our intuition.
"Intuition senses the direction to go in for most benefit, it is self-preserving, has a grasp of underlying motive and intention, it will choose the least amount of fragmenting in the psyche…This intuitive function belongs to all women. It is massive and fundamentally receptivity. Not receptivity as once touted in classical psychology that is as a passive vessel. But receptivity as in possessing immediate access to profound wisdom that reaches to a women’s very bones.”
Women Who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D
Intuition is that gut feeling. It’s the knowing, deep down in our soul about a path to take or decision to make. It is letting go of our perceived (mental state) ideas of what we should be doing, and instead, listening to the voice that resides inside of us.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
And yet, listening to our inner knowledge, our intuition, is one of the hardest things for so many people to do. Instead, we allow all of the input we’ve had over our years on this planet to guide most of our decisions.
Think about it for a moment. Ask yourself, right now, “what do I want?”
Do you know?
Without the input of what you were taught you are “supposed to want?”
Are you able to quiet those voices and get to the heart of the matter?
Most of us are not. At least, not without practice. Just like anything, we need to develop that muscle, our intuitive muscle, and become better in tune with our deepest selves and our inner knowledge.
Try this exercise for the next seven days. See how you feel a the end of it, and if you’re any closer to being able to truly answering the question “what do you want?”
Find a time when you can be undisturbed.
(HINT: The bathroom is a great place to start this practice, especially if you have children.)Set a timer for five minutes.
Take a deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
Close your eyes.
Place the palms of your hands over your heart.
Take another deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
Feel your feet firmly on the ground.
Make yourself another inch taller.
Take another deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
Ask yourself (either out loud or in your mind) “What do I want, right now?” You can either tie this to a specific situation, or just in general.
Sit or stand quietly. Feel the rhythm of your chest as you breath in and out. Just listen for an answer. The answer may come in the form of colors, pictures, words, whispers, smells, tastes, really anything.
If every day thoughts pop into your mind, take another deep breath and press your palms a little more firmly into your chest to allow the thought to drift away. You don’t need to force it, just create space to re-center yourself on the purpose of your being there.
When your timer goes off, gently drop your arms to your sides and wiggle your fingers. Take one last deep breath in and out, and open your eyes.
Take a moment to write down any messages/imagery you received. It may not make sense now, but at the end of the seven days, you will have a clearer picture of what message your deeper, most authentic self is trying to give you.
I would love to hear how this practice goes for you. Leave me a message in the comments below or send me an email at kim@harmoniouslifecoach.com and let me know how it’s going.
Until next time… be good to yourself. There’s only one of you.
