We are all intuitive.

Even if you don’t feel like you are in this moment, trust me, you are intuitive.

Our bodies carry so much wisdom. They are always trying to tell us something, longing to share information with us. Many of us feel that in our gut, a butterfly, a flicker of energy, a slight discomfort. Or maybe you have this feeling you can’t shake, that strong sense that you know the truth about a situation. All of these are signs that your body is trying to tell you something. With practice you can develop your listening skills and begin to trust yourself in deeper ways.

When we listen to our bodies and honor their messages, we are able to live in alignment with who we really are. From this place of alignment comes trust which is a cornerstone of living an empowered and inspired life. When we have confidence in our ability to respect what our bodies are telling us, we gain access to the profound wisdom that they hold. In many ways were are given the keys to the kingdom.

Pay attention.

Your body is giving you clues and signals all day long. It’s your job to slow down long enough to tune into to them and follow through.

• Take a moment and recall a time when you had a hunch about something and saw it through. What was your experience? How did it feel? Was your hunch bright and clear or was it more foggy and grey? There is no right or wrong answer here. Our bodies communicate to each of us in their own unique ways. If you’re up to it, crack open your journal and write about what it was like following through on your intuition.

• Now take a moment and think about a time when you received a message from your body and you ignored it. What was that like? Did your body try to communicate with you again in a bigger way? How did it feel? Were you able to let it go or did you eventually have to make some changes?

Anyone who has ever stayed too long in a relationship or at a job they disliked for whatever reason has been in this very position. You let your head run the show meanwhile you had a feeling that it just wasn’t right. Or perhaps you had very clear signs it wasn’t right. Ignoring our body’s wisdom sets the stage for unnecessary confusion. We’re going against the grain here and it’s very taxing on our health and wellbeing.

In my mid 20’s I was in a very unhealthy relationship with someone that was emotionally and verbally abusive. I knew it wasn’t good for me but I stayed. During that time I was constantly sick, depressed and had difficulty following my dreams in most areas of my life. I also had a giant pit in my stomach for most of the relationship and terrible insomnia. This is a very clear example of what can happens to our lives when we choose to avoid the signs from our body.

Through the help of a good therapist and a close group of girl friends I was able to eventually leave that relationship and start taking better care of myself. Since that time I have learned to trust the signals my body sends in my relationships and have been able to walk away much sooner from people that weren’t healthy to be around.

We are not taught in our culture to trust ourselves, especially as women. As a result we are often looking to others to tell us how to live, how to feel, what to eat. In many ways we are a culture of lost souls, or as some Buddhists refer to us, hungry ghosts. We live in a land of plenty yet we are so far removed from our bodies and the understanding of how to heal our own lives.

If you have spent time disregarding signals from your body in any situation know that this is a process. You have the ability to listen to your body and trust what it tells you it just might take some time to build that into your life. The more we listen and live in alignment the easier it is.

Try this practice……

Take a comfortable seat and think about something you have to do tomorrow. Maybe you have to work, run an errand or visit a doctor. Pick one activity and meditate on it. Simply breathe in and out through your nose and notice what energy or feelings come up from focusing on that activity. Without overthinking bring awareness to your body and pay attention to any sensations that arise. Try to meditate for five minutes and then jot down some notes of what you experienced.

How did you feel?

When something is a ‘yes’ in my body it is very clear. I often feel energized, happy or relaxed. My belly is calm and there is this sense of feeling grounded and open.

When something is a ‘no’ I feel constricted, scared, or anxious. There is often a tight feeling in my throat or a queasy sensation in my tummy. Sometimes I even feel tingling in my entire body.

There are also occasions where I feel neutral about a situation and my body feels very balanced. There aren’t any highs or lows, just a sense that I am really in the middle of the decision.

Keep in mind…

Learning how to pay attention to what your body is telling you is one of the pillars of self care and wellbeing. It takes time so start slow with these simple steps.

• Meditate. Practice regularly to tune into your body and gain access to its brilliance and sensitivity.
• Journal. Keep notes on your meditation and anytime you receive signs from your body. Through writing you learn to connect the dots and build a foundation of trust.
• Slow down. Often times we rush around from one thing to the next without ever taking time to pause and check in with ourselves. Pay close attention to what happens when you incorporate some slowness into your everyday.

And above all practice, practice, practice!

This is all about learning how to tap into what you feel and eventually build trust. It takes consistent practice and time. As you learn to trust your feelings you will be able to make wiser decisions in the future based on your inner guidance. As women we are already more intuitive than men so trust me when I say your body knows.

Listening to our bodies won’t make tough situations go away and it doesn’t mean that we never have to make a challenging choice again, we will. The deeper we connect to our bodies the stronger the call to change our lives. And this is where true magic happens. This is where we feel alive and create lives rich with meaning and purpose. Our body knows. It’s time to listen to her.

Has your body been telling you something recently? What kinds of signals is she sharing with you?

xoa