Intuition is often a spontaneous thing. It floats in randomly and before you know it, it’s gone again.

What if I told you it doesn’t have to be a random occurrence?

The thing is, our intuition, like any other muscle, can be exercised and strengthened. It is absolutely possible to be connected to our intuition in each and every moment, provided we are willing to embrace the gift of this inherent inner wisdom. We don’t have to wait until adversity hits or a big decision is to be made. We have the ability to live fully from this place of Intuitive knowledge each day, allowing our inner GPS to guide us throughout the day’s events – from choosing what to eat, what to wear, who to spend time with, what kind of music to listen to, and how best to take care of ourselves that day. We can be fully and completely present, living purposefully and authentically rather than being on autopilot and blindly moving through our days.

Our intuition is always working. It’s always sneaking in little hints – things like, “You should call ___” or “___ would be fun to learn.” Those tend to be the easiest ones to follow through on.

It’s the harder ones that our ego steps in on and sabotages us in creating a happier and more fulfilling life. “This job is not right for you” or “This relationship is not healthy” can bring up a lot of ego fear and subsequently a lack of follow through. Fear of change is a huge block to our intuition and can cripple the connection to our inner guidance and wisdom. We must learn to trust that any fear that comes up pertaining to change is moving us towards that which we desire and to move with it faithfully and courageously.

More things that block our intuition are:

1. Over-thinking
2. Cultural conditioning to disregard feelings
3. Fear, worry, or doubt
4. Expectations/Attachments/Control issues
5. Judgments
6. Distrust of self
7. Looking outside for answers
8. Stress
9. Rigid belief systems
10. Lack of quiet time

If any of these resonate with you (your intuition told you so!), I would suggest working on your block(s) first. You’ll have the space and freedom to work with your intuition fully without anything hindering your connection and practice. In regard to stress and a lack of quiet time, we are always going to run into those blocks. The important thing is to make a conscious choice to do what you can with what you have to give yourself what you need. If you’re stressed, take time out to do something that relaxes you and feels good. If you have a lack of quiet time, make the decision to incorporate a small window in your day that is solely for peace and quiet. If you truly want a deep and fulfilling connection to your intuition, there is no excuse!

Connecting to Our Intuition

There are a multitude of ways to connect to our intuition. Today, I’ll share 10 different exercises and tools to do so.

It’s important to remember that with all of these, we have to learn to come to a space of quiet. The best and easiest way to do this is to simply focus on our breath. Take long, slow, deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. With each breath, move your attention away from your head and into your heart. Breathe and hold that space as you become aware of the love and wisdom your heart holds for you. This is how it feels when you’re connected. Watch for this feeling throughout these exercises.

1. Start small. As I mentioned earlier, we don’t have to wait until a huge decision needs to be made in order to connect with our intuition. Start small. Consult your inner voice or feeling when deciding what you should wear, what you should eat for lunch, or what music to listen to on your way to your next destination. Act on it and witness the shifts that take place within your psyche and emotional body when you follow what your intuition is sharing with you.
2. Pay attention. This is a big one. Pay attention to any intuitive hits – ie. “random” thoughts, feelings or visions – you receive and keep them in mind. It may even help to have a “hunch journal” in which you can put all your hunches or gut feelings down in one place. Look back at it at the end of every week and reflect on whether any of them were on point. Even if they’re not, this is still a great way to exercise our intuition.
3. Follow what feels good. Our intuition is always going to guide us to what is right and true for us – this includes what feels right and true as well. Throughout your day, follow what feels good for you. What feels good is always in alignment with what is important and our intuition is a way to access and act on the things which hold meaning, purpose, and fulfillment for us.
4. Ask and LISTEN. Simple, but profound. Get quiet and ask the question. For this to work, we have to be in a space of knowing that we will receive the answer – because we will. Most importantly, we must remember to listen as well. If you’re not sure what an answer from your intuition feels like, generally it feels calm and quiet. When we receive an intuitive answer, there is no doubt and no fear – at least not at first when our conscious mind and ego haven’t had the chance to argue about it. There is a deep sense of knowing it is true and it is right. What is the first thing that pops into your head? That’s typically an intuitive answer. Honor it.
5. Intention. Make a conscious decision to connect with your intuition. Set an intention. The best time to do this is in the morning as you begin your day. I like to do it as I wake up and get moving. I consciously affirm to myself my intention to listen to my inner voice throughout the day and act on it. A few may be:
   • I am open to receiving intuitive guidance in each moment.
   • I commit to following my intuition.
   • I honor each intuitive hit I receive and follow through with it with gratitude and excitement.
6. Journal. Choose a time to sit down and write non-stop stream of consciousness for 3 pages. Don’t analyze, don’t read, just write. Even if you feel there is nothing else to write, write that. Don’t stop until you hit the 3 page mark. Often, putting down our mental chatter on paper can get it out and allow intuitive messages to come through. Look over your pages and see what you find that really sticks out and may alert you to an “aha!” moment – that’s your intuition.
7. Pause. Before making any decision – big or small – pause. Just for a second. Breathe. You may find something comes up that either tells you to follow through or find another way. You can also pause when you feel like the answers just aren’t coming to you, especially when you find yourself dwelling on a situation. Do something different and you’ll find that suddenly the answer shows up as you finally gave it the mental space to make itself known. When it does, give thanks and smile.
8. Meditate. Of course! Meditation is one of the best ways to connect with our inner wisdom. We talked above about the mental chatter. This mental chatter can tend to overwhelm and suffocate our intuition from being heard or felt. Meditation allows us the space and time to learn how to allow those thoughts to pass through and become more mindful and aware of what is happening underneath all of that chaos. It lets us get really quiet so that that little voice has a chance to come through and bless us with the wisdom we’re looking for.
9. Tarot/Oracle/Angel cards. Learning how to use the Tarot, Oracle cards, Angel cards, or the many other intuitive cards out there can be a huge ally when connecting to our intuition. They allow us to hear our inner voice and decipher its messages by way of physical representations. Many card decks have symbolism in the art that we can use to play with our “intuitive feelers.” You might be curious about a situation, or wonder how you can best take care of yourself in a given moment. Pull a card and really look at it. Pay attention to where your attention goes. For example, you may zero in on a sun and get a feeling of warmth, joy, and play. This might be an intuitive signal that you need more of those qualities in your life. You might choose to read the description, but I really believe it doesn’t matter. You receive exactly what it is you get out of it. I encourage you to shop around and choose a deck that really calls to you – your intuition will let you know when you find the one!
10. Dreams. Our dreams hold a ton of intuitive wisdom. If you’re one who remembers your dreams often, this may be a helpful technique when connecting to your intuition. Delegate a journal to being a “dream journal.” Write down any and all things you notice in your dreams, even if they’re small details. As random and crazy as our dreams can be, they are filled with symbolism about what is going on in our inner world – especially that which we are not consciously aware of. Keep an open mind and consider the fact that many times our dreams are not what they seem on the surface – the person in the dream may just be a symbol for someone or something in our waking life. For example, you may have a dream about someone trying to trap you. You may ask yourself if there is someone or something in your life that makes you feel trapped. Play around and feel out the symbolism, you’re bound to find a level of truth there.

As always, I encourage you to find what works best for you! Whatever you find is perfect. It may even be a few of these. Turn it into a routine if you’d like and experience the shifts that take place when you consciously decide to connect to and listen to your intuition. Intention and awareness coupled with action creates a strong relationship. We must commit to it, stay open and pay attention, and act on the intuitive hits we receive so that we can build confidence and faith in our intuitive abilities, further strengthening the connection.

Remember that intuition is a totally individual experience. You may feel it, you may hear it, you may sense it, you may see it. All is right and perfect. Work with how it shows up you! I will be doing a post soon about the different types of intuition.

It takes practice, but it’s totally worth it. Creating a solid connection to our intuition allows us to get even more clear about who we are, what’s important to us, and make choices that are aligned with both, based on our own inner insight and wisdom.

What’s better than that?

xo