Issue 25: Intuition
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 25 | INTUITION
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
THINK
The origin of the word ‘intuition’ is the Latin verb intueri, which is usually translated as ‘to look inside’ or to contemplate.
A lot of the research that has come out in recent years shows that the concept of intuition has important consequences for us. When we connect with it we get deeper self-awareness, improved emotional balance and mental clarity, more effective decision making and problem solving, even improved quality of relationships.
Commonly referred to as insight, gut feelings, hunches, or an inner voice, intuition describes the sense of knowing something without fully understanding how you know it.
The two problems we see most often in our clinical work are people running into trouble because they’re unwilling to trust that ‘knowing’, and people who aren’t sure how to find their intuition at all.
Take a moment to reflect on the following questions - the answers may help you connect with your intuition more easily moving forward.
- Can you identify times in the past when you listened to what your heart (intuition) was telling you?
- Can you identify times in your life when you ignored what your heart (intuition) was telling you?
- How might these situations have turned out differently if you had paid attention to your intuition?
FEEL
Intuition is often experienced as a sensation that indicates something is happening or is about to happen. That could feel like:
- Sense of rightness/peace in the heart
- Tightness in the chest or stomach
- Sinking in the stomach
- Butterflies
- Sweaty palms
- Heightened sight, sound or smell
Paying attention to these clues will give you more information to make choices about what is right for you in any given situation.
To access your intuition you will need to stop thinking and start feeling. Become aware of the sensations in your body, particularly your chest and stomach.
Just observe the feelings - don’t try to figure out what they’re telling you just yet. If you disappear into your head to analyse things, you’ll miss the feelings and sensations your intuition is sending up.
DO
Intuition is like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it will be.
Making time to check in with your intuition regularly (even about small, inconsequential things) will help you improve the connection so you can access your ‘knowing’ quickly and easily.
If you need a little extra help connecting to your intuition, try the exercise below. Remember - practise, practise, practise!
Step One: Give your mind a question.
Think about a decision or problem you are currently faced with and formulate a question in your mind. Go within, ask the question and think about the possible responses. Write down two choices you could make and label them Option A and Option B.
Step Two: Breathe
Get comfortable, close your eyes and relax your body completely. Place your hand over your heart and take three deep breaths, focusing on your breath flowing in and out of your chest.
Keeping your hand over your heart, inhale slowly through your nose, imagining your breath coming in through your heart. As you breathe in, expand your abdomen as your lungs fill with air. Exhale slowly through your mouth and imagine the breath is coming out through the heart. Contract your abdomen in towards your spine as your lungs empty of air. Continue breathing in this way until you find a natural rhythm that feels good to you.
Step Three: Connecting Choices
Imagine yourself making Choice A and keep your attention focused on the area of the heart. If your mind begins to wander, simply bring your attention back to the heart. Observe the sensations - don’t try to change them, just notice them.
Ask yourself:
- How does your heart feel in response to making this choice
- Does it feels warm, light, and open? Tight and tense?
- Is your chest expanding quickly in and out with the flow of your breath?
- Or is it shallow and constricted?
- What do the sensations you’re experiencing tell you about this decision?
- Do you feel optimistic and energised?
- Or alert to something that needs extra attention?
- Repeat the above process for Choice B.
If you practise this ‘tuning in’ enough, your intuition will become loud and clear whenever you reach for it.
