You’ve probably heard the expression, “a gut feeling.” Other common nomenclature includes your sixth sense, inner voice, or a hunch. We’re told to trust this subconscious, visceral knowing, but yet so many of us don’t understand what it is exactly, much less how to use it.
1. What Does Intuition Feel Like?
Signs of a gut feeling can manifest through a variety of sensations, from goosebumps, to a sinking feeling in your stomach, to the same thoughts repeating in your mind, to what is perceived like a spark of clarity.
The butterflies you feel prior to making a significant decision is the reverberation from millions of nerve cells. The subconscious section of our brain dispatches cues to the nerves in our gut in order to feel this tingle. The physical phenomenon enlists our entire being to make a decision, not just our mind.
2. How Does Intuition Work?
The left side of our brain is rooted in consciousness, pragmatic, and logical thoughts, while the right brain is focused on our subconscious thoughts, emotions, and intuitive abilities.
Our mind is consistently synthesizing information that we are not necessarily aware of; this takes place while we are dreaming throughout sleep, as well as when we’re awake. This insight decodes the moments of “light bulb” revelations when we learn something new, but yet we somehow already knew it. In other words, our conscious mind ultimately recognizes a concept that our subconscious mind already understands.
Neurology experts believe that the mind is interlaced with our multidisciplinary nervous system by way of modulators, neurotransmitters, and other chemical indications. It would make sense then that feelings of intuition are often chaperoned by physical sensations.
Spiritual gurus would also suggest that intuition is driven in part by our Higher Self, guiding and leading us, both in everyday circumstances as well as making pivotal, life-changing decisions.
The solar plexus chakra is located in our abdomen, near the stomach. Understanding the mind and gut connection, this chakra’s location shouldn’t come as a shock since it is connected to feeling confident, our self-esteem, as well as feeling in control of our life.
3. How Do We Access Our Intuition?
The ability to calm the mind quiets the incessant chatter going on, day-in and day-out, allowing us to truly listen to our inner voice of wisdom. If we don’t take the time and effort to slow down the noise, it’s easy to get lost in second-guessing ourselves.
Some of the most common strategies to access your right brain in order to leverage intuition is through the practice of meditation or mediative-like activities such as taking a long shower, zoning out during a walk or jog, listening to relaxing music, or daydreaming while outside in nature.
4. Why Do We Need Checks & Balances?
Of course paying attention to nudges from our subconscious is essential, but making decisions based on logic and reason in conjunction with our intuition is important too.
One example is getting feedback from people who you respect about the decision you’re facing. Another example is writing down your thoughts on paper. Not only does this create space in your mind, but you can literally see things more clearly. For this exercise, draw a line down the center of a piece of paper — on the left side write a list of everything that comprises the situation or decision you’re trying to tackle. On the right side of the page, write down everything that is within your control and what you can actually do about the situation. Because both our left and right side brains cannot both be dominant at the exact same time, this activity prompts your right brain to release emotions, and instead focus on logic.
Your intuition is a profoundly powerful tool. The more you practice tapping into it, the more confident you’ll become listening to that soft, but powerful guidance.