27 ways to connect with your intuition

I’ve recently been drawn to getting more in touch with my intuition. That gut feeling, inner guidance or wisdom. The part of me that knows deeply, even when intellect can’t explain it. The thing is for a long time I thought I was good at this – I thought I had this whole intuition thing, acting from that place of calm and peace within me. I can undoubtedly identify points in my life where I made decisions and choices that I know were guided by a gut feeling. Times when expectations, other people’s opinions and my usual tendencies pointed to a certain direction, yet something made me go a different way:

When and where I chose to do my yoga teacher training. How to plan our wedding. How to respond to a very challenging person in my life.

Knowing that I have been guided at those times is incredibly valuable to me, yet lately I’ve wanted to go deeper than that. Surrendering to the unknown when shit hits the fan is a great skill to have and essential in allowing yourself to be guided by your inner self. Yet what I have been craving for is daily connection to my intuition. To develop a relationship with myself that allows me to live from this place, not simply access it at times of adversity or big decisions. Having an internal compass that helps me guide this ship throughout my day’s actions, from choosing what to eat, who I spend my time with, to what music I listen to and what I teach in my yoga class. Connecting with this inner guidance makes me feel I’m living a purposeful life, because I’m living my truth, not blindly operating on automatic pilot through my actions.

This is a challenge to say the least! Especially when we’re busy and constantly bombarded by things we have to do, it can seem almost impossible to know what we actually want or even need to do for ourselves and our wellbeing. Some people are so disconnected from themselves that they doubt they even have an intuitive ability. So I’m here to tell you that you do. We all have this inner wisdom, but if we have spent most of our lives ignoring her, she is most likely gone into hibernation. If you want to connect with your intuition, you need to make it F-U-N! Be curious and playful and experimental and bit-by-bit your gut feeling will get stronger and clearer.

Below I’m sharing 27 easy and simple tips for playing with your inner guidance. Enjoy!

27 ways to connect with your intuition::

Journal – choose a time in your day and write for 3 pages non-stop. Stream of consciousness. Download your thoughts, the mental chatter on to paper. Don’t read while you write, just write. Write even when you think there is nothing else to write. Stop when you fill 3 pages.
Make a list of things you absolutely love doing.
Put your alarm 15 minutes earlier in the morning. I am finding that mornings are the best time to connect with my intuition because I’m not rushing through my to-do list.
Pause before eating or before deciding what to eat.
Tune in to your breath regularly throughout the day.
Take your time when making decisions – ask yourself questions such as ‘how would this option make me feel?’ or ‘which way should I go?’ and wait for the answers.
Invite your intuition out to play. Be curious and non-judgemental about what she comes up with.
Move your body in different ways – if you regularly do yoga, try dancing, jumping up and down, or go for a hike. While you move your body, tune into the physical sensations and notice how you feel.
Keep a hunch diary! Make it fun – every time you get a feeling about something write it down and read over your diary at the end of each week. Even if it turns out untrue, it’s a great way to strengthen your intuition muscle.
Don’t expect to hear a voice! Your gut feeling is all about that – feeling.
Pick one thing in your routine and ask yourself if it still serves you. Pause and listen, then act on what you get.
Meditate (obviously! Have you got my free meditation audio yet?) If you want to get technical, close your eyes and bring your awareness to your third eye (the space between your eye brows). This is your 6^th chakra – the gate to your intuition.
Go to a crystal shop and choose a crystal before looking at its qualities. Trust that you are attracted to the right one.
Try cooking something new and don’t follow a recipe!
Go for a walk without checking the map. Just keep walking and see where it takes you.
Play games that require you to take small risks. Keeping checking in with your gut about which way to go.
Practice sitting in silence. Start with 1 minute x3 times a day, and increase it gradually. You can put phone reminders throughout the day.
Unroll your yoga mat, close your eyes and let your body move. If you are really struggling just go through a couple of sun salutations and then allow your body to guide itself to the next posture. Whether it wants to stay in child’s pose for 10 minutes or keep flowing dynamically, it doesn’t matter. Let the body speak for itself.
Spend time alone. Book 30 minutes to a whole day of me-time per week. Play with what you plan for this time, and allow space for impulsiveness.
Connect with other people’s energy: when you’re having your weekend coffee, look around and be curious about what vibes you are picking up. When you’re having a conversation with your friend, listen behind the words and try to identify the person’s energy.
Keep a food energy diary. Different foods affect us in different ways; not just our digestive system, but also energetically. Every time you eat a meal or snack, keep a note of how you feel before and after.
Get a house plant or grow a herb garden. Learning to take care of green things really awakens your instincts. Start with some succulents or cacti – they are harder to kill!
Track the moon and mark the times of the New and Full moon in your diary. Play with intention setting in the New Moon and letting go in the Full Moon. (To get a beautiful free 2015 Moon tracker check here)
Spend time with friends who give you the uncontrollable belly giggles!
Go to the farmers’ market and choose your vegetables by hand. Spend time looking and feeling them.
Use touch: place the palm of your hand on the heart, solar plexus or the place in your body where you feel your intuition lives. Close your eyes and bring your mind’s eye there.
Walk barefoot inside + outside. Connect to the earth.

++ Oh I loved writing this post! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one.

Leave me a comment and tell me::

// How are you currently in touch with your intuition?
// How do you awaken that connection?
// What does it feel like when you let yourself be guided by your intuition?

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