Strengthening your intuition, where do you start?
Many people are searching for a stronger connection to their intuition. Yet for many people, this search often begins by literally “searching” for new information. We dive into the world of spiritual teachings, philosophies and practices, seeking answers to our deepest questions and desires. However, in the midst of this abundance of information, we can sometimes get lost, confused and even cut off from our own intuitive voice.
Different information is coming at you from all sides and therefore it is not always easy to find your own inner truth. Not to mention the chaos in our own heads and the anxious inner voices.
Sometimes we are still too much in search of the “truth” and often seek it in the increased variety of spiritual offerings, which has now also become a rapidly growing commercial market.
In an age when the spiritual market is booming and the demand for guidance and insight is increasing, it is essential to return to the basics of our inner knowing. We must learn to trust our intuition as a valuable guide on our life journey, and recognize that the answers we seek are often already hidden within ourselves.
What is intuition?
I often describe intuition as “the language of your soul”. And it can speak to you in many different ways. Moreover, we all have different ways in which it comes to us. Think of it as your inner guidance, which is always whispering wisdom and insights to you. In addition, you can also extend intuition as the “language of the soul”: since your soul (or “higher parts”) are connected to the universal primal source (or call it “divine source”), you can also see intuition as communication from this source.
This Divine Source in turn communicates VIA your own intuition, but also through nature and your environment. This can express itself in many ways. For example: a sudden remark of a complete stranger that triggers something in you, an animal that suddenly appears out of the bushes and has a symbolic meaning for you, or a sentence in a book that you read. But also a sudden clear insight in the shower or just a “YES” feeling in your gut!
I have created the online course ‘Transform fear & blockages and align with your intuition’ in which I talk more about this topic. At this moment the course is only available in Dutch language, but the English one will come online soon.
The above explanation is my own “intuitive
” wording and experience of what intuition is. I thought it would be fun to add some examples from the literature to see how intuition is described there.
I remember that Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist who had great influence on psychology, believed that intuition gave us access to the collective unconscious, a reservoir of shared, universal symbols and archetypes rooted deep in our consciousness. According to Jung, intuition allows us to connect to these deeper layers of the psyche and to gain insight into spiritual and symbolic meanings beyond our individual consciousness.
Henri Bergson, a French philosopher of the late 19th and early 20th centuries believed that intuition represented a direct, non-mental form of knowledge that allowed us to understand the essence of things. He viewed intuition as an intuitive perception of life itself, a form of inner seeing that gave us access to the deeper reality behind surface phenomena.
With Jung, among other things, you also see that he mentions that intuition goes beyond our individual consciousness and speaks through archetypes. In other words, intuition connects us to a larger field that has its own unique ‘language’, which cannot always be expressed in normal terms. With Bergson, you can also see that intuition is seen as a form of “inner seeing” that gives access to a deeper reality. A reality that is bigger and vaster than we can see with our physical eyes. But where we indeed can communicate with!
There are numerous other examples from the literature, but I am not going to mention them all. I thought it would be fun to highlight two to show that everyone who tries to put intuition into words has largely overlap in their explanations. The mystical nature of intuition is interesting for many people to explore further. In my opinion, this is mainly because our soul is our “home”, and we all deeply long for this feeling of ‘home’. Communicating with our soul and something larger than just our physical selves gives us peace, confidence and clarity.
In this article, I will elaborate on what I believe intuition further entails and I will give you some tips that have helped me begin to understand this mystical language again.
Embracing simplicity is the key
We can ask ourselves: do we strengthen our contact with our own intuition if we continue to follow all kinds of spiritual currents or information? Or do we find it in the experience of life itself?
Perhaps we will find our own truth and the voice of our intuition if we dare to live, and also dare to embrace the simplicity of life. Then spirituality is more of a personal experience with a truth that may be different for everyone. Often we regain contact with our inner knowing when we are quiet. Without noise that surrounds us.
We find the answers in silence.
Tips for tuning in:
But how do you get rid of all the noise and get in touch with that intuition? I have listed some tips below.
Daily alignment and intentions
Working with intention is incredibly powerful. As soon as you start your day, take a few minutes to tune into your intuition. Breathe quietly in and out and close your eyes for a moment. Tune in to your body and connect with the earth.
Set the intention that you connect with your soul essence and intuition and that they may give you the inspiration, guidance and wisdom you need in that moment. If you like you can stay in meditation for a while longer, and otherwise open your eyes quietly.
Tip: you can also listen to my free alignment meditation which helps you ground and connect with your soul essence, please click HERE.
Using nature as a mirror
Nature is a reflection of ourselves and we are deeply connected to it. When we are in nature and really quiet, we find our answers and insights that we need in very surprising ways. Find a place in nature and tune in (as explained in the previous tip).
Then ask a question you would like an answer to or an insight about. Open your eyes and sit quietly, or walk slowly. Notice all the small details around you and open yourself to synchronicities.
Perhaps a tree you notice has a special shape and this shape says something about yourself. Or a butterfly lands on your knee whose symbolism is trying to tell you something.
Or the wind suddenly comes up, which gives sudden clarity on a topic you are struggling with. Try to look through the curious and open eyes of a child. Let go of your expectations. If the answers don’t come right away, they will come at a later time.
Intuitive writing
For me, this is the most important way of getting in touch with myself and my own wisdom. It is very simple: you tune in (you can use my free meditation for this) to your soul essence.
You set the intention that you want to receive information from your own soul essence (or intuition) and put it on paper through writing. Once you feel that you are calm and clear inside you put a question on paper and then begin to write quietly. It takes some training: but leave your thoughts out of it!
Feel what wants to come spontaneously onto paper. You may also want to draw or make other symbols. If it is difficult to start then you can just start with a sentence such as ‘Dear …, I am writing these words to myself to get clarity on….,’.
Sometimes it takes some time before you really feel intuitive answers on paper, but don’t give up. It is an incredibly strong way to be in touch with yourself.
The water element
How often do you hear about someone having a sudden inspiration in the shower? I hear it a lot. The element of water is connected to emotion, feeling and creativity. When we connect with it, it is as if all the noise is cleared and we gain clarity.
When you experience chaos in your head, or as soon as you are out of touch with yourself, it is very nice to take a shower or bath. Afterwards, it always feels lighter and calmer in your head.
Or if you live near a lake or a water stream, it is also very nice to take a walk or a swim here. Or just put your hands or feet into the water.
Clearing inner ballast
If we still have old traumas stored in our system (these can include traumas from the family line), we are often not well connected to our physical body. This is because the traumas are stored there and therefore we often flee into our heads.
Then our energetic body floats a little above our physical body, so to speak. Only when our energetic body is well connected to our physical body (this is what I call “grounding”), only then do we feel a much stronger contact with our intuition and can we more easily discern what is intuition and what is not. By doing inner work and transforming old ballast, we sink a little deeper into our bodies again.
Can you use some guidance in this process? Please feel free to send me a message.
Or take a look at my page about a 1-on-1-trajectory, a retreat in Sweden or my online offerings.
