Building intuition accuracy takes practice. Here are two practices that can help. Intuitive wisdom does come from a nonlogical part of you. Usually, that logical side is the default and a much more comfortable way of understanding the world. The logical side of the mind is important, no doubt. Yet the emotional side of the brain has a lot to share.
LPC Therapist and hypnotherapy expert Courtney Armstrong knows much about the emotional brain. You can learn more from her book Rethinking Trauma Treatment: Attachment, Memory Reconsolidation, and Resilience, written for therapists. She notes that this side of the brain works through felt experience, versus logic. This info has to be believable. It might show up through physical sensations, pictures, and replaying of memories. Perhaps that’s part of why affirmations and shifting thoughts aren’t always enough to create change on a deeper level.
LET YOURSELF BE SURPRISED
One of the biggest aids for my intuitive skill came from a spiritual business course with Mark Silver of Heart of Business. He uses the Remembrance meditative practice, a Sufi practice, throughout his training. (His latest book is Heart Centered Business.) I have used this practice for almost two decades in my personal Mastermind group, and those I lead.
Part of the instruction in the Remembrance meditation is to notice what is, and not seek to change it. The big kahuna suggestion in the practice is, “Let yourself be surprised.” In the Sufi meditation, you invite in the Divine. You can adapt this to invite in your higher self, your wise mind, nature, your ancestors, All That Is, etc. The valuable side here is to have a bigger view or a different view than that of your logic alone.
“Let yourself be surprised”. This is a good practice for building the accuracy of intuition in general. Meditation and other contemplative inquiries Intuitive info doesn’t always make sense logically, yet it can capture the essence of what’s going on. Give yourself time to reflect. You are the expert here, and you decide what is relevant and useful from your hunches and impressions. With time, vague impressions get clearer and make more sense. If they give you ideas for the next steps or cause a shift in perspective, that’s a success.
YES, IT IS A PRACTICE
It took time and practice for me to trust and build my intuition. Once, I was “reading” a colleague and I kept seeing prairie dogs against a lovely blue sky. Though it felt silly, I shared what I was seeing. Trusting yourself enough to share impressions is part of the learning curve. Well, what my colleague told me blew my mind, and helped me trust myself more. “OMG, we were just out in the fields taking prairie dog pictures!” Okey doke. Thanks for the validation, I guess something must be working here…
Trusting your intuition doesn’t need to mean you’re always right, or wrong if your sense of things doesn’t pan out. The future is fluid and ever-changing. What you get in one moment may be helpful for the next step or approach you’ll take at that time. And it may not apply forever or continue to be relevant.
TWO HELPFUL PRACTICES
To build your intution accuracy try these two practices. I credit these meditations with adding strength to my intuitive accuracy. The bonus of these is they’re also great for managing stress and navigating challenging situations.
The Body Mind Heart Meditation, adapted from the Sufi Remembrance practice. Good for grounding, and mindful inquiry on a question you’d like to explore from different angles.
The RAIN tool for investigating emotions to uncover the useful intelligence they offer.
Give these a try if you’re curious. I credit both of these for superpowering both my stress management and my intuition. That’s a great side effect of building intuition accuracy and having practices you can rely on. Tapping inner intelligence about which you can say, “I did not make this up” is also fun. (Hey, even if you did make it up, if it’s helpful, great…)
I’d love to hear what practices you find helpful in building your intuition.
Happy Equinox and Spring Blessings!
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