"You must train your intuition. You must trust the small voice inside which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide." - Ingrid Bergman
Have you found yourself kicking yourself because you privileged an internalized message or followed someone else’s advice rather than doing what you knew was right for you?
We are all born with keen intuition with respect to what is truly right and good for us. As we grow, most of us are pulled away from living according to our inner guidance. Myriad forces including family norms, relationship dynamics, the marketplace, religion, dominant culture, social expectations, and the 24/7 nature of our lives bear down upon us.
We orient our lives outwardly to respond to others, in a world full of stimulus that can overwhelm our senses and drown out our already shushed inner voice. Much of the time we do not even realize this is happening as it all seems so “normal.” Until we realize we are feeling physically unwell, energetically off balance, and emotionally drained by the way we are living.
However, there is a part of us that calls to us; a subtle voice that asserts and questions why we are doing what we are doing. We may follow the call toward change or we may turn away from our own knowing; which can lead to depression, anxiety, regret and fear. The consequences of not heeding the call of our inner voice can be subtle or quite intense.
Years ago I began to notice a pattern in stories I was telling. In each instance, I was recounting ways I had privileged someones else's opinion over my own sense of what was right for me, and suffered. The process of beginning to understand the voices and assumptions that I had privileged over my own inner voice of intuition has been a challenging, rewarding, and transformative.
A survey of wisdom teachings from different traditions reveals several keys to attuning to our intuition. First, to be aligned and guided by our intuition, we need to cultivate a depth of presence and quality of perception that support this natural process. Second, we must listen within by spending time with ourselves in mindful ways. Third, engaging in self-inquiry to uncover why we do not attune to our inner guidance raises our awareness of how we undermine this natural process, so we can shift that inner dynamic.
When I began practicing these approaches to life, I began to see how I had learned to mistrust my own inner guidance. As I learned how I had internalized limiting beliefs, associated with experiences of emotional challenge and what I was taught were “normal” and “worthwhile” ways of living/being, I began to see how I could shift toward a place of true freedom to chart a course to realize my soul's aspirations.
If we do not become conscious of what distorts our perception of our circumstances and our relationship with our intuitive guidance, we continue being led by external forces that may not support the expression of our authentic gifts, our soul’s fulfillment, and evolution in this life.
In this Celestial Cycles process, as the Sun traverses the constellation of Leo, we will engage in inquiry to explore our relationship with intuition, self-expression, and personal will. To stay engaged in this process, follow the posts this cycle on Evolving Mindfully Facebook page or Instagram.