Leading with Intuition
I've been thinking a lot about intuition lately. As a result more podcasts, courses and information is coming my way on this very topic. Intuitive eating, intuitive living..it almost feels rebellious to me in this age of so many swirling dogmas and rules about how we should be living down to the most minute detail.
After 4 years immersed in the health and wellness space I've tried several approaches at this point. What I've found is that for me personally, an intuitive approach works best. I've had to put in a lot of work and self reflection on this subject, but for me the best decisions I've ever made have always been based on my intuition rather than endless research or rules on what I should be doing.
I could write so much more than one blog post about this, (and I WILL!) but today I'll keep it brief. If you want to learn more, check out Sophie Jaffe who has really influenced me in this area (and continues to do so). Mental health is 100% as important as physical health. You could be going to Soul Cycle on the daily, but if you are doing nothing to strengthen your mental state, it's going to catch up with you.
Trust me when I tell you that you're going to see much more of this in the coming years. We are only just now uncovering the true depth of mind body connection, but it's deeper than anyone thought, even just 10 years ago.
Below are a few of my own key thoughts on how to live an intuitive life.
Make Space: For me, this means that I need to meditate daily. With 3 little boys and a very busy life it's not easy to make this happen, but I now know that it's critical. For me to really understand my inner voice, it's key to stop and really still my racing mind for at least 5 minutes every day. Right now, the best way for me to do this is through meditation. There are so many apps available -- Headspace and the Insight Timer are some of my favorites at the moment. I'm on Day 15 right now of meditating consistently each morning, and can literally feel space opening up in my mind.
Trust: You know that saying "Trust your gut"? Well, it's true. As adults we often feel that we need to follow the rules or "norms" in order to be accepted and successful. I'd argue that you already know what is best - it's inside of you already. Making choices based on intuition means trusting yourself at the deepest level, and knowing that you can live your best life because you deserve it.
Self Care: In our society we are often rewarded for constant "busyness" - it's a badge of honor. I see this changing. I think it's going to take a number of years for this mindset to shift but the more you take care of your body, and the more you take care of your mind, the more you are able to listen to what it's telling you whether that's physically or mentally. By staying busy all the time, we are completely ignoring what our bodies are telling us, which eventually will catch up and lead to unhappiness. Try to build time into your schedule to slow down and focus on your own needs -- even if it's just 5 minutes to slap on a face mask and read a book. Don't think of it as a big "thing", just take a small bit of time for yourself!
To me, leading an intuitive life is a clear pathway to happiness. In my case it's taking a bit of work to sweep away deeply held beliefs that I need to follow rules over trusting myself, but it's well worth it. I hope these tips help you move in this direction. Let me know what works for you, I'd love to hear.
Onward!
