Mental & Emotional Wellness, Spiritual Wellness
7 Proven Tips to Strengthen Your Intuition For Good
Are you looking for tips to strengthen your intuition?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! I consider intuition to be the #1 language that most of us would benefit from learning and practicing.
Some of you will know that I began my career as a French translator in university, worked for the federal government, and then spent over a decade working as a freelance translator full-time. And if my dad hadn’t been sick with early-onset Alzheimer’s, I might still be in that career.
But life has a way of surprising us and guiding us!
Although I still have a handful of cherished translation clients, these days I consider myself more of a ‘spirit translator’: decoding messages from the Akashic realm, our loved ones, and other energies beyond the veil. This is a valuable skill during not just my Akashic readings, but my 1:1 health and wellness sessions with clients. Intuitive information is literally priceless in my work.
I may be using a slightly different set of skills, but my experience and expertise as a professional translator come in handy every day.
Intuition is itself a language and many of us receive messages for years and years before we finally start paying attention. It’s a valuable tool that can help us navigate the world around us. Whether it’s in making important decisions or sensing when something is off or potentially dangerous, intuitive information can change our lives.
So if developing your intuition is a goal for you moving into 2024, I hope you’ll enjoy these 7 easy but proven tips to strengthen your intuition.
1. Quiet your mind
One of the biggest obstacles to developing your intuition is a noisy mind. When your thoughts are always racing, it can be difficult to tune into your intuition. But you have to shut your monkey mind off to really tune into your intuition.
Meditation, mindfulness practices, and deep or focused breathing exercises can all help you cultivate a sense of stillness to experience your intuition.
Here are a few mindfulness exercises to help develop your intuitive skills:
Mindful Observation:
- Choose an object in your environment (a flower, a candle, etc.).
- Spend a few minutes observing it with full attention, noting its colors, shapes, and details.
- If your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the object.
Walking Meditation:
- Take a slow walk in a quiet, peaceful environment.
- Focus on each step, the sensation of lifting your foot, moving it forward, and placing it back down.
- Be present with the act of walking, bringing your attention back if your mind starts to wander.
Mantra Repetition:
- Choose a calming word or phrase (e.g., “peace,” “calm,” or a mantra).
- Repeat the word or phrase silently with each breath.
- This repetition can help anchor your mind and create a sense of stillness.
Visualization of Clearing the Mind:
- Imagine your thoughts like clouds traveling across the sky.
- Visualize each thought drifting away, leaving behind a clear, blue sky.
- This exercise can help you detach from your thoughts and create mental space.
If you enjoy guided meditations, you might enjoy the Insight Timer app for quieting your mind and reconnecting you to your body.
If you do nothing else, focus on reducing your stress and calming your mind because it’s one of my top tips to strengthen your intuition.
2. Pay attention to your body
Our bodies can be powerful sources of intuitive information and awareness.
When something doesn’t feel right, we often experience physical sensations such as a tightness in our chest or a knot in our stomach. When we pay attention to these physical signals, we can learn to trust our intuition (by way of our bodies!) more fully.
Try tuning into your body during moments of decision-making or when you’re in a new or unfamiliar situation. What do you notice?
Suggested Practice: Try my Attitude of Gratitude Meditation practice before bed for 14 days, or whenever you need to tap into how you’re feeling in your body.
Somatic practices like these can also be beautiful ways to re-connect with your physical temple.
3. Practice listening
You might be expecting intuitive information to arrive in a loud, clear, and unmistakable way. But all too often, intuitive guidance arrives in the form of a quiet whisper or gentle feeling. Think of the difference between goosebumps and someone massaging your back. Intuition is more like the former than the latter 😉
In order to truly hear and trust your inner guidance, it’s important to practice listening.
This means being present and attentive, and actively tuning into your intuition.
You can practice listening by taking a few moments each day to check in with yourself. Any of the mindfulness exercises I mentioned above, or the visualization exercises below, will also be valuable tools to help you develop your intuition.
4. Trust yourself
Trusting yourself can be difficult, especially if you’ve had negative experiences in the past.
However, learning to trust yourself is one of my top tips to strengthen your intuition!
The key to learning how to trust your intuition is to act on it.
Start with simple and unimportant questions like, “What colour shirt should I wear today?” or “Which route should I take to work today?” And ALWAYS act on the answer, even if it doesn’t make logical sense in the moment.
And obviously, don’t follow unsafe or dangerous advice… because chances are that is NOT coming from your intuitive mind.
The more you trust yourself, the more you’ll be able to trust your intuition.
5. Embrace uncertainty
If there is one thing I know: intuition often operates in the realm of uncertainty. It may not always be clear why you feel a certain way or why you’re being guided in a particular direction.
That can be hard… but learning to trust the unknown is an important part of developing your intuition more fully.
You may have to work on letting go of certainty and control and instead trust that your intuition will guide you in the right direction. Wherever that may be.
6. Practice gratitude
Another one of my tips to strengthen your intuition is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. When we’re grateful, we’re more attuned to the present moment and more open to receiving guidance.
This can help you open up to and receive your intuitive guidance.
Suggested Practice: Start each day with a simple gratitude practice, such as writing down three things you’re grateful for. You might also enjoy my unique 30-Day Gratitude Calendar, full of original prompts to inspire and encourage you to reflect on the things you are most grateful for.
7. Use your imagination
Using your imagination can be a powerful way to strengthen your intuition. Visualization and creative exercises can even help you strengthen your intuitive abilities from scratch.
Here are a few suggested visualization exercises to play with your imagination:
- The Safe Haven Visualization:
- Find a quiet, comfortable space to sit or lie down.
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax.
- Imagine yourself in a place that feels safe and serene to you. It could be a beautiful garden, beach, forest, or even your backyard.
- Explore the details of this safe haven. What colours do you notice? What sounds are predominant? Do any specific textures catch your eye?
- As you spend time in this space, pay attention to any intuitive insights or messages that may arise.
- Future Self Visualization:
- Envision yourself at a future point in time, perhaps a year or five years from now.
- Picture the details of your life, relationships, and achievements.
- Take note of any strong emotions, feelings, or intuitive nudges you experience during this visualization.
- Reflect on how these insights might inform your present choices and decisions.
- Symbolic Object Visualization:
- Choose a symbolic object that represents a specific question or decision you’re facing.
- Close your eyes and focus on this object in your mind.
- Allow the object to transform or reveal itself in any way it wants.
- Pay attention to the feelings, thoughts, or insights that come up during this visualization.
- The symbolism may provide intuitive guidance related to your question.
- Guided Imagery for Decision-Making:
- Before making a decision, take a moment to relax and clear your mind.
- Imagine yourself at a crossroads, with different paths representing your options.
- Visualize each path in detail, noting the feelings and sensations associated with each.
- Pay attention to any intuitive guidance or signs pointing toward a particular direction.
- Trust your instincts and use the insights gained to inform your decision-making process.
Want more easy tips to strengthen your intuition? Exercise your creativity!
Here is another fun idea using intuitive drawing or writing:
- Grab a piece of paper and some drawing materials or a journal.
- Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and let your hand move intuitively on the paper.
- Alternatively, write down any thoughts or feelings without overthinking.
- The process can help bring subconscious thoughts and intuitive insights to the surface.
Practicing these exercises regularly can help you tap into your intuition and strengthen your connection to your inner guidance.
Remember that developing your intuition enough to trust it, and rely on it, is a journey that requires patience AND practice. Use these 7 tips to strengthen your intuition, and learn to trust your inner guidance system more fully and faithfully.
Every day, take time to quiet your mind, pay attention to your body, practice listening, trust yourself, embrace uncertainty, practice gratitude, and use your imagination. Make it fun!
With these tools in hand, you’ll be well on your way to developing a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your intuition–the #1 language that we would all benefit from mastering and embodying!
Life is a plate… Eat up!
Ashleigh
