Intuition – it’s become a “new age” catch phrase, and is often seen as being airy fairy. Yet, it’s a basic instinct and primitive tool that has been vitally important to the survival and advancement of the human race.

In many ways, it’s a tool that the advent of logic and the need for proof has pushed to the side. I’m not saying that logic and proof don’t have a place I’m just suggesting that it’s important to make room for intuition too.

So, what exactly is intuition? According to Wikipedia, “The word ‘intuition’ comes from the Latin word ‘intueri’, which is roughly translated as meaning ‘to look inside’’ or ‘to contemplate’”. Intuition is an inner source of knowledge, or a barometer of mental and emotional health. To access that inner knowledge, it’s important to let go of judgement – there’s plenty of time to analyze after you receive your intuitive message – trust and have faith.

But before we look at how to develop intuition, let’s talk about why you’d want to tap into your own intuitive mojo.

Intuition is an amazing tool. When we lived close to the earth, our intuition helped us to identify danger and alerted us to predators. Using that inner knowledge allowed us to survive. Now, we can see how intuition helps to keep animals safe. An example of a physical intuitive response is a dog whose hackles rise as he senses a threat.

Aside from the foxy cougar eyeing the strapping young men at the grocery store, looking for an opportunity to grab a tasty man nibble, the risk of humans becoming a hungry predator’s next meal has pretty much disappeared. That doesn’t mean that the tool is no longer worthwhile, it just means that we have the opportunity to use it in a different way. Rather than sensing danger, we can use our intuition to help us create balance within our lives.

Today, one of the best ways to use our intuition is in making decisions. Let’s say that you’ve been offered a promotion at work; this promotion would give you a pay raise and more vacation time. Excellent! Your bank account would really appreciate some extra dollars and now you’ll have the time off to go on the girl’s trip you’ve been thinking about. Logically, accepting the position makes a lot of sense. But, every time you think about taking the promotion, you notice that your stomach starts to feel queasy, your mood goes from excited anticipation to dread and you find that your energy level drops.

These internal messages are screaming that this situation isn’t healthy for you right now. Does that mean that you don’t take the job? Not necessarily. The situation as it is presented is perhaps not in harmony with your inner needs, but you now have an opportunity to look at why your intuition is giving you that cold and prickly “no” feeling.  What a powerful and amazing gift! More often than not, the intuitive trigger encourages further exploration and we end up with a better understanding of ourselves and what we need, which leads to greater balance in life. In a world where a balanced lifestyle can be difficult to achieve, any tool that aids in finding and maintaining balance is worth developing.

Check out the next issue where I’ll share one of my favourite intuitive exercises – “Trying on a Decision”.  Until then, happy intuiting.

Erin Lee
Psychic, Angel Card Reader and Karuna Reiki
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