ON INTUITION

“I believe in intuitions and inspirations…I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.” – Albert Einstein

We live in a world that values education, facts and science. A world that demands our credentials before hearing what we have to say. This emphasis on the scholar mind, rather than the intuitive mind causes us to constantly be searching outside of ourselves for the answers.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret… you were born with all the wisdom you need to thrive in this life. But there’s a catch (there always is…), your intuition is soft spoken and it emanates from deep within; to listen, we must first get quiet enough to hear. For most of us, that is both challenging and uncomfortable.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Our culture isn’t doing us any favors in the volume department. In 2018, the only quiet most of us get is in the bathroom and some of us even bring our phones in there too (I’m guilty)! Our lives are so busy, so intense, so noisy, that we drown out that quiet voice inside. From the time we get up in the morning, to the time we go to bed at night we over schedule, over stimulate, and under breathe.

When we are finally given a rare opportunity to slow down and listen, we hardly know how, which isn’t surprising considering we have spent our lives flexing our logical muscles and haven’t spent any time with the intuitive ones. To say there is an imbalance between these two ways of knowing is an understatement. The real kicker is that when we do connect to this deep wisdom we often don’t trust it and spoiler alert, sometimes it tells us things we don’t want to hear.

“There is nothing to prove and nothing to protect. I am who I am and it’s enough.” – Richard Rohr

Well, like it or not, I recently landed in intuition boot camp. All the sudden I found myself revisiting big questions like who I am and where I am going. Although a small part of me (most likely my intuitive self) had been asking these questions for a while, it took a seismic shift to make me face those uncertainties head on.

I had gone from school, to travel, to work, to more work, and now for the first time in a long time, I had become untethered from my day to day commitments. Instead of feeling liberated and free, however, I felt lost and unsettled. I pride myself in being a person of action and as such, I wanted to find a way to maximize my new found ‘free time’ and move myself forward, only I didn’t know where forward was. Even the best compass can’t help if you don’t know where to point it. The doer in me started spinning into analysis and questioning, but I knew it was time to send that left-brained captain on vacation and let my quieter right-brained goddess take the wheel.

Slowing down and tuning in has not been easy for me, it has tested my faith and my confidence. I have had to unlearn some of the practices that were no longer serving me, and establish rituals that do. I have had to shift my focus from achievement and success, to authenticity and clarity.

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. – Benjamin Spock

I am not writing this piece from the “other side,” I do not dare claim to have “figured it all out,” but I have begun to make space for a different type of knowing and embrace the growing pains along the way. One of the biggest misconceptions about this work, is it is a direct path to joy and contentment; those could be wonderful side effects, but the central purpose is to feel things more fully and get in touch with what is really going on under the surface, and let me tell you, sometimes that can be some rocky terrain! But here’s the truth, when I act from my core, stay true to my inner voice, and give myself the space to feel what I am feeling, I am my most authentic self and that has been my recipe for peace.

You don’t need to alter your life to start tuning into your intuitive self. Start by mindfully carving out some time to check in each day. How am I doing, what do I need? A great way to do this is mediation, but baby steps might be to start by taking a walk after dinner, or staying silent in the car on the way to work. One of my biggest hurdles has been the feeling that I am not making every minute of my day ‘productive,’ but welcoming space to feel, listen, and absorb the world around us and the feelings within is probably the most productive thing we can do.

I salute you- raw, authentic, beautiful, goddesses; this is your time to shine.

About the Author: Alyssa Thayer is a freelance writer and marketing strategist based outside of Philadelphia, PA. Her mission is to bring inspired ideas to life, passionate people together, and good food to every table. In January 2019, Alyssa founded SHE.SPACE with the vision of creating a safe space for women to connect with each other and honor their true selves. SHE.SPACE hosts in-person women’s circles and curates FREE online spiritual guides to allow women to cultivate their own mindful moments.

For more information, check out the SHE.SPACE website and follow @_shespace_ on instagram for mindful tidbits and updates on upcoming events.