4 Easy Ways to Hone Your Intuition (Even If You Don’t Think You’re Intuitive)

Everybody has intuition. Sometimes referred to as the small voice within, it provides guidance during a decision or offers insight into a situation. It’s not always a voice, though. It could show up as a feeling, a sensation or a general knowing.

Some people, however, are more tuned in to their intuition, or they know how to access it easier. While others have blocked off this communication and have disconnected from this wisdom.

The good news is that just because you are blocked or disconnected from your intuition doesn’t mean you can never access its wisdom. There are things you can do to strengthen your connection and open up the channel of communication.

4 Ways to Activate Your Intuition

1. Quiet your mind in meditation. In order to hear your intuition, it helps to have peace and quiet. This way your mind won’t be distracted by the surrounding noise. (And when I say noise, I really mean your distracting thoughts that pull your attention away from your intuition.) Sit quietly for 15 minutes (and I suggest a longer sit here because it may take time to allow your thoughts to settle), and notice what comes to mind. Perhaps your laundry list of to-dos takes a back seat to an inspiring idea that will push you along your path of truth. This is your intuition speaking.

2. Get out of your head and into your body. Not everyone likes to sit in peace and quiet. Sometimes the mind is too busy to calm down, and there’s no way you’ll hear anything let alone your intuition. In this instance, try getting out of your head and into your body using movement. My intuition likes to talk to me while I’m jogging. So if I’ve got a burning question, I’ll put it into the top of my mind, and then hit the running path. My intuition comes through with the right answer.

3. Use your body as the channel for communication. Our bodies work very closely with our intuition, which means that if you are tuned into what your body is saying, you’ll quickly tune into your intuition. This is useful if you’re trying to get a read on someone, like if you are about to go into business with a partner, or if your child is hanging out with a kid you’re unsure of. When you are around this person, notice how your body feels. Does it clench up with tension or expand with space? This is your intuition talking, and it’s telling you what you need to know about this person.

4. Write it all down. Sometimes our intuition likes to speak unexpectedly. This could also be known as a flash of insight — that moment when everything becomes clear and you know exactly what to do. Whether it’s with a decision or a project you’re working on, you want to be ready to receive any messages coming from your intuition. So always be prepared to write it down. I love the notes app on my phone for this. It has become a list of action items straight from my intuition.

If you have a big decision, or need more information about a situation, you can try any of these suggestions to strengthen your access to your intuition so you’ll know what you must do next.

How do you stay connected to your intuition? —Elysha