ANDY WHITELEY: “10 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Your Cat”

As we grow to adulthood, we humans learn to override many of our natural tendencies. We “socialize” our children, and teach them to “behave” and resist many of their natural impulses. By the time we’re adults most of us are so disconnected from nature, and from our own nature, that we accept “adult” roles and responsibilities that pay the bills but stifle us, rub us the wrong way and even cause harm to each other and our environment.

Somewhere along the line, we lose touch with the simple wisdom of our natural instincts.

Needless to say, there are many spiritual lessons we can learn from observing nature. Just under the surface, our animal instincts are still there, just waiting to be tapped into, and reactivated, and honored — and what better role models than the animals we love and share our lives and homes with?

Here are 10 life lessons you can learn from your cat:

 

1. Keep a curious spirit and approach uncertainty with a positive attitude.

2. Physical touch is natural, and vital for our well-being.

3. Get plenty of rest, and spend time soaking up the sun.

4. Show gratitude. All it takes is a purr, or a squinty smile.

5. Stretch regularly. It’s good for body and soul.

6. Live in the moment. There is only now.

7. Play. Play. Play. Play. Play!

8. A happy life is a simple life. All we really need is love, a full belly, and a quiet place to rest.

9. Let the inner wisdom of instinct and intuition guide you. If it doesn’t feel good, walk away.

10. Be fearless. Live like you’re on your ninth life.

 

~Dedicated to Gracie the cat, whose simple, loving approach to life inspired this article.

 

Artwork by Ascension Avatar 

“Foozie” (1976)

 

~via WakeUp-World.com

COLBY PSYCHIC REBEL: “Creating Fulfillment Through Intuition”

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Intuition is the most effective tool we have in our spiritual arsenal to create a fulfilling life.  Each of us holds the gift of intuition.  It usually comes in the form of a “gut” feeling.  Although most of have been told that intuition is that primal instinct that serves as our personal compass, we forget to use it in our everyday life.  Perhaps, that is because it’s the most rudimental of our senses and we almost dismiss the simplicity of it.  In our desire to be perfect, we can overcomplicate such a basic tool.

Intuition can occur in many forms.  It may be the hair that stands on the back of our neck warning us to changes lanes to avoid a traffic accident or we may get the feeling that a loved one is about to pass and then we receive the call notifying us of our worst fear.  It may be that feeling in the pit of our stomach raising our awareness to an infidelity within a relationship or the mother’s instinct in knowing her child is in danger.

Sometimes it can show as a spontaneous feeling that springs itself on us in a flash of information, or it can linger as a gnawing thought that we attempt to push away.  Intuition is strong and relentless.  How many times have we tried to push a feeling away, yet it stays ever present until we listen to it?

Intuition is that innate sense that we all have.  It’s our natural survival instinct, our most primal sense, yet so many of us forget to use it and more importantly, trust it.  When we surrender to intuition, it provides invaluable navigation within our lives.

We can use intuition as our compass in decision-making allowing us to continuously move in a direction that is in alignment with our soul.  Decisions no longer need to be stressful, difficult or complex.  When we find ourselves struggling with indecisiveness, we are being reminded that we are in our logical mind.  We are not using our intuitive faculty.  When we co-mingle our personal beliefs, fears or experiences with our intuition, we are merely manifesting a false reality.  We then tend to create imaginary scenarios in which our decision could be wrong, so we refrain from committing.

How many times have we ignored a “hit” of information like the snooze on the morning alarm, only to realize later that it had been accurate?  It’s time for us to wake up to our inner alarm system!

The good news is that intuition is a muscle.  The more we use it, the stronger it gets.  By finding ways to strengthen our primal sense, we ultimately can create a more fulfilling life.  A life that contains fewer regrets, mistakes and missed opportunities.  When we use our intuition and trust it unconditionally, we are guided under our soul’s narrative that will always be working for our highest good.

 

There are several simple exercises that we can practice to build our intuition. Here are four exercises to help get the muscle growing!

 

Telephone Telepathy:  When the phone rings, take a moment to tap in intuitively to see who the call is from prior to answering it.

Elevator Exercise:  If waiting for an elevator, stand in front of the one that feels will open first.  It doesn’t matter if we are wrong, it’s building that muscle and the willingness to trust that is important.  When standing in an elevator and it comes to a stop, tap in to feel if it will be a man or a woman entering the elevator, or if others are in the elevator, who is next to get off?

Deciding with Breath:  If torn with a decision, take a moment to breathe in and relax the logical mind.  Release the rationale behind a decision and feel the decision.  See if it comes easier to let go of the mind chatter.

Dream with Intention:  Before going to sleep, we can set an intention for a symbol to come in our slumber.  Then letting go and seeing if that symbol comes to us in a dream, or in a message.  In our sub-conscience state, we are more relaxed which allows our intuition to flow more smoothly.  Keeping a journal by the bedside is an excellent way to record successes and messages!

 

There are so many ways our intuition can benefit us.  It releases stress, anxiety and allows us to trust our paths without the second-guessing since we know our higher-selves are guiding us along our path.  Taking time each day to integrate these exercises into our lives will not only strengthen our intuitive muscle, but it may just lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

 

 

~via OMTimes.com

ESSENCENTRAL: “Intuition 101: Connection”

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Intuition is often a spontaneous thing.  It floats in randomly and before you know it, it’s gone again.

What if I told you it doesn’t have to be a random occurrence?

The thing is, our intuition, like any other muscle, can be exercised and strengthened.  It is absolutely possible to be connected to our intuition in each and every moment, provided we are willing to embrace the gift of this inherent inner wisdom.  We don’t have to wait until adversity hits or a big decision is to be made.  We have the ability to live fully from this place of intuitive knowledge each day, allowing our inner GPS to guide us throughout the day’s events — from choosing what to eat, what to wear, who to spend time with, what kind of music to listen to, and how best to take care of ourselves that day.  We can be fully and completely present, living purposefully and authentically rather than being on autopilot and blindly moving through our days.

Our intuition is always working.  It’s always sneaking in little hints — things like, “You should call ___” or “___ would be fun to learn.”  Those tend to be the easiest ones to follow through on.

It’s the harder ones that our ego steps in on and sabotages us in creating a happier and more fulfilling life.  “This job is not right for you” or “This relationship is not healthy” can bring up a lot of ego fear and subsequently a lack of follow through.  Fear of change is a huge block to our intuition and can cripple the connection to our inner guidance and wisdom.  We must learn to trust that any fear that comes up pertaining to change is moving us towards that which we desire and to move with it faithfully and courageously.

More things that block our intuition are:

  1. Over-thinking
  2. Cultural conditioning to disregard feelings
  3. Fear, worry, or doubt
  4. Expectations/Attachments/Control issues
  5. Judgments
  6. Distrust of self
  7. Looking outside for answers
  8. Stress
  9. Rigid belief systems
  10. Lack of quiet time

If any of these resonate with you (your intuition told you so!), I would suggest working on your block(s) first.  You’ll have the space and freedom to work with your intuition fully without anything hindering your connection and practice.  In regard to stress and a lack of quiet time, we are always going to run into those blocks.  The important thing is to make a conscious choice to do what you can with what you have to give yourself what you need.  If you’re stressed, take time out to do something that relaxes you and feels good. If you have a lack of quiet time, make the decision to incorporate a small window in your day that is solely for peace and quiet.  If you truly want a deep and fulfilling connection to your intuition, there is no excuse! 🙂

Connecting to Our Intuition

There are a multitude of ways to connect to our intuition.  Today, I’ll share 10 different exercises and tools to do so.

It’s important to remember that with all of these, we have to learn to come to a space of quiet.  The best and easiest way to do this is to simply focus on our breath.  Take long, slow, deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.  With each breath, move your attention away from your head and into your heart.  Breathe and hold that space as you become aware of the love and wisdom your heart holds for you.  This is how it feels when you’re connected.  Watch for this feeling throughout these exercises.

  1. Start small.  As I mentioned earlier, we don’t have to wait until a huge decision needs to be made in order to connect with our intuition.  Start small.  Consult your inner voice or feeling when deciding what you should wear, what you should eat for lunch, or what music to listen to on your way to your next destination.  Act on it and witness the shifts that take place within your psyche and emotional body when you follow what your intuition is sharing with you.
  2. Pay attention.  This is a big one.  Pay attention to any intuitive hits — ie. “random” thoughts, feelings or visions — you receive and keep them in mind.  It may even help to have a “hunch journal” in which you can put all your hunches or gut feelings down in one place.  Look back at it at the end of every week and reflect on whether any of them were on point.  Even if they’re not, this is still a great way to exercise our intuition.
  3. Follow what feels good.  Our intuition is always going to guide us to what is right and true for us — this includes what feels right and true as well.  Throughout your day, follow what feels good for you.  What feels good is always in alignment with what is important and our intuition is a way to access and act on the things which hold meaning, purpose, and fulfillment for us.
  4. Ask and LISTEN.  Simple, but profound.  Get quiet and ask the question.  For this to work, we have to be in a space of knowing that we will receive the answer — because we will.  Most importantly, we must remember to listen as well.  If you’re not sure what an answer from your intuition feels like, generally it feels calm and quiet.  When we receive an intuitive answer, there is no doubt and no fear — at least not at first when our conscious mind and ego haven’t had the chance to argue about it.  There is a deep sense of knowing it is true and it is right.  What is the first thing that pops into your head?  That’s typically an intuitive answer.  Honor it.
  5. Intention.  Make a conscious decision to connect with your intuition.  Set an intention.  The best time to do this is in the morning as you begin your day.  I like to do it as I wake up and get moving.  I consciously affirm to myself my intention to listen to my inner voice throughout the day and act on it.  A few may be:
    • I am open to receiving intuitive guidance in each moment.
    • I commit to following my intuition.
    • I honor each intuitive hit I receive and follow through with it with gratitude and excitement.
  6. Journal.  Choose a time to sit down and write non-stop stream of consciousness for 3 pages.  Don’t analyze, don’t read, just write.  Even if you feel there is nothing else to write, write that.  Don’t stop until you hit the 3 page mark.  Often, putting down our mental chatter on paper can get it out and allow intuitive messages to come through.  Look over your pages and see what you find that really sticks out and may alert you to an “aha!” moment — that’s your intuition.
  7. Pause.  Before making any decision — big or small — pause.  Just for a second. Breathe.  You may find something comes up that either tells you to follow through or find another way.  You can also pause when you feel like the answers just aren’t coming to you, especially when you find yourself dwelling on a situation.  Do something different and you’ll find that suddenly the answer shows up as you finally gave it the mental space to make itself known.  When it does, give thanks and smile.
  8. Meditate.  Of course!  Meditation is one of the best ways to connect with our inner wisdom.  We talked above about the mental chatter.  This mental chatter can tend to overwhelm and suffocate our intuition from being heard or felt.  Meditation allows us the space and time to learn how to allow those thoughts to pass through and become more mindful and aware of what is happening underneath all of that chaos.  It lets us get really quiet so that that little voice has a chance to come through and bless us with the wisdom we’re looking for.
  9. Tarot/Oracle/Angel cards.  Learning how to use the Tarot, Oracle cards, Angel cards, or the many other intuitive cards out there can be a huge ally when connecting to our intuition.  They allow us to hear our inner voice and decipher its messages by way of physical representations.  Many card decks have symbolism in the art that we can use to play with our “intuitive feelers.”  You might be curious about a situation, or wonder how you can best take care of yourself in a given moment.  Pull a card and really look at it.  Pay attention to where your attention goes.  For example, you may zero in on a sun and get a feeling of warmth, joy, and play.  This might be an intuitive signal that you need more of those qualities in your life.  You might choose to read the description, but I really believe it doesn’t matter.  You receive exactly what it is you get out of it. I encourage you to shop around and choose a deck that really calls to you — your intuition will let you know when you find the one!
  10. Dreams.  Our dreams hold a ton of intuitive wisdom.  If you’re one who remembers your dreams often, this may be a helpful technique when connecting to your intuition.  Delegate a journal to being a “dream journal.”  Write down any and all things you notice in your dreams, even if they’re small details.  As random and crazy as our dreams can be, they are filled with symbolism about what is going on in our inner world — especially that which we are not consciously aware of.  Keep an open mind and consider the fact that many times our dreams are not what they seem on the surface — the person in the dream may just be a symbol for someone or something in our waking life.  For example, you may have a dream about someone trying to trap you.  You may ask yourself if there is someone or something in your life that makes you feel trapped.  Play around and feel out the symbolism, you’re bound to find a level of truth there.

As always, I encourage you to find what works best for you!  Whatever you find is perfect.  It may even be a few of these.  Turn it into a routine if you’d like and experience the shifts that take place when you consciously decide to connect to and listen to your intuition.  Intention and awareness coupled with action creates a strong relationship.  We must commit to it, stay open and pay attention, and act on the intuitive hits we receive so that we can build confidence and faith in our intuitive abilities, further strengthening the connection.

Remember that intuition is a totally individual experience.  You may feel it, you may hear it, you may sense it, you may see it.  All is right and perfect.  Work with how it shows up you!  I will be doing a post soon about the different types of intuition.

It takes practice, but it’s totally worth it.  Creating a solid connection to our intuition allows us to get even more clear about who we are, what’s important to us, and make choices that are aligned with both, based on our own inner insight and wisdom.

What’s better than that?

xo

 

 

~via Essencentral.wordpress.com

LISSA RANKIN: “8 Signs You’ve Lost Touch with Your Intuition”

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There’s a lot of buzz about the benefits of tuning into your intuition. We know that intuition helps us make spiritually aligned decisions, protects us from danger, acts as our inner doctor, gives us the heads up when we are needed by our loved ones, and serves as the unseen world’s secret gateway to the human world, helping us live our best lives. But how do you know if you’re tuned in or not? We all have the capacity to listen to our intuition, but sometimes we’re at the mercy of forces that block our ability to interpret our intuition clearly. Here are eight signs that your intuition may be blocked.

1. You feel confused often.

If you struggle to make good decisions and often lack clarity, this is a surefire sign that you’re not tuned into your intuition. When you and your intuition are communicating regularly, you’ll find that a combination of your inner knowing and outer synchronicities team up to help you make the aligned decision that steers you towards the highest good for all.

2. You lack flexibility.

When you’re following your intuition, you have to be willing to go with the flow, which sometimes means changing your plans based on the guidance you’re getting. When you’re out of touch with your intuition, you may be so rigidly tied to a calendar that you ignore all the warning signs that tell you it’s time to cancel a commitment. I’m not suggesting that intuitive people must be complete flakes. Keeping your commitments is a sign of respect and responsibility. But sometimes intuition requires you to say “no” when you previously said “yes.” When you’re really tuned in, this happens less, because you tend to intuit the “no” from the beginning.

3. You feel blindsided by people.

You trusted him. You trusted her. He was your lover. She was your best friend. Then they slept together. OUCH! What happened? When you’re not tuned into your intuition, you may feel blindsided, as if you never saw betrayal coming. But often, all of your friends saw it coming a mile away. Intuition gives you red flags that warn you, but if you insist on only seeing the best in people while blinding yourself to their shadow, you may be blocking your inner knowing.

4. You wrestle with regret.

Intuition helps you make regret-free decisions, because intuition is always doing its best to guide you in the direction of the greatest flow, ease, integrity, and alignment with your soul’s unique journey. When you’re out of touch with intuition, you’re making decisions from your mind or your ego, and regret is a common side effect.

5. You tend to be a chameleon.

If you can chameleon yourself to be like the jocks when the game is on, like your business partners during the board meeting, like the church goers on Sunday morning, like the committed parents at the PTA meeting, like the country club socialites at the local fundraiser, like the yoga devotees at yoga class, and like the party girl on Friday night, you may not be fully tuned into your intuition. It’s not that you can’t switch hats and fit into many circles; it’s that when you’re following your intuition, there are no masks to wear, no personas to put on like t-shirts. You’re ALL YOU, ALL THE TIME, and you’re unapologetic about it. So that might mean you wear your game day shirt to the yoga class, you get down with your bad self at the country club fundraiser, and you skip the PTA meeting because the sun is shining and the beach is calling you to bask in its beauty.

6. You dismiss your instincts as “crazy” or “irrational.”

Intuition rarely feels rational. One day I was at the mall, and my intuition told me to walk into the Gap. Now no offense to Gap lovers, but I don’t like the Gap. I never shop there. So I could have easily dismissed my intuition. But I’ve learned that things don’t go well when I ignore a strong hit, so I walked in the Gap just as someone was having a Code Blue. I’m a doctor, so something in the unseen realm was telling me my services were needed, and I’m grateful to have been used as an instrument of love. If you ignore the seemingly crazy guidance, you will not only fail to let yourself be led to the most aligned jobs, relationships, and transformative experiences; you also might miss out on the chance to be someone else’s miracle. (PS. The woman whose heart stopped is alive and well.)

 7. You doubt yourself.

I never trust people who tell me their intuition is perfect. I think it’s always wise to put a question mark behind something you believe you’re intuiting. Discernment is key when it comes to tuning into spiritual guidance. But with that disclaimer, I can assure you that when you’re tuned into your intuition, you experience much less self doubt. It’s not that you don’t filter the intuitive guidance that comes in. Blind faith in intuition can get you in trouble. But over time, as you confirm how things went when you followed your intuition, you’ll develop evidence-based faith. You’ll know that seemingly miraculous things happen when you follow your intuitive guidance, and you’ll learn to trust it, which fills you with a certain confidence, leaving you with far less self-doubt.

8. You give your power away too easily.

When you’re not tuned into intuition, you’re far more likely to expect someone else to make all of your decisions, even the most critical ones. As a doctor, I saw this all the time in the hospital. A patient who is not tuned into intuition will expect the doctor to make every decision, giving all her power away. Whereas someone who is tuned into intuition might question the doctor, sharing an intuitive hit like “I sense that surgery will harm me and we’re better off watching and waiting.” Or the intuitive person might instantly sense what lies at the root cause of her illness, trusting that if she treats the root cause, conventional treatment might be avoided.

This ability to tune into intuition is the third of the 6 Steps to Healing yourself, which I teach in my new Mind Body Green video course Getting Back to 100% (you can watch the trailer here). I put my heart into creating this program for patients facing a chronic illness, caregivers of someone who is sick, and as well as the health care providers, healers, therapist, and coaches who assist people with physical or mental illnesses.

Check yourself. Tune in. Are you paying attention to your intuitive knowing?

Love,