Using Intuition To Lead A Purposeful Life

I am celebrating today as it is my 3 week anniversary of my knee replacement. Publishing this piece feels like a major milestone as the last 3 weeks have not been my favorite. They have consisted of major brain fog and nausea from the pain meds and just an overall sense of not feeling like myself. Some of these issues, like the nausea most likely will continue for another couple of weeks, so issues of Holos might continue to be a bit sporadic. Now on to the main event.

We have all heard the saying, “trust your gut.” And I know when I have followed this intuitive sense of direction, I have not been led astray. But what does that really mean? How can we more readily access our intuition? And how can using your intuition help you live a more purposeful, grounded life?

I was discussing this with a friend of mine recently who has a tremendous amount of knowledge and wisdom on this topic, and I wanted to share our discussion with all of you.

Karyn: What is intuition and how does it differ from wishful thinking or fear? 

Chalita: Intuition is a receiving of guidance or information from your higher self. It can naturally happen when you are grounded in the present moment, open and receptive, and not in a highly emotional or reactive state. 

Wishful thinking can feel like intuition because we are hopeful and attached to a certain outcome. Then the mind can come in and make up a story about it, and we can mistake it for intuition. Wishful thinking can feel like desire or leaning forward to grasp at something.  

Premonition, like wishful thinking, can often get conflated with intuition. Premonition is also attachment to a certain outcome but is usually connected to more negative emotions (vs. wishful thinking which can feel positive). Intuition is not about leaning forward into, being repulsed by, or already having an attachment to something. It comes when you are in an open and curious state.

A lot of people equate intuition to premonition or wishful thinking (desire) because we feel a charge of emotion with it. But intuition is a pause or a stillness. It is a quiet energy which becomes available when you are receptive, curious, and open to many possibilities. This is in contrast to reacting or being triggered by something from your past, or already being in the future and wanting something specific to happen. 

Karyn: Are we all intuitive?

Chalita: We all have the innate ability to be intuitive. However, people can be closed off to their intuition for a number of reasons. It might be because they don’t really want to know the answer to something as the answer might go against their wishful thinking or they are afraid of the answer. People who can strongly tap into their intuition are those who are rooted more in their spirit – comfortable not having the perfect answer, solution or plan.

My intuition shows up as a sensation of “expansion” in my body. It feels like a non-biased awareness or awakening rather than a clear cut answer. This is in contrast to wishful thinking or a premonition which is often characterized by a contraction or tightness in my body, reflecting a lack of openness and a pull toward a particular direction or answer. 

Someone might not think they are intuitive because we are so reliant on our minds, analyzing information and coming up with perfect answers and solutions. We like to feel in control, and we like to have plans. Generally speaking, most of us are uncomfortable with the idea that there might not be an answer right now. We want the answer because it makes us feel safe. Stillness and expansiveness don’t always make us feel safe. 

Karyn: Is there a connection between intuition and purpose? How can someone use their intuition to live a more fulfilling and purposeful life?

Chalita: This is the crux of it. The role of intuition is to support and guide us in expressing and becoming our true nature and living our purpose. By this I do not mean your career, your gender, your role in your family, or your personality. I mean your eternal truth. 

Because we are Spirit, we have an original intention for why we manifested in physical form, and we want to be our true nature. Intuition points the direction and helps us find our way to our true nature, to be who we are. And if I am my true nature I can help others be their true nature. 

Let me give you an example of how this has played out in my own life. I received my undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics and was a management consultant for a number of years. But after a time, I noticed it just didn’t feel right anymore. This coincided with when I started practicing yoga very seriously. And then about a year later I got laid off from my job. 

I had found great stillness through my yoga practice and as all this was happening I received a very strong internal message to go to acupuncture school. I listened and went for it! It wasn’t easy as all my peers were going to business school, and I was worried I was throwing everything away. The early years as I was building my practice were especially difficult. Fortunately, it happened at a young enough age that it made it easier to take this risk. 

Karyn: What does it feel like when we become disconnected from our intuition?

Chalita: We become disconnected from our intuition when we do not pause to be present. It also happens when we ignore and bypass how we are feeling or keep ourselves continuously busy and distracted. These behaviors prevent us from being able to notice our feelings. I would also add that constantly feeling on edge, being stressed and bracing yourself against what might happen, or continuing to replay or ruminate on something in the past also leads to disconnection from our intuition.

Disconnection might also look like someone who is always searching externally for answers, support, or validation. If you are constantly reaching out to others for advice or answers and you are not checking in with yourself first, you are not trusting yourself to have the answers (intuition).

Karyn: Does intuition get stronger as we get older? How can people strengthen their intuition?

Chalita: Our intuition gets stronger when we start to trust ourselves more and to trust we have the answers within us. As we get older we tend to care less about what other people think because we realize we don’t have any control over them. Then we begin shifting our focus to that which we do have some control over, which is our response or reaction to situations or how we perceive something.

Deciding to strengthen your intuition isn’t like flipping a switch. It is a subtle process of recalibration. One of the best practices for doing this is finding moments to be still, to move away from always being busy and distracted. Learn to find moments to pause, to pay attention to yourself, and to get centered. Give yourself an invitation to go inward and be curious about your inner world. When you do these things, your intuition can begin to grow.

Meditation is another way to increase your intuitive abilities, but I get that for some people it is boring. So instead, try to find time to be in nature or at least look at nature. Or try this fun, low stakes game. Go into your closet in the morning and ask your higher self, “What should I wear today?” “What is my intuition saying I should wear today?” And then pause for the answer. Can you take the “want” or desire for a particular answer out of the question? 

It is also important to follow through on what you “intuit.” Strengthening your intuition is like building muscle. You not only need to listen to your intuition, but you also need to follow through on what it is telling you.

Listening to your intuition is not always easy or exciting but it is how you honor yourself so you can be more peaceful, open and receptive. It starts small. Then you can begin to trust yourself more and be ready to follow your intuition when the stakes are higher, even when it might seem counterintuitive. Because you will have developed faith in yourself.

Lastly, acupuncture is a great way to access your intuition because the nature of the treatment encourages stillness in a peaceful environment. There is nothing to do but be in the present moment while the needles unblock your energy and relax your nervous system. It is the perfect setup to connect to your intuition and receive the guidance you need more easily.

Parting Thought

I think of accessing my intuition as another way of being more connected to my true self. And I appreciate Chalita’s reminder to find more moments of stillness in my day, to truly “hear” myself. This is important as the more connected I am to my true self, the greater chance I have of living a fulfilled and meaningful life.

If you are interested in acupuncture as a way to strengthen your intuition (from personal experience it works!), Chalita offers acupuncture and spirit coaching sessions at her practice, Tamalpais Community Acupuncture, in Mill Valley, CA.

Chalita was raised in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism and was exposed to meditation and esoteric practices at a young age.  She received her undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Northwestern University and started her career as a management consultant in San Francisco in 1997.  She was on her way to business school when she heard the calling to become an acupuncturist and healer.  Chalita has been in private practice since 2005 and is a trained intuitive.  She relies on her relationship with the Divine to facilitate healing, successfully treating thousands of patients each year.  She has won numerous awards and her clinic has become a sacred place of refuge for the community.

The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become. ~ Gisele Bundchen

To be continued…