Topic of the Month – Trusting your Gut Instincts and Intuition
Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.
Florence Scovel Shinn
We live in a complicated and fast-paced world. Often we are so busy we do not even really notice what is going on around us, or even with-in us. Every day, we have to face a plethora of choices and decisions, knowing that the right choice may make life a bit easier and a bad decision could complicate our already complex lives.
What’s the best thing to do when facing uncertainty? You’ve heard it before… learn to trust your instincts! But we all know it’s easier said than done, even those of us who have I slightly more honed intuitive ability find it hard at times.
So what are instincts, they are natural behavior patterns instilled in all living things, meant to assist and increase the chance of survival. Not every instinct is a matter of life or death, though. Some instincts are geared toward our emotional needs, such as feeling comforted. At birth, before we are taught differently, before we have any experience, it is our instincts that guide us. As we grow and develop, we learn to think and rationalize. Intellect has a way of subduing instinct, but our instinctive abilities still manage to survive. And if we pay close attention, we can hear them loud and clear.
I am sure most of you reading this have often had the sensation in the pit of their stomach that is commonly referred to as a “gut” feeling. It may feel like butterflies, a knot, a tingling, or something equivalent to heartburn. Everyone of us has most likely been in a situation where we immediately felt nauseous, just knowing that something is amiss. Sometimes, the physical indication has absolutely nothing to do with the abdomen. The hair on the back of our neck may stand on end, or we may feel suddenly chilled on a warm, sunny day. Maybe there is a little voice in the back of our head, whispering, or even screaming. Whatever the sensation, the body is communicating that we need to pay extra attention, because our instincts are kicking in.
When it comes to trusting yourself, you are your own best teacher. Only you know how you really feel. After all, you are the one who lives your life, and the one who has to live with the choices you make. So even though there are gurus’ and teachers for everything these days, you are your own best teacher ! You need to follow your own instincts as only you know what is right for you !
The first step to learning to trust your instincts is to recognize that you are having an instinctive reaction. Pay attention to how you feel, and any physical indication that your instincts are kicking in. It is pretty safe to assume that good sensations mean you are on the right track, but unpleasant sensations, or fear, are nature’s warning lights, warning that you may need to think things through, or you need to be aware.
Learning to trust your instincts and gut feelings
No student can become their own master overnight, so start small. So start out by letting your gut guide you in making little decisions such as what to wear each day, or what route to take to work. These may seem like insignificant choices, but you may instinctively know what you logically don’t. The weather forecast could be wrong, or there may be heavy traffic in an unusual spot.
Often when we are facing choices and decisions we are told ‘Trust your Intuition’ The problem with this is we spend much of our lives being taught to override our intuition, because we these days we are taught to ‘think things through’ or to ‘really think about it’, or give it some ‘thought’.
Well it may come as a surprise but ‘Instincts’ aren’t thoughts! They’re grounded in feelings. And learning how to see through a thought-based reaction to the instinct beneath it is a powerful way to steer yourself toward a happy, healthy life.
Complex thinking has been around for a short time compared with the millions of years of evolution that went into developing our senses. Thoughts can “confuse” our reactions to what we encounter, but the gut-deep impulses/feelings we get from instinct are usually more honest. Replacing instincts with thoughts trades some of our strongest natural ability for some of our weakest.
Distinguishing gut from brain can get especially tricky when, on top of overriding our instincts with thoughts, we then have emotional reactions to those thoughts. We feel something, ignore the feeling, decide something else is true and then have all kinds of emotions about what we just made up.
To trust your instincts, you must quieten the noise of social training and what we are told from birth. The good thing is that no matter how long you’ve ignored your instincts, they’re still there and still accurate and all you need to do is learn to trust them again.
Step into Action – Steps to help you improve or recognise your Instincts
Use your journal to log your progress, to review at the end of the week, or month. You may be surprised!
• When facing decisions, both major and minor, observe your instinctive reaction then compare it to your thinking, or logical, reaction. Are both conclusions in agreement? If not, explore why your mind would be at odds with your instincts.
• When your gut is talking to you, how much influence are you really letting it have? Keep in mind, your instincts are built-in, designed toward having the best outcome for you. What is right for you as an individual may not always win the popular vote from friends, relatives or peers. Evaluate if your decisions are geared toward the approval of others, or your own happiness and well-being. Always make decisions based on what best serves you. This ultimately will serve everyone involved.
• Keep a more detailed record of your progress as you go along, paying particular attention to any situations or circumstances that if you could do them over, what would you have done differently? In those situations, make note of whether you followed your head or your gut.
• Learn to let go of doubt. When you doubt your instincts, you are inadvertently saying that you don’t trust yourself. If you can’t trust yourself, exactly who can you trust?
• Keep practicing this plan and sooner rather than later, it will simply be instinctual for you to follow your gut. Learning to trust your instincts is a process, but with practice, it will become more of a natural reaction.
• When you trust your instincts, you are less likely to make mistakes.
Sometimes, the proof isn’t in what has happened because of that choice; sometimes the proof is in what hasn’t happened. All that stuff that didn’t blow up in your face… well, that’s what instincts are all about.
Good luck
Love yourself, you are worth it!
Forthcoming Workshops and Events
September
Bahrain
Frank Arjava Petter – Jikiden Reiki
28th September 2014 – Lecture Evening – The History of Reiki the Facts, Myths and Legends.- Elite Grande Hotel – Seef Area
29th September – Community Morning with Frank Arjava – What is Reiki – 8 Mansions
30th September – 4th October – Jikiden Reiki Shoden (level 1) and Okuden (level 2 ) Levels
Location : Venue : Elite Grande Hotel – Seef Area – Bahrain –
Details are on the website and all bookings and payment can be made at 8 Mansions, Country Mall Budayia
November 2014
Bahrain
Sue and Simon Lilly
Unless otherwise stated all workshops with be held at the Elite Grande Hotel, Seef District
Prices and full details will be sent out in full and posted on the website shortly. Packages and early booking fees will apply.
Wednesday 19th
Meet the Lilly’s, at 8 Mansions, Country Mall – 10am – 12noon
Meet the Lilly’s & Book Signing Plus Colour & essences workshop for kids
Words Book Café 6pm – 8 pm – Time TBC
Thursday 20th
Personal Energy Integrity/Psychic Protection – 10.30am – 12.45pm
Crystals and Crystal Therapy Techniques for everyday issues (eg Hormones, Bad Backs, Stress, Headaches 6.30pm – 8.45pm
Friday & Saturday 21st & 22nd November
Crystal Therapy – (Saturday 22nd –Includes how to use the Pendulum) 10.30am – 4.30pm – includes lunch
Sunday 23rd
Whispers of the Universe – Using the Runes 6.30pm – 8.45pm
Monday 24th
Linking to the Earth with Dragon Energies 10am – 1pm
Personal Energy Integrity/Psychic Protection 6.30pm – 8.45pm
Tuesday 25th
Healing with Tree Energies 10.00am – 1pm
The Magic of Preseli Bluestone – Stone of Stonehenge – 6.30pm – 8.45pm
Wednesday 26th
Feed your Chakras – an Easy Guide to Healthy Eating – 10.30am – 1pm
The Wounded Healer /Late Mid-Life Crisis (Astrology&Chiron) 6.30pm – 9pm
All reservations can be made and paid at 8 Mansions, Country Mall, Bahrain,
In Planning 2015
Jikiden Reiki – Shoden and Okuden Levels – Kuwait – with Julie Lomas – February 2015
Jikiden Reiki – Shoden and Okuden Levels – Bahrain – with Julie Lomas – May and October 2015
Jikiden Reiki – Shoden and Okuden Levels – Dubai – with Julie and Frank
Jikiden Reiki – Shoden and Okuden Levels – Qatar with – Julie and Frank
Crystal Therapy and Angelic Connections – Dubai with – Julie Lomas
Angelic Connections and Crystals Therapy – USA – Virgina Beach
