Once I had a very difficult decision to make. One that I knew might ignite hurt and anger for the other party. I wrestled with the decision for days, experiencing a lot of anxiety and confusion.
The decision related to whether I should stay in a relationship. With each passing day, the internal war in my mind and body became louder and louder.
On one hand, I thought I should stay in the relationship even if I suffered a bit.
I told myself to tough it out.
My mind posited that I was the problem, and if I just straightened myself out, things would be ok. I doubted myself, wondering if I could be my best without the support that this relationship promised.
But deep down, I knew the relationship was taking a heavy toll on me, chipping away at my inner knowing. Forcing it to work was eroding my inner peace, leaving me feeling more conflicted.
The emotional weight of the decision had taken up residence in my body.
I recognized my usual warning signs—the pressure in my chest (I’ve named it “Elephant on my Sternum”) and a pinching in my upper back muscles (simply known as “Pinch”).
You know that gut feeling, when you know something true at a visceral level…only to try to convince yourself otherwise? That’s where I was.
We find ourselves smack in the middle of an internal tug-of-war, which only leads to prolonged confusion and emotional suffering.
But here’s the surprising, yet reassuring truth— when it comes to decision-making, deep down, we already know exactly what to do.
Even when the mind gets lost in a tug-of-war, our intuition serves as our compass, guiding us toward our true North.
When the mind speeds up, it’s best to slow down. And in that stillness, I could hear my intuition leading me toward true North.
My answer became very clear. When I gave myself permission to forego the relationship, my tensions melted away. I felt peaceful.
I needed to end the relationship.
This may seem like a radical approach to decision-making. When we invite ourselves to tap into intuition and trust its guidance, we gain newfound clarity. With practice, connecting to intuition requires less effort, and builds self-trust and steadfast courage along the way.
We get to trust our inner knowing.
So how do we build connection to our intuition?
Tuning into the body’s physical sensations offers clues. We all have an internal compass that points toward our true North, our best self, serving as a truth meter. When we stray from our truth, it alerts us through physical dis-ease.
We experience an entirely different set of sensations in moments filled with positive emotions such as joy, certainty, and calm. They serve as signs we are on the path heading toward our true North.
Here’s how to connect with your intuition on a physical level:
Find a spot free from a lot of distractions. I like to sit in a dimly lit room, sometimes facing a blank wall (no stimuli there!). Inviting in quiet and stillness allows your inner voice to be heard.
Next, as you consider each scenario, begin to scan your body for clues. I like to envision a feather or a soft paintbrush sweeping back and forth over me from head to toe. Then notice where you are holding tension or any other sensations that arise (warm or cold, pulsing or pressure, lightness or heaviness).
If you happen to have aligned with your true North, you may feel peaceful and expansive.
Recognizing the signs can take some time.
For most of us, due to our cultural conditioning, we ignore or override our inner knowing. You’re not alone if you discover that you’ve been ignoring (or have been entirely unaware of) your inner knowing’s Northerly suggestions.
This valuable tool can be called upon for guidance through many of life’s uncertain or difficult situations.
We experience more joy and less emotional suffering when we quiet our internal tug-of-war and align with our intuition instead. When we slow down, and courageously listen to our inner knowing, the answers will emerge. We become unstuck.
Cultivating self-trust is one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves.
I’m with you on the (sometimes winding) journey toward true North.
--Christine
PS- Comment and share your thoughts on this. Or perhaps you have experiences you want to share. Let’s connect. <3