The question of fear versus intuition first came to me while attending a yoga retreat a little over a year ago.

I couldn’t quiet figure out when my voice of intuition was speaking to me or when it was my fears and this had me feeling very frustrated. I began to ask around to see what other people thought about the topic, but no clear response or solution appeared.

I sat down with the retreat leader, whom I viewed as a guru of sorts, and he responded, “it takes time and practice to know when your intuition is speaking; it is a process of experimenting and then reflecting on the decision you’ve made and the outcome of that decision.” I will admit that I was feeling discouraged by this trial and error method. You mean there isn’t a pill I can take or a yoga pose to maneuver into?

Sometimes I just want a quick fix or a clear-cut answer to my situation, but I knew there was truth to what he had said. It is almost as though we have to retune ourselves in order to listen to our inner guidance.

Over a year later, I still found myself struggling with the concept of whether it was my fear speaking to me or my intuition. Feeling frustrated, yet again, I called a good friend, desperately seeking input on the matter. She is my go-to girl for these kinds of questions and, while she may not always have an answer to my questions, she always manages to spark my thought process.

As her wisdom came through the phone I found myself stunned by the simplicity of it: “You will be able to hear your inner guidance when you are in a calm and relaxed state; it is then that a clear voice will come through to you.” Aha, finally I was getting somewhere. This made so much sense to me: when I am in a state of panic and anxiety, my head is cluttered with thoughts; it is impossible to hear my voice of inner guidance clearly while my mind is muddled with nonsense.

To begin my practice of listening to my inner voice of guidance, I knew that I would not be able to get clear answers to my questions while in a state of panic. Therefore I began my journey with a calming exercise. For me, that entailed lying on my bed with one hand on my heart and the other on my tummy. Eyes closed, I began to take long deep inhales and long deep exhales through my nose. When I could feel that I was calm and my body and mind were in a state of relaxation, I would then bring my awareness to my third eye center, which is said to be the seat of intuition, and I would ask myself whatever it was that I needed an answer to.

I have found that this process requires patience, as sometimes it takes awhile for a clear answer to come. Or sometimes there will be more than one answer and you will need to wait until one is stronger or resonates with you more. Sometimes there is no clear answer and then you may want to reconsider the way in which you are asking and phrasing your questions. I have found that it is best to be as clear and concise as possible when asking a question of your inner guidance. I also like to begin with less complex questions in which I am able to strongly connect with the answer and know for sure that it is my inner guidance speaking to me.

Fear, on the other hand, will become more easily identifiable once you connect with your intuition. At first you may still struggle in knowing which one is speaking to you but, over time, with practice, it will become obvious when it is your intuition and when it is your fear. For me, fear usually comes with an anxious feeling and can quickly have my head spinning with frantic thoughts. Now I know to say to myself, “those are just my fears speaking to me and I am going to choose not to listen to them right now.” With awareness, the thoughts and fears slowly dissipate from my consciousness and I am left feeling more at peace.

I believe it is healthy to experience some amount of fear and anxiety, as it is our bodies’ natural warning system. However, when fear begins to take control of your thoughts and actions to a level in which you feel you are unable to function at your desired capacity, it is time to asses what is fear and what is the truth.

It is important to remember that our fears are not facts.

Slow down and connect with your inner guidance; the answers are within you, and they will be revealed to you when you are calm, relaxed and ready to listen.

~

Author: Melinda Quesenberry

Editor: Caroline Beaton

Photo: Google images for reuse