Do you ever get that little feeling or voice inside your head, the one that whispers, “I knew it!” after something plays out exactly as you thought it might?

Or maybe something told you to turn left instead of right, and later you found out there was a nasty accident that other way—the way you chose not to go.

This is called intuition, and mine is very strong. To me, intuition is that little voice you hear when you’re quiet enough and when your “rational” brain doesn’t override it.

It’s also embedded in those synchronistic signs you see that feel like deja vu. Mine is almost psychic sometimes and that still catches me off guard. The funny thing is that some people look at it as though it’s a gift. I don’t believe it is. I believe we are all inherently intuitive and that we each just need to reawaken and make that connection to our intuition stronger.

I also believe the intuitive voice and signs are much more obvious to us when we’re children and grow increasingly muted over time. This is partly because we don’t cultivate intuition anymore, and partly because it’s a social norm to ignore it. In the Western world, we get programmed out of listening to our own inherent knowing.

Kids don’t ignore their intuition; in fact, it keeps them safe because it tells them who to avoid, what not to touch, and how to move through early life in a way that equips them to avoid many dangers. As adults it can keep us safe too—if we listen.

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” ~ Jonas Salk

And the best part? It can also tell us what we need to know in order to fulfill our soul’s purpose. Ah, our soul’s purpose. I believe we all have one. It’s the undeniable pull toward what we are meant to create in this lifetime.

And if we find a way to make our soul’s purpose into our career or means of making a living, we will live a happy life. This is what we are naturally drawn to fulfill. For me, it’s teaching and guiding others toward freedom and peace through coaching, yoga, meditation, writing, and holistic wellness.

When I do these things, I walk away feeling happy, fulfilled, empowered, and inspired. When I’m teaching or coaching or writing, I feel as though I am in my home. It’s where I belong and I know this because my intuition tells me so.

So, if you’re wondering how to tap into your own intuition and soul path, then start here. Look at your life and see which parts bring you the most happiness and fulfillment right now. I bet these areas are directly linked to your purpose and how you are meant to fulfill your soul contract to bring certain things into creation in this life. And the parts of your life bringing you the least happiness are probably pulling you away from your soul purpose, too.

It’s as simple as that. Don’t complicate it. Because the mind will try to rationalize and justify those areas that leave us feeling less than happy. Especially if they are connected to our material comfort.

My intuition is so strong, partly because I cultivate it and mostly because I heed it. I allow it the space to flourish, and I encourage it. It has saved my life before and kept me from accidents. It has changed my life. It has helped me create the life I am currently living, which is abundant with joy, serenity, gratitude, blessings, success, and prosperity. It has talked me back from the jumping off the ledge during some of the most difficult and trying moments of my life. It’s kept me out of jail just by listening to the tiny whisper that said, “Don’t go that way.”

So, how can you develop your own intuition?

There are three simple steps that I practice. The first is to quiet my mind. In a busy life, this can be very hard, but just a few minutes of quiet headspace per day can shift our relationship with our intuition. We can do this by practicing breathwork and meditation, especially focused around the Ajna, or Third-Eye Chakra which is the seat of our intuitive abilities, and is the center for deep knowing and higher consciousness.

This is where we break through to reconnect with our “higher self.” As people work to open Ajna and get the energy flowing, they often find their intuition and psychic knowing sharpens drastically. Ajna strongly relates to higher living.

The second step is to ask for it! As you sit in quiet meditation or prayer, ask for a stronger voice and clearer signs. I consciously ask for signs that I won’t miss and I create space for the voice through meditation. And then I listen. If we want to hear it, we have to give it the space to be heard. Yoga helps still the mind by clearing out the stuck energy that would usually block our ability to hear our intuition.

The third step is to pay attention and to listen. Intuition affirms our receptivity, so the more we heed and follow it, the stronger it becomes. And remember, it comes quietly. Our intuitive voice isn’t loud the way our mental chatter is. So if it’s loud and clear in your mind, it’s probably safe to assume it’s not your intuition, which will be more of a whisper, a gentle nudge, or a quiet feeling on the gut level.

If you’re stuck and looking for a new solution to an old problem, you might just try calling out for intuitive guidance and see what comes. Intuition is really your “higher self” and the wisdom of the universe speaking directly to you. You will know it when you hear it.

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Author: Lindsay Carricarte

Image: Flickr/Anthony Flores

Editor: Travis May