Listen to Your Intuition

This week is an important one for me because I followed through on an intuition I received last year. I am changing my surname. From now on you will know me as Carey Avalon. 

One year ago I had the feeling I wanted to change my name. At the time I thought that a change could help me shift my energy and raise my happiness and success levels. I searched for the perfect name and none came to me, so I released the idea into the unknown with the intention to revisit at another time. Two months ago I was sitting at my computer, filling out some forms online and for some reason I typed Avalon as my last name. Suddenly I knew without question this was to be my new identity.

Have you ever experienced a moment of sudden knowing? Sometimes you just know things and you have no idea why or how you know. That’s intuition. It feels like magic and perfection, doesn’t it?

You and I always have access to our intuition. But it doesn’t always SEEM like that does it? Ever try to access your intuition by thinking really hard about it? Sometimes when you really want an answer right away it doesn’t come. It’s not that the intuition isn’t there. It’s because you are jamming the signal with your thoughts and your expectations. This is so common. When this happens you can’t tell the difference between the thoughts in your mind and inspiration from your higher power. The result is that you don’t know which to trust.

At other times you block your intuition and don’t act on it even though you hear it. I know at one point or another you have felt a certain knowing about someone or something and you didn’t want it to be true. Maybe you were in a relationship and got the sense that it wasn’t working and maybe you didn’t listen to that knowing because you wanted a different outcome. 

Your intuition tells you what you NEED to hear, not always what you WANT to hear.

Messages received intuitively will have meaning for you as they relate to your situation, however the messages themselves are essentially neutral, unchanging and affirmative. Intuitive messages often seem to come from within you, yet you may feel a sense of detachment from them.

How can you create a clear channel for your intuition to speak to you? Here are some ways I like to connect: 

1. Create an intention to be aware. Intuition is always present. We are not always aware of how it communicates with us. Create an intention to be open and receive messages through your thoughts, feelings and signs in your outer world.
2. Listen to your body, especially your gut.  As you think about your situation what do you feel physically? Do you feel a heaviness or uneasiness in your gut? Or do you feel light and peaceful? Spend some time getting to know your own physical reactions to thoughts. How does your body respond to positive and negative?
3. Remove yourself from situations of stress or confusion. Racing thoughts indicate a need to have control over a situation. You can better hear your intuition when the mind is quiet and still. Try meditation, a hike in nature or anything that soothes your mind.
4. Pay attention to your dreams. While you are sleeping your subconscious mind takes over. Your dreams may reveal your true feelings about a particular subject or offer insights which the conscious mind blocked during the day. Keep a journal near your bed to record dreams and pay attention to elements which stand out.
5. Follow your joy. While you are waiting for inspiration and intuition to strike, get up and get doing things that make you happy. This puts you in a playful and receptive mood for receiving and accepting intuition.

You are a spiritual being here to experience all that life has to offer. Receiving intuition is one of the gifts available to you.    

How and when does intuition show up for you? Share in the comments below.