Intuition - That Knowing Gut Feeling

​Did you know that anyone can experience a ‘gut instinct’ or ‘intuition’ and that the value of intuition is now recognised in the corporate world?
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A ‘Gut Feeling or Instinct’ also known as your intuition is the ability to feel and just know things without any conscious input. Your intuition can be your best friend as it lets you know something is wrong (or right) and it’s so important to listen to it and trust it.
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Sometimes gut feelings can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating or gastro-intestinal discomfort. These can be a sign that something is not right. The same applies to sudden energy drops after being in a certain place which may indicate a need to change environment (place of work for example). Sometimes our energy levels drop after being with people and again this is something we should be conscious of and plan our time with others accordingly.

As in the phase, sometimes ‘gut feelings’ are felt in the stomach and when we explore the anatomy and physiology further we see that the gut has its own unique nervous system known as the enteric nervous system which can work in complete absence of the brain and spinal cord. The enteric nervous system is sometimes called the second brain.

There is also an interesting part of the brain which receives information from the gut which is called the ‘insular cortex’ and scientist Bud Craig’s research shows that human self-awareness originates in the insular cortex too. Controlled experiments have shown that the insular cortex receives feelings and emotions from the entire body and puts them together to form an overall picture of a situation or event. This picture is a map of our feelings which the brain uses to then send signals to the body to act accordingly. Therefore, the part of the brain associated with visceral(gut) function is also associated with feelings and emotions.

The feelings you get about a person or place in the first 10 seconds of meeting them are usually right. I also feel that feelings of familiarity when meeting someone for the first time ‘I feel I know this person well already although we’ve only just met’ often leads to strong friendships. Some believe that initial feeling on meeting could signal a soul connection or past life connection. It could simply be an intuitive sign you will become friends or even life partners. The feeling of familiarity could be a signal for any of these.

When looking at a new home, car or even job, be conscious of any feelings (mental, emotional, physical) you have. Intuitively, when something feels good it is good and therefore if something doesn’t feel quite right, it probably won’t be.  Our natural intuition or ‘gut feeling’ is the best strategy for decision making so always trust your instincts as they can tell you so much.
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Overthinking however can severely diminish our intuition as we are then using the conscious, logical part of the brain rather than the intuitive part.  This can lead to poor decisions because your body and brain is in a more stressed state when overthinking and for intuition to be strong the body and brain need to be in a more relaxed and centered state. 

When the logical part of the brain is silenced and the intuitive brain and any associated physical symptoms bought into play, decision making just flows easier. Good physical signs include feelings of comfort and warmth, clarity of hearing and vision, feeling of relaxation and breathing easy. Warning physical signs include feeling cold, nausea/stomach acid, stomach pain, feeling uneasy, loss of energy and headaches.

Many holistic therapists work intuitively and many explain that their hands seem to automatically go to an area of blocked energy or tension and they can just pick up information from the client too. Although these therapists have treatment routines they will trust their intuition and deviate whenever necessary for the benefit of the client.

It’s also worth taking note of any dreams of events you may have as these can contain a message. Some years ago, I embarked on a career path which just wasn’t right for me. Prior to this, I’d had some traumatic dreams (that actually turned out to be premonitions) which had a strong effect on me to the extent that I nearly changed my mind but the combination of using the logical brain and external pressures meant I ignored my ‘gut feeling’ took the path and subsequently had to face the consequences. It’s not worth regretting decisions and its best to find a positive from any situation such a person you may meet or connect with on the journey but its far easier to listen to intuition in the first place as it’s there to help you.

The use of ‘gut feeling’ or ‘intuition’ is not limited to psychics and healers. It is something everyone can tap into. Sometimes it just kicks in without any conscious effort although there are exercises you can do to enhance your own intuition. These exercises include meditation, energy alignment exercises, or just using a pack of cards or photos and drawing one at a time out (without looking) and seeing whether you can intuitively determine the image. Do try it as you may surprise yourself!

As mentioned earlier, the value of intuition is now being recognised in the corporate world especially in the United States and many companies hire Intuitive Consultants to lead intuitive development programs for their employees and it is becoming part of business training for university students. An Intuition Network has been set up which helps businesses too. This has all become far more accepted in recent years and will hopefully soon spread to businesses in the UK and other parts of the world.

Your intuition or ‘gut feeling’ is real and its works so do trust it.
 
Lisa Elmore
Forest Therapies and Wellbeing