5 Creative Practices That Will Help You Discover Your Intuition

You’ve heard the phrase, “Follow your intuition.” But what does that really mean? What is intuition anyway?

While certain buzzwords and phrases might catch your attention, this doesn’t always mean that you understand them from a core level – and that’s okay. Intuition is a tricky subject, as it exists as a concept that is not easily put into words.

We use phrases like “gut feelings” and “instincts” to try to capture the meaning of intuition, yet this may not be enough. Intuition is a difficult concept to grasp, especially because we aren’t taught from a young age that our intuition is anything that we should be paying attention to.

What is Intuition?

Intuition is not scientific. It is not something that you’ll learn about in biology class – and yet, it is part of our biology.

We have evolved to be able to trust our intuition, and in the most antiquated or historical form, this may have added up to know whether or not to trust a fellow caveman and his or her intentions.

Intuition is defined as “the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.”

In other words, your intuition boils down to those times when you just know something to be true without having all of the facts. Sometimes we simply know and understand things without looking them up or being told that they are true. This is intuition. Those times when you have a deep sense of a certain truth that cannot, in that moment, be proved.

There are things in our lives that need no explanation, things that you just understand from the very depth of your soul. Learning to trust your intuition only means giving these ideas and thoughts a chance to form before demanding scientific evidence of their existence.

How to Develop Your Intuition

While intuition may not be a readily accepted concept in scientific circles, this may be a new phenomenon.

According to Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist who won the Nobel Prize, once said, “No, no, you’re not thinking. You’re just being logical.” We’re often taught that certain ideas must be properly thought through to achieve any measure of truth. However, sometimes thinking and being logical is not the same thing.

Are you really thinking about it, or are you using your logic to create a scenario that makes the most sense in your head?

Intuition should be felt. It should be experienced. Training yourself to believe that following a gut feeling means that you aren’t thinking things through deeply enough cuts you off from your intuitive center.

Like Steve Jobs, founder of Macintosh and Apple, once put it, “Don’t let the noise of others drown your inner voice.”

This is from a computer and software mogul who surely had to think through his ideas more frequently than the average Joe. However, even he, a person trained in the field of technology and logic, recognized that there are many paths to follow and that your intuition should not be ignored.

Read this next: How to Find Your Intuition & Trust Your Gut

5 Ways to Develop Your Intuition

Now that we know a bit more about the concept of intuition, let’s look at five creative techniques that you can use to develop your intuition more thoroughly.

1. Get in Touch With Your Body

Intuition can come from the body, not just the mind.

Getting in deeper touch with your body is the first step to understanding intuition from anxiety. (These two feelings can sometimes interact, and it can be frustrating trying to tell the difference between an unfounded worry and a real threat.) This is something you can do in any way that you find comfortable.

Yoga is a great way to sink more deeply into your skin and feel every sensation flowing through your being.

You can even simply ask your body what it needs for a deeper connection.

Start by thinking of the terms “yes,” and “no.” Then ask your body to identify each answer. Ask your body to show you what a “yes” feels like and wait. Just wait for the answer. What do you feel? What comes up. Ask the same question for a “no.” You will be able to begin determining which feeling you experience for each answer.

2. Listen to Your Inner Voice

Have you ever had a thought or feeling flow through you that seemingly came from nowhere? Have you ever experienced a wave of emotion that made no sense, that you tried to suppress? These are the moments to listen, to really hear, what your heart is trying to tell you.

Often, these feelings are hard to ignore, but we try to tell ourselves that it must be something else. It must just be our emotions or our thoughts making things up. When you start to pay more attention to these random feelings, you’ll probably discover that they aren’t random at all.

3. Meditate

We understand that meditation isn’t for everyone, but it’s quite a beneficial practice that anyone can use to deepen their connection with their intuition.

When you meditate, you may be frustrated by distracting thoughts – but as time goes on, it becomes easier to acknowledge the thoughts and let them flow on by. This also allows you to connect to your Third Eye chakra to strengthen your intuition and recharge.

Eventually, a meditation practice will result in a mind that is clear and cleansed of negativity. And when you aren’t weighed down by negative or toxic chatter, it’s much easier to determine which intuitions are true and which are ruled by insecurity.

Yoga can also be used for similar purposes.

Here are some crystals to help you connect to your intuition.

4. Communicate With Your Higher Self

There is a you within yourself that knows more than you do. It’s a strange concept, but it’s true.

Part of you is not bogged down by these mortal coils, isn’t wrapped up in the everyday drama – it’s simply you, at the core, basest level of your being. Consult this person. Ask them what’s going on and really listen. Don’t dismiss their words of wisdom, don’t put them down. Soak in the information and take the time to process it.

It can also be helpful to write these things down in your journal. If you’re stuck on a certain idea or unsure of the path to take, ask these questions in written form. And then, spend the next few days listening with an open mind and an open heart.

5. Be Creative

One of the ways that many of us sell ourselves short is by neglecting our personal time for creative endeavors. Perhaps it’s the hustle culture that we live in, or maybe we’ve been told that creativity is a waste of time. But the truth is that being creative will bring you closer to your true self, which holds the answers.

It also provides an excellent outlet for emotional release, clearing your aura of any negativity that might cause intuitive confusion. Make time for yourself each day to indulge in a creative hobby that brings you joy and peace.

Be Patient on the Journey Towards Intuition

It takes time and practice to cultivate your intuition, and sometimes the process might even go against your long-held beliefs or habits. But with enough patience and determination, you can learn to listen to your intuition in any situation.

It’s all about trusting the process as well as trusting yourself.

So, start practicing today, and when your intuition has a message for you, don’t delete it.

Related article: How to Make Decisions Using Your Intuition