In this age of over emphasizing the logical mind and material world, choosing to follow our heart and intuition is a revolution. That is, if we even realize that it is an option.
It means stepping into the unknown where a different logic applies, which can feel like a big risk. However, it also leads us to live with more passion, purpose and long-lasting happiness. It is a way to experience true fulfillment and have a greater impact in the world.
This shift is for me one of the biggest we can make right now. Going from mind to heart, from reason to intuition. Or more accurately, learning how to use them the best we can for the purpose they each hold. It is one of the key practices in both ancient and modern spirituality.
In this article, I discuss why and how to follow your heart and intuition !
The respective roles of the mind and the heart
For decades or even centuries, we gave our mind the full power over our life, letting it decide everything. But in truth, it is not made for that. It is a great tool for analyzing, reflecting, organizing, planning, etc. Our mind excels at recognizing patterns from the past, which can be very useful. But as much as it wants to, it cannot predict the future. It fails to sense what choice is best or what path is the most aligned for us in each moment.
Feeling this, sensing our truth and guiding us through those decisions truly is the role of our heart and intuition. Indeed, they have the ability to tap into the current of our life and our possible futures. Therefore, they can give us a more accurate feedback through feelings and sensations. They represent our best and truest compass towards what truly matters to us.
A good way they speak to us is through our excitement. It is an indicator that an action or step is beneficial to our evolution. More and more people recognize the power of following our excitement, and this has also been my experience. Since I started making decisions based on my intuition, my life improved so much. Even for the biggest choices, I now always reference my excitement to decide wisely. As a result, my life feels a lot more meaningful and I am a much happier person.
Learn to follow your heart and intuition
It is fairly simple – and quite a challenge at the same time. We need to reconnect to the heart, learn its language and follow its whispers. The good news is, they actually become clear messages when we get used to them. Of course, it takes time. It is a process of shedding many layers of fears, beliefs and conditioning and it keeps deepening throughout our life.
We are so used to function from reason and mind that we don’t feel safe trusting our intuition. As a more subtle force, it doesn’t fit the system well because it cannot be proven scientifically – yet. As a result, many of us take a predestined path that is not always reflective of who we truly are.
We don’t always recognize it, but we all have an unlimited potential that only needs to be activated. If we use them well, our heart and intuition are powerful forces that can assist us greatly in doing so. We now have the opportunity to get past our apparent sense of security and embrace life to its fullest.
Here are a few steps to help you connect with your heart and intuition, and gather the courage to follow them :
1. MEDITATE TO RECONNECT TO YOUR BODY
The first step I would encourage to contact your intuition is practicing the most basic form of meditation. Just sitting down in silence, feel the sensations in your body while breathing. It is normal to still have thoughts, so be easy on yourself if you notice that you got carried away.
Do not judge yourself or your thoughts, simply put your awareness back into your body. If you can, take a few minutes every day for this practice. It will start shifting your focus away from your mind and into your body, where your intuition awaits you. You can also use short guided meditations to help you during this process, as many are now available on YouTube or through meditation apps.
2. FOCUS ON YOUR HEART
When you get comfortable with being back in your body, focus your attention on your heart area. You can imagine it as a separate floor in your house that you just entered. It will not stop your thoughts but you will not be as aware of them, like a conversation on another floor that you would not be able to hear from where you are.
Bathe in your heart space. Pay attention to what it feels like. Surrender to the sensations and eventually you will be able to feel your heart’s energy expand in a delicious way.
3. BREATHE THROUGH THE DISCOMFORT
During this process of reconnection to your body and your heart, you can become aware of tensions that some parts of them hold. Uncomfortable sensations or emotions can arise.
If this happens, try to be gentle with yourself and what you are feeling. Welcome any sensation or emotion with as much love as you can. Let them flow in your body, they will eventually release by themselves. Just keep breathing through it. Do not try to push them away, simply allow them to move through you and leave you, at least momentarily.
If some very deep and difficult emotions arise and seem too much to deal with, don’t hesitate in asking for help. Talk about them with a friend or find a therapist that you resonate with and can help you process them. A lot of different modalities exist to help us heal our wounds, from short term therapies like hypnosis to longer psychotherapies. While the first ones often yield rapid results, the latter can really help you understand yourself better.
4. LEARN YOUR INTUITION’S LANGUAGE
Your intuition speaks to you mostly through sensations in your body. These are the internal compass to guide you through existence. As you connect more and more with your body, you will learn the unique ways and sensations that allow you to access this wisdom. Everyone is different, but there are common perceptions that you may resonate with.
For example, a “yes” or a truth can be experienced as sensations of opening, expansion, chills running through your skin or something clicking inside. If we are visual, it can be associated with light.
On the other hand, a “no” or something that doesn’t resonate with you might cause a contraction or a feeling of anxiety. We can see it darker in our mind.
A key word here is resonance, as our sensations only indicate if something is true or false for us. They are not a garrant of absolute truth. For example, something might not resonate with us because it is not correct or not for us. But it can also be because of a block or wound we have in that area that prevents us from seeing it as a truth yet.
5. HAVE THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND YOUR EXCITEMENT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY
Now that you are more in tune with your heart, your body and your sensations, you can start experimenting with them. Start small, with everyday decisions like having a tea or a coffee in the morning.
Imagine yourself preparing and drinking tea and pay attention to how it makes you feel. Do the same with coffee and see which one feels the most exciting. Which one gives you more “yes” sensations and which one more “no” sensations ? For me, the highest choice is also usually the brightest and lightest one in my mind’s eye. When you figured out what you want to drink, choose the mug that attracts you the most.
Then take a few hours, or an entire day, where you follow what excites you the most at each moment. Whether it is going for a walk, listening to a specific music, calling a friend or eating a specific food, trust your intuition completely. See where it leads you and how these small choices shaped your day. What synchronicities appeared ? What gifts or lessons were you led to ?
6. LET GO OF ANY EXPECTATION
When following our intuition in a certain direction, expectations of how we think things should go can often limit the blessings that want to come to us. They can even block them because we think they have to come in one particular way.
Instead, be open to any results and welcome them as best as you can, whatever they look like. Even if they are different than what you would have thought. They always contain a gift that you can unravel only if you accept them as they are.
7. ALLOW YOURSELF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
It is like learning a new language, so sometimes we make mistakes and misread our sensations. That is ok. We are getting clearer and clearer each time. The more we practice this for the small things, the more we see how it positively affects our life.
As a result, the easier it is to act on it for the big decisions as well. So practice and choose your highest excitement as much as you can, right now. Be open to what life brings you, be patient, and most importantly, have fun !
Conclusion
Our intuition and excitement lead us to the shortest path we can take to grow and expand. They help us create a life that is truly reflective of our infinite potential. Guiding us to our passion and to the teachers we need. Whether it be a book, a video or a person, each of them holds a key to our healing and evolution.
Following our heart and intuition will also challenge us. It will ask us to look at our fears and wounds. To love them instead of rejecting them and to carry on forward as we express more of who we are. To stand in the fire of transformation and shine our light brightly when we get out of it. Ultimately giving us a long lasting happiness, not because we only experience joy, but because we are on this beautiful path of human experience. A journey into all the magic this world has to offer.
So are you ready to embark on this journey with me? Let us know in the comments about your experience with this process. Also share your own personal tips to connect with your heart ! This way we can all help each other and create a more peaceful and loving world together.