Tangible Intuition. Julie Farha

to that insight. I have a feeling you might be smiling right now. It feels good to follow what you know is true.

      If you did make a “wrong turn”, think of it as a lesson rather than a mistake. Ask yourself if you might have heard a whisper from your inner voice guiding you to another direction, or if your body was encouraging you to make a different decision. Chances are, you were given a signal that you didn't fully understand. That was your intuition—your truth—calling out to you. This book will help you to better understand and hear that guidance.

      This book will explain the ways intuition communicates, and how that communication provides insight and clarity. You will be able to navigate your way to what you most desire—be it success, love, happiness, inner peace or all of the above! You'll gain the ability to be more proactive and less reactive, bring more balance into your life and remove much of the stress.

      Perhaps you are someone who is already aware of your tangible intuition. This book will help you gain deeper clarity and hone your natural skills.

      If following your intuition is new to you, ease yourself into it. Be patient. Just like starting a new form of exercise, it will take time to build this muscle. Start small at first, and let your intuition guide you with less significant things. As you come to understand how intuition speaks to you, you will become more comfortable using it to make bigger life decisions.

      Just to be clear, this isn't about changing your personal beliefs or adopting a new religion. I might use terminology that is a little “out there” for some, but those are just words. Feel free to ignore them, or replace them with what you feel is more fitting. For the record, I'm not what you may assume an intuitive to be. You will never catch me in a pair of Birkenstocks or wearing a long, flowy dress (not that there is anything wrong with that); I prefer a nice pair of jeans and stilettos. I come from a conservative family, so I understand if this feels a little strange at first. Stick with it. You've picked up this book, or were given it, for a reason.

      As you might have noticed, this is also a workbook, and it is rather short. That's because this is a simple process. I skipped much of the philosophy and went right to the practice of learning how to read your intuitive signs. As you start to feel those signals and understand the information your body is sending you, you will enjoy the empowerment that comes from listening to your intuition. I have also included a section in each chapter where you can reflect, answer questions, make notes, and do exercises that will help you hone your intuitive skills.

      Throughout the book, I have included some of my personal experiences, as well as experiences of others, to demonstrate how intuition speaks to each of us in different ways. One of the keys to understanding how your intuition speaks to you is to be aware of your body's unique response. Keep this workbook with you, or use another journal, to take notes on your experiences. Soon, you will begin to see patterns emerge. And you will likely be surprised how familiar that tangible intuition is.

      How do you feel? Is your body telling you you're ready to learn about your intuition? Great! Here we go!

      Insightful Questions

      What are the things you would most like to gain from connecting with your intuition? What aspects of your life would benefit most from your tangible intuition?

      Intuition

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

      We all have intuition. Yes, even you. Deep down, we all know what is best for us. But you may be confused as to what intuition actually is.

      Intuition is defined as the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. We know it best as the inner voice that whispers to us, telling us what is right or wrong, what is truth or a falsehood, what is safe or dangerous.

      We often say that we have a feeling about something. Whether it's a good feeling or one that is uneasy, these feelings are your instincts speaking to you through your physical body. It's what I call tangible intuition.

      Tangible intuition can offer you a wealth of information. It tells you when to take action or to wait. Through your body, intuition will advise when you are in alignment with your goal or your higher good, and when you are not. This intuitive insight helps you discern which direction to go in life, even if that might be to stay where you are for the time being. You are given information about the people around you, the situations you find yourself in, and the possibility of danger. You can feel it. These signals should be heeded, because they are gifts.

      An uncomfortable situation, one where you feel uneasy, is your body telling you what you already know: It's time to leave. And, chances are, we've all had an experience when we didn't listen to that guidance—and really wish we had. All of these signals are clues that will help you to better hear your body's “language” and clearly understand your intuition. Listening to that inner voice helps us to stay true to ourselves, and be honest with others.

      It's no mystery that your body is constantly communicating with you. It tells you simple things, like you are hungry, thirsty or coming down with an illness. And we learn to listen to those signals pretty clearly. Your stomach may not growl, but that light-headed feeling might remind you that it's time for lunch. The telltale tickle in your throat could be signaling the onset of a cold. These are basic body communications that we all understand. Still, how often have we ignored those basic signals? We do this because we are preoccupied, too busy, too stressed or are simply in denial.

      Intuition is another way your body speaks to you. It may be more complex than the communication of hunger, but it is as easy to understand when you learn to “hear” your body. This form of communication provides insights, confirmations or caveats. Yet, these signals can also be overlooked when we are preoccupied, too busy, too stressed, in denial, or we simply don't like the information we are given.

      Like it or not, intuition will always be honest to you. It is your truth. And, as hard as that truth might be at times, it comes without judgment. Your truth is not about morals or societal rules. It is that which is in accordance with your highest good. Truth is different for each person and, unfortunately, that truth may not necessarily be what you want—but it is always what is good and right for you.

      While we know our truth, we may often feel that we are not able access that information clearly. Stress, a hectic life, the influence of others' opinions, a lack of trust, or—more often than not—our fear can keep us from hearing our inner voice, and believing what we feel.

      We have a tendency to rationalize a situation rather than trust our inner guidance, mostly because we believe we can trust the “facts” we have before us and are afraid to rely on something as fleeting as a feeling. And, when we are afraid, we aren't going to get all the information we need. We get stuck, blocked by our emotions. We might choose to go against our intuition to avoid looking foolish or appearing impolite. We might let other influences steer us, be it the input of others or a familiar pattern, instead of listening to our inner guidance.

      How often has that worked for you?

      We have a tendency to go with what is most familiar and, therefore, most comfortable. Unfortunately, the sensations of fear and stress are probably all too familiar for most of us. Anxiety might be experienced as clammy hands, stomach distress or a lack of sleep. Tension may bring headaches, tight shoulders or clenched muscles. We might experience the discomfort of a stress-induced backache or stiff neck. These symptoms are your body's way of telling you to take care of yourself and work to remedy the situation causing this unease. Hopefully, you will listen to those signals, or you may end up with a bill from a chiropractor or massage therapist, or taking a sick day from work. Listening to the basic advice of your body is the first step in connecting with your intuition.

      The next step is getting comfortable with the fact that you have a strong intuitive sense. The ability to clearly hear your intuition is directly related to your level of confidence. Trusting yourself, valuing your worth and believing that you are deserving are keys to gaining clarity through your intuition. The higher the level of stress or fear you have, the less you will hear your inner voice.