Intuition relies on sensing energy. It is a moment to moment communication between your conscious mind and higher self.
Energy is all around you. It emanates from people, places and even inanimate objects. A Feng shui specialist I know told me every object in your home is energetically connected to you on an unconscious level. When you enter a room, some part of your energy field is scanning every single object, noting if anything has moved or is missing from the space.
Given that the average American has thousands of objects in their home, this can cause an incredible energy drain.
Try this experiment:
Walk into any room in your home and really look at how much stuff is there. As you look at your things through this lens of consciousness, you may notice how some items trigger memories or emotions. You might be amazed to realize how many unhappy memories you have are on display!
I encourage you to weigh the dollar value of any item you are reluctant to let go of against the energetic cost of keeping the associated memory present and alive.
Your connection doesn’t stop at your “stuff”. We are each energetically connected to places too. Look around your home again, this time focus on the energy of the actual space and what that feels like.
Use all your senses and observe what you see, hear, smell, feel and sense. Does the space feel welcoming and warm; chaotic and cluttered; harsh or cold? Notice the impact this space has on your energy field.
Another experiment:
Now move the experiment to your mind and think about a place you love to go to – where you always feel welcome and happy. As you bring this place to mind, notice what happens to your energy level. Do words like relax, expand, and recharge come to mind?
You are being affected like this energetically all day, everyday but are most often not aware of it because this awareness is operating below your conscious mind.
To develop your intuition is to develop more awareness. Start by tuning into your surroundings. When you enter a place for the first time, imagine you are pushing your senses outside your body to energetically “feel” it. What is the first thing you notice? Does it feel light, accepting, wild or unpleasant? Open your senses and see what comes in.
Bring this same awareness to the people in your life, whether they are friends or strangers. Breathe deeply, center and extend your senses and see what you notice about this person’s energy. How does it feel to you? Every person has a distinct energetic vibration pattern and tone; it may be fast or slow, warm or cold, tense or relaxed, vibrant or lethargic.
Ask how does this person feel to me? Are they happy, sad, nervous, calm, open or hiding something? Don’t rely on what they say to you to decide; this is an awareness exercise of what you sense.
As part of this exercise, notice your own energy levels around this person. Do not judge this as good or bad; this is simply about paying attention and noticing what is in front of you.
Noticing places, people, their energy, and its impact on you is a huge step in developing your intuition.
Coaching Challenge
For the next week, practice the art of observing energy at work in your life. Start by tuning into your surroundings.When you enter a place for the first time, imagine you are pushing your senses outside your body to “feel” it.
Practice this same awareness around the people you encounter, whether they are friends or strangers.
The steps to take are to stop, breathe deeply, center, extend your senses and see what you notice about the energy you are encountering. Describe it to yourself as you observe it. What does it feel like? How does it make you feel?
Remember to monitor your own energy levels in these moments. How are you reacting to what you sense?
If you find that someone or something is draining you, step a few feet away and notice the difference. Or conversely, if you are picking up an uplifting feeling, become an energetic sponge and soak that energy up!
Most importantly, have fun developing your awareness and intuition.