It’s quite ironic that I’m having a weird gut feeling / trust your instincts moment when the topic of discussion is about gut feelings. Right? It’s the universe sending me a sign. I love when that happens.
My first set of questions for you is, do you trust your gut feelings? Do you buy-into your intuition? How do you feel about the choices you make? Stop and reflect on that for a moment.
Now, we all have those gut feelings. Sometimes it’s present in our lives as a bad vibe about a certain situation, or a sudden urge to go do something or go be somewhere where you normally wouldn’t be, or like when someone calls you on the phone and you’re about to ignore it but something tells you to pick up the phone this time. Then it ends up being something important and you’re glad you picked up the phone.
Those are you gut feelings. Your intuition telling you to pay attention. Pay attention to your life, right now.
What does it mean to trust your instincts?
Reflect on this:
Is your intuition something you have confidence in to help lead you through life?
Or is it something that creates more doubt and confusion within your mind and body?
One thing you may be experiencing through your mindfulness journey is that mindfulness is something that makes your intuition much stronger, and more apparent in your life. The reason is because you’re becoming more aware.
You’re noticing your surroundings more, you’re paying attention to cues from yourself and others, you’re more in-tune to repetitive behaviors, and you’re just seeing life in a whole new way.
As you continue to move forward, you may start to experience a few different results in response to this. Sometimes you may feel more triggered by your gut feelings because you’re aware and anticipating the result from the action, because that’s what your brain has responded based off your habits.
This is when a trauma response could actually be masked as a gut feeling. You start to see something happening and you’re like oh nope, I can’t deal with this right now, get me out of here. When that happens, check in with yourself and notice if it’s because of a repetitive pattern, or if it’s a new situation.
These repetitive instincts aren’t always wrong as a trauma response, though. They also help you create ownership behind some of your actions.
For instance, if you always get this yucky feeling when you hang out with a certain person. Listen to that feeling!
Recognize it as a sign that you should distance yourself from them. This is your opportunity, through your mindfulness journey, to start to start to notice if those gut feelings are actually protecting you, or if they’re holding you back, out of fear.
Is your intuition logical?
I’m going to give you an example of both of types of gut feelings.
First, an example of when my intuition was protecting me and my family was back in 2019. I was supposed to go on this big work trip to Las Vegas for a conference. I was so excited, it was going to be a great trip, and I was pumped. I had reservations at all my favorite restaurants and everything.
But a few days beforehand, I was like I don’t know, things seem a little bit crazy right now, maybe I just shouldn’t go. I kind of just canceled the trip for no good reason out of the blue. I really didn’t have an explanation.
So then a few days later, when I was supposed to be on the trip, my daughter got really sick and then my husband ended up needing to have a major surgery. I don’t even know what he would have done if I hadn’t been there. It all worked out just because I had this gut feeling that I shouldn’t go.
You hear stories like that all the time. The lesson here is that people might think you’re totally crazy for listening to your intuition and not really have an explanation for something. But you don’t need to explain yourself to others. If you’re doing what feels right to you, that’s all that matters.
On the flip side, here’s an example of how for many years in my life, I had 2 opposing gut feelings butting heads against each other, keeping me at a stand-still. My intuition was holding me back.
For as long as I can remember in my adult life, I wanted to be a blogger. I’ve mentioned this a lot on the podcast. Since blogs became popular in the early 2000’s, I wanted to have an online presence and make a difference in the lives of others through the art of writing.
I KNEW, that that was what I was meant for, but I had NO idea what I was doing. I was trying to find my place in the world.
Along with that, I had this other gut feeling that was pushing back telling me no, you suck at this, you can’t do this, just stick with the safe option, keep your 9-5. I had this gut feeling that I would be a failure at it before I even tried. And I was so lost for so long.
I was being pulled in one direction for my desire to be something else, but the pushed back right back to the same spot.
But here’s what happens when you have 2 opposing gut feelings. Well, for one thing, it gives you A LOT of anxiety (😉), but in the end, the feeling that is strongest, and the feeling that is meant for you, is the one that will come to light when it’s the right time. If blogging wasn’t meant for me, then that dream would have eventually fizzled out and I would have found something else.
For 15 years, it was something that I strived for, and the feeling just kept getting stronger and stronger. The gut feeling that I was meant to do, won.
So the bottom line is, you have to pay attention to your gut feelings. Your instincts. They will guide you, but only you can decide if/when they’re protecting you, or holding you back. Are they protecting you from a dangerous situation or a failure, or are they holding you back from your dreams because it’s what is comfortable?
What is your definition of intuition?
This is your mindful action for this week. Identify the different feelings and sensations that you experience in your mind and your body when your intuition is telling you something. How do you respond? How do you describe it? Define what intuition means in your life.
Think back over your life, and some of those gut feelings that you’ve had, and journal it out. Write them down so you can begin to see how your body and your mind guide you though life.
Lastly, choose if your gut feelings are dependable. Are they something you can lean on for support in knowing how to manage a situation, or have they been ignored or manipulated for so long that you can no longer trust those instincts.
What’s next?
Want to listen to one of my meditations and fully relax and be present with soothing music? I got you. Check out my YouTube channel, because I’m on a mission to help you live a better life with mindfulness and meditation.
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Meditation For Intuition And Balancing The Third Eye Chakra
[Meditation Script]
This meditation is going to focus on tuning into your intuition, and clearing thoughts and barriers that may be blocking you from trusting your instincts, or for your instincts to be receiving information and processing things correctly.
In meditation and spirituality, when your intuition is feeling off, and untrustworthy, it’s an imbalance of your third eye chakra. The third eye is located in the center of your forehead, just above where your eyebrows come together in the middle. Signs of a third eye imbalance physically can be headaches, eye strain, and sinus issues. Cognitively, you may experience mental fog, confusion, or difficulty sleeping.
Mantras based around the third eye chakra include concepts around “I see”. You’re trying to open your mind to see more of what’s around you.
So our mantra today will be I see myself for who I am, I trust my intuition.
So let’s start by slowing our minds. Sitting straight up, or lying down. Palms facing up and stretched out on your legs.
Take a deep breath in through your nose. And out through your mouth. Take a deep breath in, and large exhale out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Let the tension leave you on the exhale.
Now bring your palms together in front of your heart. Fingers facing up to the sky. I will begin to recite out mantra. You’re welcome to say it along with me, or quietly focus on it in your mind.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
Now for these last few sets, bring your hands up to your forehead, resting your thumbs in the place of your third eye in the center. Focus your thoughts right there in the center of your forehead.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
I see myself for who I am. I trust my intuition.
Bring your hands back down and rest your hands back on your lap. Focus on your breath.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today. I’m sending you good vibes this week to help you reconnect with your intuition and feel a sense of balance and calm in your mind and body. Peace, Love, and Om.
Thanks for reading! Let’s connect on LinkedIn and share our expertise and experiences! I’m all about learning from one another and what we have to give.
I am a seasoned branding strategist, SEO expert, and meditation teacher. I write about productivity, search engine optimization, digital branding, and mindfulness for personal and professional growth. Join the exclusive community with the newsletter by subscribing below!
Copyright © Beth Backes Meditation and Wellness LLC, bethbackes.com, 2023. You may use this meditation script for your own practice but may not record, reproduce, publish, or offer it in a paid setting such as for a class or workshop.
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