Learn to Use Your Internal Guidance

      

By Katie Beecher, MS, LPC.

Katie Beecher     Be honest, how often do you compare yourself and your accomplishments to others?  How often do you seek other’s opinions, rather than trusting yourself to make decisions?  These things are nothing to be ashamed of. We have all done it, but this can lead to insecurity, self-doubt, and dependence on others. Relying on your own internal guidance is empowering and helps you to reduce the anxiety that often comes with the need for control.   What is internal guidance?  It is connection to the part of yourself that knows who you truly are, what you need and want and what is best for you. That connection happens in many ways, often when we don’t even realize it.  Seeing or hearing words in our head, events played out in our minds eye, physical symptoms, just “knowing” or even signs from the universe are a few examples. If you have ever wished that the answers to your problems would just “appear”, and who hasn’t, connection to your internal guidance (which can also be called your intuition) is the next best thing. It also helps you to be your healthiest, happiest, and most authentic self.   If you aren’t sure how to connect or whether you can trust the information you receive, you are not alone. This usually stems from fear of making a mistake or from underestimating your own strength and resilience. People often tell me that they can’t trust their intuition because they don’t have what they consider “special abilities” to predict the future, but this isn’t what connection to intuition is truly about. We all have and use internal guidance.   Tips for tapping into your internal guidance: Be present in your body. If you are stressed, have experienced trauma, are in pain or dealing with addiction, you may dissociate as a coping mechanism. Send your body unconditional love and acceptance, without judgment. Physical and emotional symptoms are ways that your body gets your attention when you are not engaging in self-care or being authentic. The more “shut out” you are from your physical body, the more serious and frightening those symptoms need to be. Respond at the first sign of possible problems, like resting when you feel tired, rather than being “forced” to rest by becoming seriously ill. Grounding is simply being connected to the Earth and its energy. It helps you to focus, reduce anxiety and live in the moment, rather than in the past or the future. You cannot receive guidance about how to change your current condition if your attention is directed to previous events or what may or may not happen tomorrow. Simple ways to ground are to be in nature, walk barefoot, hang out with plants, or get a grounding mat or grounding bedding. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is also very grounding. Give yourself credit for what you have accomplished and the challenges you have overcome. Perfectionism and insecurity can get in the way of listening to and acting on your intuition.  The truth is that you will make mistakes, they cannot be avoided unless you hide yourself away and refuse to take risks. You have made mistakes before and you are still here. This is where comparing yourself with others can really get in your way. Social media is a place where many people only show their best selves or create fantasies about their lives. Assuming that influencers or celebrities lives are perfect isn’t true or realistic. If you really feel blocked, tools like oracle cards, pendulums or tarot can occasionally be fun ways to start an intuitive conversation with yourself. Do not substitute the information you receive for your own internal guidance, let it prompt or jump start your own intuition. Ask yourself if what you hear from these tools resonates with you, trusting yourself above all else.  I don’t recommend relying on outside tools or using them frequently. You don’t ever want to give away your power. Allow your feelings, especially unpleasant ones. Pushing down pain will only amplify it, contributing to anxiety, depression and addiction. Identify what you are feeling and ask your internal guidance what the source of those feelings is. Then listen for what you need to do to address the cause or causes. You may not always be able to deal with the situation directly, such as in the case of a reaction to difficult circumstances you have no control over, but you can release unpleasant feelings through movement, creativity or meditation.  **Article first appeared in Kora Organics Blog**   Katie Beecher Medical & Emotional Intuitive & Medium                  Licensed Professional Counselor        As featured in Goop, Poosh, Kora Organics and more   Book: Heal From Within: A Guide to Intuitive Wellness, published by St Martins Press. Order here https://amzn.to/3LySBUA     https://www.katiebeecher.com Instagram @katiebeecher_medical_intuitive    http://www.facebook.com/beechermedicalintuitive