Intuitive Flow and Stress: Idealistic View and Myth
At one time I believed that by always listening to my intuition, I would find myself in a constant state of peace, calm, and flow. This idea is quite appealing, isn't it? The thought that by following our inner guidance, we could navigate life with grace and ease, untouched by the usual stresses and strains. However, this idealistic view clashed with reality. Here’s what I found:
Life Challenges and Pressures
Everyday life brings its own set of challenges and pressures, whether it’s managing the school run, dealing with a spouse’s back issues, or preparing for the upcoming holidays like Christmas. These situations demand our attention and energy, often pulling us in multiple directions. In such times, the serene idea of intuitive living becomes far-fetched.
But here’s the thing: living intuitively doesn’t exempt us from the realities of life. It doesn’t shield us from the chaos or the mundane tasks that make up our days. Instead, it offers us guidance amid the noise.
This is when our practices and rituals can be even more important to steady us and keep us connected to our inner guidance, calm or compassion. However for me, personally when the pressure is on, before running a course for example I actually just accept that for two weeks before I will be hyper focused, I will be working longer hours and need to keep my routine very short or to a minimum - just the essentials. This for me can mean focusing on deep breathing as I tend to forget to breathe! I use my Moonbird for this. As well as 10 mins of gentle exercise to lower the potential rising cortisol. I am not really in a place for longer meditations. I'm too engaged.
So I am listening. Responding to my needs when the pressure is on. I try to adapt to the situation, in those times. It's about staying steady until I can have a breather. It might be uncomfortable, but I also know it's for the short term. However in the quiet moments I might do some channelled writing, even for a few minutes, just to feel connected to my intuitive guidance - even a diluted sense of intuitive connection to the universe feels good.
Intuition Nudges and Stress
Intuitive insights often come as nudges or hits, especially around timing, guiding us through the chaos. These nudges are like whispers from our inner wisdom, nudging us to take a different route to work, to call a friend, or to pause and breathe. They don’t always come with a promise of tranquillity but offer a way forward.
However it can be harder to hear when we are stressed or don’t feel we have enough time. For me my focus can harden me, I become more impatient too as I feel time poor - I become less open and my responses become short. I literally feel my heart field retract. It’s an easy time to argue with my husband (!) Yet if I know this tendency and its for a short period of time, I just try to communicate - I’m likely to be short at times, please give me space and grace, it will calm soon.
I would rather be realistic and authentic than try to be an ‘angel’ and fail fantastically by inevitably exploding or becoming passive aggressive - or falling into the ‘toxic faux spiritual positivity’ with an insincere wired grin. I try to be clear, for example that I don't have time to talk about this now. Can it wait until after this deadline? More often than not, it's a yes.
You can be intuitive as well as direct and clear. We are much more likely to stay in connection if we are honest with ourselves and others about what is alive in us, whilst expressing our needs. High stress levels are not ideal at all for receiving intuitive information as we are not open and receptive - we have tunnel vision and are busy.
So it can be important to look at our lives to ask ourselves do I have enough balance to be receiving intuitive information? It doesn't need to be perfect. We all have intense periods with our work cycles, our family, holiday periods and so on. However, to have consistent high levels of stress means that you will be shutting down the ability to receive intuitive guidance. Something to think about.
Discipline, Focus, and Action
To harness intuitive messages, we need discipline, focus, and the energy to act on the information we receive. It’s one thing to hear our intuition, and another to act on it. There is a certain irony to it as well, as first we must be able to receive what might be a message from subtle realms or hear the quiet voice within - but then, we need to take action, in the material realm, which can feel jarring as they are a different set of skills and we need both. Oprah is an amazing example of someone who can do both.
“I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I've made mistakes is when I didn't listen” Oprah
Oprah listened to the guidance and took positive action, consistently. We too need to be able to move between realms. Develop our skills to be able to trust and receive intuitive guidance yet move into action
This requires:
Discipline: Setting aside time each day to quiet our minds and tune into our inner voice.
Focus: Paying attention to the subtle signs and signals that our intuition sends.
Action: Taking the steps necessary to follow through on our intuitive guidance, even when it feels inconvenient or challenging.
Living Intuitively Amidst Worldly Challenges
Balancing intuitive living with the demands of the world can be tough at times. The key is knowing when to be receptive and when to take action, recognizing that there will be more intensive periods requiring our full attention.
Personally when I come out of an intensive period, it is important then to plan in rest and play to come back to a more receptive state and experience restoration. For example after a weekend course - I make sure there are no clients in the diary and I can just crash for a few days, book in treatment sessions, have good food, celebrate and have a spa day to do some deep relaxation! Softening to return to a more open state.
During these busy times, try to be kind to yourself when life’s pressures make it hard to hear your intuition. Trust that it is still available to you when you really need it. In a short self healing session yesterday I closed my eyes and requested healing for my highest good and the good of others - a practice in my routine that has been short changed of late. In that moment I smiled as I could feel and see my guides just stroking my auric field and head saying ‘shh, shh’ just trying to sooth and calm me. It reminded me that the universe doesn’t lose touch with me, I lose touch with the universe when I am racing or stressed. I am always seen and supported at the point I am at.
The mundane and living intuitively
By accepting the myth of constant peace and flow for what it is—an idealistic view—we can better navigate the real world. Our intuition is a powerful tool, but it’s not a magic wand. In the end, living intuitively is about embracing the journey, with all its ups and downs. We will be challenged as that's how the soul grows. It’s about listening to our inner wisdom and finding moments of peace amid the chaos. It’s a dance between the spiritual and the practical, the ethereal and the tangible. Trust in yourself and your journey, and you’ll find that balance between intuitive flow and life's inevitable stresses.
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