Six Reasons you might struggle to develop your intuition

So why might we struggle to develop our intuitive skills? We all  have intuitive ability, but why is it seemingly easier for some than others to tune into this?  From my own experience, here are some of the reasons. 

Fear of being in the body

Our intuitive sense and nudges are felt in the body.  But if we have either a fear of being in our body (as it feels like a frightening place) or of our emotions (as they are so strong and disproportionate to current events) then we will struggle to be receptive to our intuition.  If you are in a state of dissociation or shock, it can be very hard to trust what we are picking up and what we are sensing as well the fact that we are not fully present. You may already feel full and have unprocessed experience in the subconscious mind-body.

I can speak of this, because this was my experience.  My body did not feel like a safe place for me.  I'd rather be in my thoughts and out of my body.  If all the alarm bells are going off in our system, it can then feel difficult to trust anything we are feeling, including our intuitive sense.  If this is the case for you, then I would suggest you get therapeutic support in either energetic or bodywork form, to help you move through this.  We need to be able to ground in the body and trust what we are sensing.  So it is important to start with our relationship to our body. 

Lack of body, mind, connection

Unfortunately, in western culture, and western medicine, we do not connect the mind, emotions, spirit and body as they do in eastern medicine.  Although the tide is changing with scientific developments in neuroplasticity and trauma based research, as well as the work of pioneers, such as Dr Joe Dispenza.  When we are educated, we are conscious, mind-led, learning facts and information. We pay very little attention to our emotional intelligence and development of body awareness. 

For example, I remember leading a workshop on working with anxiety. We did some body scans whilst thinking of a time when we felt anxious and a time we felt angry. Then we gave feedback at the end of the exercise. One of the women looking shocked and said, I came in here thinking I was a highly anxious person and now I realise I'm actually really angry. This is an example of the power of  tuning to our own experience more deeply and listening to our embodied awareness, which is where we connect to our intuitive sense. 

Then we can wake up to the language of our intuitive intelligence. There is relearning to be done, to listen to our body and connect to the information coming through somatic awareness as this is the primary channel for our intuition to speak to us. We need to retrain to listen to the body and its responses. We want to become aware of the body-mind connection on a subtle level so we can begin to receive intuited information. 

Escape to the head 

I have a mentor and every time I see them they say ‘you think too much, come back to the awareness in the heart’.  It's very annoying to hear, but it's true.  I'm far more embodied than I ever have been, but I have a very active curious mind.  For me, escaping to logic as a child was a comfortable place to try and think my way out of things.  It was a very painful, and uncomfortable process to become embodied. 

Some of us are by nature more logical, thinkers, daydreamers, floating off out of the present moment.  If you get caught up in your thinking or chronic overthinking, then again, it's going to be hard to get in touch with your intuitive sense.  We have to learn to ground in the body and become receptive, to quieten the mind and ‘listen’.  We need to learn to enjoy contact with the subconscious mind through the body, instead of leaping to limited, conscious thought in the head.  Of course, our society supports the left brain thinking through education, distracting the mind with social media and Netflix, and so on, but this is where we need to become countercultural, and become more deeply embodied to be intuitive. 

Cultural dismissal of intuition

Another reason you may struggle to develop your intuition is because you actively avoid anything woo woo. We live in a society that deems intelligence to be measured by academic credentials.  That truth and knowledge is to be found there. But there are different types of wisdom and intelligence that have equal, or to my mind and experience greater value, be that emotional intelligence or  intuitive intelligence.  Our conscious mind can only take us so far.  

But as many of us have found coming out of academic education, we can be left wanting, or I certainly was.  We can be left needing a deeper connection with others, with ourselves, with the universe, realising that in fact, perhaps all the answers are not found in logic and books.  That we need to work on our embodied intelligence to have a true sense of ourselves, not just be aware of our thoughts.  That we need to work on our emotional intelligence to have rich loving connections.  That our intuitive intelligence may want to lead us down a completely different path which feels uncertain, but authentic, alive and aligned. 

Experience of manipulation 

If you were brought up with a narcissist or someone with narcissistic traits, this can really confuse your intuitive sense.  Why?  Because If you are continually being gaslit, you begin to doubt yourself.  You doubt your own feelings, your thoughts and what your intuition tells you.  If someone you love or who claims to love you is continually telling you, you're wrong and denying the truth - it can leave you feeling like you're losing your mind, undermining your self belief. 

In this case, we really need to rebuild trust with ourselves.  Often, there may be trauma symptoms to work with and clear as well.  We need to get back in touch with our knowing, release our fear or terror and express our anger in a safe (therapeutic) space, so we can access our power which can lead to confidently listening to our intuitive knowing.  

Often to survive narcissists and manipulators, we make excuses for them, rationalising why it's not their fault, we lean into being understanding, we try to convince ourselves that it’s because they had a difficult upbringing and so on.  When really they're undermining our well-being and we need to escape the situation to take care of ourselves.  Once you go through this process, your intuition will be on point for spotting manipulators in the future as long as you're able to be truthful with yourself about the nature of those original relationships.     

Lack of intention 

A very simple and obvious reason why you may be struggling to develop a connection with your intuition, is a lack of energy and intention to do it.  It's a relationship with a part of ourselves, we are developing and a language we are learning.  This takes time, effort and practice.  When I hear people say, I'm just not that intuitive, this may be so, some of us are more naturally intuitive than others, but some of it may also be part down to laziness - let's be honest! 

Some of my clients are incredibly studious, practising their intuitive skills, experimenting, being receptive, following a feeling, asking questions and so on. They are curious and listening in, learning about their intuition.  Others may find it interesting, but don't find time to practise and therefore do not develop their skills, even if they are highly sensitive.  Even those with natural ability need to put energy and intention into training this skill, like any other.  We can pick our intuitive tools and start to practice. 

Further reading 

Six reasons your intuition is your most valuable life tool

Six reasons you're struggling to make intuitive life decisions

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