Mind, Body and Spirit

"Gut instinct, or intuition if you will, is knowing something
is out of balance without really knowing."

I have heard for so many years, that women have a keen understanding of gut feelings or otherwise known as intuition. I know several women who don't have a clue, but I know some men that have tuned into theirs. I mention gut instinct fairly often. It is some that, for me, that began pretty strong, got strong after having kids, and the the older I get...the stronger it gets. It's that weird and sometimes uncomfortable feeling you get when something just feeling off. I've heard it explained so many ways: feeling weird, bad vibes, aura, and even like a rock sitting at the pit of your stomach. It's knowing something if off balance, or out of alignment, without really knowing. It's sometimes uncomfortable, it's sometimes unsettling, and can come on out of the blue.

The key to intuition is learning to listen to what your "gut" is telling you, and learning to trust it. After spending many years ignoring or just not understanding/trusting gut instinct, it takes a little bit to tune it in and begin to trust it again. It takes just as much listening and trusting in your self, your mind and your body to be able to understand what your intuition is trying to tell you. What your intuition is trying to get your attention about can be good or bad.

For me, I tuned into mine as a young person, lost it while in my teenage years, found it when a good friend allowed me to find myself, it grew stronger once I had my first child and I began relearning to trust it, it became overwhelmingly strong after having my second child and is still strong today. I have had to learn to listen when my gut is screaming at me. I have had to learn to keep quiet, listen, and interpret what my intuition is trying to tell me.

While there have been several times over the past few years that my gut will be screaming at me, I have had to eventually take some time. I have to quiet my mind of the everyday stuff and the surface stuff that clutters it. I have had to relearn meditation to quiet both mind and heart. When you take all the surface remarks, "I'm fine," "Everything's great," " there's nothing wrongs," and "I don't want to talks" out of the equation; and even the "good moods," "great days," become more than just emotion and lip service. When actions and words don't match up. When you feel off or out of balance, and you get a strange vibe, whether good or bad, you know your subconscious is trying to tell you something.

When it comes to my husband, kids, and extended family...my intuition is really strong. I know when there's something to celebrate, whens there's a problem, or something is off...so to speak. Many times my gut will get my attention long before I am actually told about something. Like I said, sometimes it good and sometimes it's not. Since I do not live near my extended family or most of my friends...my gut feelings seem to be mostly when something isn't right with them. I spent many years ignoring my gut instincts or just not caring what was going on as long as it didn't affect me. As I have gotten older, I am finding that more things do affect me. I have lost the self-centered personality and realize that even though I have a life of my own, my extended family not only means more to me but the issues that affect their lives will eventually affect mine. Not to mention the lives in my own family.

Since the past year has been extremely intuitive for me, I am trying very hard to become more open to hearing my subconscious when it tries to tell me things. This is not always easy. Especially when you try to get confirmation on a subject and end up running into a brick wall. Eventually, as they say, everything comes out in the wash. Until then, it has proven to be some frustration for me. Some people aren't open books or just choose to retreat within themselves rather than talk about what's going on in their lives. It makes it difficult for those of us that get that gut instinct that something is going on, but can't get answers.

If you are one of the many that are tuned into your intuition, I encourage you to continue learning and fine tuning it. It can be overwhelming but it is worthwhile to be able listen to your own mind, body and spirit. Learning to quiet your mind, and meditate is a great way to manage stress too!