Intuition – for an authentic holistic life

Article originally published on Holistic Kitchen’s blog, September 2018

‘Holistic’, to me, means integrating all the parts into the whole; we cannot be whole without knowing all parts of ourselves.

I believe that our intuition is more than the sum of the information ‘parts’ presented tangibly to us. When I can access it, it feels like my intuition sits in my solar plexus, a warm ball of ‘gut feeling’ and a virtually intangible urge, but it is also felt over and interpreted by my third eye: Feelings turn to conscious thought. It is a holistic combination of all our senses, experiences and feelings, given space to come calmly back to us, as direction, inner voice or our calling.

I see similarity between reflecting, praying, or meditating on some part of our lives, with no expectation over the answers. It might be an experience, person, issue or feeling. Putting those questions out there, in whatever way makes sense to each of us, then being still enough to feel the smallest response. To me, that is usually my own intuition, allowed online, and given a voice. I find it an ancient mammalian experience, but conversely, also a higher mental function or perception. Without removing the significance of anyone’s religious experience, the days of nightly prayers at the foot of our bed, surely brought many a chance for inner reflection and a stilling of daily life to better hear our own intuition on matters. Why do I produce my best writing, arguments, clearest thoughts when I’m in the shower, laying in bed at night trying to sleep or staring at the sea on a beach (when I have no pen and paper to capture these thoughts!)? I believe we all need regular time without the inputs of our senses, without distractions, and activities, to let that quiet but vital ‘feeling voice’ find our consciousness.

I know I need some time on at least one evening a month (preferably a week!), to stop scrolling, turn off the TV, put down the book and dim the lights, so that anything waiting to be heard can be. The more I’m online, the more I fell the authentic intuition in me is offline – the disconnected reality of this age of technological connection! We all know this, but giving over a whole evening to meditation, or even to just no screens, for me, just didn’t fit with my life and energy levels. What I have found though, is that I can have the best of both worlds, by giving myself small pockets of time to listen to my intuition, as well as everything else I want to be doing. I turn off the devices half an hour earlier some nights, I go to bed half an hour earlier, or sit in bed screen-free one morning, and just listen, to me.

Surely listening for that quiet, but vital, intuitive voice, is the authentic, holistic experience we have a longing for in our lives? I know it’s the part of me I do not feel truly whole without.