It’s September and if you’re in the Northern hemisphere there's a back to school bolt of energy in the air. This is often a call to get creative and start new projects or finish things that drifted over the summer. However as the days grow darker and colder it’s good to remember we are moving from yang to yin energy. If we look to nature we see it turning inwards and slowing down. Yet often we go in the opposite direction, with a tendency to do more and force things out rather than let them flow. If that resonates then this is a reminder to look where your energy is going and ask, "Is this feeling easy or pressured? Am I forcing it into being or letting it flow?" There’s a misconception that flow means doing nothing, but really it can mean doing more than before. The key is that the action feels connected to your intuition, which feels like excitement or inspiration rather than overwhelm or frustration. To ensure you're making sound decisions and leading from your intuition I have a gut check exercise which I regularly teach my clients. Here’s how it works:
Get quiet and still so you are connected to your body eg meditate or take a bath to tune inwards
Ask a question with a binary answer (ideally a yes or no or with two options)
Look for a lift in energy that mimics a yes or some form of enthusiasm or excitement. Don’t be distracted by the mind analysing why it’s a good or bad idea. Only trust the body's sensations.
If there’s no lift - perhaps it’s a maybe, a not now or a not sure - then say no.
This exercise tunes into the wisdom of our limbic right brain which is where our intuition resides. Our intuition is timeless so it knows how to save us energy and time. Yet many of us are so fixated on the mind so it’s difficult to learn to how trust it.
Try this exercise on minor decisions like what to eat or how to spend spare time so you can build up your trust in your gut and intuition. Once you truly begin living from this place you will feel more aligned, more confident and more authentic.
