Greetings from a small hippie town called San Marcos La Laguna in Guatemala.
It’s so funny I only planned to be in Guatemala for 3 months and it’s now been 7.
Talk about going with the flooooooow.
But also this is a magical country.
In today’s blog post, we’re going to talk all about how to trust your inner knowing.
This can be easier said than done for some of us if you’ve been conditioned to always look to other people for what’s right and wrong.
We learn to go against ourselves in order to please other people and then think it’s the right thing to do.
So how do we differentiate what is our inner knowing and what is our conditioning?
What’s intuition and what’s anxiety?
Fab questions that I used to ask all the time, so let’s get into all the answers and discuss tangible tips to come back to yourself and what that actually looks like.
Let’s jump right on in - you ready - let’s do it!
I was out of my body for years.
Somewhere along the line, I learned that in order to receive love and validation that I had to be exactly who someone else wanted me to be.
I tried to mold myself into this perfect person that people would like.
Just the right amount of funny, helpful, smart, athletic.
When someone needed help, I calculated in my head how I could put their needs before mine and still make it all work.
The love and validation I got from bending over backwards for someone fueled me.
I operated from that space.
From taking on more projects at work, from doing other people’s errands even if it was a huge inconvenience for me in order to help make other people’s lives easier, and then of course, being the open vessel to listen to the loops of other people’s problems.
I love doing all of these things, but compounded on each other all of the time, I barely had time to tune into myself and do the things I really wanted and needed.
And of course, I never asked for help in return because I felt guilty inconveniencing anyone.
Now even though this stems from my own conditioning, I see that all too often in other people.
Most people don’t communicate what they need.
Or they are afraid to.
Or they don’t even know what they need to communicate it.
This has been a constant theme in my life that first came into my awareness in my therapist’s office in Chicago.
I remember sitting in my therapist’s office in Chicago and she asked me “what does it feel like in your body?”
What a weird question, I remember thinking.
What does that even mean - what does it feel like in my body? I don’t know - It feels like a body?
I was so in my head that I could cognitively know my stomach was heavy, my chest was tight, and I had all of these digestive issues, but I didn’t know what it felt like.
I couldn’t describe it.
Uhhhhh, can I buy a vowel please?
Or maybe even an adjective please? I had no idea
“I don’t really feel anything.”
I replied back to her. To which, she had me sit and meditate and do a body scan.
The idea of going to Bali and teaching English in Thailand was a faint, consistent whisper, and eventually I answered its call and booked my flight.
But how the heck did I know to do that?
I get asked this all the time - what’s your inner wisdom and what’s anxiety?
How do I know it’s my inner voice?
What if I make the wrong choice?
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I asked myself all of these questions, and jumping on a plane to Bali wasn’t a snap decision.
I sat with quitting my job for months looping in all of these questions wondering whether or not I should do it.
The thing about deep inner guidance system is that it’s not emotional. It’s steady. It’s consistent. It’s a nudge.
Every single day I thought about quitting my job and traveling. For months. It never went away.
No matter what mood I was in.
Intuition is neutral.
Have you ever gotten incredibly angry and from that place said “you know what I’m going to quit my job and leave this place and never come back!” and then the next day after you cooled down, you feel totally fine.
Same things with relationships - you get heated and in an argument you say some things that you don’t really truly mean.
In that moment of anger, that’s not intuition.
That’s angry, spiteful energy.
Take some time, and then you’ll feel intuition when you quiet down, get to a neutral place, and feel a pull in your body.
It’s not a needy energy, a sad energy, an angry energy or even an excited energy.
It’s a deep knowing.
I kept being pulled to look at travel blogs online.
To talk to people about their own travels abroad.
To call teaching english as a second language institutions to hear about their programs.
And then over time the plan shaped up for me to finally pull the trigger.
Fear of course stepped in trying to keep me in my comfort zone.
This is normal and natural.
Whenever you are going to make a decision that is different from the norm, your mind will try to protect you.
It’s important to come back to your body and remind yourself that you are safe.
That you can handle anything that is thrown your way.
Intuition is like a muscle.
You can practice tuning into your intuition to start discerning what is yours and what is what other people want for you.
Let’s practice tuning into your intuition in this next segment called Transformation Tactics.
In order to know what is your intuition, it’s important to get out of the mind and tap into the body.
We’re going to do a yes/no meditation to see what a yes feels like in the body and see what a no feels like in the body in order to keep cultivating our sense of self and sense of knowing.
By doing this meditation, we will tap into our inner selves to guide us on our journey to awakening what a yes and a no feels like in the body to make decisions in your every day life.
If you want to connect to your deeper self, feel free to put on the video version of this meditation here.
So find a nice comfortable seat somewhere you are away from distractions to really get the most out of this.
Whether you’re sitting, laying down, standing or walking, start to breathe deeply through the nose, fill the belly with air and tune into the breath.
Notice how the body feels, where your energy is currently at.
I’m going to ask a series of questions, and for this first round, I want you to say yes either out loud or in your head for every single question whether it’s true or not.
Notice how it feels to say yes to questions you feel are true and questions you feel are false.
Throughout the meditation pay attention to how your body is feeling.
We’ll take a deep breath.
Are you reading the Radically Rewired blog right now?
Are you liking this podcast?
Are you a fan of going to the beach for several hours and swimming in the ocean?
Would you want to go on a 6 hour hike through the mountains?
Do you like pineapple on your pizza?
Do you currently like your outfit?
Do you currently like your job?
Do you currently enjoy your life?
Take a big deep breath and simply sit with yourself and your answers and how it felt to say yes to all of the questions.
We’re going to do this again, yet this time, you’re going to answer no to all of the questions. From here, notice the difference of how it feels to say no and whether it feels true in your body.
Are you reading the Radically Rewired blog right now?
Are you liking this podcast?
Are you a fan of going to the beach for several hours and swimming in the ocean?
Would you want to go on a 6 hour hike through the mountains?
Do you like pineapple on your pizza?
Do you currently like your outfit?
Do you currently like your job?
Do you currently enjoy your life?
Now simply sit and feel what the no’s feel like.
What did it feel like when the answer was true? What about when the answer was false?
Were some questions a maybe? Were you confused at any point?
There’s no right or wrong way to feel, this is just a way for you to understand yourself, your reactions and your body more.
If you’re wanting more practice, guidance and support, I help people align their values, goals and actions to their deepest knowing and heart centered mission in order to live a life they’re excited about and that feels fulfilling.
Join my Freedom Fast Track membership where you will get access to brain hacking videos and meditations to change your perspective, and personalized coaching to help you create a life of freedom where you’re achieving your most aligned goals.
I also have limited space in my VIP Freedom Fast Track Accelerator where I give you immersive 1:1 support to propel you to your goals.
The inner knowing comes from more than just an abstract idea. There’s some science to back it up.
So let’s get into our next segment called Neuro Nugget.
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Did you know that your heart has its own little brain?
I was completely appalled when I looked into the research on this and saw numerous studies about the heart’s complex network of neurons and neurotransmitters.
This system, often referred to as the "heart's little brain," operates independently, playing a vital role in regulating the heart's rhythm and function.
And actually, the HeartMath Institute reveals that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart!
Mindblowing to think about really.
These heart signals wield significant influence over our brain function, shaping everything from emotional responses to higher cognitive abilities like attention, memory, and problem-solving.
HeartMath's groundbreaking research emphasizes the impact of heart coherence, a state where the heart's rhythmic patterns sync harmoniously.
In moments of stress, the heart rhythm becomes erratic, sending neural signals to the brain that hinder clear thinking and decision-making.
On the flip side, cultivating a coherent heart rhythm during positive emotional states enhances cognitive function, reinforcing positivity and emotional stability.
So, when you follow your heart or sense a "gut feeling," there's actually a lot of science and connection going on in the body between the brain and the heart brain.
Understanding the heart's little brain offers insights into how our emotions, stress responses, and even intuitive senses are interconnected.
It's also not just rewiring the brain in our heads, but our hearts! Who would’ve thought….
So this is all well and good to learn about….but how do we actually implement it into our every day lives?
Let’s get into our next segment - the brain hack of the day brain hack of the day.
So we practiced the yes or no meditation together already - so now your brain hack of the day is to practice this and relate it to a decision you are making today.
It can be a really small decision or a bigger one.
For example, feel a sense in your body when you are choosing what outfit to wear today.
Notice if you have a small voice within guiding you.
Remember it's like a small pull toward a certain shirt or color.
It may be hard at first to differentiate what is your body sensation and what is the ego in the mind, and that's okay.
It's going to take some time to really fully get to know our true self.
See how it feels in your body when you are deciding what meal to eat next.
Notice if you get excited about the outfit you’re wearing or the food you’re about to eat, or if it feels heavy in your body.
What does a yes feel like?
And what does a no feel like?
What does a maybe feel like?
Some decisions are no brainers - they are a fully body f*** yes, and some decisions are a full body f**** no, what does that feel like?
Then, you can take these feelings and practice with a bigger decision.
How do you feel about your work? Your business? Your career path?
How are you feeling about where you’re currently living?
Again if you’re wanting help with this - I offer guidance and clarity in my Freedom Fast Track membership.
If you sign up from this episode - I’m happy to gift you a 1:1 VIP Intuitive Clarity Call included in the membership price.
You can use the promo code RADICALINTUITION when you sign up.
We went over a lot in this article, so let’s give it a recap!
It can be hard to know what is your intuition and what is your conditioning / anxiety - Intuition is neutral. It’s not emotional. It’s a gentle nudge. It’s important to feel what it feels like in your body in order to help you make your decision.
To know what a yes and no is, we practiced a yes/no meditation to tap into your body's sensations, helping you discern what a yes feels like and what a no feels like in your responses and better understand your own reactions.
Fascinatingly enough, the heart has it’s own set of neural networks and actually sends signals and messages to the brain.
Our brain doesn’t only make decisions, it’s important to listen to the heart and our intuition to guide our path forward.
I’d love to hear from you - what intuitive decision are you trying to make?
It's been such a pleasure to have you on the blog today!
As you start to implement these life lessons, the person you are today will grow, change and shift.
There is so much you can accomplish when you allow life to flow and take in all of the moments!
You never know what tomorrow will bring which always keeps us on our toes.
All we know is that we can only show up as the best version of ourselves today and take in all of the beautiful moments life gives us in the present moment.
To continue this beautiful journey of exploration and self discovery with me, sign up for my newsletter to get notified about my newest blog posts.
If you enjoyed this blog post, I’d be so appreciative if you could share it with a friend.
Your kind words, and shares help create a positive ripple effect in the word to expand the amount of people who will have the opportunity to take these words and lessons and connect deeper to themselves and share their light.
I’m sooo grateful that you’re here taking another step toward living a life that feels extraordinary.
I can’t wait to see you on the blog again soon.
Xo,
Nicole
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