Hello friends,
Wow. Is it just me or did things just get real busy around here? I’ve just sent my 2020 calendar to the printer (Eeep!) and have been making plans for our summer Nature Art Camp. (It’s going to be so fun!) Although summer has not officially arrived, it sure feels like the pace of summer has! If you’re like me, when the speed of life goes up, my self-care and devotion to following my intuition tends to go down.
Why? I know better. That’s when I NEED self-care most. That’s when I need to slow down, and tune into my intuition. And yet…. I go into full-on achiever, Super Mama mode with my self-care getting left in the dust. Sigh. I guess that’s why all the gurus and yogis call it a “practice”.
So, as we gear up for summer, I thought I would share some of my tips and tricks for doing the delicate dance of following your intuition. As I’ve said, I am no expert on this. But I thought maybe a blog post about the subject could help us both remember why it’s so important and how to make it a priority.
First of all, summer is supposed to conjure images of relaxing on the beach, BBQs on the patio, running through sprinklers, and warm evenings spent laughing over a cool beverage. So why is it that nearly everyone I talk to is scheduled to the brim? Most parents I know are looking at juggling work schedules, with kids’ camps, and play dates, squeezed between family road trips and summer visitors. It’s a little nutso. And for us super-feelers, it can be a little anxiety inducing.
Which leads me to my first tip/trick for following my intuition:
BREATHE.
Yep. I know! So innovative, right? But seriously. Take some s-l-o-w breaths. I try to do at least 10, making my exhale longer than my inhale. If you like you can breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of six. You don’t need a lot of time. Biologically, this can help press the reset button on your adrenal response to the craziness around you. And if you do this often enough it can help make a little space for you to hear your intuition guiding you.
Do a body scan.
Sometimes I do this before I enter a social setting or right after I leave one. I often find myself taking just a minute in my car. Start at the top of your head and just notice how you feel physically in the crown of your head, your eyes, your neck, your chest, your arms, your hands, your naval, your pelvic floor, your legs, your feet, your toes. No judgement, just noticing. It’s a way to tune in and slow down. Again, this makes a little space for you to notice if your body is telling you anything. This might be your intuition talking too…
Ask.
Sometimes we forget that we can just ask for what we need. Who are you asking? It’s up to you. The universe? Your intuition? Yourself? Mother Nature? God? Your dead Uncle Harry? It doesn’t really matter. The point is that you are putting your attention and energy on what you’d like to manifest. You can simply ask for guidance, or support, or love. It can be done after breathing or doing a body scan or just when you have a second to yourself in the bathroom. After you ask, be still for a minute or so. Just a little pause for an intuitive connection.
Create.
Make stuff for no reason other than to make something. Create a doodle on the side of your notes in a meeting. Make up a song in the car. Make up a new smoothie flavor with your kids. Be playful with it. From the start, tell yourself that it does not matter how it comes out. The purpose is just to create. Let your intuition flow through you and you may be surprised by what you create.
Be in nature.
I understand that not everyone has the luxury of being close to nature. But even if you are in a big city, I bet there’s a park somewhere. Or could you take the long way home and roll your windows down as you drive through that wooded street you love? If not, can you bring some nature closer to you? Could you bring some plants into your house or put a bird feeder outside your apartment window? Heck, even listening to a recording of bird songs while you are stuck in traffic would be a good step. Enjoy a moment of quiet stillness with nature and just notice. Observe the ants busily marching on the sidewalk, or the bird battles going on in your backyard when your neighbor’s cat walks through. There’s a whole world going on around you – and you are a part of it whether you acknowledge it or not. Notice what your roll is in it. Let yourself be guided by nature’s energy and pace.
I hope you will try one or more of these tricks. You’ll see that you can integrate them into the hustle. And the more you do, the less the hustle will ruffle you. I’d love to hear your tips for doing the delicate dance of following your intuition. Please share in the comments below. And let’s support each other as we continue this practice together.
PS: Tuning into your intuition through creative play and connection to nature is what my retreat will be all about. If you’d like to deepen this practice – especially after the summer craziness - please consider joining me! I’d love to have you there. Please note - the date has recently been changed to September 2019. So book your space now!