Written by Kimberly Lisi, Mental Health Futurist
Kimberly Lisi is an expert in mental health infrastructure and its place in community care and the founder of HAI House, a community for healing and integration based in NYC.
What if you had a magic wand that was perfectly attuned to you? It knows every moment of your life, even the ones you have no memory of. It knows the path behind you and exactly how to heal every wound that is holding you back in your life. It knows the path ahead and the opportunities you can’t even fathom yet.
This magic wand doesn’t work for just anyone – it works specifically for you and has spent as long as you are alive learning every nuance of your desires and needs. We all have access to this, but few of us truly know how powerful it is or how to use it. This is your intuition, and it is a powerful tool.
What is your intuition? A scientific perspective
Intuition, according to science, is simply a rapid, unconscious process of decision-making or insight. While many people think about intuition or inner knowing as “just a feeling” or woo-woo, the basis of our inner knowing is rooted deeply in neuroscience and the evolution of the brain.
The default mode network
Intuition often activates the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN), which is engaged during rest, mind-wandering, or creative activities. The DMN processes information in the background, making connections between disparate ideas or memories. This is why "aha moments" often come when you're relaxed or distracted.
The insular cortex
Our brain’s insular cortex is involved in processing bodily sensations and emotions, helping us "feel" our way through decisions. This region helps translate physical cues (e.g., a racing heart, tight stomach) into intuitive judgments.
Somatic marker hypothesis
In 1994, Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio introduced the somatic marker hypothesis, which posits that the body stores emotional experiences as "markers." These markers are activated in similar situations, guiding our decisions without conscious reasoning.
Our survival mechanism
Our intuition has deep evolutionary roots as a survival mechanism. Before humans developed complex reasoning, quick, instinctive decisions were essential for survival, like sensing danger in the wild based on subtle environmental cues or recognizing a friend or foe based on facial expressions or body language. Our ancestors relied on this kind of "fast thinking" because overthinking could cost valuable time.
Where is your intuition?
The most important thing to understand is that your intuition doesn't live in your mind, it lives in your body. While the mind uses neural pruning and protection mechanisms to remember only the things that you’ll need to continue in life, the body has a record of everything and will hold on to it for you until it’s ready to be processed. It also uses this subtle information to help us make more informed decisions through our intuitive perception.
How to strengthen + cultivate your intuition
On a daily basis, having a connection to your gut feelings and intuition can help you through anything from what to have for lunch to which city to live in. But true cultivation of a relationship with your inner knowing can bring through the vibration of the entire life you’re meant to live. Intuition isn’t just something you can use to pair with general knowledge, and it can be a guiding force for everything in your life. However, many people feel cut off or blocked from their intuitive perception. We live in a society that constantly tells us that we should always be looking outside of ourselves to find answers. It serves up a million forms of media, social interactions, and professional advisors to help, fix, and re-orient us, all while the answers we are looking for are inside. So, how do you strengthen your intuition? There are various levels of access, but we will begin with the basics:
1. Find your stillness
Removing the plethora of distractions in our lives, even for a few minutes, and simply resting in stillness is imperative to begin to foster a deep connection to our inner knowing. After all, how can we hear it if we don’t create space to listen? Simply put aside anywhere from 5-30 minutes in your day, ideally replacing something that ordinarily distracts you, like social media scrolling or television, and practice stillness and mindfulness.
2. Body awareness and somatic practice
Intuition lives in the body, not the mind. Practice creating more connection with your body can be as easy as noticing its sensations. Practice focusing on your heartbeat, noticing how energy and blood feel as it flows through your veins, or how you feel inside while on a crowded street. When you tap into your internal world regularly, it becomes much easier to detect when it is trying to tell you something.
Our bodies often hold the wisdom our minds are too busy to hear. Somatic practices, such as yoga, dance, or body scanning, help us reconnect with physical sensations and emotions, offering valuable clues to what we need mentally and emotionally. Research has shown that body-based practices can improve mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
How to practice:
Grounding exercises, such as standing with your feet firmly planted on the ground and feeling the connection to the earth beneath you.
Tune into any sensations in your body, noticing areas of tension or comfort.
Use movement, like yoga or stretching, to release stored emotions and heighten your awareness of internal cues.
3. Journal
Bringing pen to paper is a brilliant way of uncovering deeper truths about our experiences and unearthing the wisdom our body holds for us to tap into. Writing down your thoughts can help you process emotions and get in touch with your intuition. Journaling has long been used as a therapeutic tool, and research suggests it can help reduce stress and clarify complex emotions. By setting aside a day to free-write, you allow your inner knowing to surface naturally, uncovering feelings or thoughts you might not have been consciously aware of.
How to practice:
Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and write without any specific goal in mind.
Let your thoughts flow freely, without editing or filtering.
Reflect on patterns or insights that arise from your writing.
4. Listening to your dreams
Dreams are another powerful way the unconscious mind communicates with us. Many psychological theories, such as Jungian psychology, emphasize the role of dreams in accessing deeper parts of the self. Keeping a dream journal can help you recall and interpret messages that arise during sleep, offering valuable insight into your waking life.
How to practice:
Keep a journal next to your bed.
Upon waking, immediately write down any dream details you remember, even if they seem fragmented or unclear.
Over time, look for recurring symbols or themes that might offer guidance.
5. Connecting with Nature
Spending time in nature can help quiet the mind and bring a sense of clarity. Studies have shown that even brief exposure to natural environments can enhance cognitive function and reduce mental fatigue. Nature is also a teacher in many forms. We can get answers to many of our issues by watching and listening to the cycles of the natural world.
How to practice:
Spend time outside in a park, forest, or even a garden.
Focus on the sights, sounds, and smells around you, allowing your senses to guide your attention.
Engage in mindful walks, paying attention to the rhythm of your body and the environment around you. Note synchronicities.
6. Creative expression
Engaging in creative activities like painting, writing, or musical expression can help you express your inner world. When you engage in creativity without expectation or judgment, you create a channel for intuitive insight to flow. Research shows that creative expression has therapeutic benefits, including reducing anxiety and fostering a sense of personal empowerment.
How to practice:
Set aside time for creative outlets that feel freeing and enjoyable, without concern for the outcome.
Let your intuition guide the process, whether it's through doodling, freewriting, or spontaneous movement.
Allow the experience to be a form of self-expression rather than a goal-oriented task.
7. Therapeutic support
Sometimes, hearing your inner voice requires the help of a professional. A therapist, especially one trained in trauma-informed care or somatic therapies, can help you tune into and trust your inner wisdom. Therapeutic support provides a safe space to explore and integrate your thoughts, emotions, and intuitive feelings.
How to practice:
Seek out a therapist who resonates with you, particularly someone who works with somatic, integrative, or mindfulness-based methods that allow you to tap into your intuitive senses.
Commit to regular therapy sessions to deepen your self-awareness and intuition.
By cultivating these practices, you can learn to hear your inner knowing more clearly and use it as a guide to navigate life's challenges. Trusting your intuition not only improves mental health but also fosters a sense of empowerment and self-connection, enabling you to live more fully and authentically.
Read more from Kimberly Lisi
Kimberly Lisi, Mental Health Futurist
Kimberly Lisi is a mental health futurist dedicated to changing the way we approach healing and integration in our communities. An expert in mental health infrastructure and how to listen to our inner knowing, Kimberly is a teacher, mentor, and a community connector.
