Trust your gut & listen to your intuition for easy decision making
Build self-awareness and self-reliance by taking notice of your body and going with your gut feeling
Text: Jo
We all have our own way of handling dilemmas in life. When it comes to problem solving and decision making, perhaps you ask everyone you know (and some you don’t) for their opinion. Maybe you put a poll on Instagram. Some people, however, simply look inwards for a conclusion, in particular to their gut. Also known as intuition, it’s our immediate understanding of something with no need to think it over. And it’s entirely possible to trust your gut and listen to your intuition for answers.
Wait up! We know that letting your stomach dictate decision making doesn’t appear logical. But medical neuroscience has proven that our gut acts as our “second brain”. When we’re told to “trust your gut” it’s because along with our mind, it’s sending us millions of little warnings and signals every day.
“Our gut feeling is our intuition. It’s our inner compass, internal GPS — our source of innate wisdom. It is our greatest gift,” explains Christina Michele Rios, a ceremonialist and intuitive healing facilitator. “It works just like a muscle. The more we train it, the more we tone it, the more frequently we rely on it, the stronger it gets. We learn to hear it and we begin to trust it. In turn, we become build self-reliance.”
Self-reliance and empowerment
Indeed, the benefits of going with your gut instinct are tenfold. Along with self-reliance, it can fuel self-empowerment and build up a strong connection to subtle energy. Crucially, it can stop you seeking answers externally from others, after all, you are the owner of your life (not Angela, your manicurist). As Christina points out; “Cultivating the ability to trust your gut and to listen to your intuition ensures that you are living in alignment. It enables you to step into a place of self-empowerment, shifting from seeking answers externally to seeking internally. Your intuition knows all the answers that you seek.”
But what if the only signals coming from your belly is that it wants cake, had too many cocktails last night, or that you might be getting ill? “Rekindling your relationship with your gut is a process of peeling back layers of childhood and cultural conditioning and starting to remember what intuition is,” Christina says. “As small children, we listened to our gut, but as we grew older many of us forgot how. We got used to trusting our brains instead of our bodies.”
Like every relationship, building one with yourself takes time and patience. Christina recommends starting by shifting your awareness from the external world — which keeps us distracted — to the internal world. “Begin with small everyday mindfulness practices to get you more in touch with your feelings, such as eating intuitively. Pick foods that nourish you. Pay attention to every mouthful; how the food tastes, the texture, and how it makes you feel within your body.”
Move on to mindful activities that can make you feel more grounded such as spending time in nature, being alone, ritual baths and breathwork. Notice the vibrations or weight of energy within yourself. Is it dense, heavy and full of anxiety? Or is it light, subtle and calm? “When faced with these sensations, take a deep breath, put your awareness in the centre of your body just below your navel and ask: ‘Does this feeling light me up?’” Is this aligned with my highest self?” suggests Christina. “The body is innately wise. Feelings are messengers. They inform us that something is misaligned. An anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach can be a key indicator that something is out of alignment with your intuition. You have veered off course — your body is physically flagging that something deeper is off.”
Mindfulness for decision making
Apply the same mindful practice to your decision making. It’s important to note that any dense, heavy emotions you experience can cloud your gut feeling. Self-doubt, insecurity, shame, guilt, lack of confidence, resentment, fear and anger are all examples of lower vibrational feelings that drown out the subtle higher vibration that takes place when you listen to your intuition.
“When this happens, try to work through these heavier emotions by slowing down, getting quiet, listening and accepting what they have to tell you,” says Christina. “Explore the context of these emotions. Are other people telling you what you should do but deep down your gut is saying otherwise?”
Once you’ve come to a conclusion, it can help to tell your gut out loud what you choose. Declare it verbally and see if your gut tightens or relaxes. Notice if you breathe deeply or shallowly. The body never lies. Says Christina, “Ultimately, we know ourselves, our path and our soul’s mission on this planet better than anyone. Our intuition is there for us no matter what. All we need to do is trust our gut, and let it guide us back home to self. Following our intuition is the path to inner peace.”
About Christina
Christina Michele Rios is a ceremonialist whose philosophy is rooted in grounded spirituality through the use of ancient rituals and science. She is a certified sound meditation, intuitive healing, yoga nidra and breathwork facilitator, Reiki and Australian Bush Flower Essences practitioner. She believes that living in alignment with the intuition and authentic self is connected to the soul’s purpose. She aims to empower everyone to be their own healer. Follow her on Instagram, and contact her at hello@christinamrios.com
