4 Quick Intuitive Exercises To Help Develop Your Intuition
The detective archetype is one that I've always admired. As a kid, I aspired to be a female Encyclopedia Brown — the wunderkind detective protagonist in a series of children's books who solved every mystery with ease and logic. When I got older, I graduated to hoping to be a more psychic version of Sherlock Holmes.
Holmes married intellect, keen observation, and an innate understanding of people's emotions in a way that just got me. I loved how he interacted with the world in an empathic yet clinical way. I'll admit, my still-studious nature is likely influenced by a Holmesian influence to devour as much information (about anything and everything) as possible.
And if you're a reader of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, you'll know that Holmes did rely quite a bit on intuition (and opium, which I do not recommend!) to solve the mysteries that crossed his path.
Just as we study to keep our intellect sharp, we can exercise our intuition to strengthen it.
I'm a firm believer that all people are naturally intuitive and empathic. Even if you're violently shaking your head in disagreement, I'd venture to say that there's some aspect of you that's a little bit psychic. But, you might've learned to hide it under other stronger attributes — like logic and intelligence.
Intuition isn't a cool skill to have to help you read people's minds, pull winning lotto numbers, or read tarot cards.
Our intuition is a skill that helps us function optimally in the world, no matter what we do or where we are. You should use your intuition every single day in every single moment — as you talk to your boss at work, as you decide where to head for happy hour with friends, and you figure out your goals for 2020. (eek.)
Living a more intuitive life is FUN because it makes life easier! Seriously! You stop second-guessing every decision and action you make. You start trusting your damn self. And yeah, sometimes you win the lotto and accidentally read people's minds! It's an objectively great skill to have!
Good news: Even if you think you're a total Muggle, you can still strengthen your intuition. And if you're already pretty tapped in, you can use these exercises to hone your skills. It's kind of like drilling your multiplication tables — even when you know them back and forwards, it's good to check-in. Quick, what's 7x9?!
Keep scrolling for four easy exercises you can do in five minutes for your own intuitive development.
4 Intuitive Exercises Anyone Can Do
Pull a tarot or oracle card in the morning (and don't look up what it means)
Shuffling, arranging, and pulling a card in the morning is an already-helpful practice for anyone interested in the power of intuition. Getting a temperature read on what lies ahead by pulling Tarot or oracle cards can guide you as you move through your day.
Next time, don't look up what the card means in the accompanying guide book. Instead, try to decipher the message yourself by using a combination of intuition and observation.
Look at the image on the card:
What are some of the immediate details that jump out to you?
What does this card make you feel? It's ok if you can't explain why it makes you feel one way or another, try to trust the information your body is giving you.
What does this card remind you of? Think of examples from your own life experience, pop culture references, or memories.
After really examining the image on the card, write down what you think the meaning might be and how it may apply to your life or current situation. If you want, you can double-check your work by looking up the meaning after.
Tune into a friend and guess how they're feeling.
Next time you're meeting a friend for coffee, try to tune into their emotions before you see them. Sit quietly and picture your friend in your mind's eye.
How do they look? Are they happy, sad, stressed? Check-in with your own body — how does it feel? Are you feeling tension, pain, or discomfort? Could it be that you're picking up on how your friend feels? Note what you're feeling, and don't let it influence how you interact with your friend (yet!). After all, you're just practicing! Don't project how you think your friend might be feeling onto them before getting an in-person gut check.
When you are in-person, notice how your energy feels around your friend. Do you feel anything different than you did before you were in their presence?
Mirror neuron theory suggests that what we might assume is intuition is really our brain trying to empathize with the people around us. In this case, your brain could pick up on subtle details like a slight frown or mild anxious behaviors and trigger your body to copy those physical attributes. As a result, you might begin to feel the way your friend is feeling ... or maybe, you're tapping into their energetic aura and feeling their powerful emotions that way!
Who's to say ...
Regardless, make your guess as to how your friend feels, and then ask them: "How are you feeling?"
Don't be surprised if you're totally off — it happens. But if you think that there might be something that your friend is avoiding telling you, it's worth creating the opportunity for them to be vulnerable with you and share their emotions. If they still don't bite, drop it. Nobody likes a nag.
Yes No Maybe Cards
This is super easy and really fun. Grab three index cards and write one card for YES, one for NO, and one for MAYBE.
Flip the cards over so they are face down and you can't see the words on the other side. Spread them out equally. Ask a question that you know the answer to, like, "My name is Michelle."
Hover your hands over the cards, and when you feel ready, pick the one that has the correct answer written on it.
Active Seeing
Time to turn on your inner Sherlock Holmes and start noticing the world around you. Think about it — how often do we go through the world without truly seeing what's happening on the periphery? Chances are you're missing a lot! Including information that can help you interpret or intuit the world around you more clearly.
Next time you walk down the street, start to hyperfocus on what's happening around you. How does your body feel when you walk past certain people or buildings? What sounds do you hear? How does the light look?
Pay closer attention not just to the world outside of you, but how you feel inside. So often we distract ourselves with things like Instagram, podcasts, or phone calls while we move through the world. These distractions can prevent us from noticing our internal intuitive signs and signals.
Conclusion
Everyone is intuitive — and strengthening your intuition is actually pretty easy ... and pretty fun! Use intuitive exercises daily to flex your psychic muscles, and let us know about your results in the comments below.