12 proven methods for tuning into your intuitive abilities

Today's world can be overwhelming! Every year, society seems to revolve more and more around technology, screens and stress. It's all too easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to the perfectly organised lives we see on social networks, or feeling overwhelmed by the endless 24-hour news cycle. It's no wonder we often feel caught up in negative cycles of anxiety, fear and stress.

Fortunately, we are all born with the ability to access a tool that can help us overcome all of today's modern struggles. A tool that can help guide us through life and keep us on the right path. It's our only real superpower, an ancient wisdom buried within each and every one of us. What I'm talking about is your intuition!

The definition of intuition  is "the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning". In other words, it bridges the gap between our conscious and unconscious minds. For example, have you ever felt an inexplicable sensation in your gut that instinctively told you whether what you were doing was right or wrong? That was your intuition talking. Now imagine what your life would be like if you could access that inner guidance system whenever you needed it. Sounds incredible, doesn't it? Who wouldn't want one?

Listening to and trusting that little voice is a wonderful thing in itself, but working to develop that little voice can make it even more powerful. We all have the sacred ability to develop and strengthen our intuition. The more we use it, the more it can expand and evolve. Think of your intuition as a muscle that needs exercise and nourishment to flourish. Let's take a look at the 11 best ways to get in tune and develop your incredible gift!

Meditate: Unless you've been living under a rock for the last 5 years, you know you should be meditating. You hear it everywhere! We all know that we should meditate more. Let's take a look at mediation to help us connect and develop our intuition.

For most people, intuition has a very gentle voice. If our minds are busy with the stresses of everyday life, it can be very difficult to hear that little voice. Meditation is a great way to clear the mind, calm the constant inner dialogue and make room for our intuition. Try this basic meditation to help you listen and connect with your inner spirit!

• Find a relaxing and comfortable place to sit.Close your eyes and remain silent.

• Listen to and feel your breathing (really pay attention to it) without trying to change it.

• Simply observe your breathing. Notice all the sensations that arise. Just be present.

• When your mind wanders, simply bring your attention back to your breathing.

• Don't force it, just be patient. After 15 minutes or so of letting go of your thoughts, you should reach a meditative state.

• If you're having too much trouble, help yourself with a guided meditation on YouTube, for example.

When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and take a moment to write down any important thoughts, messages, feelings or ideas you may have received during your meditation.

Dreams: During our waking hours, our cognitive brain is in charge. It uses logic and reasoning to replace our subconscious mind. However, during sleep, this conscious mind rests, allowing our inner subconscious to shine. We can learn a lot about overcoming problems or issues by listening to this inner consciousness.

Keep a dream diary. Keep a notebook and pen next to your bed and, as soon as you get up, try to write down everything you remember about your dreams. Dreams start to fade from memory as soon as you wake up, so make sure you enter your dream diary before you do anything else. Like most things, this takes practice, you'll get better at interpreting and recording these dreams over time. You'll be able to see patterns and occasions when your inner consciousness is trying to help you solve problems or guide you in the right direction.

Before going to bed, visualise yourself remembering your dreams. Imagine waking up and recording these dreams in your diary. Try to keep this thought in your head as you fall asleep. This will help to imprint the practice in your mind and make it easier the next morning.

More nature: Spending time in nature, away from technology, is one of the best ways to calm the mind. Nature is an excellent way for us to get in tune with our ancestral self and our celestial intuition. That's where we come from, our ancestors relied on their intuition for everything. To find food, avoid predators, find the right path, intuition was one of the most important aspects of life. Every time we immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature, we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in another world, a world where intuition reigns.

Be creative: do something creative! Paint, draw, build, sketch - anything that lifts your creative spirit. When we're young, our inner voice is strong and doesn't hesitate to shine through. As we get older, this inner voice is stifled by the responsibilities and stresses of life. Tapping into this creative part of our brain can help to revive these channels and amplify our intuitions.

Listen to all your senses: your intuition can come through any of your five senses. It may present itself as a strange or pleasant sensation that you physically feel in your body, or as a thought that seems to come out of nowhere. It may be triggered by a certain smell, or even a taste. Start noticing and paying attention to all your senses. When was the last time you really concentrated on your breathing, your sense of smell, your sense of taste? We've all heard the expression "stop and smell the roses", but it can really help to develop your intuition. The more you practise tuning in to these senses, the more your '6th sense' can flourish too.

Follow your intuition: A sure-fire way to develop your intuition is to test it. As you go about your daily business, keep a diary and write down every time you have an intuition. When that little voice sounds, make sure you write it down, so that you can record and see how these intuitions unfold. It can be as simple as seeing the weather forecast say rain tomorrow, but you have a feeling it will be sunny. Maybe a friend's partner is giving you bad vibes, write down your feelings and see if it translates. Follow your intuition and see what you can learn about your intuition.

Change your daily routine: The conscious brain likes routine and order, but the more routine your life is, the more your inner voice is pushed down. When the mind is busy, it can be particularly difficult to hear that little voice. Changing things up can turn your cognitive brain upside down and let your intuition shine through. Escape the daily routine, slow down and do something different. Your intuition will thank you.

Replay past events: Sit down and try to think back to a situation where things didn't go as planned or didn't turn out as you'd hoped. Think back to that situation, noticing any feelings or moments when you felt something was wrong. Was there an opportunity to move in a different direction? Did your inner voice speak for a moment, only to be overridden by your cognitive mind? Try to evaluate some of these occurrences and look for patterns, look for ways to do things differently next time. Look for the ways your intuition was trying to guide you and the things it was trying to tell you.

Breathe: Breathing is by far one of the best ways to calm the mind and tune into your inner voice. Try this 4-7-8 method to give your intuition a chance to shine and bring your awareness into the present.

• Start by emptying your lungs of air.

• Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds.

• Hold for 7 seconds.

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.

• Repeat this process 4 times.

This 4-7-8 technique will not only help your intuition, it's a great way to alleviate stress and reduce anxiety. Basically, the whole world would be a much better place if everyone practised this simple technique once a day!

Think less, feel more: Our cognitive brain thinks, our intuition feels. Our minds are always reasoning, questioning and reflecting throughout the day. After so many years of this, we don't even realise it's happening. If people could hear all the questions our cognitive brains bounce around all day, they'd think we were crazy!

Try to slow down and 'feel' more. The feelings that are anchored in your body are also anchored in truth. These feelings will never lie. Learn to listen to them more. Pay attention to those little signals that our body sends us. The heart beating faster, that knot in the pit of your stomach, a feeling of heat, a sensation of cold or a tingling sensation. You know the situation; you meet someone and you know immediately that there's something wrong with them, you can just feel it. Maybe they're lying to you or treating someone badly, your physical body can sense this and alert you. If you pay more attention to these physical signals, you could avoid many uncomfortable, painful or embarrassing situations. It's your intuition talking and it's trying to guide you in the right direction.

Practise 'smelling' people before you meet them: is an excellent way of testing and developing your intuition. Put yourself in a situation where you can sit and observe someone before you meet them.

Imagine yourself in line at the café, trying to imagine what the person behind the counter will be like, before you talk to them or meet them. Learn all you can about them simply by looking at them and trusting your feelings. Try to create a mental image of what they will be like, the sound of their voice, are they friendly, sociable or not? You can use it in almost any situation to test your intuition. It's a powerful and practical way to help you get in tune with your senses, your body and your inner voice.

Be grateful: These days, it's easy to look at the negative aspects of life and forget everything we're lucky enough to have. We all do it! It can be so easy to neglect our health, the love of our families, our food and water, our home or our community. Take time each day to acknowledge and give thanks for some of the incredible things we are lucky enough to have in our lives. This simple practice can open us up to a higher frequency and allow more of life's wonders to reach us.

• Gratitude improves relationships.

• Gratitude improves sleep.

• Gratitude improves physical health.

• Gratitude improves self-esteem.

• Gratitude improves empathy and reduces aggression.

• Gratitude improves psychological health.

The benefits of practising gratitude have been scientifically studied and have proved to be truly powerful tools. Think about how some of these positive benefits could radically change our daily lives. Gratitude really can open a plethora of doors to a better life, which in turn will help our intuitions to flourish!

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