Simple Ways to Connect With Your Inner Guidance

Do you find it difficult to make decisions? To work out what you really want, to connect with your inner guidance?

That was me, for such a long time. I did try to listen to my inner guidance – my gut-feeling was how I thought of it then – but often found it difficult, I would start doubting myself and waver back and forth. It was so hard to make decisions, partly because I didn’t even know what I loved or enjoyed doing,  and what I felt connected to.

I remember trying to do a personality test to work out my strengths and getting really upset and frustrated; I didn’t know myself well enough to answer the questions honestly and without a lot of thought. I had become extremely detached from myself; I wasn’t living according to what I loved, what I really valued, and I didn’t know how to connect with my guidance to work that out.

That moment kick-started something for me, and I began searching for the way back to self-connection.

One of the major turning points for me has been Reiki. Giving and receiving these sessions as well as undertaking my training, have opened me up in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and re-connected me with trust and my inner guidance.

What if you aren’t trained in Reiki? Find your thing that works for you. Meditation and journaling are both great ways to do this, try having a conversation with yourself, it takes some practice but it’s so worth it. Here’s some ideas to get you started:

1. Meditate for 5-10 minutes to get yourself into a deeply relaxed state. Use a guided meditation or a simple breathing exercise like counting 1 on the in-breath and 2 on the out. Then, ask a particular question repeatedly, like a mantra – for example, “what is my next step”. Observe the thoughts, feelings, images, or words that come to mind, these are your answers. Don’t doubt yourself, just listen.
2. Not into meditation? Try doing a Morning Pages-style stream of consciousness writing process. This allows you to clear your mind of all the surface stuff that is blocking you. Get that negativity, the worries, fears, boredom, confusion; all of it – out on the paper. After you’ve done your 3 pages of emptying the mind, start a new piece of paper and ask yourself your question. As above, just write it down, whatever comes into your mind – don’t question it.
3. Do some kind of physical activity that is also very mindful, like yoga, running, a long walk somewhere inspiring like the beach or bush. Be very mindful of your steps, your breath, and try not to focus on your thoughts for some time. They’ll still be there, but don’t hook on to them, let them come and go. Once you are feeling relaxed, ask yourself what you want to know. Again, listen, don’t doubt.

Important – it can take a bit of practice, don’t give up if you don’t immediately connect. The more you keep doing this kind of process, the more it works.

If you’ve done any Reiki training, you will have learnt how to do a self-healing process, but have you tried using this tool for deep self-connection?

In the past when I’ve given myself a Reiki healing session, I would lie down, often doing it at night before falling asleep. It’s very relaxing and just like meditation, it helps me to drop off to sleep really easily. Although something might pop into my mind that I would get up to write down, it wasn’t the main goal of the healing to channel insight or connect with my inner guidance.

Whereas, when doing distant Reiki sessions for others, I noticed how much more information I received. I started to think – why not do this for myself? So I experimented with combining a process of a distant Reiki healing + my own self-healing; essentially, deeply connecting with my own energy body to channel Reiki AND ask for guidance.

I do this pretty much the same way I would for another person, working through each chakra as guided, listening carefully and writing down anything I “hear” or “see”.

I might set a specific intention at the beginning, or ask questions as I go, it’s very much like having a conversation but I am asking MYSELF for guidance and information. This has been incredibly helpful when I’m going through a difficult time, or having trouble working out what I want/feel I need.

It’s a way of cutting through the thought-process and connecting with your heart, your third eye, your spiritual guidance – whatever you believe that to be. Is it God, your spirit guides, your angels, your intuition? I don’t focus too much on naming it, I just know that it works.

Instead of fear-based answers, I get the real feeling, the deep desires, and ideas and insights that haven’t previously been clear to me.

I believe that however we do it, through meditation, physical movement, Reiki, or many other ways; we are connecting with a common energy that we have lost touch with.

You may find that you do this already, when you meditate, do yoga, or go for a long run. Whatever your “thing” is, I believe it’s very similar – we are connecting deeply with ourselves and our own guidance, cutting away the fear-based thoughts that stop us from being able to tune into this on a daily basis.

I trust that my gut reaction is the truth underneath the surface of my fears.

Gabrielle Bernstein, Miracles Now

Are you feeling in tune with your inner guidance? What works for you?