You know the answers lie within, right?

You know that your intuition, your gut feeling and your heart tell you what’s needed in all situations.

You know your body, you know your dreams and your purpose. It’s all there. Within.

However due to various factors we lose connection with this part of us. We become so disconnected that we spend time and energy investing in other peoples opinions of what’s right or wrong for us. We seek out the experts to find out what we should do.

Consequently we make decisions that may or may not be for us.

Of course it’s valuable to hear people’s opinion but when you let others make your decisions or tell you what’s best for you it’s disempowering.

Instead it’s worth your while re-attuning to your inner guidance so that you have access to your innermost workings, wisdom and purpose.

How?

Well there are two methods I have found that are best:
1. Reconnect with your body.
2. Look to nature, it has no agenda

Lets explore both in a little more detail:

1. Reconnect with your body. 

Your body holds a record of everything that’s ever happened to you. All the emotions you’ve experienced, unless expressed, are held here. It also houses your intuition and the guidance of your heart. When you reconnect mind – body – heart you have access to all of these resources within you. How? There are many ways, I find that a Mindfulness body scan is a great way of beginning this process.

2. Look to nature, it has no agenda

When you ask someone for their opinion, chances are that they will have an agenda. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but they will probably consciously or subconsciously want for you to make a certain decision. For example they might want you to break up with the guy that’s no good for you or say no to the job that means that you will be away more, and these may be the right decision for you but they might not.

To get in touch with our internal guidance we can turn to nature and here is a very simple exercise to help you

1) Write down a question. Something you’re looking for guidance with. Put it aside.
2) Go to your outdoor space with a fresh piece of paper and a pen. It could be your garden, balcony or local park
3) What do you see? If it’s a tree, notice what you see in the tree – is it in full bloom or bare? Does it feel strong or weak? Is it thick or thin, what are the branches like? Write down everything that you see
4) What else do you see? Play close attention to everything – what’s the wind doing? Is the sun shining?
5) What do you hear? Listen closely. Write it all down.
6) You can spend as long as you wish with this exercise, 5 minutes minimum, 10 minutes is sufficient.
7) Now read your question again and then read through what you’ve written down. How does it relate, what guidance do you get from this?

Real life example:
Mary was stressed at work. She is a creative person and she was worrying about her next project, as she felt like inspiration had dried up. She was wondering if she should give up this line of work and try something new. Full of self doubt, everyone she asked had different opinions. Her mother wanted her to get a “stable” job, her friends told her to stick with it, but she wasn’t sure.

She wrote down her question on a piece of paper as she tried my suggestion – to access her intuition through nature, (to be honest she thought I was barking mad)

Off she went into her garden and the first thing that she noticed was the Holly tree, it’s her favourite one and always spoke to her of strength and resilience as it’s trunk was gnarled and it’s branches twisted. She noticed that all the berries from the tree were on the ground now and while there was no colour anymore there were lots of leaves and yet somehow the tree didn’t seem to mind that the berries were gone.

She looked around the rest of her garden and she noticed the bareness of the trees, one had lost all it’s foliage and was there looking vulnerable and exposed. She also saw the birds coming in and out to the feeder, squalling and fighting for seeds. She mentally told them to relax, there was plenty to go around. She remembered the instructions again, rolled her eyes, this was pointless but wrote it down anyway.

Coming back inside she felt better for the fresh air but she didn’t feel that what she had seen was going to help her with her predicament.

Reluctantly she sat down and read the question she has so despondently written down only 10 minutes before “should I just give up my job or not” and she was amazed at what popped out of her from her reflections:

This is what she saw

  • strength and resilience
  • the tree didn’t seem to mind that the berries were gone.
  • …..had lost all it’s foliage and was looking vulnerable and exposed
  • fighting for seeds. She mentally told them to relax, there was plenty to go around

She actually couldn’t believe it

She realised that she had been in a mindset of lack, focusing on the worst case scenario (that her inspiration had dried up) when really it was just at a lull and would come again. She saw how she was trying to compete (like the birds) for “seeds” by looking at what others were doing and feeling jealous.

She breathed a huge sigh of relief as more the more lightbulbs went off in her head and as each one went, she was able to hear the voice of her heart softly whispering to her “But you love this work Mary” and she knew then what her decision was

Nature provided the doorway to her intuition and her heart.

If you would like to explore how nature can help you, we will be combining both of these Avenues to your conscious and subconscious by walking a labyrinth as part of the Soul Seekers retreat in March

Have you ever walked one?

Labyrinths have been around for 1000’s of years. Used as a way to get answers through meditation and nature: twists and turns map the human experience. It’s amazing to witness the insight that comes to all those who accept the invitation to walk one.

I can wait to see what unfolds as we work with this in March – for more details on the Retreat CLICK HERE