Your Intuition Versus Your Gut Instincts
It is a common misconception that your knowing intuition and the gut instinct you get in the pit of your stomach are virtually the same, with the same results. But they’re not. One is a truth that runs through your body without doubt, the other is a physical behavioral response to a situation.
As an experience, intuition feels like a ‘just knowing’. Gut feelings earn their name from the place in the body where they make themselves known responding or reacting by what the body feels and remembers, not your knowing place.
What Is Instinct?
Instinct is the natural tendency that a person or animal has to behave or react in a particular way. Think of it this way: I didn’t have as strong a maternal instinct as some other mothers. (Collins Dictionary)
What Is Intuition?
Intuition is unexplained feelings you have that something is true even when you have no evidence or proof of it. Your intuition is your subliminal processing of information that goes beyond rational thought. (Collins Dictionary). Our intuition is the way our Higher Self (soul) “speaks” to us. Intuition is not some weird or woo-woo thing but a natural state of being for all living beings.
Gut instinct is that pang in your gut when you may be doing the wrong thing, or a vibrant buzz when your body approves, can sometimes guide you reliably at times when logic fails. It is our body signaling you to be aware there is a rational approach to a situation and giving you a reaction of how it should be dealt with. Ignore it, we usually regret it. When your gut centered third chakra is functioning well, we can usually trust its responsive guidance but if that center is out of balance, we basically feel powerless and out of sync. That is why relying on your gut instinct may not always be the wisest choice, as it could be coming from a fear place.
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The problem with intuition is: We don’t always listen. Why? Because we’ve been conditioned by society to trust logic and not put too much emphasis on what we feel or sense that can’t be backed up. If you are having trouble trusting your intuition and have made too many bad decisions listening to what your gut instincts told you, here are a few pointers to help you start trusting it again. The more you listen to that knowing intuition in your heart, the stronger it becomes a part of how you deal with life.
- Pay attention to the way your body reacts in different situations. Intuition gives you a sense of peace almost like a sigh of relief, feeling uplifted and confident. Gut instincts rely on body memory, if it is a good one, then there is not any reason not to follow it, if it causes discomfort, think things through before you act.
- As you go through your day, notice where your answers are coming from, the signals and twinges your gut are sending you or a strong sense of direction without question. Gut instincts will ask you the question if you should stop and get gas because you might run out, your intuition will literally pull your car into a gas station as it knows and sees the strong possibility of you running out of gas.
- Spend as much time as possible with people who reinforce your sense of knowing and as little time as possible with people who challenge you on it.
- Daydreaming about your life and your career will always help kickstart your intuition to help guide you. Don’t doubt that anything is possible when you are connected to your higher self. Once your intuition opens the doors, then let your gut instinct help you feel if it is right for you or not.
- Think about your life so far and identify distinct moments when you listened to that intuitive knowing and you were right. Your gut instinct will only take you so far in making a decision before your body responses start questioning what you are feeling.
- Practice telling the voice in your head to step aside with all the reasons why your intuition could be wrong. A good “SHUT UP!” seems to work. Remind yourself that your intuition has been right before and lets just see how things roll out.
- Take steps into unknown territory every chance you get to practice your intuition. The more you recognize it, the more it will get fine-tuned and you will begin to feel the difference when you are having a knowing or experiencing that gut instinct from body memory.
Susan Z’s Verdict
Stop and acknowledge every intuitive feeling you have, whether they are right or no obvious support. It may feel ridiculous at first to put that much importance on a sense of knowing in your life but you will never go wrong by listening to it. If it comes from the gut, it can be a crap shoot on whether you are making a decision based on a good gut instinct or gut reacting from body memory based on fear. Practice is what works.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.