How to Strengthen Your Intuition: 7 Incredibly Effective Ways

Some call it ‘a gut feeling.’ Others call it their ‘instincts.’ And there are those who give it a name, like ‘Larry.’ But whatever the case may be, we all know it universally as intuition.

It’s that innate instinctive feeling that we’re all born with. Unfortunately, it’s often drowned out by all the noise of our modern lifestyle.

So can you learn how to strengthen your intuition? Absolutely.

It takes a bit more than just ‘feeling’ the feeling, though. So we turned to Sonia Choquette, six-sensory consultant and self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Intuition,’ to provide her expertise on…

• Why You Should Trust Your Intuition
• What Happens When You Unleash Your Intuition
• How to Strengthen Your Intuition

“Let your intuition guide you,” as the saying goes. And it’s guided you here — to better understand how to strengthen your intuition so you can reawaken your ‘good vibes,’ which, as a result, spreads good vibes to others.

Why You Should Trust Your Intuition

Think of a moment when you had a strong gut feeling — that’s your intuition talking. And it tells you what you should or shouldn’t do.

It moves you beyond logic, learned responses, and ego. What’s more, it reveals two things: 1) who you are authentically and 2) the knowledge you have gained.

“It’s about tuning into energy and tuning into the energy of who you are, who you are authentically,” Sonia explains at Mindvalley’s A-Fest in 2015. “When you tap into that and you give that voice, when you give that power, when you give that presence, everything changes.”

But don’t think it’s just a bunch of woo-woo. There’s science behind intuition. 

In an article in Forbes, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Orloff explains that scientists believe intuition operates through the right side of our brain — the hemisphere that’s in charge of attention to context, processing visual information, and emotions.

Sixth sensory superhuman

Those who are intuitively aware have a name: sixth sensory people. Here are a few of their signature traits:

• They’re connected to the spirit world. No, it’s got nothing to do with ghosts or seances. Instead, it’s having a higher perspective and the ability to connect directly with their spirit guides to support them on their life journey.

• The perception of life is different. They don’t see the world as a potential enemy but see every moment as an opportunity.

• They’re always in the present. And because they know to feel, listen, and respond, they understand the importance of when to embrace the flow or when to take charge.

[Intuition] is your heartbeat. It is your life force. And it is your power.

— Sonia Choquette, trainer of Mindvalley’s Sixth Sense Superpower Quest

There’s no doubt that developing intuition is an invaluable skill. And when you do, you turn inward and come back to who you truly are.

What Happens When You Unleash Your Intuition

Beautiful things happen when you give your intuition permission to blossom. Sonia, in the Mindvalley video below, gives a few examples:

• Your fear subsides. As a direct effect of that, your stress also dwindles. You start to feel more physically at ease and comfortable in your own skin.

• There’s more creativity. You’re no longer in fear mode, protecting and defending yourself all the time. This allows your awareness frees up and you’re more open to new ideas and inspirations.

• Your point of view shifts. You move away from seeing things as problems. Instead, you start tapping into solutions and ways of moving forward.

• Your heart lightens up. Your vibration elevates, allowing you to become a more magnetic person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiB8WtnA4Ic

Intuition is not about predicting the future. It’s about empowering you to make the most informed, creative, authentic, and well-grounded decisions, in the moment, to create the future that you really want.

— Sonia Choquette, trainer of Mindvalley’s Sixth Sense Superpower Quest

Think of it as like a tour guide. When it’s given full permission to do its job, it brings you to all the best (and safe) places to experience as well as detours you away from all the spots you should avoid.

By knowing how to hone in on your intuition, you can ultimately help to improve your health, well-being, and harmony.

How to Strengthen Your Intuition

Fact: sixth sensory people don’t have anything you don’t. You, too, can learn how to strengthen your intuition. All it takes is practice. 

Now, here are seven of Sonia’s top tools you can use. Each will help you hone in on your instincts, but pick the one that works best for you.

#1: Clear away distractions

In a world packed with information, disinformation, other people’s opinions, and media campaigns, it’s pretty hard to differentiate between your inner voice and the voice of the external world.

Learn to trust your instincts by becoming familiar with how your inner voice speaks to you and what its personality is. Once you have a good idea of who you are, your intuition will become louder and louder, until it overpowers all the other voices in the world.

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Spend 30 minutes each day being alone and listening to yourself. You can do this during guided meditations or while you’re journaling.

• Ask yourself questions and allow your subconscious mind to answer you. You may just be surprised at what comes out of you.

• Take this time to let your thoughts flow and listen to yourself. It’ll allow you to get in touch with who you really are and not what the world wants you to be.

#2: Create a clear energetic space

It’s more than likely you’ve heard of the importance of mindfulness — being present in every moment without judgment. In fact, research has shown that it helps decrease anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity while increasing well-being, positive affect, and concentration.

When you’re unable to be in the moment, it takes away your ability to feel the subtle vibrations that your energy and the Universe are communicating with you. And in turn, you often end up making decisions that aren’t in your best interest.

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Look around you and notice three things that attract your attention or that you’ve never noticed before.

• Shift your conscious mind to your internal energy and just notice what you feel. 

#3: Name your ego and your spirit

As an intuition expert, Sonia often gets asked how to tell whether you’re in your ego or your spirit. This is what she says: “You feel like it’s ‘me against you’ and you don’t feel connected. You feel like you’re the ‘other’ or they are the ‘other’.”

The culturescape teaches us that the ego is the enemy and it’s a problem. However, it’s actually the opposite. The ego is actually like a barking dog, according to Sonia — it wants to be helpful, but is fearful and territorial.

The problem is that we’ve been taught to allow it (instead of our authentic self) to lead. This creates a disconnect and won’t allow us to open up to all the good that’s available around us. 

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Give your spirit a name. For example, Beyoncé’s is Sasha Fierce. David Bowie’s was Ziggy Stardust. And Sonia’s is Bright Light. Every time you talk to it, it’ll make you smile and put a light in your eyes. 

• Identify the type of dog that your ego and give it a name because “unless we name it, we can’t train it,” according to Sonia. Is it a scared chihuahua? When you talk to it, it’ll remind you that it’s a faithful servant and only that.

#4: Be open, be honest

Here’s a question you may want to ask yourself: when was the last time you were truly honest with yourself?

Sonia explains that when you’re honest and open to your intuition guiding you, the truth that comes up will give you the foundation to attract the experience you really want. This is called the Law of Resonance. 

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Write down things in your life that trouble you. Don’t hold back.

• Notice the things that feel true for you. Remember to be genuinely honest with yourself, even if it demands listening to what you don’t want to listen to. After all, honesty is the best policy, right?

#5: Play the “I Wonder…” game

Remember that intuition operates from the right side of your brain — the creative, curious part. So one good way to get your intuition to come out and play with you is with the “I wonder…” game.

Sonia always says, “Wondering is the front door to intuition.” And this game allows your mind to go beyond logical thinking and dig into intuition.

Now, keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong. Just allow your intuition will guide you.

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Say to yourself, “I wonder…” and finish that sentence with whatever pops up. Just let your mind wander in wonderment.

  For example: “I wonder…“

  • “…what color the next car that drives by will be.”
  • “…who’s going to call me next.”
  • “…what will be on special at the store today.”

#6: Let go of the ‘need to know’ and just have trust

There may be times when you feel ‘something.’ You may not know what it is or what it means, but you know it’s something you have to listen to.

An example Sonia gives is one where she and her husband wanted to buy a house. And a week after putting a bid on it, she felt ‘something.’ She insisted on pulling out of the bid, much to the dismay and resistance of her husband and the realtor. Come to find out, the house was on a flood plain and it got flooded after a huge rain storm. 

The truth is, intuition is a great disrupter — it’s explorational, it’s off-the-cuff, it’s spontaneous. And to really tap into your sixth sense, you have to open yourself up to the possibilities and opportunities of not knowing.

It can be scary, yes. But have trust that your intuition will not steer you wrong.

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Pick your favorite songs and dance for a few minutes every day. Don’t think; just dance. Need inspiration? Watch this video where Sonia shows Mindvalley A-Festers how to surrender to the energy that moves them.

• Write in your journal other ways you can surrender your ‘need to know,’ no matter how crazy or disruptive it sounds. Tap into your inner energy for guidance.

#7: Notice the signs

Being intuitive is not only about feeling ‘the feeling.’ It’s also the ability to read the messages it gives and then, follow them.

As you practice strengthening it, you’ll start to notice that it speaks with you in the form of signs, symbols, metaphors, passing thoughts, lucid dreams, and even jokes. 

Like, for instance, it might tell you that it’s a good day for donuts. And as you go on about your day, the message gets louder and clearer. Maybe you even see a donut truck pull into the highway rest stop as you’re driving to work. And because your intuition is hankering for a donut, you decide to follow it, and only then do you notice you’ve run out of gas. Luckily, you’re at the rest stop and can fill up.

That’s one way your intuition works. It gives you the information in a way that grabs your attention.

How to strengthen your intuition:

• Create moments of quiet throughout your day. Notice three things around you to clear your energetic space.

• Dance if you need to and let go of your ‘need to know.’

• Check in with your spirit (did you name it yet?) and see if anything is trying to come through.

Let the Good Vibes Roll

Your intuition can be your best friend. And when you make the effort to connect with it, there are many great benefits for your well-being.

Just take a cue from Sonia, who’s lived her whole life in abundance, thanks to her intuition.

So if you want to learn how to strengthen your intuition from the best, head over to Mindvalley where you have access to incredible transformational programs, like Sonia’s Sixth Sense Superpower Quest. What’s more, Mindvalley is known for its community, so you’ll be part of a tribe filled with individuals who’re looking to level up, just like you.

It’s as Sonia says: “This inner truth and knowing is accessible to each and every one of us.” And if you’re ready to explore your sixth sense, Sonia and the tribe are waiting for you at Mindvalley. Welcome in.