You’ve probably heard the phrase “go with your gut” when it comes to making important life decisions. Intuition is often described as that—a gut feeling or sense. But this idea of intuition only living in the gut is actually what blocked me from experiencing my own until I decided to trust what I know about myself. I don’t really get gut feelings. What I do get are images that pop in my mind and a warm feeling at the crown of my head when something is right. A lot of times, these images come to me in dreams which is why I always write them down no matter how random they might be (should I do a whole separate newsletter on dreams?). Of course, there are scientific studies that show the gut-brain connection and I’m certainly not denying the research out there that exists. They’re called gut feelings for a reason! BUT, everyone experiences intuition differently—perhaps through images, sounds, words, or sudden feelings that wash over you. Intuition is not always easy to get in touch with, either. It's a muscle, and the more you strengthen it the easier it will be to use. So, I thought it'd be interesting to share how you can feel closer to your intuition based on the triad your Enneagram type belongs to. Heart types (types 2, 3, 4): Heart types want to be loved and accepted by the people around them. They also can look outwards to define themselves with a secret sense of shame that they don’t measure up to other people. Because of this, it’s important to spend time alone and develop yourself outside of the bounds or expectations of others. To connect with your intuition, try blocking off a day once a week or once a month where you do something for yourself that brings you joy or allows you to be creative. While doing so, pay attention to messages that come through, especially tuning into your feelings since this is your dominant "brain." Remember that feelings are neither good nor bad—they are messengers that can help lead you in the right direction. Head types (types 5, 6, 7): Head types want to feel secure in the world and develop a deep understanding of the things around them. They tend to be overthinkers and grapple with an underlying sense of fear. It’s important for them to confront their fear head-on and quiet the mind so their inner knowing can speak to them. A good way to do this is through free-flow journaling, where you can dump your whirling thoughts onto the page and allow scenarios to play out. Once you feel you've gotten everything down, use your clear headspace to see what comes through to you — are there any words or themes that stand out? How does your body feel? These are all things to pay attention to. Body types (types 8, 9, 1): Body types want to control the situations they’re in, whether directly or indirectly, and remain autonomous. They experience anger in different ways when anything threatens the way they want things to be. Body types may be most in touch with their gut feelings because they operate on instinct. It’s important to tune into these visceral reactions you get to particular feelings or situations. In fact, the more you can use and test out your hunches, the more in tune you will feel when it comes to making important decisions. You can also experiment with using your body as a compass—sometimes a good decision feels light and expansive while a bad decision feels heavy and constricting. And like everything with the Enneagram, I encourage you to experiment beyond your type because you are so much more than a number and you know yourself best! This is a jumping-off point for welcoming your intuition however it may speak to you, and "wake up" to your most free and wild self. xo, Julianne
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