Soma Flow

Growing Into Your Intuitive Nature

• Tabitha MacDonald • Episode 41

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Have you ever felt a subtle nudge to do something different, a gentle whisper that told you to take a new direction, but you hesitated? Trusting your intuition can feel like an overwhelming task, especially when life seems uncertain or chaotic. However, understanding the phases of intuitive guidance can be the key to unlocking your potential and aligning with your true purpose.

 Our intuition isn’t just a mystical force—it’s a practical tool that guides us toward our best possible outcomes. Just like a seed that grows into a tree, our intuition goes through phases of growth, and understanding these phases is crucial. When we recognize and honor these stages, we can navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and confidence.

Imagine life as a journey where your intuition is the compass. At first, it might seem faint, but as you learn to trust and follow it, you’ll find yourself guided toward paths that are aligned with your deepest desires and purpose. The process of growing into your intuitive nature involves embracing each phase, from the awkward beginnings to the empowered flow of wisdom.

Trusting the Journey

Learning to trust your intuition is a journey, one that involves embracing the phases of growth and transformation. By understanding where you are in the process, you can navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and confidence. Remember, your intuition is always there to guide you, even when the path seems unclear. Trust the journey, and know that each phase is bringing you closer to your true purpose and potential.

About Tabitha
Tabitha MacDonald is an Intuitive Coach and Healer committed to helping people overcome their pain as fast as possible so that they can have the love, success, freedom and fulfillment they truly desire.

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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to the Mindful Love Podcast. My name is Tabitha McDonald. I am your host. Welcome. Today we are going to talk about growing into your intuitive nature.

Speaker 1:

There was a time in my life when what I really wanted more than anything else was to work in corporate America. When I landed my dream job at Intel as a international meeting planner, I was so excited. I had so much fun and I loved getting to travel all over the place. I had an unlimited education budget and I really felt like this is what I was meant to do. And then, you know, with corporate America, we shifted and I got thrown into a department that was was very Intel, that's what I'll say. So it was like less protected. I had had a boss that had shielded me from a lot of the corporate culture. And now I was in the thick of it and I like to describe it like a game of survivor. I was in the thick of it and I like to describe it like a game of survivor. Like you know, when you are like the popular people, or you're the brains or the brawn, and I didn't like playing the social game. So when layoffs came, I raised my hand, I wanted out and I knew my soul would die in that environment. Like I just had this deep knowing that this was not what I was meant for. I was 27 years old. Have you ever had those experiences where, like, there was a moment in time when you knew something needed to shift, like you achieved the thing you wanted and then it wasn't really what you wanted? That was me at 27.

Speaker 1:

I took my severance package, I moved to England and I needed a visa to stay in the country, and so somebody had recommended doing a massage program and I thought, well, why not? It's inexpensive, it'll let me work at a bookstore, which is what I always wanted to do, and I'll get to learn something that I never learned before. I loved it. It was one of the most amazing educational experiences I've ever had. Have you had one of those educational experiences where you were like, oh, this is me, this is what I came here to be? That was me. As I was going through the complementary medicine program, I knew deep inside I was meant to help people and this felt like the perfect way to do it.

Speaker 1:

And so, as time went on and I graduated, I came back to the United States. I, you know, got married, had kids, not in that order and I forgot about that dream because it was hard here, like things were different in the United States than they were in the UK. We were trained differently over there. We were trained in the United States than they were in the UK. We were trained differently over there. We were trained in mind-body integrative medicine and here it was all about muscles, muscles, muscles. And you know, things started progressing and I went back to it.

Speaker 1:

I went back to working in the same field, but in a different role. I started at a school where I was teaching how to find a job and they had a massage program there and I remember sitting at my desk and my job was stressful and I kept thinking like, oh, these people I'm so envious. They get to go live their dream and I don't. That's not meant for me. I'm strapped down with a husband struggling with an addiction. I have two young kids. I don't have time for this. I just need to work this really stressful, awful job.

Speaker 1:

And then one day, when I was driving home, I heard this loud, very loud voice and it said put your job and go back to massage school. It was very, very distinct. There was no confusing the message and I went home and I talked to my ex-husband and he said please, this is going to be great for both of us. I can focus on building my business, you can stay home and take care of the kids and go to massage school at night. This is what we need.

Speaker 1:

And there was a lot of challenges along the way, but I did go back to massage school and I completed and it was really hard. It wasn't easy. There was a lot of challenges because my ex-husband's drinking got out of control and I had to trust a lot that things were going to work out. And after I graduated I wanted to just have an easy job working for someone else and turns out I really hated it. I didn't like it, it wasn't fun. I felt like someone else had all of the control over my success or failure and I knew I wanted to start my own business, but I didn't have the confidence. My own business but I didn't have the confidence.

Speaker 1:

So I started slowly, very slowly, and started working with clients at the YMCA. And the first day my first client came into the YMCA to see me and it was mine. Like it was my client. They paid me directly. I felt like, yeah, this is it, like this is what I wanted. And I knew that that was the birth of Soma Massage, which was my wellness center, which is my wellness center in Lake Oswego, oregon, and I didn't have the courage at that point to go all in on it.

Speaker 1:

I had my toes dipped in a lot of different places because I didn't believe that I had the capability to grow the business, even though my intuition which I didn't know was intuition at the time was saying yes, and as I started, like slowly opening up and building, I remember there was a specific moment where the universe said yes, this is really what you need to be doing. And it was one of those moments that you can't ignore. I was in the process of leaving my husband and he and I had agreed I would take the kids away to my dad's for the weekend and I was standing on the side of the lake where my dad lives and I felt overwhelmed with sadness and grief, grief and uncertainty, and I threw my hands up in the air and I asked the universe. I said what the heck am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do? I don't know. And at that exact moment, my phone rang. Have you ever had those moments where you had a subtle nudge to do something different, a gentle whisper that told you to take a new direction, but you hesitated?

Speaker 1:

Trusting your intuition can feel like an overwhelming task, especially when life seems uncertain or chaotic. However, understanding the phases of intuitive guidance can be the key to unlocking your potential and aligning with your true purpose. Our intuition isn't just a mystical force. It's a practical tool that guides us towards our best possible outcomes. Just like a seed that grows into a tree, our intuition goes through phases of growth, and understanding these phases is crucial. When we recognize and honor these stages, we can navigate life's challenges with greater ease and confidence. Imagine life as a journey where your intuition is the compass. At first it might seem faint, but as you learn to trust and follow it, you'll find yourself guided toward paths that are aligned with your deepest desires and purpose. The process of growing into your intuitive nature involves embracing each phase, from the awkward beginnings to the empowered flow of wisdom. So what exactly is intuition? It's more than just a gut feeling. Intuition is the ability to understand or know something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It's the voice of your higher self, the part of you that is connected to the universe and the wisdom it holds. But intuition doesn't always show up in a neat, predictable way. It often arrives in phases, much like the stages of childhood development.

Speaker 1:

Back in 2021, I was doing a yoga course to unravel my clogged chakras. Many people don't believe me when I say this, but before 2020, I thought meditation was a great way to take a nap and I didn't even allow energy work in my clinic because I wanted us to be solidly based in science in order to be taken seriously by the medical community. I had built a very successful career treating pain, but I knew I was missing something important. Some people could not shift. Something was keeping their progress stuck. Sitting in meditation during a yoga class designed to awaken your third eye, I had a vision of my future that was very different than the one I had been planning. Very rapidly, my life began to shift. My old life started falling apart. Nothing was working the way it used to, and I felt angry and frustrated. I took a purpose class to figure out what this vision meant and why it was blocking me from my success.

Speaker 1:

If we look at our intuitive awakening in the context of how we are born and move through childhood to adulthood. I think this will help you understand how it can unfold for some people. Maybe it's unfolding this way for you. First, we're born right. This is the phase of birth. This is when intuition makes its presence known, often during a significant life change or a midlife crisis. It's like the arrival of a newborn, full of potential but requiring nurturing and care. This is when we get extra support from the universe. It seems like money and resources are flowing with greater ease, things feel nurtured, and then we become like toddlers. Your intuition starts to grow, but it's time. It's a time of trial and error, just like a toddler learning to walk. You may stumble as you try to follow your inner guidance. The universe may step back while you find your footing, so that you can fall and learn how to get back up again, but you still feel like everything is being supported. Sometimes you throw a major tantrum, but they're short-lived and they don't last that long. Then we start getting into like middle school, high school era.

Speaker 1:

Remember being a teenager? This phase is marked by rebellion and uncertainty. You might question your intuition, much like a teenager questions authority, leading to a period of defiance and testing boundaries. This is when I started ignoring all of my intuition, feeling oppressed by it like a teenage rebel. My teenager reared her ugly head and I say ugly but I love her, she's beautiful.

Speaker 1:

During my most recent training, she didn't book accommodations correctly, she didn't fly, she decided to drive down because we were going to like sleep on the beach. Man, my teenage rebellion self took over. It was chaotic. She was rebelling against my future self who said we needed to be at this training. And wow, did she rebel Even when I was there? She didn't want to fit in with anyone else. She intentionally avoided anybody who looked like they were popular because didn't want to conform, and sat back judging everybody for judging her. My teenager was in full force, ignoring all intuition, crying and screaming and like frustrated that things weren't going the way that she wanted them to go, wanted them to go.

Speaker 1:

And then I realized on one, the second day of our training, that you know the instructor had said if you're the one in the storming phase right now, you're not getting along with your group. It's you, it's not them. And I was pissed. I was like it can't possibly be me. And I feel like this with intuition too, like when I don't listen to my intuition, I'm like it can't possibly be me. And I feel like this with intuition too. Like when I don't listen to my intuition, I'm like it's not me. The guidance isn't clear, the guidance isn't in alignment with who I am or who I really am, like it doesn't get me. Have you ever felt like that? Where you're like no, it doesn't get me. And what I want and intuition is patience. Just like if you have a teenager or you work with teenagers or you've ever seen one, we need a lot of patience. So if you're in this phase with your intuition, patience is the most important thing and this is such a great time to do your inner work.

Speaker 1:

When I was at that training, I started just releasing my baggage, and a lot of it was from my teenage years, when I felt the most abandoned and the most rejected in the entire span of my life, and it helped me heal that phase of my life. And then we move into our adult phase. This is where we have experience. Your intuition becomes a trusted guide. You begin to navigate life with confidence, knowing that your inner wisdom is leading you in the right direction. You begin to have a healthy knowing when it's your shadow or your higher self speaking to you, and when this is a valuable lesson for your growth or when it's just a limiting belief holding you back that needs to be released. It feels more grounded and safe like challenges come up, but you know how to process through them because your tool basket is really strong and has amazing resources in it.

Speaker 1:

Understanding these phases is crucial because it helps you recognize where you are in your intuitive journey. It allows you to be patient with yourself as you grow into your intuitive nature Now that you understand the phases, how to build your intuitive muscle. Like any skill, intuition requires practice and patience. Here are some steps to strengthen your intuitive abilities. Start small. Begin by paying attention to the small nudges, whether it's a feeling to call a friend or take a different route home. Start acknowledging and acting on these signals. One of the things that I have my students do when we're in a month of creator, which is basically awakening your intuition, is write down all of the intuitive nudges that you get and which ones you followed through with and how that, what result came from that, and then write down the nudges that you didn't follow through with and then what was the result of that and there's no judgment in this phase. We just want to learn where am I following my intuition and where am I still trying to maintain control over everything?

Speaker 1:

Number two create a space for intuition. In busy lives, it's easy to overlook intuition. Make time for stillness through meditation, journaling or simply sitting quietly. This allows your inner voice to be heard more clearly. Have you ever wondered why you get inspired in the shower? It's because we don't have a lot of other things going on and the water helps us feel very grounded in our bodies. This is where intuition will come in very clearly. Another place where I get intuition is in the car, when I'm driving, because driving has become very automatic. When I'm driving to the office I've driven that way for 11 years. I know the route and my intuition. My inspiration will usually come through, like really, really clearly, on that drive to work, because I'm not really thinking about my to-do list. I'm just focusing on connecting and feeling inspired.

Speaker 1:

We can reflect on our past experiences. Number three think back to times when you followed your intuition. What was the outcome? Reflecting on these experiences, much like I mentioned in step one, can help you build trust with your intuitive guidance. Step four embrace the phases. Recognize that your intuition will go through phases of growth. Be patient with yourself during this challenging time, knowing that each phase is a stepping stone to greater wisdom.

Speaker 1:

Step five seek feedback. Sometimes it's helpful to get feedback from a trusted friend or mentor who can help offer a different perspective on your intuitive insights. One of the things I have found most valuable is attending intuitive sessions with other people and getting that validation on yeah, my intuition is correct, the information I'm getting is accurate, and I love having communities, especially in my own community, soma Tribe, where we get to practice intuition, where we get to practice intuition, where we get to get that validation. And when my students, at the end of one of our classes, I leave time for intuition or intuitive coaching, they'll get that feedback of yeah, this is what I'm getting for you. And if it doesn't match what they're getting, then it's good to go and say okay, well, is that my shadow blocking my own ability to see what's true for me? By consistently practicing these steps, you'll find that your intuition becomes stronger and you'll begin to trust it more deeply.

Speaker 1:

Now there's a lot of questions, right, like what if this happens? As you embark on this journey, it's natural to have questions and doubts. Here are some common concerns people have about the process. What if I make a mistake by following my intuition? Mistakes are part of the learning process. Even if things don't turn out as expected, there's always a lesson to be learned. Trust that your intuition is guiding you toward growth, even if the path is challenging.

Speaker 1:

How do I know if it's really my intuition or just wishful thinking? Intuition often feels calm and clear, while wishful thinking is usually accompanied by a sense of urgency and desperation. Practice discerning between the two by tuning into the feeling behind the thought. One of the ways I do this is, if I'm like in the sense of urgency, like I need to sign up for a new course right now, I go away and then I sit with it for 24 hours and I think and I meditate and I ask for guidance. I'll use my I have so many tools to get guidance and if you're in Soma tribe, you have access to all of those same tools, which are different types of meditations to ask for guidance from different areas to get a well rounded perspective on the decision that you're trying to make. And this is probably one of the most important ways of learning the difference between impulsivity and intuition.

Speaker 1:

Can intuition really help you achieve your goals? Absolutely. Intuition aligns you with your true purpose, helping you make decisions that lead to fulfillment and success. It may not always be the easiest path, but it will be the most rewarding. What if I don't feel connected to my intuition at all? Not a problem, I didn't even know I was intuitive until I knew I was intuitive. And now, looking back, I'm like, well, that was just obvious, that's intuition. And the answer is yes. This concern that, um, about not feeling connected to your intuition is really common, especially if you've been disconnected from your inner self for a while. Start by creating space for quiet reflection and gradually you'll begin to hear your inner voice more clearly. Now, if your inner voice sounds a lot like Debbie Downer, that's a part, a shadow part. That's not intuition.

Speaker 1:

Trust your journey. Learning to trust your intuition is a journey, one that involves embracing the phases of growth and transformation. By understanding where you are in the process, you can navigate life's challenges with greater ease and confidence. Remember your intuition is always there to guide you, even when the path seems unclear. Trust the journey and know that each phase is bringing you closer to your true purpose and potential, just like when I was standing on the lake throwing my hands up in the air, asking the universe for a sign, a next obvious action step on my journey, because I was in so much pain I couldn't think and I couldn't make decisions.

Speaker 1:

And at that moment my phone rang and it was my first client. Her name was Julie and she was referred to me by an acupuncturist I had met at the YMCA and she said I'd like to schedule an appointment. And my whole body shook with a yes and I booked my first client in my new business, soma Massage, and I thought to myself it's not possible for the universe to answer your question that fast, answer your question that fast. But it was. And I got three more phone calls that day that were all aligned with the question I had asked, showing me that I am always supported, always guided. And I went home and I started Soma Massage and it wasn't easy, it was hard, and I learned and I failed, and I have so many funny tales of the last 11 years of building that business and I also have over 10,000 people that that business served in helping transform their lives in some way, shape or form, and that is something I am so proud of.

Speaker 1:

That is something I am so proud of, and I want everybody who's listening to this to be able to step into their purpose and their vision and to realize that they were meant for something more, and learning to awaken and to trust your intuition is the first step on that journey. I hope you enjoy today's conversation. It's something I feel very passionate about. Please feel free to leave a comment below or share this episode with someone who might be on their like spiritual awakening journey and help them understand that they're not alone. If they feel like their life is falling apart, it could be that it's needing to collapse so it can be restructured into something way more beautiful than it was before. Thank you for your time today. I really appreciate it. Have a great day.

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Tabitha MacDonald

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