Difference Between Instinct and Intuition

There is a fine line between instinct and intuition but somewhere down the line they both merge to add to our advantage and help us navigate and elivate in life.

We think thoughts all the time, but hardly act on them. When we immediately notice and act on these thoughts it is called instinctive action.

A situation when we allow our instinct to take over is when we are in the flow state eg; while playing, ducking a ball flying at you, fight or flight mode etc. Because in that state your body mind and emotions all come together in unity so there can only be one thing we can do at that moment if action is required all senses will concentrate on the action so we are not thinking.

Whereas intuition is a little different but almost the same. Intuition is an instinctive inner knowing that mostly has no logic. And that's why we struggle to give into intuition. Acting on intuition is to be able to get out of your mind or the trap of logical thinking.

The trusting that that thing that just popped in your mind is the chance to make a shift that is the intuitive thought and acting on it is intuitive Action. The thought is immediate but the action is not.

I was standing in the bus the other day and I was looking for a seat but they were all full. Something told me to go 2 seats to to back of the bus and stand I did and after a few minutes the lady sitting there got up to leave and I got the seat. Another time this happened i felt too lazy to give in I saw someone and I felt i should go stand there but I was too lazy to move, another person moved into that position since I didn't, she got up and he took her seat. While i continued to stand the rest of the journey.

How to make it a habit?

Through my experience, it is important to understand that because of our human nature and all the years programming we have it is not possible to be in the flow all the time and we have to work our way up to being in the flow. Having said that, the first step is to set an intention to be in the now. Intention is everything on the spiritual journey.

And to consciously remind yourself or remember to bring yourself back to the now everytime you realise that your thoughts have carried you away.

Then we need to pay attention to how we felt when we acted from instinct.

This process will take time because you have to wait for when u act intuitively so that you can recall the moment ,thought and feeling. It's very subtle so this is where being intune with your self helps.

The more we notice you will see that the body feels differently, it feels more relaxed, calm and intune. It just flows with the action.

Here is an exercise to try on a daily basis to build up to the flow state.

Suppose you need to go somewhere you don't like to go or have no motivation to go but it's something you need to do.

You will notice that because you have no motivation you don't act but because you don't act you can't stop thinking about it and you feel guilty , scared , the body feels tense, on edge, irritable, it also effects your mood and your natural facial expressions, jaws or shoulders get tense etc.

So make an intention to be in the flow state. Tell yourself That you are going to sit in the now for 10 min or 5 min or 2 min right now to prepare yourself to get up and act. But before that in those few minutes you will do nothing but be present in the now.

What does being present in the now feel like ?

It's noticing where you are, and not thinking about anything else, smell the air, feel it warm, cold, neutral listen to the noises see the activity going on infront of you... so that you are present in that moment.

This is scary at first because if we are in a rush we are bothered about time and getting into trouble. But if you can put ur trust in the knowing that no one and nothing is permanent except the now. If you can make yourself believe that you deserve those few minutes to honour yourself......you can face any consequence no matter how things go..., if you can trust God or the universe to take care of things as you honour yourself, your instincts slowly turn into intuition. Because this practice helps you come into complete alignment and also builds your trust in the unseen. allowing the unknown to merge and flow through you.

I feel like that is the time where we make that shift so you change from the daily routine, from the daily things, from the normal that you have always been being, and now you are making slight changes in your mind and body by taking a different approach

Now some might say but i have to be on time i have this thing and that thing and responsibilities and people etc etc.....but that is the point......, to change the course of action and take a different route....to do something different.

If you're always doing the same thing, you continue to remain where you are.

Life is always happening.....We can come up with a 1000 excuses driven by fear and laziness to not change from where we are but we only need 1 reason to make a change.

The spiritual journey is not for the faint hearted, it's for those that have tried everything and in everyway and have still been beat down and so the only alternative now is to turn to God and trust in the very source that all this started from. Merge with the plan.