Increase Your Intuition In 3 Simple Steps

I know when the phones going to ring and who’s going to be on the other line but how can I trust my instincts enough to use them? Help! I’m just a human.

I've always been aware of intuitions and I have always known that I have a pretty powerful gut instinct. A lot of my friends call this coincidence or luck. At my age and in hindsight I've learnt that it would have been better to go with my instincts on so many occasions. Most of the greatest things in my life have come from following my gut instinct. What about the age old saying of 'everything happens for a reason'?

Everyone has a sixth sense? Do you ever get a hunch? How often have you thought about someone and then they call a few minutes later? Or think about a long lost friend and they surprise you the next week? Ever had deja vu but certain you haven't been in that situation or place before? Or taken a different route and dodged a tragedy?

I've learnt that having a few moments to contemplate without strain, reason, fear or habit, switching off the rational voice and not listening to logic helps me make the decision that is honest with myself, so I can progress in the direction I need to in my life. Sometimes YOU are more important than logic. Without intuition you are no different to a computer. What if you don't have enough information but need to make a decision? Exercise the right side of your brain by being creative; dance, paint, brainstorm, visualise and meditate. Trust your memory and intelligence and accept what your heart is telling you - it's a form of protection.

Intuitive Specialist Sinead de Hora tells us how to develop our intuition to make better use of our gut feelings.

1. HEAR THE MESSAGES Find yourself a quiet place, a place where you can hear nothing but your thoughts and feelings. This place can be in nature under a tree or even lying in bed before going asleep. Wherever you find that sense of stillness.

Bring all of your focus to your third eye. Your third eye is situated in the middle of your forehead, slightly above the junction of your eyebrows.

Imagine the colour purple swirling clockwise in a vortex like environment.

Ask Archangel Raziel to allow you to see or hear any messages that are for you. When doing this, messages will come to you in various forms from seeing random images, hearing various words or having sudden thoughts just appear.

Keep a pen and paper beside you so that you can note down your experience after each time that you practice. You will notice that every time you do this, the images will be come more vivid, the sounds will become louder, it will be like watching a movie of messages. Practice makes perfect. 2. INCREASE YOUR AWARENESS

To increase your intuition and establish a sixth sense you need to be in tune with your own body and your surroundings. Why do we get aches and pains in our body, what are our emotions? These aches and emotions are our body's way of communicating to us. They are messages that we don't always listen to or acknowledge. The only way you will find out what they mean is by asking your body.

The next time you have a headache, a pain in your back or feel emotional for "no reason", take a minute to draw your intention to the area in question. For example: If you have a sore knee and unsure as to why, take a second, close your eyes, tune out any background noise, visualise your knee in your minds eye and focus all of your intention and energy to your knee and ask 'why are you painful, what message do you have for me'? After a few seconds you will find out the answer, sometimes it can be one-worded answers or sometimes you will hear the solution on how to make it better. This can be done for any area on the body and you can do this on others as your intuition develops.

3. HOW TO READ ENERGIES

A fun exercise you can do with your friends who are also learning to enhance their intuition:

1. Sit in pairs and place your non-dominant hand on your friends shoulder.

2. Close your eyes, take three deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth.

3. Focus all of your intention on the palm of your hand that is touching the shoulder.

4. Imagine that there is a ball of colour in your hand that is warming your friends shoulder.

5. Once you feel the palm of your hand is warm, relax your body and you will naturally start to feel various emotions and sensations that could lead to images and sounds.

6. When doing this for the first time, it can be hard to keep track of the different images and messages that you will receive, keep a note pad and pen beside you so that you can take note once the warmth of your hand has gone.

7. If you keep your notes a secret until you have all had a change to practice this, it will be interesting to see if others got the same visions and messages as you.

The lovely Akasha holistic treatment room

Intuitive Counsellor Sinéad de Hora practices at Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, Hotel Café Royal. Priced from £190 for 90 minutes.

For reservations please contact the team directly on 0207 406 3360 or via email akasha@hotelcaferoyal.com. For further information please visit www.hotelcaferoyal.com.

Read on to find out which products Beauty and Style Director Lisa Oxenham uses to help her relax and become more in-tune with her inner-self...

The spa-like Aveda Chakra 4 Balancing Body Mist transports me to India just for a few moments.

This gorgeous Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath and Shower Oil helps calm busy thinking.

Instead of thinking about my tense body this Herbal Bath Muscle Soother relaxes my tense muscles.

Lighting a refreshing candle like the Neom Organics Tranquility Scented Candle with citrus fruits and lavender help to clear my head.

Recommended by acupuncturist John Tsagaris - these Organic India Ashwagandha supplements work to balance hormones - I've noticed a considerable change to my stress levels and nervous system since I started taking them a month ago.

I apply Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil after showering every morning to put me in holiday mode for a few moments.

I place ILA Beyond Organic Face Oil For Glowing Radiance on the palms of my hands every morning and night and take three deep breaths.