I’m writing to you all from the jungles of Costa Rica.  As we move through life, we come to expect the unexpected. And as many of you who travel know, anything is possible.  Yoga provides the tools to move through the surprising circumstances of life with ease and grace.

One of the greatest superpowers that is cultivated through a daily Yoga practice is refining your intuition.   Intuition is defined as the ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning. 

When we are highly attuned to our intuition, we can tap into our inner wisdom which is ultimately connected to the great wisdom of the universe.  All the answers to life’s questions are held inside your intuition.

We are usually called to access our intuition in moments of confusion or overwhelm or when we are asked to make important life decisions.

We all have a connection to our intuition, but for some, it is sharper than others.  The good news is that developing your intuition is something that can be practiced. Once you’ve made the connection, it will be there to provide you with the answers you seek whenever you need them.

The best way to cultivate intuition is through a daily practice. 

• You can sit with a simple slow deep breath for some time or in a simple meditation practice.  
• Allow your mind to quiet. 
• Some find it best to focus on the navel point, the heart center or the third eye.  I encourage you to experiment with all options. 
• Focus and listen inward.
• Try asking yourself a question that you are trying to answer.
• Listen and wait for a sensation. It can be a message, a feeling, a sound, a vision.
• Start to take note which messages are coming from your mind and which are coming from a deeper place inside.
• With time and practice you will learn to discern.

Continue to practice working with your intuition and allow it to guide you through life. It will allow you to feel clear in your decision making. It will help you to trust yourself and empower you to feel more confident and less fearful of making a mistake or choosing the wrong decision.  Ultimately it will feel liberating! 

I’ll end this post with a little story about how my intuition kicked in to help save my daughter from a disaster in the jungle this week!  Last Weds am Jaya woke up with pain in her belly, by 9am we were at the local clinic in Puerto Jiminez, Costa Rica, where she was taken by ambulance boat to the local hospital in Golfito. By 3pm she had an ultrasound and was diagnosed with appendicitis. 

The doctor recommended immediate surgery. We were hesitant to operate at this remote hospital in the jungle and had plans to head to San Jose or even home to NY. But our intuition kicked in and we decided to trust and let go.

 By 6pm Jaya was in her scrubs and ready for laparoscopic surgery to remove her appendix. By 7:30pm she was in the recovery room after a successful surgery. 

Thank God we didn’t travel with her in that condition and trusted our intuition.  Once removed the doctor shared that the appendix was enlarged and it was highly unlikely, we would have made it home, or even to the city of San Jose without it bursting. 

She spent the night in the Mujeres ward with 12 other Costa Rican women and was released by 12pm the next day! Jaya is doing great. She was playing ping pong last night and is healing quickly back in the jungle. The locals say she is a true Tica now! What a story to tell. 

The lesson is to always TRUST your intuition. 

And if you are not feeling the connection to yours yet, work with the above practice daily to be prepared for these critical moments that life puts in your path.   Having a strong intuitive sense will allow you to move through life’s difficulties with ease and grace.

Sending lots of love from the jungle.

PURA VIDA

Lauren