There have been many times in my life when I’ve heard – and then promptly ignored – my inner voice. To my lament. If I had listened, I could have saved myself so much pain and heartbreak. According to author and intuitive therapist, Amisha Ghadiali, I’m not alone. Even though we are all born with innate intuition, Western society quashes its development, often dismissing it as “woo-woo.” The good news is, it’s never too late to make the power of intuition work for you. We caught up with Ghadiali recently to get her to dish on easy ways to reconnect with our sixth sense and to chat about her fascinating new book, Intuition: Access your inner wisdom. Trust your instincts. Find your path.
Ghadiali is an award-winning social entrepreneur, intuitive therapist, and the founder of the Presence Collective — an online community for creative, connected and courageous living. Amisha also hosts the globally acclaimed podcast The Future Is Beautiful, which explores the relationship between politics, spirituality, sustainability and creativity.
Most of us ignore our intuition. How did we come to distrust or undervalue this incredible tool?
AG: There is a deep global history here, which explains why this has happened in dominant Western culture. It’s to do with the systems of oppression we live among, from patriarchy to colonialism to capitalism. Violence such as the Witch Hunts in or massacres of Indigenous people forced out or underground many practices of connection and intuition. It has created a fear, where if somebody is more intuitive and neuro-diverse we might label them as weird or woo-woo. There is a lack of respect in this part of our intelligence. It’s not taught to us as children – even though we all have innate intuition – our education and our workplaces focus on the rational mind and learning and recalling information. We miss out on a great deal in our lives and also in our society from not all being in tune with this remarkable intelligence that brings so much creativity into the world.
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Is it easy to reconnect with this inner power?
AG: It can be. I like to imagine intuition as an old friend. Even if you have ignored it for many years, when you pick up the phone, you are welcomed back with open arms. Your intuition has been there in the background rooting for you the whole time. In my book I share over 50 practices to connect to your intuition, as I believe that there are many pathways, and it’s about finding what’s right for you at this time.
So, how can we get started?
AG: One way, that I find to be a nice route for many people, is to write. You can sit in quiet contemplation with a question you have, and then pick up a pen and paper and start writing. Don’t read what you are writing. Just let the words pour out. Your hands are an extension of your heart. You might be surprised by what you have written and how it might differ from your logical mind’s answer to the question.
How can we use the power of intuition on our journey to wellness?
AG: Our intuition can guide us to know what we need. For example: If your physical health is out of balance, you can use your intuitive intelligence to guide you to the support that you need – diagnosis, practitioners and remedies. If you are living out of tune with your soul, your intuition can guide you toward the choices that will make you feel more alive and whole. I am not sure if we can come into wellness without a healthy relationship with our intuition. It’s such an important part of who we are.
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What are you most excited about people learning as they read your book?
AG: I am really delighted that this book is even being published, as it shows that the taboos around our intuition are shifting and we are coming into a new paradigm. I am really excited about what that might mean – that many people all over the world learn how to honour their intuition and live with their inner wisdom. I have shared the absolute best from my own journey of learning and so many practices, and I am excited about people letting go of patterns that don’t serve them and, instead, opening up to more freedom and flow.
Why did you become an intuitive therapist?
AG: Honestly, it wasn’t a pursuit, but an unfolding. I have always been interested in the human condition. My parents were psychiatrists, and my father was also a Jungian analyst. I tried different modalities of healing throughout my own journey. And when I came across energy work and the ability to clear our subconscious patterns with intelligence and awareness and without having to re-live the whole story, this work resonated deeply with me. I found it very helpful in clearing trauma, creating more space, connecting me to my soul and with ancestral healing.
You’re also a yoga instructor.
AG: I started my yoga teacher training to deepen my own practice and planned to just perhaps teach friends. Something felt so right when I was teaching, and it opened up the space to study with teachers, swamis and mystics. It took a lot of nudging to set up the Intuitive Therapy practice that I have now. I am happy that I listened and brought this work forward.
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And, you wear other hats, too.
AG: Other work I have done ranges from politics to tech to sustainable fashion – always with an angle on creating a more beautiful future. I found that many people in these fields need the support of deep inner work. And I have loved creating and facilitating both my one-to-one Presence Leadership Mentoring program (which uses the work of intuitive therapy) and The Beautiful Leadership Immersion. For me leadership has to include personal healing and an awareness of our collective trauma and possibility.
Interested in reading more about Amisha? Check out her website: www.amisha.co.uk
Welcome to Street Meet, FLEETSTREET’s series, where we meet up with trailblazers and thought leaders to deliver unique insight and inspiration into issues our audience cares about.