The simplest way to a fulfilling life is to allow universal intelligence to be your guide.

Those of you who have been following the still for a while (thank you) will know I'm passionate about healing and developing flexibility in the nervous system. In my own process of healing from anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress, discovering the critical role my highly dis-regulated nervous system played in my suffering changed the game. Now, I can't help but sing from the rooftops the endless benefits of taking responsibility for the healthy functioning of the nervous system, and why this is relevant from the perspective of the Vedic worldview.

Strengthening the nervous system and ridding it of accumulated stress allows us to live an intuition-led life. Each of us has experienced things in life that left a lasting impression, from being barked at by a dog as a baby, to being in a car accident, to having parents unable to attune to your needs, to experiencing neglect or abuse. Unless gently and consistently addressed, the impressions left behind by these events influence the safety systems in our body - including the immune system, nervous system and digestive system. Left unaddressed, stress and trauma overwhelm these systems and make it difficult to identify or trust your emotions and body sensations. You might feel numb when faced with an unexpected loss, react angrily if you incorrectly perceive a partner’s behaviour or struggle to describe your feelings when asked by a friend or therapist. In contrast, those who regularly tend to their nervous system and work to let go of past stresses and traumas are typically able to easily recognise and express their feelings and emotions.

So, how does this relate to intuition? Intuition is your felt sense of the most evolutionary thing to do (or not do), moment by moment. In the Vedic tradition, intuition is described as your fine level of feeling or hride maya kosha in Sanskrit*. The fine level of feeling is like an instrument that allows us to sense and respond to the sensations felt in the body. The more refined your nervous system, the more subtle the cues you are able to detect. While the intellect (buddhi in Sanskrit) is wonderful at discrimination of information and recalling history, it’s no good at making accurate predictions of the future to guide our decisions and actions. This is the role of the fine level of feeling. The fine level of feeling is there to guide us on everything from what time to set the morning alarm to what to eat for lunch to which city to live in and what partner to choose.

From the Vedic perspective, to make decisions and take action based on your fine level of feeling is to allow universal intelligence to be your guide. This is how we make our personal contribution to the evolution of all things, which is the purpose of life and creation. Vedic meditation is a tool that facilitates nervous system upgrades. As we continue to refine the nervous system through our daily practice and allow the fine level of feeling to guide us, thinking stops playing a role in our decision making. Through repetition we cultivate an unshakable trust in the felt sense of our evolutionary role in each moment and how to fulfil it. This is the natural outcome of a devotion to our daily practice. To learn more about Vedic meditation & for upcoming course dates, please see below.

* Sanskrit is the ancient language of India. All of Sanskrit is onomatopoeic of the form or phenomenon it describes, meaning that the sound of the word is evocative of the form. The word hride in Sanskrit is onomatopoeic of the sound of the heart beat. A maya kosha is a subtle layer of your being, forming part of your jiva or soul.