Is intuition a skill we can train, or have we simply forgotten how to listen to our body’s real-time signals?

Long before I survived a major road accident in 1994, my brain was already trying to warn me. Weighing just 1.3 kilograms, this complex organ houses far more than logical thought—it holds our survival instincts.

Its billions of neurons are forever at work—processing, storing, and transmitting information across the body. And it also houses our intuitive abilities.

Since my 20s, my sixth sense has been my guide and mentor—albeit through an uncomfortable initiation. I used to have persistent premonitions of losing my right hand. In 1994, I suffered a severe road accident that injured all four limbs and my face. My right hand was the worst hit, but it was saved with delicate care and surgeries. Ever since, I have learned to listen to my gut without hesitation.

While some of us are naturally inclined to listen to this deep inner voice, or gut feeling, others tend to push it back. But that feeling never truly subsides. Science describes that gut feeling or sensation as Somatic Intelligence. And it has been widely explored by neuroscientists.

But I discovered a structured mindful and spiritual practice to increase intuitive process through veteran actor Archana Puran Singh’s vlog on the Art of Living Foundation.

The Art of Living’s Intuition Process, known as Prajñā Yoga, is a two-day specialized program designed for children and teenagers aged 5 to 18 to tap into their latent sixth sense and perceive beyond the five standard senses. That did make me wonder about my late start.

Reading through Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s teachings, I discovered that the sixth sense reaches its peak when the brain is untainted by stress and chronic fatigue—the ‘highly neuroplastic window of youth.’ But that doesn’t mean adults can’t cultivate intuition. This was my ”AHA” moment.

Well, I was rooted in the intuitive process unknowingly.

When the mind settles into deep rest, clarity and intuitive insights naturally arise. For me, meditation, breathwork, nature walks, reading, journaling, and intuitive arts have worked in a seamless manner.

Deep systems such as Tarot, oracle cards, astrology, and others might seem overwhelming and are primarily viewed as tools for fortune-telling. Shamanism, which is part of my daily practice, is another foggy area for most. But its not the predictive nature of tools that shapes your fortune; its your actions.

These fortune telling tools simply decode your energy in that time period—the rest lies in your hands.

Personally, I believe we shouldn’t fall prey to the predictive nature alone, but rather learn from the wisdom of the practices. They have served as a calming, stable anchor through my toughest times. They are my inner GPS that help navigate the outer world.

The history behind the tools is a great way to trace how our ancestors lived, and how civilisations were rooted in local beliefs and practices.

These fortune telling divination tools have been developed across different parts of the planet, yet their widespread popularity lies in the fact that they work on individual energy patterns. Which means, you could be anywhere in the world, but only your energy pattern decides your life. And each tool can decode that pattern suited to your situation.

There are also ways to cultivate our intuitive faculties: writing letters to our future selves, creating vision boards, practising reflective journaling, or even chanting mantras.

While these practices come from different traditions and are being explored in psychological research, their value may lie less in predicting the future and more in helping us focus our attention, clarify our intentions and listen to our inner voice.

For me, this understanding is the core of my daily routine.

The Intuitive Tool Kit

Ambica Gulati wears many hats: independent journalist, editor, multimedia storyteller, author and fiction writer. Her work moves between global affairs, conscious travel, the environment, culture and the intuitive arts, while her fiction explores the territories where nature, memory, mystery and imagination converge.

Beyond the laptop, she nourishes her creative practice through meditation, birding, reading, journaling, oracle cards, and yoga.

I also facilitate workshops exploring the art of journaling, understanding intuition, and cultivating our intuitive and creative faculties through reflective writing, creative exercises and simple practices for greater self-awareness.

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