Finding Your Lost Voice

The voice you may have lost is not the one your vocal chords create, and definitely not the voice in your head (don't you wish you could lose that sometimes?); it's the tiny, subtle voice inside your heart and soul. This wee voice offers brilliant guidance if and when we listen to it, but so few of us have ever been taught to listen.

As an adult, you may have had glimpses of what is possible when you followed a hunch, or felt very centered after a yoga class. Did you know, however, that you can cultivate this asset, allowing the voice to grow stronger and the advice to be ever more salient and true?

Another reason we don't listen to - or possibly even hear - our small inner voice of wisdom is that the outer stimuli is so constant and loud. Outer stimuli includes, by the way, that voice in our heads, because it is very rarely wise and most often just annoying, running on a loop of negativity and bombarding us with mental noise. From brith to death we rarely enjoy quiet moments unless we choose to cultivate them, and choose we must if we want to be guided by our own light.

The good news is that once you have a little practice listening, your sense of perception will become stronger; you'll intuit things more clearly and regularly. This is  very exciting time in human history, when more peopel than ever before are awakening to the inner power we all hold to connect with ourselves and with others in deep and authentic ways.

By listening to our own guidance, we can truly live our lives in ways that leave us deeply happy and satisfied, no matter the outer circumstance. Imagine the peace of mind of always feeling you'd done your best, stuck to what you believe, offered compassion and acted with integrity.

Some suggestions for cultivating your inner voice include:

• Meditation: Probably the most valuable of activities when it comes to inner quiet and accessing our own wisdom (including higher wisdom). Don't worry about doing it right - just do it. Whether you enjoy a few moments' silence to begin or end your day or prefer guided meditations (try YouTube) to help you relax, there are myriad options.
• Take walks: While doing so (preferably alone), ask yourself questions about things which are important to you instead of just letting your mind wander. If you don't even know what is important to you, start with asking that! Allow yourself to relax and wait for answers to come to you...you will slowly align yourself to your inner wisdom and will likely begin to enjoy these solo sojourns if you continue the practice.
• Write: Try writing out your thoughts on a regular basis. Begin a gratitude or daily journal, try stream of consciousness writing (when you just start and let it rip until you can't write anymore) or review your goals on a regular basis. Concentrate on going deep inside and writing what comes from your heart, rather than regurgitating anything tha came from external sources.
• Use your slumber: Before going to bed at night, spend a few minutes calming your mind and letting the day's chatter slip away. Breathe deeply and just allow yourself to relax and settle. If you have any issues you'd like some guidance on, ask yourself - or your higher self or the Universe or whatever resonates with you - some simple questions and request answers. When you do this for a few nights you'll very likely find that you get clear answers or at the very least some sense of direction in the mornings.