Showing Up Whole

Panic in Your Head or Wisdom in Your Heart? How to Trust Your Inner Guidance.

• Christina Fletcher • Season 5 • Episode 8

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 In a world filled with noise, news cycles, social media, and collective anxiety, learning to tell the difference between your intuition and your fear is one of the most powerful skills you can cultivate.

Because, your intuition speaks in whispers, while fear shouts through a megaphone.

In this episode, I share personal stories, including a transformative birth experience and pivotal relationship decisions, that illustrate how intuitive guidance feels different from fear.

 You’ll discover how regulating your nervous system opens the doorway to clarity, and how to develop your inner compass through simple daily practices.

In this episode, you'll learn:

  • How to tell the difference between intuitive knowing and fear-based thinking
  • Why nervous system regulation is key to clear inner guidance
  • The physical sensations of alignment vs. contraction
  •  Practices to strengthen your intuitive muscle (starting with small decisions)
  •  How to connect with your heart space and spiritual source
  •  The importance of filtering external guidance through your own inner truth

 

Takeaway:
The more you honor your intuition, the more anchored, clear, and confident you become. In doing so, you not only transform your life—you offer steady, heart-centered wisdom to the world around you.

Download Christina's powerful, and free, Spiritual Sleep Solution Bundle here.




Christina Fletcher is a Spiritual Alignment coach, energy worker, author, speaker and host of the podcast Showing Up Whole.
She specialises in practical spirituality and integrating inner work with outer living, so you can get self development off of the hobby shelf and integrated as a powerful fuel to your life.

Through mindset, spiritual connection, intuitive guidance, manifestation, and mindfulness techniques Christina helps her clients overcome overwhelm and shame to find a place of flow, ease, and deep heart-centered connection.
Christina has been a spiritual alignment coach, healer and spiritually aware parent coach for 7 years and trained in Therapeutic Touch 8 years ago. She is also a meditation teacher and speaker.
For more information please visit her website www.spirituallyawareliving.com

Want to uncover where you need the most energy alignment?
Take her new Energy Alignment Quiz to identify which of your energetic worlds (mind, body, heart or spirit) needs aligning the most!

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Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome back to Showing a Pool, the place where we discuss alignment in mind, body, heart and spirit in every aspect of our lives. Today, in this wild ride that we're calling life, right now, I want to discuss the power of being able to trust your intuition, how to listen to that intuition, what it really feels like and looks like and what might be getting in your way. And hello, All right. So you know, we talk so much in the self-development field about really listening to yourself, listening to your heart, listening to your inner guidance, listening to your soul, listening to your source, listening to the angels. However, you want to see that as, and yet so often it gets into this twist and turning path of what does that actually mean? What is the difference between listening to your heart and also sometimes listening to that fearful narrative that gets into your head? To that fearful narrative that gets into your head? Often people will come to me and they'll be like how do I distinguish between, like, what my heart is telling me and what actually is just the scary voice that is rattling around trying to get in my way? How do I know what's actually maybe holding me back and what is actually, from within myself, me back and what is actually from within myself. I wanted to talk a little bit about this because we are living in a really complicated time. We are living in a time where, collectively, the energy is fueled by a lot of fear. There is a lot of triggering things happening various parts of the world. There's a lot of surprising things. There's been a lot of things that have actually thrown people off of their groove a sense of shock, of disappointment, of even betrayal. There is a time where we have a lot of noise around us. There's the noise of social media, there's the noise of normal media. If you take part in that, there's also the noise of just this uncertainty. When you're surrounded by uncertainty of what things look like, then your nervous system gets triggered. You can feel like you're in a tunnel vision space. Nervous system gets triggered. You can feel like you're in a tunnel vision space and when you're in that space, it is this kind of I guess it's almost like a white noise of distraction where you're kind of unsure which direction to take.

Speaker 1:

You know, it is in these times that we individually know that it is vital to be tapping into our individual connection, our connection to source, our connection to our hearts, connection to who we are, that connection to that deeper sense of knowing. We know this, this, you know it's. We all know the idea that you know the Zen Buddhist kind of concept of when life is too busy to meditate, when life is too stressful to meditate, meditate twice as long. We know that the spiritual practices actually take you through stressful times. I think I think it would be hard pressed to find someone into self-development that didn't actually understand that. That was kind of what we were working towards. However, we also know that when we are in those stressful times it's harder to find that connection. It's harder to find the heart-centered space to really hear what your heart is telling you. Okay, side note, Little sidetrack, because you know I like to do those.

Speaker 1:

Tomorrow is my son's 16th birthday and we were sitting around the kitchen table today talking about his birthday and the actual day of his birth because I kind of went. Well, it's actually my birthday too because I gave birth. My son's birthday was one of the most intuitive experiences and spiritually led. However, it wasn't spiritually led so much that I was connected to the universe. Rather, we were connecting together. So little side story.

Speaker 1:

We were living in rural Nova Scotia, Swine flu was rampant in the hospitals because this was 2009, where, you know, it was all the H1N1 and all of this stuff. It was the first type of emergency of those kind of things and, having had traumatic births before in hospital, it was like this inner calling that I wanted something deeper and different for him. I never suggest unassisted home births to anyone. It's not a recommendation, it's not something that I regularly talk about, but I will say that in that moment, when I was just about to give birth, I knew that he was coming at home and I knew that no midwife, no one was getting there before it, because we lived in rural Nova Scotia. So I remember looking up at our skylight, looking at the moon, and I remember connecting to him and I remember listening to this deep, deep sense of knowing that he was, this was his journey, this was his path, this was about him and I was just facilitating in that moment. It was this fascinating tunnel of inexperience. Now, meanwhile, when I talked to my other family members who were witnessing this, you know everybody else was very, very triggered, but for me this was a moment of deep, deep connection.

Speaker 1:

There could have been a lot of fearful narratives. I think my husband felt those fearful narratives very, very strongly, but in that moment, some deeper knowing overtook me, always approach my son's birthday with this awe-inspiring, awe-inspired sense of fulfilling satisfaction. I am so proud of not necessarily just myself for listening to that, but I'm proud of him because together he was communicating to me the entire time. I was communicating with him the entire time, and I still remember the moment that he was born and I just looked at him and I was like there's my boy, that's who we've been talking to each other for so long. It was one of those times in my life where listening to those inner instincts, listening to that intuition, listening to this flow within myself led to great success. Another was when I met my husband and I ended up traveling across the ocean in order to meet him. There has been times in my life where a deeper knowing has settled in. It's like a pebble that falls into the water All of a sudden. It's not in your head. Instead, you just feel it deep within yourself.

Speaker 1:

There are, there's a deep importance to not just assume that voice but to actually take the steps to actually know. You can trust that. It is a question of first making sure that you have a regulated nervous system. I say this because and I know if you listen to this podcast any you know, for any frequent amount of time, you're going to know that I talk about regulating your nervous system. For any frequent amount of time you're going to know that I talk about regulating your nervous system Because when you actually have a triggered nervous system, it's important to remember that your whole vision you lose that sense of peripheral vision. You only can see the danger in front of you. Nervous system is all about danger. It's all about that alarm system within yourself that tells you things are going to go wrong. Where is that? You know where's the danger. Looking around the corner, you are in that state of worry and, uh, stress, and you know that. I'm reading mel robbins let them theory right now and she's talking about like the stress response. That's your triggered nervous system.

Speaker 1:

It is that panicky sense of overwhelm and if you find yourself in that panicky, I always say that you know you feel it high up in your head, you feel it in this, this or in your shoulders. You feel like your heart racing. It's all in your upper body. When you are in a triggered nervous system state, you feel this kind of swirling energy that you just can't even be in your body with the head. Chatter keeps going. You start feeling like you're hyperventilating. You feel tension in your shoulders, you feel like on defense Probably you are really defensive and you're snapping at everyone around you. It just feels like you're a pressure pot that you need to push, push, push down. So when you're in that state, if you get this nudge about something, you really can't rely on it because chances are it's coming from a fearful space.

Speaker 1:

I remember someone talking about how you know if, if, what's the difference between heart guidance and gut guidance, and they said that you know your gut is often about survival, it's often about a fear space. It's often like, oh well, if you do that, this could happen, Whereas your heart is a knowing and it has to have safety in your body. In order to hear your heart, In order to have that deeper inner guidance, that deeper inner knowing, you have to be in a state of deep connection and regulation. So, however, you're practicing your nervous system regulations these days, whether it's plugging into source, whether it's grounding, earthing, deep breathing, meditation, whether it's grounding, earthing, deep breathing meditation, even some of the great practices that you're seeing nowadays from nervous system specialists on Instagram, where you're just like humming or moving your eyes in different directions. There's some incredible tools that I share, that other people share. So find your nervous system regulation hack so that you can make sure you're in a regulated space, because there's a difference. You will feel the difference and please don't see this as a one and done.

Speaker 1:

We are continually in need of regulating our nervous systems. I mean, I have my processes that every once in a while, something happens and I go oh, nervous system just flared up again. Time to bring her down. So have that in your pocket, Something that makes sure that you are in a calm reset space, so that then you can trust what you're feeling and what you're hearing, that it's not going to be slammed around from fear. Also, observe what you are intaking from your environment. Watch your information that you are unloading, Like if you are watching a lot of things of news, if you're watching a lot of stories from what's happening outside of you.

Speaker 1:

I've heard recently someone say that, like you know, our nervous systems were actually only designed to understand what's happening in our local village. So when we're watching loads of world events, it's actually really, really overwhelming and overstimulating for our nervous systems. So just be conscious of it. I'm not saying hide your head in the sand. It's important to know what the collective is experiencing. It's important to know the time we're living in. It's important to know who we can help, even if it's just energetically sending love. It's important that we're stepping into shining our light out into the world and at the same time, it's really important to make sure that we aren't just jumping in the deep end and getting swallowed up by the storm that's out there. So regulate, connect, turn it off, turn off that stimulating news and make sure that you are connecting to yourself Now from a regulated space.

Speaker 1:

From a regulated space, you will find that you feel a steadier sense of belonging. I used to crave belonging so much from outward sources. You know, belonging to the communities, belonging to other people, belonging to like-minded friends, and then, all of a sudden, I realized that once you actually tap into spiritual source, you have a far greater sense of belonging because you are belonging to the whole. So from that space suddenly, you can receive a deeper sense of information. You know when you are actually able to feel into your heart space, there's a deep relief that falls over you Um, and it's. It turns into a? Um, an immediate resource and and a personal relationship that you do you. You you just trust on a deeper, a deeper way. Now a lot of people like and I myself included, every so often.

Speaker 1:

Anyone who works with me knows, occasionally I pull up my pendulum to ask simple, intuitive questions. I might use oracle cards, which I share, even with my community as well you can use. You know I've trained in kinesiology, so occasionally I'll use muscle testing or just checking in with my heart space. There's lots of different ways to really understand what your intuition feels like, but I want to talk to you a little bit about listening, the difference between your own inner guidance and the guidance that does come from outside sources. How to actually distinguish between what you sometimes may hear, even through signs or through outward manifestations. Then, all of a sudden, that deep drop space of knowing. So I'm just going to grab a drink. Be one sec. I know how.

Speaker 1:

There's nothing worse than your mind chattering away, feeling like it's out of control. It seems like the more you try to get it quiet, the louder it manages to get. It's even worse when you're trying to sleep. It's like the most stressful thoughts kick up a fuss just before you climb into bed. Energy alignment affects every aspect of yourself. Your spiritual connection actually can affect your sleep, and if your head is chattering, chances are you are in need of an energetic shift, especially if you want a restful night.

Speaker 1:

I have the perfect remedy for you and, best of all, right now it's free. The Spiritual Sleep Solution Bundle shares powerful steps for energy alignment with you to get you aligned to sleep. From the physical practice of clearing your energy from the day and a meditation along with an energy healing to soothe you off to slumber. This bundle has you covered. No more restless sleeps, no more tossing and turning, rather simply, spiritually connected slumber. You also get a pdf guide to a few ways to clear energy from your home and some tips to support your bedtime all for free. Download it now at spirituallyawarelivingcom. Aligned to sleep or at the link in the show notes below. And sweet dreams, okay.

Speaker 1:

So I'm just checking my notes and I wanted to make sure that you know we cover some really important things right now, because let's just recap. First off, you have a deep inner resource, your own intuitive connection within you, and it's really a question of practicing listening to that. So then you can start to trust it. When you regulate your nervous system, when you find that calm, steady space within yourself, you'll feel a shift. It's like a light goes on and suddenly you can feel like literally, tangibly feel this flow within you. So almost like a magnetic process, a magnetic field, that something comes up and all of a sudden it will feel light because it's aligned to you, or it will start to feel scrambly or fear-based or intense, and then you know it's not. In order to get the sensitivity of actually trusting yourself, it's really important that you just practice listening to that inner voice. So, first off, you've got to regulate your nervous system, Set that hack in place and I am going to repeat that over and over and over again Because when you actually are in that regulated space, when you're calm and plugged into your spiritual source, that's when you actually can hear beyond the fear. Hear beyond the fear. I like that.

Speaker 1:

Now I also want to encourage you to practice understanding what you're plugging into. You're not plugging into your ego, You're not plugging into your human mind, You're not plugging into what you already know. This isn't like pros and cons list. This is actually about asking and inviting a deeper knowing, a deeper knowing. You can see that as a source of the universe God source, energy, your heart, space, whatever is going to make you feel safe and guided, whatever makes you feel like you're not alone. I have. I personally I've talked. I journal to God occasionally. I journal to God occasionally. I will talk to the universe. I connect to Archangel Michael. I will talk to my heart often and receive that as like a radio signal for my higher soul.

Speaker 1:

You lean into what works for you to feel like you aren't alone and that you are feeling guided. As I mentioned, I want to talk a little bit about the outward sources mainly. You know, occasionally people will talk to me and they're like I'm really kind of confused because I spoke to this psychic and this psychic told me X, Y, Z would happen, or my um, or I was doing a card reading and it really seems like this and this and this is happening, or, um, I saw all these signs that actually suggest this is happening, even though I felt it wasn't. So let's actually kind of just lean into that because, first off, about psychics, and you know I will tell you like occasionally, even with clients, I will say you know what this actually feels like this is the path for you, or it feels like right now you are calling this in and I will be able to sense into what's actually happening um in their near future, Occasionally. I just spoke to um a client who was talking about this, this story about someone who actually had quite a steady reading that actually read out quite far in advance.

Speaker 1:

I remember once when I was in my very early 20s I went to a psychic and I remember she told me she's like you know what? I see this man in your future. He has piercing blue eyes and you're going to meet him in the mountains. And I was like, well, okay, I knew I was calling in my soulmate. I was like that's really exciting. I had a trip to Banff in Canada already planned, which was up in the Rocky Mountains. I was like, wow, okay, that's exciting. I hadn't told her about Banff. So, you know, I was like who knows? And there it happened. I was at dinner in a conference and I looked beside me and there was this man with piercing blue eyes and I went well, that's interesting. Something within me went it's interesting, it's kind of fun. But no, However I talked, I kept an open mind, but within a little while I knew no, Within three weeks. That was when I was boarding a plane to fly over to the UK to meet my husband, who is my soulmate and always will be. If I had listened to outward stories it wouldn't have been a happy outcome.

Speaker 1:

It's a fascinating thing when you actually start looking at the information that others may receive, that might offer you, and it's really important to always drop that into your heart space from a regulated space and actually lean into whether it feels like yours, Whether it's just something that's out in the ether and you're grasping for it, whether someone else is picking up on that potential reality, whether someone is just picking up on one possibility, and instead lean into what is yours, what actually feels like it aligns within you, it feels like your own truth. It's an interesting time with the world and the space that it's at the collective energy that's building the social media driven world of cancel culture, of kind of this, everyone building together and yet taking a step aside from it and developing your own individual connection to who you came to be and an individual connection to a deeper guidance. I mentioned that the heart is like a radio station and it is your heart, just through feeling, will lead you to your soul and that soul connection it's. It's always a deep, deep comfort when you are in kind of maybe a triggered state, maybe slightly feeling off, maybe you're just coming out of a triggered state. You just regulated, you just grounded, and yet you're leaning into what is your path, what is the right step. How do you reconnect to that inner self that you can then trust and rely on? How do you reconnect to that inner self that you can then trust and rely on? How do you reconnect to the source energy that's flowing to you? And I know I put my hand on my chest, hand on my heart, and I just breathe into that space and I just hold up options that I'm exploring and you can feel what is lighter, you can feel a pull, a movement forward, even of what is lighter. Then you'll feel the opposite to that. If it's not for you, If your inner guidance, that inner soul voice, is saying this is not the right path, you will feel a constriction. This is not the right path. You will feel a constriction. You'll feel a tightening Promise.

Speaker 1:

You, it is true, you start to trust what lights you up. Sometimes I say this to clients and they're like well, you know I can't pay the bills, but what lights me up? I love doing this and this and this. I love doing my art, I love doing my, my walks, I love doing that and I can't live my whole life doing that. But you'll find that the more you actually listen to moments of that pull forward and you listen to the right choices in those moments, what you'll find is that the universe loves to see you follow through with that. And the more you say yes to listening to that inner voice or that universal pull, the more you listen to that and follow through with that, the clearer and stronger it gets. It's like a muscle, it just keeps building. The more you practice it, the stronger it gets. It's like a muscle, it just keeps building. The more you practice it, the stronger it gets. So even say, on your day off, just go for a walk and leave it up to the universe of which direction Should I go this way? Should I go that way? Leave it up to that intuitive pull and see what comes of it. And the more you do that, it closes the door. On just listening to your head or just being logical or just making sense, you start to close that door and you open your door to a deeper wisdom. And when you do that, you'll find that you just build a muscle up. So it's easier and easier Go slow, go steady, Listen to take it, take it, take it lightly and practice listening to your heart within yourself.

Speaker 1:

It's a joyful path. It creates flow, it creates very quick results and it takes a step away. It claims you back from the noise. It really really does, and I know we're living in noisy times and I know that it can even feel like you have to be part of the noise because you're part of the human race and we should all be part of the noise in order to help with the noise. But the truth is that it's when you actually go back within yourself and you listen to that inner guidance, you listen to that soul within yourself and you listen to the universe. It's when you do that that then you can actually help, Because when you're in the noise, you actually are just part of the buzz. When you take a step back, that's when you can actually lovingly support and be the lighthouse rather than the lifeboat. You can be there for other people in a way that you will be guided to be in All right, as everyone knows.

Speaker 1:

Speaking on that note, currently I have about 15 days left of my 30 days of meditation my daily meditation, over on my Instagram. I'm not sure if I'm going to move that over to Substack the following 30 days. I'm just weighing that up. But that was an intuitive pull. That was a deeper knowing within myself, and the fascinating thing was is that as soon as I started offering the meditations on my Instagram every day at 5 pm Eastern, 10 pm British time sometimes I've been a little bit late because I've been rushing into my office, a little bit late because I've been rushing into my office as soon as I started doing that, suddenly my dichotomy of world events shifted and I was able to feel more present with supporting others.

Speaker 1:

So just to let you know, that's something that I work on as well. You know it was an intuitive nudge. I felt like I was told to practice it this way, and so that's what I've been offering. You can still join me over on Instagram for that. Otherwise, you can always connect to me if that's what your inner guidance nudges you to do, Sending you all my love and light everyone, and take care, Love and light. Bye.