Keeping In Touch With Your Intuition: Cat Hamilton On How To Get In Touch With Your Intuition And When To Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Self Awareness — Most people are not in touch with themselves and how they are feeling. A lot of time life is lived on automatic pilot and no time is given to being aware of how they feel inside. The majority of people live in their heads which allows no space for feelings, intuition and inner stillness. The more we know ourselves, the more in tune we become with our senses and how we feel, and the more able we are to trust and hear our intuitive messages.
Intuition is defined as the ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning. Where does intuition come from? Can it be trusted? How can someone tune in to their intuition? To address these questions, we are talking to business leaders, coaches, mental health experts, authors, and anyone who is an authority on “How to Get In Touch With Your Intuition And When To Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions.” As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cat Hamilton.
Cat is a Coach, Healer and Mindfulness Teacher. She lives and works in Warwickshire, where she supports those with challenges around feeling connected and finding meaning to life. Her work is varied and includes Animal & Inter-Species communication.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you. I was born in Scotland and lived there until I was 11. I had a very secure upbringing which helped me navigate the challenges I faced moving to England with more ease than may have been the case if I didn’t have so much self confidence.
I’ve always had a strong sense of being connected to all of life and knew at a young age there was more to life than what we can see. I have synesthesia which allows me to see music in colour. movement and shapes. I can also see people in this way too. Having this experience has kept me open to the understanding that we are all different and we all see and experience the world in different ways.
I was also brought up around what others may deem unusual, in as much as my gran used to read the tea leaves and had a sixth sense about things which added a magical and fascinating aspect to my already unusual way of experiencing the world.
I regard these experiences as having a big impact on me and they are what coloured the rest of my life and my willingness to trust and allow for the mysterious to have a place in my life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My all time favourite quote is “We cannot solve problems at the same level of thinking that we were at when we created those problems.” Albert Einstein. It is so common for us to try to understand and change something without doing anything different.
Through my Coaching it is apparent that when you get stuck in your head, ruminating over something without expanding it, you just get caught going round in circles. Once we step outside of the problem and look at it logically can we start to see a solution appear.
I notice how organisations, people and the general way of the world is always limited by the people within them. The agenda that is brought to the table influences the way people see and think towards the situation they are considering. Those making the decisions and planned improvements can only see what is possible for them and from their own experience. So much is missed out because of the inability to self reflect, ask others to collaborate and to bring new ways of being and seeing into the world.
Mostly society is still patriarchal and so the systems come from old familiar ways that are already known and in place. It feels like they don’t work anymore and new Innovative ways of seeing and thinking are called for. Perhaps a more intuitive approach could be just what we need.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
My mum gave me a book when I was in my teens — it was written by two aromatherapists and it was really deep and profound. I can’t remember the name of the book. It made a big impact on me, and at the same time, it also felt like it was too much for me at that time so I put it one side until I was ready to look at it again.
I later discovered Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch which peeked my interest and I read it enthusiastically. I loved the thought that I was getting direct communications from God.
On the way to my first Vipassana meditation course someone gave me a recording of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle to listen to while I was driving. This book really caught my imagination and deepened everything else I had learned previously.
These three books seemed to build on each other within me and the Vipassana meditation course became an experiential version of The Power of Now. They all reached me at the perfect time and I continue to expand my knowledge and curiosity of life and the mechanics of how it all works.
I love to use my life to put things into practise and I seem to learn through trial and error what works for me, so I never follow anyone or any religion as I discover through my own experience what works and feels right for me. I love to learn and be guided by my own authority, which isn’t always welcomed in a world where logic and reason are king.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s begin with a definition of terms so that each of us and our readers are on the same page. What exactly does intuition mean? Can you explain?
Intuition is one of those things you can’t explain, it has to be experienced. I guess the best way to think about it is to remember a time when you just ‘knew’ that something was right or wrong. You felt it within and it seemed to come from no-where, without any reason or outside influence. You just knew you were right.
I have learned to trust my intuition through the years and it has always served me well. A funny example is my son love shortbread. When he was at Uni myself and my parents went to visit him. Before going I thought I would get him some shortbread, then I immediately had the sense that my mum had already got him some.
I decided to test it, and walked over to the local shop to see if there was any there. They didn’t have the one he liked and the one they did have was very expensive and just didn’t ‘feel right’. I walked home knowing that my mum had bought him some.
When they arrived to pick me up, I asked her — did you get Jack some shortbread? Yes she said, it’s in the car!
I also communicate with animals remotely and telepathically. Through my intuition, I have learned to trust the messages and images that I receive and 9 times out of 10 they are correct.
The challenge is to decipher whether it is a thought that you are having or direct intuitive insight. I could have thought through the process of buying shortbread for my son, and rationalised that my mum knows he likes shortbread and she could have got him some etc, but I received the information as a feeling within that told me my mum had bought him some. I put it to the test for a bit of fun.
How would you define common sense? Are intuition and common sense related?
Common sense is more logical. It’s something that is known as a fact or can be fathomed through reasoning. Intuition is more a felt sense of something being right from within.
You wouldn’t rely on intuitive for being productive, deciding what to eat or wear for example. You generally go about your day doing what is natural, logical and required for each situation. Intuition comes in when you are making decisions or as a flash of inspiration — when you stop ruminating, the answer can come at the least expected times.
How are they different from each other?
Most of society lives according to their common sense. They logically reason things and try to figure things out for themselves and do not allow time for their intuition to kick in, and even when they do they don’t tend to trust it. How many times have you done something that didn’t quite feel right only to be shown later that your instincts were right?
Intuition is built into us. It is natural. However, we have been conditioned to believe that its wrong or woo woo and not to be trusted. I’ve certainly been subjected to these assumptions from others and been told I have a very active imagination.
Logical reasoning seems to win through rather than someone’s ‘gut feeling’.
What are the positive aspects of being in touch with your intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
Being in touch with your inner guidance system is such a gift. When we have a decision to make, something within us already knows the answer but the reasoning mind will question and debate the pros and cons. Deeply trusting our innate senses can be really rewarding and nurturing.
I think of all of life being energy and that everything is interconnected. If we think of someone, it is not uncommon for us to hear from that person. I think of intuition in the same way. What is the first instinct or feeling that comes up when you are trying to reason something instead of listening within? Is it generally correct?
Being open to the times that intuition kicks in can be really helpful and surprising.
Are there negative aspects to being guided by intuition? Can you give a story or example to explain what you mean?
If you don’t really trust yourself and you are not sure what is mind talking and what is intuition. It can get confusing for some to know what is guiding them. When I started listening to my intuition I was always more
annoyed the times I didn’t listen and follow what I ‘knew’ to be right.
I organised to visit a friend in Peru and decided to book ongoing flights from Lima to Cuzco. While trying to book the tickets; the laptop froze, the flights went up in price and I kept getting kicked off the website. I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. However, my dad stepped in determined to book the flights, and I told him not to as something wasn’t right. He dismissed me, and eventually managed to book the flights. When I got to Peru the flights he had pre-booked for me came with many clauses and conditions meaning that they were the wrong flights and I had to pay a lot of extra money to make them valid for me to use.
Can you give some guidance about when one should make a decision based on their intuition and when one should use other methods to come to a decision?
Obviously there is a place for both. We are thinking rational beings and when faced with a decision or challenge it is wise to took at all angles, pro’s and con’s and to take in a big picture view of the situation. However, to add another dimension to the decision making process, try to listen within to what your intuition is saying about the situation too.
I always find that making rash decisions never works for me, and that it is best for me to let things settle and see what feelings come up within me so I get a whole sensory experience of how it feels in my body.
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that hold someone back from trusting their intuition?
I would say that the common barriers are not being sure of what it feels like to ‘know’ something within and to feel that you are not just making it up. Also, other people are not always supportive of gut instincts or decisions made using intuition which can block others from sharing what they think and feel about a situation. It’s not taken seriously and in some cases people are often ridiculed for listening to their intuition.
That’s not going to inspire you share and talk about it so most of the time it is ignored and pushed under the carpet so to speak.
What are five methods that someone can use to become more in touch with their intuition?
1 . Self Awareness — Most people are not in touch with themselves and how they are feeling. A lot of time life is lived on automatic pilot and no time is given to being aware of how they feel inside. The majority of people live in their heads which allows no space for feelings, intuition and inner stillness. The more we know ourselves, the more in tune we become with our senses and how we feel, and the more able we are to trust and hear our intuitive messages.
Take some time each day to stop and tune into how you are feeling. How does your body feel? What thoughts are dominating your mind? When we realise what thoughts are taking up most of our day, there can be a shift towards what would be more nurturing for me to think? The more self awareness we can cultivate the more we can start to listen to our inner guidance.
2 . Mindfulness Practices — Mindfulness for me is the biggest thing we can bring into our lives. Taking time to notice our breath, the things around us, our thoughts and the negative self talk that goes on all day, can help us to detach from them and to realise that they are not who we are. Mindfulness can bring a profound awareness to life and shine a light on ourselves and our behaviours that perpetuation the challenges we may face day to day.
Taking time throughout the day to notice how you feel, to take two or three deep breaths to reset the nervous system and relax the shoulders can make all the difference. The more you practise and become aware of the noise in your head the more you can question the repetitive thoughts that can keep you stuck.
Mindfulness allows for more stillness within and for the intuition to be heard and felt at a deeper level so you have a true sense of ‘knowing’ that what it is telling you is right, and should help you to discern between intuition and thoughts.
3 . Testing your intuition — this can be fun to try. Telepathy is a form of intuition and when I am communicating with animals I have to trust my intuition that what is being received is right.
Try an exercise with a friend or partner where you each think of something and take it in turns to send the image to each other. Quieten the mind and let go of doubt, and sit in curiosity waiting to see what comes to mind. It doesn’t matter if you get it wrong, its just a bit of fun to help develop trust in what you are feeling and seeing and getting instant feedback . The more you practise listening, the more you start to trust what you receive and get used to the feeling of ‘knowing’ that your intuition is right.
4 . Spend time in nature — this might sound like an odd suggestion, but spending time in nature allows our mind to slow down. When we walk mindfully through a woodland, park, field or other nature spot our minds tend to be clearer than if we are at home or in the office. We tend to slow down when walking outside and our senses can become more heightened as well.
5 . Be aware of your dreams — sometimes our minds are so busy during the day that the messages can’t get through to us, so when we are asleep it is not uncommon to have dreams or inspirations to arrive when the mind is quiet and we are unconscious. Life is always trying to tell us something it just depends whether we are listening or not.
You are a person of significant influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would love to create public places for people to gather together and sit in meditation on a regular basis. Instead of churches where there are expectations and conditions, meditation spaces can be used for a deeper connection to life and each other. When we sit together in peace and love we fill the universe with that vibration. It would be great to have a world run on meditative practises that bring wisdom and peace into the world instead of revenge, anger and selfish outcomes.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I would love to have lunch with the Dalia Lama. He has overcome so much and lives in joy, love and possibility. I’m sure I could learn a lot just by sitting in his presence.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find out more about me here — https://linktr.ee/consciousness_musings
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Keeping In Touch With Your Intuition: Cat Hamilton On How To Get In Touch With Your Intuition And… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.