In Cherries I Trust
I used to think intuition was something external. Like the whisper of a spirit guide gently in one's ear. Or receiving a great idea in a flash of white light, written in gold in front of my third eye. However, as I've begun to let go of others' experiences of intuition, inspiration, and even divine guidance, I've learned (and continue to learn) to trust the most powerful guide of all - myself.
Just the other day, after a particularly painful start of my monthly cycle, I had a hankering for cherries. And this, my friend, was no ordinary hankering. I needed cherries. Right away.
I bought a (large) bag at the market by my house and proceeded to eat almost all of the cherries in it by 10:00 AM. Later that same day, I met a friend for a walk and we wandered into a Whole Foods nearby to escape some rain. There were more cherries. I bought them, and again, ate them with vigor.
I was initially unfazed by my heavy cherry intake until Taylor asked if I should press the pause button. Was it a good idea to eat SO many cherries? Shouldn't I take a bit of a breather? But there was something in me that was certain. I had an inner GPS telling me - with a deep knowing that I could stain my teeth blue-ish purple to my heart's content.
I was certain that there was something in this fruit - coded within it's DNA that was important for me. I didn't quite know what it was until I later googled Anthony Williams (the Medical Medium's) take on this special fruit. Anthony shares:
"Cherries are an amazing way to revitalize [the liver];" they are also "anti-cancerous," and are one of the top "endocrine-system-boosting foods" and also happen to be a "wonderful source of trace minerals like iron and zinc."
While all that sounded good, I read on. And what I read next made my jaw drop:
"Women receive particular benefit from cherries’ cleansing properties: cherries remove toxins from the uterus and the rest of the reproductive system and help to reduce fibroids and ovarian cysts."
Wow. Yes. Given my painful menstruation, I'm certain this was the target of the craving - a deeper healing and cleansing of that important area of my body that happened to be extra sensitive and perhaps a little angry at me for overloading it with more caffeine, gluten, and dairy than usual. My body knew it all along. My intuition knew it all along. It needed as many cherries as I could muster to send some of that healing directly to a system in distress.
You see, I used to compare myself to some of my other wise friends and mentors. I would feel like something was wrong with me thinking, "why didn't Yogi Bhajan come to ME in that meditation?" or "how come I didn't have a clairvoyant dream about exactly which path to choose when coming to a fork in the road?" I was constantly on the hunt for an external guidance when the magic - at least for me - was all within.
My intuitive wisdom lives inside. It's not the voice of an angel, or a Guru, it's 100% Joanna. And sometime's it's not even a "voice" per se. But it is clear. It is calm. It is confident. And it's not laced with the self-doubt, questioning, or analysis paralysis that can sometimes come from the mental waterfall of the ego.
This sense is often random. It's almost guttural and instinctive. It doesn't really see or hear all that well, in fact. But it feels. Oh, does it feel. And finally, more than ever I'm learning to trust that feeling - in my heart, in my gut. Those signs we've been conditioned to ignore or override will not be ignored anymore. I am celebrating the spontaneous and sophisticated flow of guidance from myself and within myself - whether it leads me to eat more cherries, release new classes, or travel to new places. Wherever it takes me, the important thing to remember is it is unique to me.
The more we trust our body's innate wisdom, however it may show up, the more we can maneuver around neurotic roadblocks to deeper healing, deeper wisdom, and deeper connection to the Divine inside.
So, how will you honor the sweet cravings of your own innate knowing? How will you trust and feel into your unique expression of intuition today? It's never too late to rekindle the connection.