Note from Ilana – September 2017

Do you listen to your inner voice?

When I think of perception or a sixth sense, I imagine that little angel or devil that jumps on my shoulder and utters my choice of what I should or shouldn’t do.  I have found that when I don’t pay attention to that little murmur instructing me which way to go or how to handle a situation, it usually doesn’t turn out well.  Listening and trusting our own intuition is significant. I’m not saying throw caution to the wind, but if you want to live a life of contentment, then you need to start trusting your intuition.

I’d like to share a story with you in hopes that it will inspire you to stop and take notice of what your inner voice is communicating to you.

I used to take annual trips with my Pilates group to Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, every December.  We were a group of ladies that enjoyed anything fitness-related…hiking, biking, boot camp, spin, yoga…you name it, we were doing it.  And to reward ourselves, we experienced relaxing spa treatments after our vigorous and robust day.

On the last day of one of my trips and after a level 5 hike (hardest level), we returned to the ranch and who did we see?? Lance Armstrong and his cycle team! They were getting ready to do a ride to Mount Lemon.  My roommate, an avid biker on a cycle team, was so excited seeing Lance that we decided to try to follow them to Mount Lemon.  As we quickly got our bikes and headed toward the road, something inside me said, “don’t do this…. don’t go!  If you go, you won’t come back the same.”  It stopped me for a moment, but I quickly brushed off that feeling and headed out with my friend.  While riding toward Mount Lemon, we saw Lance and his team heading back from their ride and proceeded to follow them.  Now…following a professional cycle team means high speed.  We rode fast and hard chasing them, and I carelessly hit a pothole and got thrown off my bike, landing on my shoulder.  With a broken collar bone, I flew home, had immediate surgery by a doctor that did not support my clavicle properly, causing an additional break and a full year convalescing my bone to strengthen so I could have a trauma specialist repair the damage from the initial surgery.  All is well now, but if only I had listened to my inner voice and not gone on that ride!!!

On another note, there have been instances in my life where my intuition and listening to my inner voice directed me to take on challenges that created amazing opportunities in my life.

How do we find our inner voice?

Listen:  Listen to your intuition…go with your gut feelings and follow the signs that are presented to you.

Confidence:  Trust and embrace your inner self.   Have confidence and let that empower you to be the self-assured person that you are!  Believe in yourself.

Live in the moment:  Let go of the past and don’t concentrate on the future.  Focus on now and how you feel at the moment.  When we live in the present and stop thinking about the future or the past, we can hear our inner voice unmistakably.

Mindfulness:  Don’t rush through life.  Everything you do should be thoughtful.  This connects with being in the present; you cannot be mindful if you are not in the present.

Meditate:  Sitting for just a few minutes each day to reflect upon yourself without any distractions is a great way to contemplate.  Quiet your mind and see what develops.  Your thoughts can be very enlightening.  Mediation is an excellent way to find your inner self.

Start listening to your inner voice.  Be sensitive and aware of your instincts and trust them.  This is your path to discovering what your true passions are. If you practice using good judgment and motivation to achieve your goals, you can create the life you dream of.

“Your mind knows only some things.  Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything.  If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.”  ~Henry Winkler  

In Wellness,
Ilana Moses,
Founder and CEO of FSA