How and Why to rē•connect to Your Intuition with the Help of Kristine Fredheim

The French writer and diarist Anaïs Nin once wrote, “I will not adjust myself to the world, I am adjusted to myself.” Mainstream society feels like it values conformity which is rē-inforced through culture, institutions, families of origin, and more. But not everyone feels satisfied living the pre-ordained path. For those looking to rē-spin convention, shifting away from a rationality-driven, “cookie-cutter” life plan, consider the sense of purpose that comes from an intuition-led life.

An intuition-led lifestyle prioritizes wellness, from the body to the spirit, by honoring your Higher Self — what psychic medium Kristine Fredheim, the founder of Soul Cards, describes as, “the soul, your spirit, your vibe — who you are before embodying the human form.” She explains that through practices that promote your connection with your intuition, you can more easily live in alignment with the most fundamental tenets of your spirit; a life that satisfies the soul. Doing so is another matter altogether as there are also countless inner- and outer obstacles standing in the way that range from fear-based conditioning to toxic relationships, to low-vibrational diets, and, well, stress. But there are practices you can adopt to hone your intuition, easing your authentic self into a more actualized existence.

“The more aligned with who you truly are, the easier it is to tap into your intuition — that little whisper of the soul, or a deep knowing without conscious reasoning,” Fredheim says. She notes that the crux of psychic and intuitive gifts comes down to the ability to read energy by attuning to others. Think of accessing your intuition as a form of attuning to yourself — reading your own energy, and honoring it with your actions.

First, it is important to learn to discern between fear-based thoughts (which come from past conditioning and trauma), as opposed to the wisdom that comes from a place of higher knowing. Fredheims says that insights from your intuition come with a sense of peace, calm, expansiveness, and are borne out of love and support. She also notices that fear-based thoughts tend to come in short bursts, often accompanied by constricted breath. “Fear does not problem-solve,” she explains, adding that anxious thoughts may also be accompanied by unpleasant sensations of blocked energy, or tension. If old trauma-based conditioning is activated, for instance, it might feel like a clenched sensation in the gut, while thoughts that seem like guidance could be tinged with fear. 

There are several practices and habits you can adopt to help facilitate the greater flow of intuition in your life.

• Set boundaries

Boundaries protect your self-worth and happiness and prevent energetic depletion from others’ stress and burdens. This can also mean setting boundaries with yourself.

• Do inner work

Fredheim points out that many psychics and intuitives have dealt with trauma, and that the physiological hyper-arousal it caused aided their ability to attune to others’ energy as a form of coping. But doing the inner work to heal, rē-process the past, and rē-wire your brain with a professional will enhance your self-knowledge and intuitive clarity.

• Practice Grounding

“When we are not grounded [and reside in] states of ‘should,’ we are far from who we really are,” Fredheim says. She finds nature to be particularly restorative for the nervous system, from swimming in the ocean or a lake to walking barefoot in nature (“earthing”). Practices that support your root chakra (i.e., wearing red, eating red food, etc.) help to bolster your underlying sense of security, thus allowing your intuition to chime in.

• Cultivate flow

Pouring yourself into practices that bring you into a state of joyful, effortless flow with the universe is key. These will be unique to your tastes and might include modalities like breathwork, yoga, meditation, dance, or even skincare.

Two that Fredheim loves are journaling and intention-setting. She recommends keeping track of intuitive insights, including making predictions, energetic impressions, and moments of synchronicity in your journal. “Intention-setting is learning how to direct your energy and use it in a positive way,” she explains, noting that it is a form of planting an “energetic seed” for manifestation.

• Deepen your spiritual practices

Any time you make space in your life to express yourself authentically, from your skincare regimen to your favorite form of self-care, can be a spiritual practice. “Spirituality is just stepping into our energetic selves,” Fredheim says. “Anything that has to do with you coming back to yourself is a spiritual practice.”

• Create space in your home

She also believes it helps to curate a space to be like a sanctuary for your wellness practices. This might mean a little nook in your bedroom or a spot in your bed with your favorite pillow. The important thing is that you make it a practice to show up for yourself, even if just for five minutes, and return to it daily.

• Nourish yourself with high-vibration foods

Fredheim recommends a clean diet full of high vibrational foods — whole, unprocessed, and organic fruits and vegetables, ideally from local sources. She adds that dairy and meat are particularly low-vibe, in part due to their connection with factory farming.

As you get into the swing of prioritizing activities that help align you with your authentic self, Fredheim believes that your vibration rises to a higher frequency. When this happens, “You begin to sense what is not aligned with you because your energy naturally wants to match with the same [vibration],” she says, referencing the notion that ‘like attracts like.’ The more you dive into your intuition, the more attuned you will become to what does and doesn’t resonate with you. By engaging with what does, and setting boundaries with what does not, you can environmentally reinforce the learnings along the way to living an intuition-led life.