If you had asked me a year ago if I was an empath, I would have likely shrugged my shoulders and said maybe. If you asked if I had good intuition, I would have probably said no. 

I have always been incredibly sensitive, which mostly revealed itself as big expressions of emotion, and by big, I mean “too big” for the average person. (We actors operate on a slightly different standard than everyone else.)

It also showed up in my body. I remember getting really intense hives when I was a kid on the Cape one summer after eating shellfish (I’d been eating shellfish all my life). Then there was the IBS that showed up around the time of one of my first big dance recitals and re-emerged on big family trips. When I was in my late 20s, I had a bout so severe that I could barely eat for 2 weeks. That was when I went gluten-free.

I had always viewed my sensitivity as a liability. I didn’t socialize well with others, particularly when I was a kid and I always get preternaturally nervous when I have a big audition or performance. It often feels like an out of body experience.

During the pandemic last year, I finally started to understand that I’m 100% an empath and started to explore tools to manage this gift and make it an asset, rather than something I feared and didn’t understand. As I tested these tools, I also started to discover my intuition was pretty darn good. I started trusting it a lot more and more dramatically, even started asking it for help and using it to make decisions and build the trajectory of my business.

Do you make decisions from your head?

Our brains are really smart, there’s no denying it. However, for me (and maybe you too), a lot of the chatter, reasoning and problem solving that happens in my brain, is heavily influenced by thoughts about what I should do, comparisons to other people, and my beliefs about how things will look and be perceived by others. Plus, when I feel like I am constantly being attacked (as an empath, you are receiving so much energy), I find that most often, I’m operating from my ego rather than the id. The ego is designed to protect us but often gets triggered when we don’t need protection, even if it feels that way. 

When I’m making decisions from my mind, I also have  limited to no access to my unconscious brain – which nonetheless affects everything that I do.

It is much easier for my mind to forget the truth of who I am. My heart and my body always remember that truth.

Why my heart and body wins every time

That unconscious brain, that I can’t access with my active conscious mind, is pumping my blood, breathing my lungs, and also, triggering memories, patterns, emotions, and even physical responses, based on my past experiences. And most of the time, I am completely unaware.

The essence of who I am is imprinted in every cell of my body and it holds innate wisdom that the mind just can’t fathom to understand. My body is also 100% impacted by my unconscious brain. So if I make a decision or commit to a result that is not in alignment with that truth, no matter how hard I work, it just isn’t going to happen. My body will find a way to derail the plan.

So how do I make decisions from my heart and body?

What I’ve learned is that the actual decision making process evolves from the routines that I have put into place which keep my body, mind, emotions, and energy into the best possible alignment. 

Once I’m in alignment, I can slow down, take deep breaths and ask my body simple questions and listen for how it responds. I have learned what a yes and a no feel like and when I’m not receiving big hits from my body or hearing messages, I can almost always make sure I’m proceeding on the right path by using this tool.

So what is your routine to achieve alignment?

I practice meditation daily. It sounds very simple and is really the first piece of the puzzle. 

I started meditating really consistently about a year ago and then I began to lead others in meditation. Most of the time my own meditation practice was guided. I put on a recording and followed along.

3 Months later, I started receiving insights to expand my gratitude practice. I continued following led meditations, but at the end of my practice, I put my hand on my heart and started speaking out loud what I was grateful for.

In February, I received an invitation to join a course to develop my intuitive superpowers. I learned for the first time that I am clairsentient (I get insights through physical sensation and emotion) and also a little bit claircognizant (I just suddenly know something) and clairaudient (I hear something, which just sounds like my own voice).

That was when I stopped listening to guided meditations and found my own way in. I learned some really powerful tools for getting grounded, setting strong boundaries (so I stopped taking on energy that wasn’t mine), and asking for insight and guidance.

So how can you create your own routine?

First of all, start meditating on a regular basis. 

Another practice that can help you tap into your intuitive brain and bypass the ego, is Morning Pages. Pull out your journal and write 3 pages stream of consciousness first thing in the morning. Don’t stop writing no matter what!!

Finally, I’ll be sharing many of the steps of my personal routine in my new free course that is coming out in August. If you’d like to have early access, be sure to join Weekend Wisdom below.

Do you identify as an empath? How have you adapted and learned to work with this gift?

Tell me about it in the comments below.

💜 Natalie

PS: Curious about how to develop your intuitive superpowers? Email me, and I’ll be sure to notify you the next time my teacher opens her magical course. 🔮