How do I tap into divine inspiration? I'm currently working on a project for school and I'm at a block in my progress. I know that if I could receive my guidance from God and "run with it", I would be ok? So how do I do it? :)
—J, US
An excellent question, and an ability well worth developing!
Two things are needed: energy and receptivity.
One of the first things to check is your own energy — if you are feeling stuck, you may feel like your energy is withdrawn and low, in which case getting yourself moving can be a good first step — do Yogananda’s Energization Exercises, go for a walk, a swim, or anything that gets your body unstuck. Sometimes answers can come quite easily just by moving.
After that, or if you are already feeling restless with energy, you will need to center and lift your energy without letting it slag. Do some yoga postures or just dive into a quick meditation: work on stilling the breathing, lift your consciousness to the point between the eyebrows, and open yourself up to greater receptivity.
Physical posture is also crucial — keep your body upright, ready to receive. Align your consciousness with saying “yes!” to the answer to come, dismissing any nay-saying voices of “that can’t possibly work”! The critical mind will have lots to do later on, but best not bring it in too early, as it will dampen your ability to receive.
Finally, ask for Divine Guidance with all the energy, faith, and belief that you have. A great prayer demand from Yogananda is:
I Will Reason, I will Will, I will Act, But guide Thou my reason, will, and activity.
Check in with your heart — the more open it is, the more intuition can come through. This does take some practice, and if you don’t feel any immediate response, try something and see how it feels. If it doesn’t work, come back to the process, centering your energy and opening your receptivity with a renewed willingness and positive expectancy.
The more you work with the process, the more confidence you will have with it. The more you can work with your ego to get out of the way and let Divine Inspiration flow, the more success you will have. We all have to work with where we are, and it truly is a directional process.
I also recommend practicing this process with everything you possibly can: what to make for dinner, how to answer an email, and how you should respond to all the many problems and obstacles (opportunities, really!) life sets before us. The more you practice with the little things, the more confidence you will develop. Try it right now, and may God bless your efforts!
