Have you ever thought, “Everything makes sense on paper, but something just doesn’t feel right”? That’s your body trying to get your attention. It doesn’t speak in words but in signals: a knot in your stomach says “stop”, while a lightness in your step whispers “yes, go for it”. The trouble is, most of us have forgotten how to listen. We reach for coffee when what we really need is rest, calm our anxiety with cake, and tell ourselves, “I just wanted something sweet”.
Then we wonder why the “rational choice” feels like punishment. The truth is, intuition lives in the body. The mind is busy making endless lists of pros and cons, while the body already knows the answer. Tightness in the chest and shallow breath? That’s a red flag. Warmth and expansion? That’s the green light.
This isn’t mysticism — it’s practical. It saves time, energy, and heartache. When you learn to catch your body’s cues, you naturally steer away from toxic people, deadend projects, and pointless decisions.
And sometimes, the body has a sense of humor. You promise yourself you’ll “just finish this one thing”, and suddenly you’re knocked flat with a fever. Not punishment — just its way of saying: “I warned you”.
So how do you relearn this skill? Start small. A few times a day, pause and ask: “What’s happening with me right now?”. Notice even the simplest answers: I’m thirsty. These jeans feel too tight. I’m cold. These tiny observations are the first steps back to dialogue.
The body never lies. It may exaggerate, but it’s always honest. And when you begin to trust it, life doesn’t necessarily get easier — but it does become simpler and more real. Because you’re not an Excel spreadsheet. You’re a living system with a built-in compass. The only question is whether you’ll let it guide you.
I’m Olga Nagirniak — a psychotherapist working in the Gestalt approach, and someone who spends her days listening to the stories told by people’s bodies, while teaching them to hear their own. I work where logic often fails: with intuition, sensations, and that quiet sixth sense that somehow always proves to be right.
