How To Grow Your Plant Intuition
Do you believe that some people are simply born with that illustrious green thumb?
Okay...okay... Let’s try a harder one.
Did you know that plants make noise?
Recent studies have revealed that plants actually emit a frequency, undetectable to the human ear, when they’re feelin’ stressed.
I can just picture all my plants squealing in despair as I write this now.
(Don’t worry guys, tomorrow is watering day... I promise!)
While humans technically can’t detect these frequencies, let me run another possibility by you.
Wouldn’t you agree that our human senses extend beyond the physical realm?
Maybe it’s our ability to sense emotional tension or that gut feeling that something just isn’t right.
Perhaps we’re talking about that spooky feeling you get when you walk into a supposedly haunted building...
Or for today’s purposes... that intuitive feeling you get that something needs to happen.
Would it be so outrageous to suggest that perhaps those naturally green thumbed individuals are more in tune with something that allows them to subconsciously sense their plant’s shrieks for attention?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my planty senses start tingling like some freak planty variation of spiderman.
This may spell disappointment for those who feel as though they were cursed with a black thumb.
Lucky for you, I’m a firm believer that the green thumb is a muscle - not some god given talent.
I’d be out of work as a plant consultant and trainer if this wasn’t the case.
Much like that alluring green thumb, intuition is another sense, commonly believed to be something you're born with - that can actually be trained and improved.
I believe that daily life intuition and plant intuition are one in the same.
Today, I’ll share insights on reconnecting with your intuition, and the subsequent benefit it will invite both into your daily life and urban jungle.
What is intuition?
For starters, some consider intuition to be the highest form of intelligence.
The word comes from the latin root inteuri, meaning to contemplate or to look within.
When being intuitive, you utilize the right side of your brain, responsible for creative and emotional processes.
I’m sure for some, it’s a surprise that this logical processing skill is housed in such an artsy fartsy part of the brain.
Crazy, isn’t it? Maybe not.
Intuition is subconsciously picking up on emotional cues, inferred realities, and other useful information in said scenario.
This essentially means that you’re using your senses to strategically analyze your surroundings beyond the physical.
What does this mean for you?
Intuitive people have been found to perform better in work environments, avoiding more mistakes and seizing more opportunities in their place.
They adapt quickly to their environment, often leading to faster promotion and a more efficient hustle.
Of course, life isn’t all about work performance, right? (Although it sure does feel like it sometimes...)
Don’t worry, that’s not the only thing this intuition business can transform.
It’s common to see the concept of intuition pop up throughout the teachings of western philosophies, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
That’s because another big part of intuition is removing oneself from the ever present, subconscious habit of acting through fear and impulse.
When you starve this habitual thinking, you remove yourself from seeing through this negative lense.
Instead, you build a skill that enables you to creatively and efficiently engage with the world in the present moment.
Ultimately, you’ll be interacting with your life from a happier place.
How do I become more intuitive?
One of the more straightforward ways to strengthen this skill is to nurture the side of the brain responsible for it.
People who take time for creative pursuits are typically more intuitive.
This could mean anything from painting to graphic design to creative writing.
Don’t give up if you’re simply not the arsty type.
Even the most left brained individual can take the time to journal their day to day thoughts and feelings.
This is a mindfulness practice, which leads us to our other intuition enhancing activities - if you’re really not feeling like picking up that pen.
Making meditation a regular practice is yet another means to grow your intuition.
Overall, more space for mindfulness, observation, and solitude help to train this mental muscle.
These practices help you get in tune and release negative emotions more readily.
This directly translates to an easier time listening to your bodily sensations and emotions, and in turn, your intuition.
After all, this sense expresses itself in many forms: bodily sensations, mental cues, gut feelings, and many more unique mediums.
How do I grow my plant senses and get a green thumb?
A big part of intuition is escaping the habit of letting fear, worry, and pain drive your thoughts and actions.
Oftentimes, these forces are at work without us even realizing it.
Do you think plants are any different?
How many times have you heard of these emotions giving way to plant catastrophes?
Maybe you overwater your plants with worry and distrust in your plant skills.
Perhaps your preoccupied mind left a plant exposed to the elements. (Guilty.)
Inversely, you could be too overwhelmed with life to hear your monstera screaming for help in the corner of your room. (Guiltier.)
Whatever it may be, intuition and the practices that strengthen it can be monumentally impactful in slowing your roll and streamlining your daily processes - preventing plant mortality rates across your home.
On another note, whether you feel artsy or not, I truly believe plant keeping is a creative process.
I was that weird kid always carrying around a sketchbook or spending my recesses writing books.
Today, I channel a lot of that creative energy into my garden.
As I’ve grown my own intuition, my creative abilities have followed suit.
This has ultimately made me a better gardener.
You try and tell me that you don’t low-key love the aesthetic touch that plants bring to your home.
Don’t even try to deny that hype you feel upon finding the perfect pot to match your plant’s foliage.
It may be as simple as mixing and matching your hand picked plants to look stunning in their arrangement on your shelf.
Yet another way that intuitive mindsets and plant keeping go hand in hand...
Plant parent or not, I think everyone has something to gain from growing their intuition.
Both the skill itself and the practices that strengthen it can go a long way in instilling more happiness, productivity, and ease into your daily life.