Any time we're in the process of manifesting something new, especially if it's taking us way out of our comfort zone, big choices come up. Often it's pretty obvious which way life is guiding us, but sometimes we find ourselves with no clear path -- yet we're in some situation that demands a decision. A client asked me, "how do I know what to choose? I need a sign."
Here is where our ongoing commitment to a meditation practice bears fruit. Because meditation puts our subconscious in ever-closer resonance with the wisdom of the Vibrational Web, it tunes us in to subtle signals in our experience that previously might have escaped our notice. These signals can be "external" or "internal." The external ones show up in our environment. The internal ones come from the heart.
We'll start with the "external" ones -- the things people usually think of when they imagine a "sign from universe" or say "God, give me a sign." And for the record, let me reiterate that the idea of "external" is an illusion; you're co-creating all of it, so in a very real sense you are actually sending these signs to yourself. Therefore, your signs will be uniquely meaningful to you -- there is no universal language, per se; via the Vibrational Web, your subconscious will find a way to alert you to something that has personal significance.
For me, songs, numbers and animals are a thing, and occasionally weather. If I'm confused about my take on a particular situation, I'll say (out loud) "If I am perceiving this situation (and I'll name the situation and my perception of it) correctly, please confirm by sending (X)." And X will be something unlikely but not impossible. Recently I said, "please send a pair of cardinals, a male and female." Cardinals are a species I see occasionally around here, perhaps once a year. When I asked for the sign I hadn't seen one for months, and meanwhile two pairs of yellow orioles had built nests outside my kitchen.
Within four hours, a pair of cardinals showed up. The bright red male sat in a tree about 10 feet away from the orioles' nests, whose owners eyed him warily. I didn't see the less-colorful female, who was in a shrub nearby, until he flew away and she followed him. Message received.
Similarly, you can take notice of songs that show up repeatedly, either in your mind or on the radio, particularly if it's something not in current rotation that makes you think "where did that come from?" Notice what you were thinking when you hear it. Does the title speak to your choice? Is there something in the lyrics?
The internal signs may be more difficult to discern. My guru likes to say "dissolve the mind in the heart." We use the mind to initiate and follow through on our choices, but it's the heart that knows what the choice needs to be. Again, your meditation practice serves you here by getting the mind out of the way so that you can hear what the heart has to say. The message may arise during an actual meditation session, or later when you're otherwise occupied but your mind is quiet. It may present itself as a phrase, a thought, an image, a physical sensation in your body, an emotion or some other meaningful internal prompt.
Example: I recently had to decide whether to renew a lease. The only thing desirable about the space I was leasing was its location; its energy had always felt a little off, I always felt restless and uncomfortable in it, and the rent was too high -- yet for logistical reasons it felt like a necessary expense. I was really torn in the weeks leading up to the renewal date; a year-long lease is a big commitment of time and money. Making a pro/con list didn't help.
But after sitting with the choice for a while, I noticed that in the back of my mind, I kept seeing myself putting things in boxes. It was a faint prompt -- not something I was actively thinking about, but the flash of an image somewhere back behind my active awareness. Then I noticed that alongside the image was an impulse of really wanting to put my things in boxes. It just felt like an imperative: "that stuff really needs to be packed in a box," "it won't be hard to put those in a box," and "just need a small storage space, it's really not much." In a way it felt like I had packed up already. And then the light bulb went on. My brain was baffled, but my heart, asserting itself through my subconscious, knew it wasn't in my best interest to spend another year in that space.
What happens next? Will I discover I still need a space in that area? I don't know, but because I have an intentional manifestation in progress, I am putting trust in the wisdom of the Vibrational Web to work these things out on my behalf.
As I told my client, when in doubt it's essential to commit even more resolutely to your meditation practice, and let it help you feel into your heart to bring its guidance out of the background. Notice the images that drift through your mind when you're relaxed. Listen to what other people say -- sometimes there are messages in offhanded comments. Let your practice work its quiet magic of helping you tune in more actively to your intuition. Trust that very soon, something will come to your attention that you might not have noticed before. Trust that the guidance is there, it is real, and it is a gift of your Divine true nature.
And when you do receive your sign and feel in your heart that it's the one you requested, be sure to affirm it with a sincere gesture of "thank you," to intensify the availability of such guidance in the future.
PS, if you're new to meditation and unsure where to start, try my free guided meditation download, "Knowing What You Want." (Scroll down the page for the free download option.)
~Rishika