AWAKING THE INTUITIVE WITHIN

By Jo Anne C. Anton, Ph.D.

As you begin to develop your intuition, you need to become aware that you are an electro magnetic energy field that can be scientifically measured. Part of being a human being is that you transmit energy wherever you go. Other people do the same. Therefore, the energy coming from you can influence other people in a variety of ways as they can also influence you. During your development of the intuitive within, you will have impressions. These impressions will become a source of guidance to you. For this reason, it is primary that you question the source of your impressions. A good question is: “Does this impression feel like it is coming from within me or from outside of me?” If it feels as if it is coming from the outside, be cautious. Perhaps at another time, you can review and ask your intuitive self for another impression to evaluate whether the source is internal or external.

It is very important to stay emotionally balanced as you are developing your intuition. An old adage states that in order to interpret divine knowing, you must have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. What does it mean then to be grounded? It means that you use your common sense and your analytical skills in all situations involving your intuition. You keep your feet firmly planted on the earth when interpreting your impressions. You accept the responsibility that all of your actions have a reaction. This reaction is really the consequence of your actions. You must always be aware of the consequence of your actions, which takes fore thought. If you decide to develop your intuition, you will send that intention out to the universe, the consequence will probably be an investment of time, energy, analytical skills, awareness of being an energy field and self protection. All these things would be the consequence of your desire to awaken the intuitive within. You will need to take these consequences under consideration as you re affirm you choice to develop your intuitive pathway.

You will need to use your analytical mind as you begin developing an understanding of the impressions and symbols you receive during your intuitive development process. This takes patience with yourself and a sufficient time frame to learn how to interpret the information that you are given from your intuitive ability, your higher self and your physical body.

Your physical body must be considered as you begin to develop your intuition. The physical body needs to be relaxed and secure to be receptive to intuitive urgings.

The following steps will allow you to start the process of trusting your intuition.

Step One:

Meditate every day. Meditation allows your body to become relaxed and receptive to your inner awareness. In the beginning, make a commitment to a short period of meditation on a daily basis. Even if it is only ten minutes, you are giving your brain direction to increase your internal awareness and inner impressions. A 30 minute period would be ideal. Ten minutes is better than no minutes of meditation. Make a commitment to that is doable. See this as an investment in yourself, your body and self care.

Find a comfortable chair, a safe place and put your feet on the ground. Begin the relaxation experience by breathing deeply. You may also listen to soothing music, which can help your body in the relaxation experience.

This can be done through breathing easily and allowing your breath to move through you without effort. Let your body fully relax into your breath. Within a couple of minutes you will find your body releasing tension in all of your muscles. Oxygen begins to soothe your body by revitalizing every cell. The body responds to oxygen intake. As you begin to relax, you allow your body to let go of worry, tension and anxiety.

When you feel your body is relaxed, think of a place that brings joy and peace to you, such as a beach, the mountains, a garden, and a favorite chair. Your body will respond to the visualization of comfort that you gain from a favorite environment. As you look around this environment, in your mind's eye, find a comfortable place to sit down.

When you are seated, you can begin to breathe a little deeper, your body will continue to relax more and more. In this state of relaxation, your body, mind and heart are open to the spirit or the divine within you. Know that the divine within you wants the very best for you. As you move inward, you are integrating your mind and body with your spirit. You are in the process of developing your intuitive skills.Take another breath. Become aware of how your body feels as you are relaxed in your favorite environment.Take note of this feeling. Awareness of what it feels like to be relaxed is called biofeedback. Your mind acknowledges a body feeling and stores that information in a way that can be recalled.

Begin with the top of your head. Place your attention in this area and take a deep breath. Feel the cool air coming in and as you exhale, feel the warm air leaving. Your body will begin to feel relaxed. Now move from the top of your head down to your eyes, your throat, your heart, your solar plexus, your pelvic area, your hips, thighs, knees, calves and feet. As you breathe, begin to review each of these places within your body. Become aware of tension or strain. As you move from place to place, tell your body you are letting go of tension and moving further into relaxation.

When you feel a sense of peace, you can ask yourself a question that may need a solution. As you pose the question and you let it go, become aware of any impressions that immediately follow the question. This information can come through an image, a voice, a knowing or an urging that you may not understand at the time. Have a pencil and paper ready beside you so that when you complete your meditation, you can write down your impressions. It is important to date the material. It may not make sense to you now, but it may later, as you review your journal. Before you end your meditation, affirm that you are open to guidance, abundance and opportunities to increase your intuitive perceptions each day.

Step Two:

Keep a journal. Your journal entry can be as little as two sentences. Your journal will give you the ability to see patterns developing with symbols and impressions. Always date your journal. You can always increase your writing time, but in the beginning make meditation and journaling doable by not over burdening yourself with time and energy you cannot expend. Do a little at a time.

Step Three:

On a daily basis, become aware of the impressions or urgings that come to you throughout the day. It will take time for you to develop a repertoire of symbols and impressions. Each day you practice receiving impressions and not judging them, the more open you will become. The interpretation of these impressions will take time. What will be meaningful to you today as an impression may be interpreted as a sign of a change. Tomorrow it may mean something different. Time will reveal the pattern of your impressions, which will then lead to a more accurate interpretation of the symbols received by you.

Step Four:

Be patient with yourself. Intuition development requires skills and repetition.

Step Five:

Use a tarot deck. After your meditation you can use a tarot deck. Shuffle the deck and make a spread before you by fanning out the cards. Ask a question and pull a card. Before you look up the meaning in your tarot book, let the card impress you with the message through the symbols, the colors and your sense of how the card could answer your question. Then look up the meaning of the card and see if your intuitive interpretation is close to what the book tells you the card means.

Step Six:

If you have an impression that someone is thinking of you, going to call or visit you, note the time of the day and your location. See if you can get an impression of what they might want to talk to you about. Call the person as soon as you can and ask them if they were thinking of you around the time that you noted. This process begins to build trust and confidence in your ability through repetitive feedback that can be validated by another person. In the case of the tarot, the definition in the book can validate your impression. Have faith. Sometime the other person may not validate your impression. Do not judge it. Each time you risk reaching out to validate your impression, your courage builds.

Step Seven:

Learn to delete drama from your life. You can do this by learning to develop boundaries in each area of your life through the development of self care. Begin to become aware of how often you say yes to someone's request when you really want to say no. Asserting yourself takes time, practice and education. Allow yourself to be a whole person and view others the same way. Learn to let go of any victim, rescuer or persecutor roles that you play in your life. Learn to let go of people who play these roles with you. As you learn to change, people will change with you. If there are a lot of crises in your life, it is time to look at the source of your crises before you begin a development program. Without looking at yourself, your thinking, your emotional patterns and crises oriented living, you will not be able to attain the balance necessary to develop intuitively. If you do not know how you play a part in the drama of your life, you cannot be responsible for creating the wonderful reality that you want. You are the creator of your reality, your responses to other people and to life's challenges can help you learn about yourself. Strive for balance. This will bring peace, a sense of being centered and validation. You are a work of art in process. Be as patient, kind and loving to yourself as you can.

Step Eight:

Learn about your individual needs and self care. Understand your intentions to become intuitive. Intuition is not control over others. Your intention has to be ethical. You develop your intuition for your own empowerment. Providing people with intuitive information about themselves without asking permission is controlling. Self care brings reflection to you about your intentions and builds confidence in a value based foundation.

Step Nine:

Visualize yourself as intuitive already. Affirm your openness to receiving guidance, direction and love from many sources within your life, including your intuitive self. You are worth the effort.

Step Ten:

This final step: give thanks to the divine within for all of the blessings, inspirations, inner guidance, impressions and gifts that you are given every day.