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Intuition
and How to Cultivate Yours
By Idara
Bassey
“The greatest advances in man's understanding of the universe
are made by intuitive leaps at the frontiers of know-ledge, not by intellectual
walks along well-traveled paths.” – Andrew Weil, M.D.
 A
cursory examination of the recent evening news will quickly demonstrate
the urgent need for new thinking and perspectives to come to bear on
the seemingly intractable challenges present throughout the world. With
many of our tried and true institutions, as well as our historical sense
of invulnerability unraveling, our post-September 11th “reality”
is truly uncharted territory. It is not much of a stretch to assert
that any untapped sources of information, inspiration and comfort to
make sense of it all would undoubtedly be welcome at this time. It just
so happens that a potent wellspring of each exists “in-house”
for all of us in the form of what is known as our intuition; and more
and more people-from housewives to corporate CEOs are publicly 'fessing
up to heeding (or at least considering) the dictates of this sometimes
amorphous concept of the hunch – and reveling in results ranging
from much-needed guidance and confirmation to enhancement of creativity.
So, what is this thing called “intuition” and how can you
use it in your own life? Well, have you ever had an uneasy feeling about
a person or situation and ignored it to your detriment? Have you ever
been uncomfortable about a course of action, but plowed ahead anyway
and regretted it? These types of feelings or “knowings” which
have no basis in objective fact provide valuable information and are
collectively known by the term “intuition.” Heeding our intuition
refers to our ability to secure information outside the usual framework
of rational thought. If we choose to pay attention to these “nudges”
and to consciously sharpen our ability to integrate them into our thinking,
we can begin to bring more creative approaches to bear on situations
that are near and dear to us as well as those that impact a greater
number of people. Here are three great ways to cultivate your ability
to access intuitive insights:
1) Honor the silence – it has been said that the only voice
our inner selves have is silence. Granted, the realities of modern
life may make such quiet moments hard to come by. However, in committing
to take some time each day, even if it is only five minutes, to hear
yourself think will greatly improve your ability to access your intuitive
self. It is only when you commit to taking a break from your five senses
that your inner senses are enhanced. Like a muscle that grows stronger
each time you use it, your ability to turn within gets easier the more
you do it.
2) Follow through – when you begin receiving intuitive guidance,
make an effort to acknowledge it in some way by initiating action based
on the insights you receive. Start off with situations where the stakes
are comparatively lower. Say, for example, one morning you are leaving
your house to go to work and you get a sudden urge to take your umbrella
even though there is not a cloud in the sky. Take your umbrella and
see how the day pans out meteorologically speaking. As your practice
develops and strengthens, you may wish to see how applying your intuitive
insights plays out in situations of more significance to you, such as
with a vexing work issue or a personal situation that may have been
bothering you for some time. Each time you “acknowledge” the
guidance you receive, you increase your receptivity to additional insights
and improve your overall level of discernment.
Seek support – Since September 11th, I have seen a growing interest
in learning about intuition and publicly engaging in conversation on
this topic. I advise my clients who wish to develop and strengthen their
intuitive capabilities to consider spending more time around people
of like mind to discuss and share their experiences in this arena. There
are a number of public forums where such interaction is welcome –
meditation circles and spiritually-oriented workshops are among the
many options that are available. Professionals, such as spiritual counselors,
metaphysical practitioners and intuitives of all kinds and specialties
have studied and trained specifically to assist others in their quest
to develop their intuitive skills. Many are also able to offer expanded
interpretations of insights received.
As I alluded to earlier, people from all walks of life are looking for
answers. Many are adopting a “nesting” instinct in order to
cope, and becoming connected to one's inner self and wisdom is a
natural outgrowth of this phenomenon. The level of consciousness that
created our present reality is not the level of consciousness that will
change or improve it. In enlisting the aid of our intuition in our lives,
we naturally enrich our frame of reference and open to new possibilities.
Accordingly, as more of us proceed in this manner, we move that much
closer to bringing forth innovative thinking to the greater whole and
to ultimately moving from thinking to enlightened action.
Dr.
Idara E. Bassey is a San Diego-based spiritual counselor and intuitive
consultant. She is the author of Reflections of a Mystical Sistah; On
Traveling Down the Road to Self-Definition (iUniverse) and can be reached
at Idara@OneLightMessenger.com.
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Anna
Walker Dodd
Heart
Centered Hypnotherapy |
Knowings