Learning To Develop Your Intuition
The
following exercise was developed by top trainer Nancy Rosanoff, whose
exercises to enhance intuitive ability have been featured in Intuition
Magazine.
The first exercise is designed to build a bridge from your everyday, normal
awareness to your intuitive, introspective mind. For this exercise, it is best not to
read ahead, but to complete each step before moving on to the next.
Step 1: Clarify a particular question, situation, or decision you need more information about. Write it down.
Step 2: Give yourself a few moments to sit quietly, undisturbed while you reflect on your question.
Step 3: Walk around your home or office and pick up three objects (large or small) that grab your attention. Lay the objects out in a row, starting with the object that feels the most significant.
Step 4: Take a moment to breathe deeply, reminding yourself as you breathe that
there is wisdom in your toes. With the next breath, remind yourself that there is wisdom in your legs, wisdom in your belly, and so on until you have gone through your whole body.
Step 5: Look at the first object and let this object symbolize the overview of your
question or situation. This object is familiar; you know how and why it is used. How does this knowledge apply symbolically to your situation?
Now pretend this object is something you've never seen before. Look at its shape, color, size, and texture. What could it be used for? How does this relate symbolically to your question? Be sure to record all of your impressions.
Step 6: Take a few more deep breaths, reminding yourself again that all parts of you have wisdom, and look at the second object. Let this thing represent what may block you, what fear or resistance may emerge as you begin to follow your intuition.
Let the intuitive information emerge from within you as you look at the object,
asking the question, "What can you tell me about my fear and resistance?" Intuitive information floats to the top of your consciousness from deep within you.
Write down all of your impressions.
Step 7: Breathe again, tapping into the wisdom within and look at the third object.
This item will represent the possible action you could take. Let the object communicate to you symbolically. Imagine yourself as this object. How would you like to move? What is the most appropriate action to take?
I did this exercise myself after I was diagnosed with a minor health problem. I
was unsatisfied with my doctor's recommendations, and asked my intuition for guidance.
I gathered my three objects – a sharp X-acto knife, a spring paper clip used to
hold a thick pile of paper, and a telephone cable tack – and arranged them in that order.
The X-acto knife immediately said "danger" and "be careful." It also validated my desire for precision, my need to have "exact information" before deciding on a course of action. One is not careless with such a knife, and I saw that I needed to be careful with my health. I needed to pay close attention and gather all of the necessary information.
My second object was the large paper clip. I immediately related it to my desire to "hold everything together" and keep everything organized, which in this would hinder my progress, not help it. The message for me here was to open things up, let go of the need to immediately know everything.
My third object was the telephone cable tack, which looked like a little saddle, with two pointed stirrups. It told me to see the situation as a journey. There will be many steps along the way, each one both revealing and creating a path for me to follow. At each point – or tack – I needed to fully evaluate all the information before proceeding. It was important for me to feel comfortable and stable with each step before moving on. I needed to avoid rushing, to take my time.
I recently shared this exercise with a group of co-workers. One woman was preparing to go to a holiday luncheon that would also be attended by her recent ex-husband and several members of his family. She arranged her three objects in this order: hand lotion, emery board, and a sewing or mending kit.
As we explored the symbolic use of each object, she grew more and more amazed at their intuitive talent. The hand lotion told her she needed to nurture herself and feel very cared for as she approached this event. The emery board was a clear reminder of her ex-husband's rough personality, and the sewing kit affirmed her need to heal, mend, and stitch her life back together.
Another woman, in charge of a business networking group, found herself in the middle of a dispute among the group members. She asked her intuition for guidance, then chose and arranged her objects in this order: pen, personal business card, and one of two earrings. The pen directed her to gain clarity by carefully writing down the details of this delicate political situation. The business card indicated that indeed, her business credibility was at stake. The significance of the earring was not immediately clear. None of her many guesses had the "ring of truth" we experience with real intuition.
After a few days, it finally came to her; without that earring, she felt unbalanced. At that moment she looked at the situation from another point of view, and immediately knew what to do. She had been "out of balance" by seeing the situation from only one side. She gained tremendous insight and relief from that experience.
There are several points to remember when doing this and other intuitive exercises:
Intuition is not in the objects, it is in you. The objects just help to shift your perspective, allowing your mind to open and the intuitive voice to speak. Intuition is a full-bodied experience. You recognize true intuition because it "fits" and "feels" right. It's as though all the pieces of the puzzle finally fall together. This helps to answer one of the most common questions I'm asked during intuition development classes: "How do I know it's really intuition and not just fear or desire?" Once you begin to pay close attention to your physical and emotional responses, you will learn to recognize the "ring of truth" that comes with true intuition.
Other important, often-asked questions are: What do I do if nothing happens? What do I do If I get no impressions, no images, no information?
Keep practicing and try different exercises until you find one that works for you. Even if you don't see or feel anything, pretend that you do. Pretending will help loosen those "seeing" and "feeling" muscles so that in time, you will actually see and hear.
How can I really trust this? What if my intuition tells me to do something I’m uncomfortable with?
Go slowly – and never do anything which makes you feel uncomfortable or confused. There are no pat answers, only suggestions and hints.
Back to Removing Obstacles to Healthy Spirituality
Back to The Center for Unhindered Living Knowledge Collection
The first exercise is designed to build a bridge from your everyday, normal
awareness to your intuitive, introspective mind. For this exercise, it is best not to
read ahead, but to complete each step before moving on to the next.
Step 1: Clarify a particular question, situation, or decision you need more information about. Write it down.
Step 2: Give yourself a few moments to sit quietly, undisturbed while you reflect on your question.
Step 3: Walk around your home or office and pick up three objects (large or small) that grab your attention. Lay the objects out in a row, starting with the object that feels the most significant.
Step 4: Take a moment to breathe deeply, reminding yourself as you breathe that
there is wisdom in your toes. With the next breath, remind yourself that there is wisdom in your legs, wisdom in your belly, and so on until you have gone through your whole body.
Step 5: Look at the first object and let this object symbolize the overview of your
question or situation. This object is familiar; you know how and why it is used. How does this knowledge apply symbolically to your situation?
Now pretend this object is something you've never seen before. Look at its shape, color, size, and texture. What could it be used for? How does this relate symbolically to your question? Be sure to record all of your impressions.
Step 6: Take a few more deep breaths, reminding yourself again that all parts of you have wisdom, and look at the second object. Let this thing represent what may block you, what fear or resistance may emerge as you begin to follow your intuition.
Let the intuitive information emerge from within you as you look at the object,
asking the question, "What can you tell me about my fear and resistance?" Intuitive information floats to the top of your consciousness from deep within you.
Write down all of your impressions.
Step 7: Breathe again, tapping into the wisdom within and look at the third object.
This item will represent the possible action you could take. Let the object communicate to you symbolically. Imagine yourself as this object. How would you like to move? What is the most appropriate action to take?
I did this exercise myself after I was diagnosed with a minor health problem. I
was unsatisfied with my doctor's recommendations, and asked my intuition for guidance.
I gathered my three objects – a sharp X-acto knife, a spring paper clip used to
hold a thick pile of paper, and a telephone cable tack – and arranged them in that order.
The X-acto knife immediately said "danger" and "be careful." It also validated my desire for precision, my need to have "exact information" before deciding on a course of action. One is not careless with such a knife, and I saw that I needed to be careful with my health. I needed to pay close attention and gather all of the necessary information.
My second object was the large paper clip. I immediately related it to my desire to "hold everything together" and keep everything organized, which in this would hinder my progress, not help it. The message for me here was to open things up, let go of the need to immediately know everything.
My third object was the telephone cable tack, which looked like a little saddle, with two pointed stirrups. It told me to see the situation as a journey. There will be many steps along the way, each one both revealing and creating a path for me to follow. At each point – or tack – I needed to fully evaluate all the information before proceeding. It was important for me to feel comfortable and stable with each step before moving on. I needed to avoid rushing, to take my time.
I recently shared this exercise with a group of co-workers. One woman was preparing to go to a holiday luncheon that would also be attended by her recent ex-husband and several members of his family. She arranged her three objects in this order: hand lotion, emery board, and a sewing or mending kit.
As we explored the symbolic use of each object, she grew more and more amazed at their intuitive talent. The hand lotion told her she needed to nurture herself and feel very cared for as she approached this event. The emery board was a clear reminder of her ex-husband's rough personality, and the sewing kit affirmed her need to heal, mend, and stitch her life back together.
Another woman, in charge of a business networking group, found herself in the middle of a dispute among the group members. She asked her intuition for guidance, then chose and arranged her objects in this order: pen, personal business card, and one of two earrings. The pen directed her to gain clarity by carefully writing down the details of this delicate political situation. The business card indicated that indeed, her business credibility was at stake. The significance of the earring was not immediately clear. None of her many guesses had the "ring of truth" we experience with real intuition.
After a few days, it finally came to her; without that earring, she felt unbalanced. At that moment she looked at the situation from another point of view, and immediately knew what to do. She had been "out of balance" by seeing the situation from only one side. She gained tremendous insight and relief from that experience.
There are several points to remember when doing this and other intuitive exercises:
Intuition is not in the objects, it is in you. The objects just help to shift your perspective, allowing your mind to open and the intuitive voice to speak. Intuition is a full-bodied experience. You recognize true intuition because it "fits" and "feels" right. It's as though all the pieces of the puzzle finally fall together. This helps to answer one of the most common questions I'm asked during intuition development classes: "How do I know it's really intuition and not just fear or desire?" Once you begin to pay close attention to your physical and emotional responses, you will learn to recognize the "ring of truth" that comes with true intuition.
Other important, often-asked questions are: What do I do if nothing happens? What do I do If I get no impressions, no images, no information?
Keep practicing and try different exercises until you find one that works for you. Even if you don't see or feel anything, pretend that you do. Pretending will help loosen those "seeing" and "feeling" muscles so that in time, you will actually see and hear.
How can I really trust this? What if my intuition tells me to do something I’m uncomfortable with?
Go slowly – and never do anything which makes you feel uncomfortable or confused. There are no pat answers, only suggestions and hints.
Back to Removing Obstacles to Healthy Spirituality
Back to The Center for Unhindered Living Knowledge Collection