Yoga, Embodiment and Intuition: Accessing Your Inner Guidance
Let’s face it: most of us would like to wake up one morning to find a note from God on the night table telling us exactly what we should be doing. This is especially true when things go wrong, when we have a difficult choice to make. We want answers, clarity. And since that note from God doesn’t show up even after we implore the heavens, we turn to anyone with an opinion–psychics, therapists, clergy, spouses and so on –seeking advice, seeking answers.
And getting advice is good–except that in collecting everybody else’s opinion, you may forget to consult the most important source of wisdom and insight and knowledge–yourself. I truly believe that each of us holds the ultimate wisdom for ourselves. We just need to learn how to access that wisdom and be fearless when answers come.
Here are a few techniques that might help you to discern your own inner voice:
1. Notice when your heart lights up. Look around your room and when you see something that you love, pay attention to all the sensations that thing elicits in you. Mentally describe how that object makes you feel, giving words to the sensations and writing your words down. Now look around for something that turns you off and do the same thing. Try repeating this in a room full of people, noting how your body reacts to people who draw you and people who repulse you. Use your reactions as a blueprint for creating your psychic radar device, letting it guide you to those things that light you up and away from those that make you uncomfortable whenever you need to make a decision, large or small.
2. Pay attention to your solar plexus. When you can’t tell how you feel about something, put your hand over your solar plexus and quickly ask yourself, “Do I like/want this thing?” See if you get a hint of a “uh huh” or a “no.”
3. Clear your mind and invoke. Pray, meditate, listen to music, walk in nature–do whatever helps you to clear your mind and go to that calm place within yourself. Once you reach that state, take out a notebook and try not to think. Just pose your question and start writing. Some of you may feel that the Divine guides your hand; for others, it will clearly feel like your own inner wisdom writes through you. It doesn’t matter–the results will probably astound you. This method really works!
Once you get some hints that shed light on your dilemma, it makes sense to also draw on the wisdom of others. That’s the time to assemble your support team for validation and to deepen your insights. But, of course, if the above methods don’t work–don’t wait. Reach out! Sometimes we do need others to lead us back to ourselves.
Hiyaguha Cohen holds an MFA in Writing and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Professional Coaching. Her book-length publications include Boldly Live as You’ve Never Lived Before: Life Lessons from Star Trek (William Morrow/Avon Books, 1995), and The No-Pain Resume Workbook (Business One Irwin, 1992), and she has been a contributing editor to health books such as ShrinkYourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever (by Dr. Roger Gould) and Rodale Press publications. She also worked on early drafts of The Zone Diet with Barry Sears. In addition to her work as a writer, Dr. Cohen maintains a life-coaching practice utilizing energy-meridian healing modalities such as TAT to help clients release unproductive patterns and past traumas, and also works with people on weight-control issues. She has completed nine marathons and lives in Kauai. http://thelifechangecoach.com/