Practice intuitions
The next exercises are all designed to open up your mind to your intuitions. Some of you will already be doing these things. If you are not, just try them. With time you will achieve unconscious competence in letting intuitions play a role.
1. Ask yourself intuitions questions
We are used to asking ourselves analytical and rational questions. It is also possible to ask our intuitive self clear questions. Typical questions would be, ‘How do I feel about this challenge?’, or ‘What is my hunch about this option?’. A willingness to ask these questions and notice the answers that come will open you up to your intuition.
2. Notice your first response
In your day-to-day activities you will be asking your intuitive self questions. It is important to notice your immediate response. There will often be plenty of old ideas and critical thoughts so check you are noting the first intuitive response.
3. How are you intuitive?
When you experience intuitions ask yourself: What exactly am I experiencing? Where is it? What is it? How does it feel?
4. Intuitive anticipation
The following scenarios encourage you to anticipate events and to trust your intuitions.
(a) When the telephone rings, prior to answering, ask yourself the following:
◆ Is the call for you/another person?
◆ Is the caller male/female?
◆ Is it local/long distance?
(b) Before the mail arrives, ask yourself:
◆ How much will come?
◆ How many bills will come?
◆ How much junk mail will come?
(c) Before a meeting, ask yourself:
◆ What will be the mood of the other people who will be there?
◆ How will people be dressed?
◆ Who will be constructive/destructive?
(d) Other options
Select other situations and events where you can test your ability to anticipate what will happen.
For all these anticipatory activities try and keep a note of your responses.
5. Let your body talk to you
Kinesiology
In the next exercise, you will be given a technique for asking your body direct questions and getting answers! There is a branch of scientific enquiry called Kinesiology. It has created a technique called muscle testing. The testing allows you to communicate with your body. You should work with a friend and give it a try.
Muscle testing
Choose a friend for testing. We’ll call them your subject.
(a) Have the subject stand erect, right arm relaxed at their side, left arm held out parallel to the floor, elbow straight.
(b) Face the subject and place your left hand on their right shoulder to steady them. Then place your right hand on the subject’s extended left arm just above the wrist.
(c) Tell the subject you are going to try to push the arm down as they resist with all their strength.
(d) Now push down on the arm fairly quickly, firmly and evenly. The idea is to push just hard enough to test the spring and bounce in the arm, not so hard that the muscle becomes fatigued. It is not a question of who is stronger, but of whether the muscle can ‘lock’ the shoulder joint against the push.
(Do not smile when you are conducting this test or when you are being tested yourself.)
(e) Unless there is some physical problem with the muscle, it will test strong. Assuming it does, give your subject a little refined sugar to eat and test again. In nearly every case, the muscle will now test weak; although you are pushing down no harder than before, the muscle will not be able to resist the pressure and the subject’s arm will fall to the side.
(f) Practice muscle testing by exploring responses to foods such as:
(i) tea
(ii) water
(iii) fish
(iv) cheese
(g) Explore responses to thoughts of the following daily situations:
(i) winning
(ii) losing
(iii) struggling
(iv) conflict
(h) Now allow your friend to muscle test you.
(i) Choose your own example foods and thoughts.
The muscle test provides a direct line to the body and measures a pure physical response. With time you will be able to map out strengthening/weakening scenarios by getting answers straight from the body.
This exercise shows us that at a deeper, instinctive level our body is responding and now you can tap into that.
By using these exercises you can make substantial improvements in your use of intuition. This will improve the quality and speed of your decisions in every walk of life.
Reference: Managing yourself