Intuition: The Heart of the Matter

I have been writing my intuitive development book this summer. I am half way through creating it and am loving it. Finally, I am able to focus on these warm summer days to listen to my intuition and allow what wants to come forward to be written.

This book has been being created for a while now, but I have a determined goal to complete it soon. Our world needs it.

“The longest journey you will ever take is the 8 inches from your head to your heart.” – Andrew Bennett

Culturally we are in the process of transforming from being primarily materialistically oriented to being more loving, kind, and compassionate. We all want love, peace, acceptance, and joy. We need to discover how to support one another toward this existence. Our very earth is demanding it. This important aspect of our being, intuition, can guide us forward, create clarity, peace, understanding, and a deeper connection to ourselves, others, and the universe.

What is in this book is a simplified version of how to follow your heart. Yes, we need logic, but the two combined is exponentially powerful.

Intuition may come from the heart. Throughout history, ancient societies, philosophers, poets, and prophets have regarded the heart as the source of love, wisdom, intuition, the soul, and positive emotions. The Egyptians believed that the heart was connected to spiritual dimensions. After death, the heart was weighed to see how much good and evil it contained, and it was put in special urns for burial, and the brain was discarded. Thus, there is a disparity between what ancient traditions believed and modern predominate science’s teaching that the heart solely provides a physical function (http://noeticsi.com/thinking-from-the-heart-heart-brain-science/).

Images of the heart can be seen in religious iconography and are elevated, imploring us to contemplate what it represents: the highest values. Most spiritual or religious practices teach the importance of the heart and being loving and kind to the self and others. Adages such as “listen to your heart,” “follow your heart,” or “lead from the heart” must derive from a physical feeling of well-being in the body when we take direction from that organ or its location in the chest, and therefore there is likely a benefit to these sayings for them to have survived so long. As we connect with our heart center, we shift into a loving compassionate awareness. From this neutral, nonjudgmental place we may switch into our intuitive awareness. When we are more coherent, not emotional, thinking, confused, etc., we are able to listen to our heart more clearly.

Being connected to the heart and love can help us to be in a more intuitive and wise state. From this state, we can see more clearly.

Meditation is one of the best ways to connect with your intuition. You have probably heard of meditation. Have you ever tried it or developed your own regular meditation practice? I have heard many people say, “I am not a good meditator” or “I tried meditation and it wasn’t for me.” All of the people who have told me this did not have a mediation teacher or guide to help them have a more successful experience. My intention is to support you to have a positive experience with meditation. Then, you’ll be more likely to want to meditate and have a consistent practice that you will enjoy.

Meditation is focused attention. It can calm the mind, body, and spiritual states, and assist you to quiet your mental chatter, create space between your thoughts, judgments, or worrying mind and help return your body back toward homeostatic balance.

The more you meditate the more easily you will likely be able to connect with your intuition. Additionally, meditation has many positive health benefits.

“Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?”—Lao Tzu From Tao Te Ching

The following methods may help you, or you may find your own unique way to help the mud settle from your mind. Discover what will work best for you, such as:

• paying attention to all of your senses
• relaxation techniques
• meditation
• guided imagery/hypnosis
• prayer or connection to higher power
• ritual, or space clearing
• divinatory tools such as Tarot, I Ching, or Runes
• yoga
• T’ai chi
• creative activity
• journaling, drawing, painting, collage-making
• play
• spending time in nature
• prayer or connection with your higher power
• dreaming
• dancing
• a meaningful ritual
• going for a walk
• physical exercise
• gardening
• cooking
• massage therapy, reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, or any other relaxing healing modalities
• taking a bath or shower
• any activity that gets you out of “everyday thoughts” and into the present moment, not thinking of the past or future

Experiential Practice

Think of something that you would like more insight into or clarity about. Write it down. Listen to the Open Heart Meditation or practice one of the meditations on this blog or my YouTube channel. Then, think about the situation and feel into it with all of your senses. How do you see or feel it differently? What new insights have come forward? Journal your experience.

Listen to the Open Heart Meditation
I created this meditation to help you connect to your heart, cultivate love, joy, gratitude, and compassion.

Please contact me if you would like help listening to your intuition or help to clear the mud from the water in your mind at [email protected].

Photos of Emmy by Nicole Hoekstra.