How do you learn intuition? A pneumatherapist bases his/her work on a vast array of knowledge and skill, however, my journey of spiritual healing training is teaching me how such knowledge is almost futile if not backed up by well-developed intuition.
I am no expert on the subject of intuition. So many scholars and experts have written about this matter. What I will attempt to do here is merely share some personal reflections on how I am developing my own intuition and how I am integrating it into my practice as I journey along my pneumatherapist training.
Working without intuition
My early stages of learning the practice of meridian massage therapy focused on learning the techniques of such treatment: how to use my hands and my body weight when delivering such therapy, the sequence of the massage and getting acquainted with working with different types of bodies. Looking back on the first few massages I delivered, I notice how mechanical I was in doing them. My mind was preoccupied with ensuring I do not skip any body part, wondering if the pressure of my touch was too strong or too soft and pondering what the person receiving the treatment was possibly thinking and feeling about what I was doing.
Was I working with intuition there? I think not! I was merely doing a job and my feeling afterwards was one of physical and mental tiredness (though still happy!) People who volunteered to practice on them were always polite at the end of the treatment and said kind words to me. But something inside told me that somehow the therapy was not complete. Was that my intuition talking to me?!
Introducing intuition
Now that I have gained some more practice in meridian massage therapy, I believe I am in a better position to pin point more the differences between my early practice and the more recent one. The more familiar I become with the therapy itself, the more confident I feel and the more I can let go and trust my self. Once again, should I say trust my intuition?!
The more I get “out of my head” the more I get into the present moment and the more I can sense what is going on there and then with the energies of the person I am working with. The result of this is that the treatment itself is flowing, rather than mechanical. Whilst still very attentive to the body, especially when focusing on specific meridians and particular marma points, the focus goes beyond the body to a deeper connection with the Self of the other person. What I feel afterwards is peace, calmness and energy, rather than a sense of incompleteness and tiredness. Clients also report a variety of positive feelings: energized, calm, serene, peaceful, insightful, liberated, and others.
Does this mean that I am using my intuition more? Perhaps!
There are other instances where I am learning to let my intuition guide me. For instance, when deciding which meridians to work on. After applying all the diagnostic tools to assess which meridians and chakras need healing and consulting with my teachers, the ultimate decision is taken when I silence the chatterbox in my head (which has a habit of working overtime), connecting with my Self, turning to the Divine to ask for guidance and allowing the answer to resonate in my heart. For me, this is the meaning of intuition.
How am I nurturing my intuition?
However, all of this does not come spontaneously. While we all have intuition, I believe that this is something we need to hone into and develop. The following are some things that have been helping me develop further my intuition.
- Meditation – daily meditation helps me to silence the chatterbox in my head, free myself from self-doubt and the anxiety and shift from the mind to the heart. That is the place from where I can listen to the inner voice.
- Prayer – healing is not about making magic but about connecting with the Divine and asking with humility that the person receives the healing that she/he is seeking. Channeling that energy for me is only possible through prayer.
- Awakening the observer – When faced with any situation – big or small – which may require some sort of action on my part, I step out of myself, become my own observer and ask the question: “what would a wise woman do in such a situation?” I find that taking the observer position allows me to drop my ego and respond truthfully and authentically.
- Becoming more sensitive to Energy – this work is a constant reminder that we are Energy and that healing occurs when one is open to allow Prana to cleanse and energise the heart, body and soul. Thus, increasing my awareness and sensitivity to Prana lies at the core of pneumatherapy. This helps me be more connected with the people I encounter, thus more in touch with their needs for healing.
- Increasing my self-awareness – I cannot connect with others if I am not connected with myself first. Thus, the ongoing journey of self-awareness persists. Stopping to listen to my heart, my thoughts and the different sensations in my body, allows me to be more present to myself and more genuine in how I respond to myself and to others. Living truthfully, i.e., aligned to what I feel, means trusting myself and allowing the voice inside guide me.
- Knowledge – a pneumatherapist cannot work without sound knowledge. Reading, studying, reflecting, conversing with and observing my teachers work, are all factors which further enhance and back up my endeavor to develop my intuition in healing others.
The further along I travel along this journey of mine and the more people I encounter who come for healing at Siem Reap Spiritual Energy Centre, the more I come to realise the immense responsibility of this work. Accessing the soul energies of others comes with a lot of ethical responsibility. Unless I am truly simplistic, compassionate and humble in my approach, then I risk damaging my self and consequently those who come for healing. To never cease in my quest for developing my intuition is a must. Without it I know that I cannot do pneumatherapy. I trust that I will continue to grow spiritually, to learn more and more how to listen with my hands, feel with my mind and speak with my heart.