Contrary to popular belief, intuition is not some mystical thing. It’s not an elusive ethereal quality some people have and some don’t. Rather, it’s an innate knowing that everyone possess within them. It’s that deep inner knowledge that comes from the body. While it’s important to understand anatomy and proper technique, it’s equally important to respond to the client’s needs at a deeper level.
The simple truth is your intuition is always right. When you’re in touch with it, you can trust yourself in knowing what to do. You begin to feel out which area needs more work and how to handle it. The problem is most people confuse intuition with other emotions. Instead of listening to their inner voice, they rationalize it away against their better judgment.
1. Fear
Whereas intuition brings clarity, fear often stirs up confusion. Intuition is completely grounded in the present moment. It’s neutral and unemotional whereas fear is emotional charged. Fear comes from instinct — the fight or flight response we get when there’s danger. When you come from a place of uncertainty, you begin to hesitate. This can greatly affect the flow of your movements and your state of mind.Healing with touch requires a great level of self-trust. More than just technique, you need to feel your way through the process. Touch is so much more than knowing where to place your hands. It’s knowing how deep the pressure should be and how long to linger. All these subtleties can’t just be learned mechanically. It has to move freely from an inner knowing.
2. Doubt
Like fear, doubt causes you to question your intuition. It usually stems when the rational mind is in conflict with your inner knowing. It’s important to remember that there’s a time and place for logical analytical thinking. However, sometimes it can affect the flow of your work.
Remember your intuition is a higher form of knowledge. It doesn’t come from nowhere. What the conscious mind is aware of is only a fraction of what your body knows. Believe it or not, your body stores a vast amount of information based on your experiences. It’s fired up by neurons at such a rapid rate you don’t always have time to process it. Because of this, it’s crucial to trust your intuition as you work.
3. Shame
While often used interchangeably, guilt and shame are not the same thing. Guilt is directed on the action while shame is directed towards the person. There’s a world of difference between saying what someone did was bad versus that person is inherently bad. Unfortunately, children eight years and under are still highly impressionable, and they cannot distinguish the difference.
Guilt is a natural response to wrongdoing, and it can often teach us not to make the same mistake twice. Once the lesson is learned, we wash off the guilt back to a clean state. However, shame is something embedded deep in our psyche. It’s a subconscious wound most people carry throughout their whole lives. More than just an emotion, shame can trigger a visceral response in the body. Because of this, it can muddle your intuition.
Now that you’re aware of these three things, you’ve already won half the battle. The other half is turning this information into transformation. At Bowen College, we guide you deeper into breaking those subconscious patterns and blocks. That way, you can pursue your healing practice with greater ease and flexibility.
