Stillness Exercise

lotus

  • Draw or imagine a large circle with a dot in the center.
  • Take a few deep breaths and relax as much as possible.
  • When you are ready, focus on the dot in the center of the circle and inhale slowly. Keeping your focus on the dot, hold your breath for a few seconds. Exhale slowly.
  • Inhale again, focusing on the dot, but as you exhale, shift your focus slowly to the large circle surrounding the dot. Hold for a few seconds.
  • Begin your inhale and focus on the dot. Hold. Exhale focusing on the large circle. Hold.
  • Repeat this until you experience stillness inside you.

Listening to Your Body

  • Read all the directions before you begin.
  • Put on relaxing music. Stand in the middle of an area where you can move freely. Begin strolling around the area you previously selected.
  • When it feels appropriate, gently move your body in rhythm to the music. Continue rhythmic movement until you are relaxed.
  • When you are ready, ask your intuitive body to make a motion that will be important in your future. For example, you may find your body acting out a) changing diapers, b) singing a song, c) typing on something, or d) reading a book.
  • Record what your body does in a Journal some where. Then, without making it a difficult task, write down as spontaneously as you can the date in the future when your action will become important.

Protecting Your Calmness

  • Do the Stillness Exercise (see above).
  • When you are calm, invite images of the previous 3 hours to arise.
  • Pay close attention to your body as the images arise. How does each image impact the calm you have established?
  • If the memory disturbs your stillness or impacts your emotions negatively, gently and firmly allow the image to pass-by or to simple dissolve. You can do this best by not responding emotionally whether images are pleasing or disturbing. For example, if the images excite your happiness or make you want to leap up and work, once again gently and firmly allow the images to pass-by or to simple dissolve.
  • Protect the Stillness you have established as you would protect a precious jewel. After some months of practice, your body will know how to maintain calmness much more easily. A still, calm inner self fosters intuition.

Mindful Investigation

  • Do the Stillness Exercise (see above).
  • When you are calm, invite images of the previous 3 hours to arise. Watch the images as they arise as if you are seeing a 'TV movie' unfold.
  • Focus on one image until it dissolves, changes, or disappears as another image arises. Follow this second image the same way that you followed the first image-watch it until it dissolves, changes, or disappears.
  • For example, a memory of an upsetting phone call is followed by images of the person you were talking to. That is then followed by renewed irritation over the phone call, followed by pleasant memories of previous interactions with the caller.
  • In each of these cases, you watch the images until you lose interest or they just go away. You realize that you are not the image nor are you the emotions that accompany the image. Everything is arising and dissolving just as the sun rises and sets every day. Stillness, which is fertile ground for intuition, is experienced or attained with practice.

Learning about Emotions

  • To work with body-based intuition and learn more about your emotions, put on comfortable clothes for moving and stand in a room by yourself. Do the Stillness Exercise (see above).
  • When you are calm, invite images of the previous 3 hours or more to arise. Choose one image to focus on.
  • As it arises, let your body act out or move with the emotion, thought, or sensation that accompanies the image. Continue to act out your response to the image until the image changes or dissolves.
  • Allow the next image to arise and let your body enact the emotions or activities again.
  • Repeat the directions until you notice that your movements are guided more by a sense of continuity rather than individual images or emotions. Return to the Stillness you started with. Has your body taught you anything about centeredness? movement? emotions? memories? Practice this improvisational meditation as often as you like.

Using an Intuition Journal

Use or create an Intuition Journal where you keep a record of your intuitive experiences, questions about intuition, insights you'd like to receive from intuition, and gratitude for your learn. You can also use your Journal to write a vow or a commitment to intuition. Another entry into your Journal could be a love letter to your intuitive wisdom. An Intuitive Journal allows you to:

  • Learn your intuition's favorite ways to speak to you
  • Develop your intuitive vocabulary
  • Build on your previous experiences.

Author Sharon Franquemont © 2006 Life Science Foundation, used with permission.