Getting to know you
This month we checked in on our intuition journals (or just what we noticed about our intuitive connection) over the past month. One thing of great note was the one of our participants noticed that she had gotten an intuitive hit about something, but then proceeded to downplay it or ignore it, and then when things panned out as her intuition had warned her, she had that awareness of having gotten that message. She said that in the past she might not have even noticed that she had gotten that warning, but because we had trained our attention to our intuition over the last couple of months, she was able to notice the connection working for her.
I think lessons like this are really important, and just as valuable as all those times when we follow our intuition. It’s all a part of noticing and understanding how are intuitive connection works for us, and how we still operate under free will to weigh the risks or effort of taking the advice of our own intuition.
My own observation about my intuitive connection this past month was how illness affects it. Even though I “only” came down with a slight cold, it was much more difficult for me even just to sit in meditation, let alone work in the Akashic Records. I had to drum up self compassion to stave off the self judgment that can come up in these kinds of situations. It was a wonderful experience being held by the circle as I recounted this process.
Letting go, filling up
The energy of the circle was a bit more ragged and distracted than usual, so I dispensed with my original plans for the opening meditation and led everyone through a restorative practice. I was going with the flow and made an unfortunate reference to a “golden shower,” which I regretted as soon as the phrase left my mouth. But I didn’t want to call any more undue attention to it, so I kept going. It turned out that everyone was trying not to laugh at that point! Thankfully, we were all able to get our minds out of the gutter long enough to reap the benefit of the meditation, a variation of which I will share in the worksheets. It is now renamed the Shower of Light meditation.
3D Magic Eye pictures and open focus
The aim of this gathering was to find the “fun” in intuitive connection. So the first thing we did was get up off the floor and play with some 3D Magic Eye posters. This was the kind of stuff I did for fun in high school because I was (and still am) a big nerd. To successfully see the hidden images in these sorts of posters, you really need to shift how you look at the poster by softening your gaze and looking past the surface details and finding the hidden depths. I haven’t seen anyone make this connection before to intuitive practice,* but the analogy seems really obvious to me. Likewise, what gets in the way of seeing the hidden images (barring any actual physical issues with the eye) are the same things that block intuitive knowing. Surveying the group we found out that trying too hard, focusing on the small details, rushing, and doubting/not trusting what you think you see kept us from seeing the hidden pictures. Changing our perception by relaxing the gaze is what made them pop out.
[*I take it back. It turns out that Dr. Marc Grossman, a holistic optometrist and publisher of a series of 3D Magic Eye books, notes intuitive development as one of the many benefits of viewing these images!]
Open Focus
The magic eye posters were a great segue to Dr. Les Fehmi’s Open Focus practice. Before plunging into a rather long Open Focus guided visualization, we did an overview of the four attention styles and when it’s appropriate to utilize one or more. (Sidenote: in an Akashic Record reading, you need to move flexibly and fluidly between all four poles!) Dr. Fehmi’s research on Open Focus spans everything from pain and stress management to peak performance in creative and athletic endeavors. But what I immediately noticed about his exercises were how similar they were to Dr. Judith Blackstone’s Realization Process, whose lofty aim is nothing short of an embodied experience of non-duality. I love Judith Blackstone’s work, but I am a believer and proponent of all roads leading to Rome. So even though I am not a regular practitioner of Open Focus as a daily exercise, I learned a lot from reading Fehmi’s book and I liked the promise of being able to alter my brain waves reliably using such a simple method. We had a great discussion about the different attention styles, but when it came to the actual practice, we all came out on the other end with a range of reactions, from “totally relaxed” to “too much in my head.” I’ll be curious to hear how this exercise shakes out for people with continued practice!
Soul Cards
I offered a whole range of exercises for people to tap into their intuition but everyone was immediately drawn to the oracle and tarot cards I brought in, especially the Soul Cards! Before we drew cards I gave some pointers and tips for how to work with the cards with as little fuss and drama as possible. I am so thankful my dear friend Steph Cowling (godmother of Dreamers & Schemers) for introducing me to these cards a few years back. Everyone had a lot of fun with them and felt like they’d gotten something out of the images they pulled.
Admin
Next gathering, to talk about the crown chakra, is Thursday, Nov. 9!
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