THE
SENTIENT
PATHWAY

The #1 Guide to Developing Your Intuition, Giving You Power, Clarity and Confidence

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Chapter 2

What is Intuition?
Written by Kim Platzer

It appears everyone has a view on what intuition is. Some believe it to be a connection to the spiritual realm, or basic instinctual responses to events or past experiences held by the subconscious which surface when faced with a life choice. Intuition is all of this and much more, making this one of the most confusing and underutilised of human capabilities.

We have simply defined intuition as:

Inner wisdom, inner learning, inner sensing = Intuition

As simplistic as the definition sounds, the path of intuitive development can be an overwhelming journey into self-exploration. Beginning with attempting to understand how the mind functions, what and where do the thoughts come from, before then moving into the body’s physical reactions. Why do I feel this way?

Before long, self-analysis leads to a cycle of moods, emotions, thoughts and frustrations that prevent further development or a path towards seeming loneliness. Others will not understand what you are going through, instead they see someone pulling apart every aspect of life, overanalysing, which leads to new burdens and fatigue. In the end, what has it achieved?

Human beings like to accumulate knowledge by understanding what makes something work. It is not in our intellectual nature, to simply accept. Rarely do we think about how breathing or blinking works, we know that the body will take care of this function with little effort or thought on our part. Do we believe we are separate from our body? Of course, not and what of the mind? We think all the time without effort, never assuming the mind is separate from our being. The confusion begins when we look beyond mind and body.

The soul is the essence of our being, the basis of identity. Unlike the mind and body, we question the existence of the soul.

The soul communicates through our heart as unconditional love and compassion. The heart remains as our human link to the soul and what we will work with to strengthen the connection with intuition.

Throughout this guide we will stretch the mind beyond its current limits, connect with the body and reunite the soul back to the conscious memory. The body, mind and soul are interlinked but to assist with the undertaking of your journey to intuition we have divided the sentient being into three aspects:

• The body, a vehicle to physically express our mind and determine our course
• The mind, used for logic, reason and intellectual knowledge
• The heart, the integration point for exchange centre for soul, body and mind

Intuition is the thread entwining the three aspects of self. When these aspects are in balance, a harmony resonates that is felt internally by the individual. The inner harmony resonates outward and may affect others who are near. Have you ever thought, “That person has a great energy?” When someone is in balance with their inner harmony the emotions, thoughts and feelings are clear and sequenced to create ideas.

Unfortunately, the Western world favours the intellectual mind over the ability to receive information through feeling or knowing. The result is the heart suffers, becoming laden with the burden of emotional blocks caused by too much rational thinking, which leads to worry while the body is pushed to keep working, stay functioning with minimal nurturing. With little focus for ourselves and lots of emphasis placed on external demands the natural flow of intuition becomes stifled. Basics instinct is no longer felt and nor is the subtle voice of guidance heard.

How do we keep going? The physical body requires nourishment to sustain optimal health. Food, exercise and water sustain the body enough to persevere. It is the mind that often pushes the body further, worrying about how we look or how far can we push the boundaries of physicality to see what we are capable of.
What happens to the heart when the mind and body are pressured? The heart takes the brunt of all the emotions that have resulted from thoughts, feelings and physical actions of the body. It is not by chance that we use such terms as, heartache or heartbroken when we feel sad. The heart is the centre for the emotions to be processed before the body expresses itself through tears or laughter.

The soul holds the key to why we were born and what we are here for. True passion, likes and dislikes beyond parental expectations, exist with the soul. It is often demonstrated throughout life as fine threads interwoven with everyday occurrences. For example, many others have viewed certain qualities you possess that are viewed as a calling. Perhaps throughout life you have been told that you would make a great teacher, nurse, artist or writer. The mind has only viewed the terms through limited vision. Your career interests open the door to a job in the financial world. The boss asks that you give numerous presentations to colleagues explaining the work that is normally undertaken. Enjoying this, the boss then pays for further development as a training facilitator. Before you know it the idea of teaching others seems amusing. The observations of others were correct – it was the mind that limited the opportunity by defining teaching as standing in front of a blackboard in a traditional schoolroom.

The soul and heart work closely by monitoring freedom of being. Simply put, are you receiving the experiences that the soul wants to have? Beyond the formed limitations placed by family and social conditioning?

Intuition is the thread that connects to the soul and our physical identity. When we feel pulled to go in a certain direction or receive insight such as a fortuitous dream, or have an idea that is wonderful and seemingly out of nowhere. It is intuition translating the language of the soul with human awareness.

Thankfully, many people are acknowledging there is more to life beyond the physical. However, the trials of modern day living have most of us relying on technology for quick fixes, resulting in dependence for finding answers outside of the self instead of reconnecting back to the inner self.

Taking away the dependence on devices will enforce reliance back to us. Either the rational mind will continue to allow the intellect to dominate or the inner self with prevail and we choose to go back to a natural state of living.

Learning to balance the mind, body and heart will encourage further awareness to the effects of thought, feeling and human interaction. Consciously the forms of intuition that weave the connection to create dreams, instincts, vision or knowing will provide understanding that this innate ability is not found with the intellect but rather through the bypassing of logic and rationality.

We will leave the example of just how intuition can weave between the mind, body and soul to provide the answers that logic may not understand.
One man’s discovery demonstrates the importance of embracing intuition.
A man must find the answer to a problem. He reads all the books he can on the subject but does not find an answer.

Overworked and tired he falls asleep and dreams of a herd of cows being electrocuted. The cows, one by one jump away from the fence.
Waking up from the dream, he worked out a theory. The perception of an outcome changes depending on where you stand to watch an event.

The man was Einstein, the dream – the Special Theory of Relativity.

Chapter 4 (Partial Extract)

Physical and Sensory Awareness
Written by Kim Platzer

The Physical Connection

How many times have you been in a beautiful garden or walking by the sea on a sunny day. Physically, you may be present, but mentally somewhere else, either living in the past or thinking about the future. When the consciousness is not connected to current reality then we are not anchored to our present state of being. We begin to have lapses in concentration, lack of clarity and focus. Eventually fatigue takes hold because so much effort is being placed on the past or future.

There are many reasons as to why we remove ourselves from current life. It may be that life seems tedious or overwhelming, we would much rather be somewhere else. Sadly, life can pass by if our state of being is feeling stuck and the mind is overworked by heavy thoughts that lead to an outlook of limited potential.

Connecting with intuition will naturally open the body, mind and heart to releasing the inner struggle that creates limiting beliefs. As our intuition heightens so does our sensitivity. Opening ourselves up to receive information from our environment is interpreted by our body as a feeling. An example is when clairsentients take on the emotions of others or even pain, causing confusion for the intuitive who is trying to differentiate between their natural state and that of external interference.

Getting to know what is a natural physical, emotional and mental state for ourselves is the key to determining what is intuition or a general aspect of wellbeing. Now is the time to open the awareness, so let’s begin with the power of physical observation.
Observation creates a mental and sensory link with the physical body. The result will be lead to a deeper communication with the body and mind which allows ourselves to be firmly grounded with the present moment.

Take several minutes to focus on these key exercises.

Physical Observation – Focus on the surrounding room.

• Without straining the neck, what do you see?
• What do you sense? Temperature, drafts, feeling?
• What do you smell?
• What taste is present?
• What can you hear?

Take a moment to note the observations.
Remain lying or sitting comfortably. Bring the awareness to the body.

• How does your body feel? E.g. Heavy, tired, numb, in pain, aching, active, light, calm

Note down the observations
Continue lying on the floor or sitting in a chair. Bring your awareness to the following parts of the body. Do not jump ahead, getting to know the body may seem pointless or boring but it is an integral part of developing intuition.

• Head – is your mind in thought? Is there a light or heavy sensation?
• Face – are the muscles relaxed?
• Neck – is it relaxed?
• Throat – tight or soft?
• Shoulders – tension, weight or at ease?
• Arms – heavy, limp or tense and controlled?
• Wrists – rigid or relaxed?
• Fingers – loose or strained?
• Mid-back – tight or relaxed?
• Chest – can the breath easily flow
• Stomach – does it feel bloated? Tight or relaxed?
• Lower back – Loose, tight, aching or locked?
• Pelvis/hips – balanced, free to move or in pain?
• Buttocks – tight or relaxed?
• Thighs – heavy or light?
• Knees – weak or strong?
• Lower legs – tense or relaxed
• Ankles – full range of movement or limited?
• Feet – Swollen, light or heavy and in pain?
• Toes – free to move or stuck?

Did you notice anything out of the ordinary? It is amazing how many people either feel nothing new or experience sensitivities that had not been noticed before. Even the feeling of the heart pumping more than normal is an out of ordinary observation. It does not mean that a physical illness is present however if there is any concern it is always best to visit the doctor for a check-up.

When we pay attention to our body we realise how important maintenance really is. Eating healthy, enjoying what goes into our body, assists with bringing the awareness to the present moment. Even exercise is enjoyable, a simple walk to take in the air and refresh the mind leads to positive wellbeing.

One of the excuses that we hear from students is “I don’t have time to exercise or make good food.” In today’s world, we have so much expectation that leaving ourselves until last is what causes the disconnection and lack of joy. Begin to change by giving your body a holiday. Make it a point to go for a walk around the garden or the block, look at what food is about to be eaten instead of just grabbing something on the run. Taking a few moments to look at what is happening is all it takes for implementing long term change.

Being intuitive does not mean you must be perfect but the sensitivity that surfaces will result in paying more attention to what you consume. Food and drink that were once craved may no longer seem satisfying, cravings for fresh food and water begin to seem very appealing. A desire to be in fresh air and surrounded by nature is very common for students of developing sensitivity. Pay attention to what you eat and crave now and take note if this changes during development.

If the excuses remain, such as I don’t have time, take a moment to anchor yourself back to the present moment. This will bring clarity to life and assist with functioning on a physical and mental level.

Anchoring the Body – bringing back focus
This is a great technique for anchoring the mind, body and heart with the present moment. It can be practiced anywhere without anyone noticing that you are doing it.

• Stand still
• Take deep breaths in through the nose and exhale from the mouth
• Bring the awareness to the feet
• Feel the feet connecting to the floor (a slight feeling of weight may be noticed)
• Bring the awareness to the legs, hips and upper body
• Feel the weight pulling downwards to the floor
• Breathe deeply while paying attention to the surrounding area
• Take notice of what you hear, smell, see and feel

Practice this technique daily and before long you will be doing this at will without too much thought or conscious effort.

Exploring Physical Senses

We are part of an intricate body that is constantly connected to our physical and sensory system. The two work in unison by communicating or alerting us to all manner of situations. Unfortunately, much of the information conveyed is ‘lost’ because we are not sure how to process the type of communication.

Human beings have a developed intellect which is reflected by the vast and varied advances made in this world. Such important changes could not have been made possible without the dual sense of intuition.

Previously we have outlined the inner senses of clear; seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and sensing. Now it is time to bridge the connection between the physical and inner senses into conscious realisation. To achieve this, go back to the physical connection of the body and realign with the present moment.

Stay mindful of the observations while we proceed to communicate with the inner senses.

• Close the eyes
• Bring the awareness to the breath. Are you breathing from the chest or diaphragm? If uncertain, place a hand on both areas to feel the where the breath sits
• Take in three deep breaths through the nose and exhale them through the mouth
• Focus on the rhythm of the breath, allowing it to take you deeper into the body
• Keep the focus on the breathing cycle. Deep inward breathing through the nose and exhaling through the mouth

After a few minutes, you may experience stillness. Sit with this for a minute. If the mind begins to interfere, go back to focusing on the breath.

• When ready and with eyes closed, imagine holding a plate of your favourite food
• What does it look like? How does it sit on the plate?
• Place the plate on your knees
• If you can, pick up the food with your hands
• What does it smell like?
• What texture does it have?
• Take a mouthful, biting slowly
• What does it taste like?
• Can you hear yourself tasting the food? Note the sound of your mouth or the way the body reacts to the taste

Take time to complete the exercise by allowing the mind, body and heart go to place of sensory delight.

Note: It is normal to forget what happened during an exercise. Tell yourself to hold the memory in the conscious mind, noting the sensory experiences.