Using Your Intuition to Guide Your Healing

On my blog entry entitled Techniques for Accessing the Subconscious Mind: Free Association Writing, a reader posted the following questions:

1. What if what you write is just the same over and over again? Nothing new, just the same thing? This is so frustrating, another block. I want to be able to unlock hidden areas, but I cannot get there, even by doing this exercise.

2. Is what we write a memory, or simply a creation of our current mindset? The reason I ask is because I am wondering whether I am able to trust what I write as being the truth, or is it just fiction? Certainly, I am always questioning myself about the abuse, but I’m feeling especially confused about this particular issue. ~ Little Bird

My first impression of your questions is that you are putting too much reliance on your head instead of your intuition. I had a big problem with this early on my healing. I wanted to think through and reason my way through the healing process, but that is not how it works. So much of healing involves learning how to get back in touch with your intuition, that little voice inside of you that guides you through the healing process. I wanted a step-by-step plan for how to “do this healing thing,” but healing is much more complex than that.

Learning how to listen to your intuition can be a real challenge for child abuse survivors because we were taught not to listen to that voice. Our abusers’ wishes and whims were to override what our intuition was screaming until we finally silenced that voice inside of ourselves. I suspect that this is the reason for your “block.” You are thinking about what you think you should be saying rather than sitting back and releasing what is locked inside.

I recommend that you step away from the free association writing for now and, instead, start doing yoga and meditation. I am not talking about taking a yoga class, which is pretty much just a stretch class. Instead, I am talking about burning a vanilla scented candle in your bedroom (or somewhere else where you feel safe), playing some relaxing music, and doing a few asanas. (I used the book Yoga Made Easy by Howard Kent to learn a few.) Follow that up with meditation.

To meditate, you want to be very relaxed (which is the reason for the yoga, music, and candle). Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight, close your eyes, and silence your inner chatter. Behind that inner chatter is your spirit/intuition.

After you have connected with your intuition, try the free association writing again. I suspect you will find the activity to be much easier, and you will no longer question the truth because your intuition will guide you.

Related Topic:

Positive Coping Tools: Yoga & Meditation

Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt