Inner-Tuition

” My interpretation is that intuition is the mountain inside us, it’s our certainty. It lets us go, it brings us back. It’s our flowing solidity. It can be called upon by keeping still, by coming back to our mountain place. Being solid inside ourselves. Intuition keeps us firm, grounded, earthed – just like a mountain.”

- Atavar, M. (2009)

More wisdom from the wonderful Michael Atavar from his book, How To Be An Artist that could be retitled, How To Be A Coach. I like the way Atavar describes Intuition as a mountain.

Intuition is a skill that coaches will do well with developing and becoming more confident and skilful at being more intuitive in their coaching conversations. One way of viewing Intuition is that it is a high level of listening, hearing, sensing and responding to the less overt signs and signals communicated between two individuals in a coaching conversation. Intuition as a skill won’t always have the evidence to back up what you are thinking or feeling.

Intuition reads into and connects with energy, the sort of body signals and messages that are not easily transported into the traditional coaching models of Coaching like GROW and OSKAR.

Intuition builds on a coach’s ability to work in the field of not knowing, knowing that by remaining open you’ll be more receptive to new and often different levels of information and data beyond the data accessed from the rational, logical mind.

Last week I worked with client who in the process of our conversation said one word in amongst her comments and conversations that caused a reaction in my body. Rather than dwell on the reasons for this I simply wrote the word down and continued listening. Twenty minutes later it became clear why that particular word resonated in my body the way it did.

I didn’t need to jump at this point and make an observation or ask a question to let the coachee know about the intuitive response that I’d felt and connected with. It was far more valuable for her to make those connections for herself, to be guided by her own inner-tuition and for the recognition of the congruence that manifested for both of us to reveal itself in the session in the way that meant she took full ownership of her own connections and insights.

There is that danger that by being over zealous with our intuitive noticings and hunches we set ourselves up as the experts, the ones with the insights and knowledge and we rob our coachee’s of their own power and intuitive intelligence.

I am often asked by coaches who feel their intuitive intelligence is under developed how to become stronger in this area. I believe everyone is intuitive and some people simply need to tune into their intuition on a more conscious and aware level.

Try this: For one week pay special attention and focus to your own intuitive thoughts and hunches. This means paying attention to imagery, sounds, sensations, feelings and thoughts that may be wrapped up in subtle signals. You might choose to act on them or you might not.

At the end of your week review your list of intuitive thoughts and hunches and total up how many of your intuitive thoughts or hunches on your list turned out to be correct. This is the easiest and simplest way of deciphering how well your intuition works.

• For one week practice making more intuitive decisions and choices.
• Choose your daily outfit for one week intuitively.
• Choose your daily meals for one week based on intuitive choices.
• For one week call friends and family as soon as you receive an intuitive nudge.
• Create a quiet space or quiet mind to make your choices.

Doing more of this noticing will also help you with working out how your intuition signals or speaks to you.

• Does it respond by generating sensations or reactions in your body?
• Does it speak to you through internal chatter or a whisper?
• Does your body temperature rise or fall?

Getting to know your own body’s intuitive way of getting your attention will help grow your confidence and competence in this area.

Your intuition is often a symptom of your own ingrained wisdom and knowledge that you are willing to unleash. Intuition works well and is receptive when you’re relaxed and in a calm state.