Article by Amanda White

“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it is all written there.” Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist.

As spiritual beings, connected to all things, we are all born with an intuitive gift to read others’ energy and the energy around us. We may seem to be born with great psychic abilities, or we may only get a quiet inner voice telling us if something feels right or wrong, but it is there, in all of us. It is only the intensity of how we experience it which is different. The great thing is, no matter where we are on our journey and in our spiritual practice, listening to our inner voice and sensing the energy in others, can be learned.

I was lucky enough to be raised with the knowledge of there being more to life and the Universe than our limited senses could pick up, which made the whole idea of honing these abilitites easier for me to trust and accept. As an adult I began to practice using my intuition and learned exercises to expand this side of myself. The most important lesson I had learnt and continue to practice, was self-trust and being open to the possibility that we already have these abilities. It is an innate gift, we just have to relearn how to listen to the subtle voice inside and peel back the layers of conditioning which we have received over the years. If we relax, be open and present as often as possible, doors unlock and open wide for the rest to begin flowing freely. Having faith and realising that we can transcend our mental limitations helps us to move with Universal energy, and release the illusion that we are separate from it, helping us to reconnect.

Honing our intuitive abilities, although not essential for Reiki, can greatly aid us in intensifying healing in ourselves and others. Using our intuition frequently when giving treatments, we can sense trauma, whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Over time and practice, we can sense the subtle differences between the main energetic bodies which can guide us to where to focus our intent, regardless of where we have placed our hands. I have found during my Reiki practice, that a treatment can have far more powerful results if I zoom in mentally on the specific vibration I have picked up on. Sometimes we may have images, feelings or words pop into our minds which are also there to guide us in our healing work.

Every personal experience is different, so using our intuition helps us to be flexible and allows each treatment to be individual and unique for the recipient, even when working within the guidelines of the system of Reiki.

One example, which I had experienced occurred a year ago. When giving distance healing to a new client, I was guided to surround her mentally with each colour of the chakras, one by one, as I channelled Reiki, something which I had not been guided to do before. When I emailed her to discuss the treatment, she was amazed at what I had relayed to her. She responded by saying that she practiced colour therapy! Following our intuition, we are guided to focus our intent on something that is right for the recipient, and for their highest good. We can trust that the guidance we receive from within is right and needed at that time.

With the use of these exercises, it is possible to increase our intuition. Remember, relax and try not to get frustrated if it’s difficult at first, as with all practice, it takes time, trust in ourselves and patience.

1. Pay Attention

Close your eyes and breathe, and when feeling relaxed, focus on one of your senses. If you choose to focus on what you can hear for example, break each sound down separately and spend time listening to that, drowning out all other noises. Then move mentally to the next sound doing the same. Doing this regularly heightens our ability to notice what we wouldn’t usually and slowly becomes part of our daily lives. We begin then to observe the wonderous little things that we so often miss.

2. See, Even When Your Eyes Are Closed

This exercise aids in strengthening the third eye and will make it easier to receive information clairvoyantly. As before, close your eyes and breathe. When feeling relaxed, choose an image to form in your mind’s eye. It could be anything, a familiar object, family member, pet or scene. Then build the picture in your mind, adding layers of detail. It may not be perfect, but with practise, the image will become clearer.

3. Ask and You Will Receive

When we ask for guidance, whether we are calling to the Universe, God, our guides/angels or our Higher Selves, whomever we feel supported by, we may be answered in a myriad of ways. By fine-tuning our intuitive abilities, we begin to notice synchronicities more frequently. A great way to test this is to ask for a reference to something random over the coming days, something that is not usually in our daily lives, and ask for this for your highest good, then forget about it. You may get what you asked for in the strangest of ways. It could come in a song we hear, an overheard conversation or even a street name we hadn’t noticed before and if unsure if it was really an answer, ask for the same again and it will come up in another way. The reason that it is a good idea to test it, is to enable more trust in knowing that we will be given what we ask for. So when giving a treatment, if we ask for guidance in how we can help more or to sense what we need to focus on, we will be shown in whichever way is best for us to receive the information, enabling us to tailor it to the recipient’s needs.

4. Go With It

Go with your gut feelings. Ask a friend to send a photo of someone to you that you don’t know. After meditating, try and feel the essence of the person, form a story of their life in your mind. Ask your guides questions about this person and trust what you receive. What does that person do for a living? What are their hobbies? Their relation to your friend? See if you are even able to pick up a name. Find and note down any details which are intuitively received, even if the information seems random and unrelated, as it could be symbolic. Then relay the details to your friend and ask them for any verification. It really doesn’t matter if what we receive isn’t correct at first, although it is amazing when we do get something right. It may be that it is something that cannot be verified. Over time, with practice and trust, we find that on each occasion that this exercise is undertaken, it is possible to gain far more correct details and with time, confidence grows.

Amanda J White is a Reiki Master, Intuitive and Freelance Writer. As a member practitioner of the Reiki Academy London, she is qualified in both Usui Shiki Rhoyo and Usui Reiki Rhoyo. Inspired to aid others in their healing and spiritual endeavours after her own journey to wellness, Amanda made healing her full time career. Interested in all things spiritual and creative, Amanda spends her free time immersed in nature, a book or painting. Working from her base in Surrey UK, she is also able to provide distance healing for those unable to see her in person. You can connect with Amanda through her website www.ajreiki.co.uk or through Facebook