© Dr. Judith Orloff MD

I realized when I first had visions that they were my first initial encounter with the fact that the form our faith takes is less important than the love it imparts. Years later, after a decade of searching, meditating, and studying with teachers from a variety of backgrounds, I was able to put into words this childhood knowing: The bedrock of spirituality is to learn about love. When we approach the intuitive in this spirit, not as a means to accumulate power but as a vehicle for right action, clarity, and service, our intentions remain pristine. I believe that all forms of intuitive and creative expression originate from an infinitely fertile spiritual source.

Intuition is something that can be taught. The magic of intuition is that it insists you live in the moment with no expectations, a continuing freshness. Intuition is our birthright, available to everyone. To access it, here are five steps that can be applied to any issue you'll ever confront from healing your body, to riding a roller-coaster of emotions to sexual awakening. These five steps can bring you the joy and clarity you've been searching for.

Step 1: Notice Your Beliefs
Your beliefs set the stage for healing. Positive attitudes stimulate growth. Negative attitudes impede it. It's important to rid yourself of counterproductive attitudes that you may not even realize you have. If you examine your beliefs, choose life-enhancing ones, you'll create optimal wellness. No organ system stands apart from your thoughts. Your beliefs program your neurochemicals. I'm not suggesting that you be Pollyannish, but that you are completely true to yourself. This will free you from unconscious negative beliefs that can sabotage your healing,

Step 2: Be In Your Body
Your body is a complex and sensitive intuitive receptor. You must make a commitment to be in it completely to heal. Most people in Western society are conditioned to live from the neck up, ignoring the rest of their body. This stance is counter-intuitive. I'd like you to shift that perspective - to enjoy your intellect but revel in your physicality as well. Being aware of the sensuousness of your body opens intuition. Then you'll become more cognizant of early warning signs your body sends. This gives you a head-start on preventing illness, choosing healthy relationships, and avoiding detrimental situations.

Step 3: Sense Your Body's Subtle Energy
We are composed of flesh and blood, but also of subtle energy. Chinese Medical Practitioners call it "chi," a vital substance which penetrates the body and extends many feet beyond it. From an intuitive point of view, these vibrantly colored energy fields, whose centers are called chakras have a significant effect on our health. For that reason, it is important that we learn to sense this energy within us, recognize when it is off, and learn to correct the imbalance. Feeling energy can be very sensual, an extension of love. Learning to tap into your body?s energy is healing.

Step 4: Ask for Inner Guidance
We each possess an intuitive voice that contains answers about our healing. Because our intellect is often so loud, this voice often gets drowned out. It's essential that we learn to access the stillness within--though meditation, quite contemplation, connecting with nature, prayer - in order to gain answers about our health. Spend a few minutes each day devoted to listening to this voice. It may appear as a gut feeling, a hunch, an image, a sound, a memory, an instant knowing - as if a light bulb suddenly switched on. Learn to trust the signals your inner wisdom sends.

Step 5: Listen To Your Dreams
Intuition is the language of dreams. Every ninety minutes each night during the REM stage of sleep, we dream. Dreams provide answers about health, relationships, career choices, any new direction. The secret is to remember them. I suggest keeping a dream journal by your bed. Before you go to sleep, ask a dream a question. For instance, "Is this relationship healthy for me or should I move on?" The next morning, write down any dreams immediately before getting out of bed. Try repeating the question, every night for the next week until your answer comes. As you develop the habit of remembering dreams, you?ll be able to benefit from this form of healing.

As a physician, I have a continual sense of awe for the relationship between body and spirit. As your heart opens, so does your intuition. Your intuition will teach you how to see and how to love. It will instill in you a renewed faith to face anything.

Question:
I am currently house sitting for my boss for three weeks and I'm not coping very well. I am finding it very hard to meditate or center myself - and its almost like I have a block to it at the moment. The flat is a one bedroom flat on a 5th floor apartment block with a cat and 2 tanks of tropical fish! The couple I am house sitting for are quite negative and I have a strong feeling that this affects the energy in the flat. I haven’t had a complete nights sleep since I have moved in there (a week ago) and my sleep is dreamless, light, and restless. Do you have any advice in clearing the flats energy space? any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
Burning white candles, sage or sandalwood incense should do the trick. I do this in hotel rooms to clear the space. Play some beautiful music and dance freely in the rooms clearing the vibes. Your happiness can replace whatever is there.

Question:
How did the American Psychiatric Association receive your talk on Intuitive Healing? As a medical intuitive student a current bodywork therapist who has used intuition in her work for over 15 years, and the daughter of a New Orleans psychiatrist who co-founded Houston/Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute in the early 60's, I am greatly interested in hearing more about your talk and how it was received.

Answer:
I gave a workshop at the American Psychiatric Association on my book Intuitive Healing: Five Steps to Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Wellness. The reason I used that title for the talk was that it gave psychiatrists something very concrete to do. Five Steps to...they can easily understand. The majority of psychiatrists who attended were in private practice in the Mid-West. What struck me about them was their sincere desire to learn new skills to teach patients. So I engaged their linear minds with the 5 steps and they went with it. Of course, doctors all ask hard questions, and most don't have the first hand experience of what trusting intuition means in the nitty gritty of work with patients--though of course most, especially the old timers, know what "trusting your gut" means. I was touched by how open they were, despite the rigidity of our medical training. It was an honor to speak to them. The key to communicating with MDs--psychoanalysts are some of the toughest!-- is to combine heart and mind to convey new ideas. Try to have as much compassion as you can, and suspend judgment. Hope this helps. No website to refer to about this talk I gave at the APA, though now this information is on Caroline's site. Great question.

Judith Orloff, M.D is author of the new book Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear into Vibrance, Strength and Love (Harmony Books). She is also author of the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. She is assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and an international workshop leader. For more information visit [www.drjudithorloff.com].