Balance Brings Better Intuition

by Rev. Cay Randall-May, PhD

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Intuition is any leap of logic in thought or action. When we know something without knowing why we know it, that's intuition. When we find ourselves in the right place at the right time that's the result of our intuition, as well. Everyone is intuitive to some extent, but those who enhance their intuitive awareness are often rewarded with improved health and abundance.

It's not surprising that countless hours and untold resources are spent every year by individuals who want to develop their intuitive and healing abilities. They study, attend workshops and classes on how to use particular methods or tools, remote view, etc.

These activities are undoubtedly useful, but if basic principles of physical and emotional balance are overlooked, the student will not reach her or his maximum intuitive potential. Intuition and related abilities, such as clairvoyance, are attributes of a higher level of thinking than ordinary consciousness. Their cultivation requires harmonizing the physical and bioenergetic bodies, a task more complex and subtle than learning a typical academic subject or athletic skill. After more than 30 years working as a professional intuitive consultant, healer, and educator, I know that intuition is a natural ability, which everyone who strives for personal balance can sharpen. Practitioners of intuitive medicine and related professions will benefit from a daily balance regime in order to meet the energetic demands of their work.

What is Balance?

It's not always easy to answer this question. Mental health experts, George D. Cohen and William Gladstone (1995) define balance as mental and emotional well-being. This is what allows us to live up to our potential in the face of life's challenges. According to these authors, a lifestyle that promotes inner harmony, (often described as the Tao in Chinese, or Umoja in African traditions), is a way to ensure normal adaptability.

Poor adaptability results from inner chaos and conflicts, and leads to limited personal potential and reduced interactions with others. When we are out of balance our moods, level of tension and stress, thoughts and activities, need for organization and control, and ultimately our physical health all suffer. Lack of balance negatively impacts our physical, social, and spiritual well-being.

A balanced life requires inner peace. In order to live it, we must face and deal with our shadow, defined as those negative thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that can sabotage our personal or professional success. Organizational and leadership consultant, C. Stephen Byrum, Ph.D., and Medical futurist, Leland Kaiser, Ph.D. (2001) point out that the best way to deal with our shadow is to embrace spiritual growth. They define spirituality as true 'caring', not necessarily as religious practice. According to these authors, without this, no one can reach his or her potential greatness.

First, Reduce Stress

The paradox is that life's roughest times, those we hope will never come, can teach us most about caring and inner balance. For example, if my husband had not experienced a heart attack in 1989, he and I would not have taken a class in stress reduction. At first, I took the class just to keep him company, because surely I wasn't stressed. After all, I had been meditating and praying on a regular basis for years. What a shock it was for me to hear the squeal of that biofeedback monitor when I strapped it onto my finger. It told me that I hadn't been relaxing nearly as deeply as I thought.

The relaxation training I received in class helped me reach the free-flowing state of consciousness, which I had reached before only through exhaustion. Biofeedback training taught me how to get there quickly and reliably, even with my eyes open and standing in front of an audience. It helped me become a more effective clairvoyant and healer. Without the use of a galvanic skin response monitor, I would not have known I was so uptight. So, if it is that difficult to tell when we are stressed, how will we know if we are in balance? Good question.

That's why the most effective training in intuition and high sense perception assumes that the student is not as free from tension as she or he may think. The training programs, which you will find referenced in my book (2005), all include some form of meditation. Everyone can benefit from relaxation and meditation training because the more intuitive we become, the closer we get in touch with our innermost thoughts, including our shadow: fears, anger, envy, distrust, guilt, apprehension, anxiety, and long-buried, old hurts.

Then, Look Deeper

The great medical intuitives Andrew Jackson Davis (Podmore, 1963) and Edgar Cayce (Sugrue, 1973) gave their readings while in a deeply altered state of awareness, or trance, induced through hypnotic suggestion. Years ago, I asked a friend who is a professional hypnotist to deepen the trance state which I use in some of my own intuitive sessions. The deeper state of relaxation which I achieved in this way immediately improved the detail and scope of my intuitive work.

My friend hypnotized me once a week for several months, each time easing me into a deeper state of altered awareness. Eventually, I developed the ability to reach deep trance on my own without his assistance by listening to suggestions taped in my own voice. Within a few weeks of regularly using the tape, I was able to get into this state by just slowly lowering the index finger of my left hand.

Now I easily enter trance without any physical signal. I still appreciate someone acting as my assistant as I mentally dive into my most extremely altered states of consciousness.

You don't need to be hypnotized to reach a deep level of reduced stress. You can also reach this state through meditation, progressive relaxation, or creative visualization. Physical fitness trainers and many physicians recommend these methods, and stress reduction tapes are readily available.

Once we are relaxed, the next step in most intuition training programs is clearing the mind. This step helps us get beyond the mental and sometimes physical distractions which divert our attention and drain our energy. There are many ways to reach this meditative, receptive state of mind. Which one you choose to follow will depend on your culture, stamina, and spiritual background. Be patient and gentle with yourself. Don't be discouraged.

Results in the form of clearer, more accurate intuitive impressions, will come over months or years, not days. This is truly transformational work in the physical as well as mental and emotional realms, and any practice you can do is better than none.

Together with appropriate physical exercise, a daily schedule that includes sufficient sleep, and optimum nutrition, stress reduction is a good foundation on which to build balance.

Own Your Creativity

An additional benefit of this inner work is a wide range of heightened creativity as listed by Willis Harman and Howard Rheingold (1984). Aside from intuition, terms applied to this level of thinking include inspiration, imagination, insight, vision, talent and foresight.

That doesn't mean you should force or fake artistic abilities; just the opposite. Don't conclude because everyone sang at your family gatherings that you must grab a microphone, too. Let your own spirit shine through. Be yourself. Creativity, like intuition, will nudge you to find its unique outlet. If you practice stress reduction and clear your mind on a regular basis, your talents will show themselves in the form of yearning for your perfect expression.

The next step is just as subjective and just as essential: Pace yourself.

Sip, Don't Gulp

Live like a marathon runner, because once you are on this road to balanced intuition, you are there for the long haul. Our work demands that we cultivate enormous mental and emotional sensitivities, the perception of subtle and profound energies. We must draw upon higher guidance to view the invisible, while still earning a living in a highly competitive culture that embraces us and pushes us away at the same time. This can be crazy-making!

An intuition-based or healing profession, such as mine, is not the typical nine-to-five job. Once the mind's inner doors are flung wide, it is difficult to close them, even when asleep. I often begin a preliminary scan of a client's field as soon as I receive their request for a session. The energies of people and places are constantly splashing into my awareness. When I was a small child, I couldn't stop that barrage of impressions. Images would come into my mind or emotions would affect me whenever I touched an object or walked into a room. I remember thinking of people in terms of their energies. They seemed round and soft or sharp and prickly and I retained an energetic impression of them more than a memory of their physical appearance or the sound of their voice.

As a professional intuitive, I must set healthy personal boundaries and I do this through intention. There are many ways to set intentions. I affirm mine in prayer. My perpetual intention is that I am only aware of those things which concern me directly or relate to someone within my care, and only if I can do something constructive about them.

Everyone is exposed to the same subtle energy field. You have been processing impressions from many levels of reality all your life, just as I have. Differences in our experiences come from how open we are to the energies and how we integrate them into our reality; how balanced we are.

The more psychically aware we become, the more we must learn to screen our impressions. To some extent we have all done this from earliest childhood. Impressions can still slip through our mind's protective filter if they are strong enough.

A few nights ago I awoke at 3:16 am, hearing a man in my dream saying, "Oh, my God." I knew it was a plea for help, so I offered prayers for that person's comfort, protection, and highest good. I slept restlessly until dawn, still feeling a sense that something major was going to happen. By noon I surmised what had caused the dream was another huge earthquake which had hit in the vicinity of Sumatra near to where the devastating tsunami had struck on December 26, 2004. Several hundred people had been killed and many others injured. I will never be absolutely certain that the man's voice in my dream or my subsequent anxiety was a direct result of the disaster, but no other unusual events occurred that day and my uneasiness subsided as soon as I became aware of the earthquake.

If we are always 'tuned into' our extra-sensory impressions, we can become overloaded. Workers in any field are susceptible to burnout, but professional intuitives are especially vulnerable to psychic overload. I have heard many people voice fears that if they become too clairvoyant or sensitive, they won't be able to lead normal lives. That is not the case if we create healthy boundaries by setting our intention for balance. In that way, we can be aware of just the right amount of the appropriate type of stimulation and activity. If we need to work intently to meet reasonable goals or deadlines, we can. Variety and relaxation actually let us accomplish more. This is a universal principle; just as true for painting a portrait as for giving an intuitive reading or energetic healing.

A wise mentor of mine, Dr. Kermit Long, has always been an extremely productive person. At 90 years of age, he suggests we all follow his example and sip life, not gulp it. He begins each day with prayer, quiet time, and devotional reading; carefully contemplating the day ahead. He warns against frantically grasping at tasks like the loose ends of a frayed carpet.

This skill comes with practice. For instance, as an intuitive practitioner, you will learn how many client sessions you can reasonably handle on a daily or weekly basis. This number will change with time. Occasionally you may take on a heavier load, like the 16 readings I did at the psychic fairs or the events when I give messages to several members of an audience.

Only you will know what is a reasonable workload. It's difficult to predict what will happen if you do too much, but I'll share my own experience. When I'm stressed I lose things, like my reading glasses. The greater the stress, the larger or more important the objects that go missing. Eventually, the lost item(s) will reappear, usually in the very place I have looked for them so many times. Did they vanish into another dimension or did I just overlook them? That's impossible for me to say at this point. What I have noticed is that hurry and overload cause me to be less aware of my inner guidance and outer senses. The result is more accidents, wasted time and energy, and lowered efficiency.
 
Most people live with stress as an everyday companion, but in a highly demanding profession, such as that of a professional intuitive, stress can take a serious toll on efficiency. As with many self-employed workers, my income depends on how many clients I see on a regular basis, time spent looking for lost glasses translates into lowered earnings. A schedule which is too full is a subtle form of self-sabotage.

When your client load is correct so that your fees provide enough income without overloading you, everything will run more smoothly. Many intuitives and healers discover that they can actually monitor their workload by setting their intention not to be stressed. This 'cosmic coordination' seems to work better when we are living in balance. It's an outer indication of the inner connection to higher guidance that is so essential in this work.

Expect Positive Results

I still remember my first bike. It was a tricycle with big, knobby tires; very stable. Even so, as a toddler, I felt safest by dismounting and walking beside my tricycle to turn each corner until I was steadier. My last bike was a sleek mountain model with razor thin wheels that barely left an imprint in the rocky ground. Years of riding experience spanned the gulf between these two. The real difference was not a matter of my age, ability to pay, or even physical strength and agility. It was my sense of balance.

Balance produces even more dramatic results in the sphere of higher consciousness. When you strive for it first and make it a priority always, your intuitive abilities will naturally evolve to their fullest.

References

Byrum, C. Stephen and Leland Kaiser 2004 Spirit for Greatness: Spiritual Dimensions of Organizations And Their Leadership. Tapestry Press, Ltd. Littleton, MA

Cohen, George D. and William Gladstone 1995 How to Improve Your Own Mental Health. Prima Pub. Rocklin, CA

Harmon, Willis and Howard Rheingold 1984 Higher Creativity, Liberating the Unconscious for Breakthrough Insights. Jeremy Tarcher

Podmore, Frank 1963 Mediums of the 19th Century University Books, Vol. 1, pps. 154-178

Randall-May, Cay 2005 The Intuitive Career, How to Succeed as a Consultant, Reader, or Healer CayMay Press

Sugrue, Thomas 1973 There is a River, The Story of Edgar Cayce Dell

Notes from a client of Cay Randall-May

In 1996 I called the Rev. Cay Randall-May, PhD for a reading. I had just undergone treatments for cancer and I was doing all that I could do mentally, physically, and spiritually to bring healing into my life. I could feel that there was something blocking me from healing, something I couldn't get to. I knew I needed help.

Cay started our reading with a prayer. She prayed that the information she gave me would be practical, useful and helpful. It was, and it was life changing. Cay intuitively knew that the abuse in my past was creating a blockage. She told me that the abuse had hurt my self-esteem. She also told me it was from a man. I denied it. I only remembered a woman who had been abusive in my family.

That night I had a dream about the man who had abused me. The next day, I called Cay to thank her for giving me such important information. I realized the abuse had been hidden in my unconscious, and even though I was no longer aware of it, its impact was still hurting me and throwing my life out of sync.

Cay gave me specific things I could do to heal. She told me to go to my three most trusted friends and to ask them for a list of my good qualities. Reading these lists over the years has helped to heal me. Reading about my good qualities overpowered the negative impact of the abuse and raised my self-esteem. Cay was also quick to point out the good relationships in my life, and she was very positive about all the places that I did have balance in my life.

In later years, I became the caretaker of two elderly parents who were in and out of many health crises. Again, Cay brought balance into my life. She told me to learn to pace myself for the long haul. I can still hear her kind words of wisdom when she said, ÒTaking care of your parents could go on for many years. You need to take care of yourself in the process.Ó Today, when I am doing too much for someone else at my own expense, I remember her words and my limits.

Cay has a vast knowledge of diverse spiritual traditions and practices, and she has become my mentor and teacher. When I met Cay, I was hungry for a life of meaning and purpose. Cay's encouragement to live in harmony with a higher spiritual vision helped me to integrate balance and true happiness in my daily life, and for that I am forever grateful.

Terry Gopadze

Notes from a mentee of Cay Randall-May

I have known Cay Randall-May for several years. I met her when I was doing my Master's degree thesis. She was one of the medical intuitives who filled out my survey. 'Filled out' is not totally accurate: she took such time to flesh out her answers that I learned a great deal more from her survey than anyone else's. In the survey, I asked a question about how the intuitives stayed healthy and balanced in their world: the old "How do you take care of yourself?" question.

Cay's answer was enlightening, inspiring, and truthful. I know it's truthful because in the last few years, as we have become colleagues and friends who speak at least once a week, she is alternately working, going to the gym, producing a piece of art, teaching a class, "grandmothering," taking a break through a vacation, spinning textiles on the spinning wheel, conducting prayer groups, giving a massage or a healing session, and on and on. If you ever get the chance to meet Cay in person, you will see that she is not worn out from her work or these activities -- she is fully charged, healthy, vibrant, and ready-to-go. She is a real, honest person who is a great example of balance in her field. She inspires me that it is possible to do the same, even well into my 60s (when I get there). For anyone who is fearful that you will end up as the stereotype of a healer or a psychic (overweight, unhealthy, addicted to some substance, tired, etc.), Cay is living proof that health and balance can await you if you commit to it.

In my own life, I have used this living example that Cay provides to balance my client load. I make sure that I don't overbook my schedule and burn out. I then fill the extra time with a balance of be and do, as Cay has taught me. I have plenty of variety to keep me healthy: yoga, ultimate Frisbee, skiing, walking, horseback riding, are all wonderful for my physical body. On an inner-level, I meditate and pray. And for fun and some right brain activity, I am learning to sing and play the bluegrass banjo. Cay has encouraged me in these places, and it has made a great difference in my work and life.

Karen Grace Kassy, MS
Health Intuitive™
http://www.karengracekassy.com/ 

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