Intuition: The Easy Way

By Karen Grace Kassy, MS, Life and Health Intuitive®
Article for MAR Magazine

What if there were a secret way to get information in any area of your life you need to know more about: health, business, relationships, or career? What if it costs you no money, and takes anywhere from a few seconds to ten minutes of your time? Would you be interested?

In a world that’s already filled with a great deal of information and not enough time, intuition (knowing something without knowing how you know it) can give you that “extra edge” of cutting through what you don’t need to know, and giving you accurate information that you do need – quickly, easily, and safely.

What stops most people when it comes to intuition? The three most common obstacles I see when I teach intuition classes are: fear, too complicated of a process, or that the information is hard to understand and use.

For nearly ten years, I’ve worked as a professional intuitive, consulting with people all over the world and teaching classes to everyone from laypersons to physicians, psychologists, lawyers, business people and more. Although I’ve branched out into many other areas of intuition, I started out as a health intuitive® after a long career in business.

I grew up a conservative area (the second-most Republican county in America), and I think if intuition can happen for me, it can happen for anyone. I believe it’s not a gift – it’s a skill: it takes intention and practice. I’ve written a book (Health Intuition, foreword by Caroline Myss), teach workshops, and am physician-tested as 80-90% accurate in my intuitive consultations.

No matter what area I’m working with intuitively (business forecasting, career intuition, health, relationships, etc.) I use the same, easy, three steps. It’s so simple, I can teach you here, in just a few words, how to apply intuition to any aspect of your life – anywhere and anytime.

When I first started to learn about intuition, I read books, went to workshops, and listened to audio programs, but found much of the information to be either too frightening or complicated – as do many people. I was passionate about learning as much as I could about this nebulous subject, but it wasn’t easy.

One book I tried to read had 19 steps for intuition! No matter how desperately I wanted to learn and practice intuition, 19 steps are way too many for my busy life. I’ve found it’s much easier than that, and there are some common sense short-cuts to knowing what’s intuition and what’s not, how to recognize it and use it.

The first thing most people want to know is how to recognize the difference between their intuition and things like fear, other emotions, wishful thinking, or fantasy. Here’s a simple example I use when I’m teaching a workshop: I hold up the cap of my pen and ask, “Does anyone need this so that the to the rest of their life can be happy and fulfilled?” Most people laugh, and no one wants my pen.

Then, I hold up a sheet of paper and say, “In my hand I hold a letter from the person who broke off a relationship with you and never explained why. This letter gives you complete closure. Once you read it, you will be at peace with what happened.” The room falls silent. Some people say they hear the person’s voice, see their face, or feel an emotional “charge.” Others report feeling a pull in their body, often in the stomach area, toward that letter.

The letter has a very different “flavor” or “vibration” to it, compared to the pen cap. The pen cap is more like intuition: neutral, less charged. The flavor and way the letter feels is more intense and emotional.

The more you practice with your intuition, the more you’ll notice the different way it feels compared to emotions and desires. Practice on everyday things at first, such as, “How much to fill up my gas tank?” “What will my groceries cost today?” “Who’s calling on the phone?” “Where’s that great parking space?” Note how it feels when you are right.

Intuition feels the same way every time, whether it’s a small, mundane matter like “Who’s calling?” or more important matters. Once you get the hang of practicing and understanding how your intuition feels on everyday things, you can then use that as your guide when you ask the bigger questions that you’re more attached to, such as career, relationships, and major decisions.

Notice how I phrased the questions I ask my intuition? I use the same strategy as a journalist: open-ended questions. If you ask who, what, when, where, why, and how, you will get greater illumination than yes/no questions. And, the more specific your question, the more specific the answer can be. Learning to ask better questions each time you intuit is a great secret to more successful intuition.

Another secret and short cut is to recognize which intuition impressions are usually accurate. According to Stanford Research Institute, the ones to notice are: first, subtle, surprising, multi-sensory (see it and hear it; know it and feel it, etc.), and recurring impressions. Watch for those hallmarks, and you’ll start to notice them more.

An intuitive impression will come to you in four different formats: you will hear it, see it, feel it, or just know it. It doesn’t matter what way your intuition comes to you, what matters is that you recognize it and practice. This will lead to better accuracy. If you’re wrong, big deal: “misses” teach us how to recognize “hits.” I tell my students, “You didn’t learn how to walk the moment you were born; it took practice. So, give yourself a break.” The same is true of intuition.

Now that you know what to look for and how to ask questions, you can use the three steps to intuition to get the information you need quickly, easily and safely:

Step 1: Quiet

Don’t get caught up in labels. Use whatever works for you:  quieting the mind, contemplating, focusing your attention, or concentrating on the breath. Intuition, especially in the beginning, competes poorly with other stimulation, so relaxation and focus are important.

In my classes, we get in the habit of relaxing ourselves quickly. We focus on about five cycles of breath (in and out). Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground as you breathe — you want to feel “grounded” instead of “flaky” or ungrounded in your intuition. Depending on the day, you may quiet yourself quickly, or need more time – do what you need to do in that moment.

Step 2: Ask for what you want

Remember, be very specific and set good boundaries. I do this with an intuitive statement. Here’s an example of how I might ask for the information or solution for a client or problem:

Please give me the information on ________(problem or client). The truth so that it can be of help. Please let this information come through with compassion and clarity, through my heart center. Please do not let anything of mine, such as filters, biases, or assumptions, interfere with the message. I ask that no one be adversely affected by this information or this work. Thank you.

Some people like to ask for divine guidance when they invoke their intuitive statement. Whatever form of divine source you believe in (higher power, higher self, God, or any other name) can be used if you’d like, but it is not necessary. The way I invoke my intuition is constantly evolving, and yours will, too.

Do I use this long of an invocation when I’m asking, “Where’s the closest parking space?” No, I just ask the question and follow-up. The three-step process is for matters where I want greater illumination and details.

Step Three: Tune-in

The final step in this process is to tune in to your question. Some of my students close their eyes for this step, while others keep them open. Make sure you have one thing firmly in mind and that it is very specific. Do not ask about your project, relationship, potential career direction, health and future all at once.

Remember to ask open-ended questions. Yes/no questions give you limited answers. Try folding in the five Ws and one H for open-ended questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Whatever information you receive, try to write it down. Keep a written record. It will help you remember the exact nature of your impressions, without assumptions. And, when you look back over time, your intuition will be reinforced as you realize how many of your impressions were accurate, and how you are improving.

After you finish intuiting, exit the process. Whatever feels right is the best way for you. Some ideas that my intuition students have come up with: open your eyes, shake your hands out or wash them, perform some ritual, or state the intention that you are finished, while keeping only that which is your own, and knowing nothing will harm you. Setting boundaries with your intuition is the same as you would set them with any relationship. You never have to be afraid of your intuition if you set consistent boundaries.

That’s it – three simple steps to intuition: get quiet, ask for what you want, and wait for the answers. But it won’t work if you don’t try it. Right now, grab a piece of paper; try out the three steps on something that’s been on your mind. Write down the information you receive.

Consider starting your day like this. Let your intuition give you the extra edge of what your day will bring, or a solution to a problem you’re having. And, let it lead you to the right parking space, quickly, saving you time in your day. Use it as much as you can, and it will become second nature – especially if you keep it fun. So, next time you’re at the grocery store, or the phone rings, or wonder what your friend will wear to work the next day, smile, ask your intuition, and see if you’re proved right. You can grow from there.