From the moment we are born to the day we die we have guidance and protection all around us. Call it your guardian angels, your ancestors, a higher power, or simply love, we are not as alone as we think. The difficulty is that most of us are born on Earth, not remembering we can "see," we perceive there is nothing there. This is not so.

Whenever I'm confused about an issue in my life and need direction I ask for intuitive guidance. I may not know how to help a patient or how to protect the health of a loved one or myself. I've analyzed the pros and cons, evaluated relevant statistics, I've listened to the advice of people I respect. Still the answer isn't there. No option I've considered feels right. Now what? Have I reached a dead end? Yes--but only intellectually. When we arrive at this point, it's time to seek a different kind of truth, one that comes from looking inward. 

Sometimes your guidance will just appear, no request necessary. You're walking down the street and bam! It hits you. Or you may be in the shower, which if you're like me is a psychic phone booth. The hot water drenching my body, the relaxation it brings, is like magic. Suddenly answers come. Even if you haven't formally enlisted help, in times of need an internal alarm goes off on its own.

Tuning into guidance helps you find your life‚Äôs purpose and keeps you feeling your best. Whether it arrives unsolicited, or you invite it in, your intuition will notify you. It's always thrilling to me, this inner link with such a creative intelligence. Be sensitive to your physical responses--a chill up your spine, the tiny hairs of your neck standing on end, a flushing of your face, a quickening of breath. Your body's telling you you're on track. Sometimes you'll experience an immediate "Ah-ha!" as though a bright light had suddenly flipped on. Other solutions--in the form of images, sensations, premonitions--zing with energy. For me they often come through in snapshot-like flashes. See what happens to you. Whenever you're inexplicably drawn somewhere follow it. Don't let these opportunities pass. 

How do you request Inner guidance?
The most powerful tool I know is meditation--a lifeline to the part of you that intuits what's right if you'd just pause to hear. Meditation bypasses the mind. If you want the strong inner connection I'm suggesting, you must begin to quiet yourself. It's a very different posture than thinking, the exact opposite of "working" to figure a problem out. Pure receptivity. No effort required.

Let's say you have painful recurring migraines. At the beginning of your meditation, you might ask, "How can I keep my headaches from returning?" Place your request. Close your eyes. Get very still. Then wait. Focus only on your breath. If thoughts come--and they will--return to your breath each time. The pressure is off. No expectations. Remain open. Allow yourself to be surprised. If a solution pops up while you're sitting there quietly--great. If not, meditate again later. With experience, you'll find the answer.  One of my patients who underwent a radical mastectomy of her right breast for cancer. Two years later, after the birth of a daughter, she discovered a large mass in her left breast. Her family panicked. She was on the verge, but before she went over the edge she sought guidance in meditation to check out if her cancer had returned. A distinct image came through: milk ducts in the area of the mass were blocked from breast feeding. This was the source of her problem, not cancer. Every cell of her body agreed. A chill of recognition shot through her. From the clarity of her vision she knew she was fine. Not long after her own diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound.

Get in the habit of practicing STEP 4 OF INTUITIVE HEALING: ASK FOR INNER GUIDANCE. Have fun with this and don't try too hard! Thinking or micromanaging intuition will only kill it! The process is always this.

1. Take a few deep breaths to quiet yourself. If thoughts come, do not attach to them. Keep breathing to center yourself.
2. Inwardly ask a question such as "What is my life's purpose?" or "How can I improve a relationship or my health?"
3. Keep breathing, and stay aware of any intuitive images, impressions, or solutions that pop in. Also notice any "Ah-ha" feelings related to the solution.
4. Record these intuitions in your journal
5. Act on them
6. Keep repeating this process daily until the answer becomes clear.

---

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.

Her latest book, Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear Into Vibrance, Strength, and Love, will be released April 6, 2004 from Harmony Books. Copies can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com. She is assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and an international workshop leader. For more information visit www.drjudithorloff.com.