Intuitive Parenting

Parenting is an amazing and challenging journey that I have not had the privilege to experience directly. I have coached parents for many years and I am always in awe of what the responsibilities ask and also of the joy that is possible through being a parent. Every day parents are asked to make decisions that affect the wellbeing of the entire family therefore it is important that parents learn to access all of the wisdom that is available to them in each moment.

Awakened Wisdom describes the three primary intelligences of mind intelligence, heart intelligence and body intelligence. We humans have these three primary fields of wisdom available to us all the time. Our job is to learn how to use them in the best way possible.

When we use the word intuition we are talking about the wisdom that is revealed through these three intelligences combined. I suggest that we would benefit from a distinction between these three fields of intelligence with regards to what we generally call intuition. To better understand intuition then, lets say that the mind perceives what is, the body senses what is, and the heart intuits.

Imagine that you are in a situation as parent and it requires you to make an important decision. This is true almost every day. What we see on the surface of any situation is made up of many layers. Life presents itself like the surface of a lake. On the top there are ripples and waves, reflections and stuff floating on it. When we look at the surface we see a certain picture. It would be a mistake to think that the surface tells the entire story and at the same time the surface is the result of what is going on both below and above. Learning to read the surface and to see past all of what is on the surface is the key to revealing the deeper wisdom that is available.

Mind intelligence is the field of thought, ideas, logic and understanding. We can reason our way through situations. Through our mind intelligence we can develop the ability to perceive what is presented on the surface and to then interpret what is in the many layers beneath the obvious.

We can learn to free our mind so that we gain access to the perceptions, the subtle influences that are contributing to the situation that we are in. Our mind is always aware of so much more then we can consciously process in any given moment. Slowing down is a good way to allow a fuller understanding of what is being perceived.

The heart intelligence is the field of intuition. Through the heart intelligence we are able to read the emotional field of a situation. The lake is made up of many currents of emotional energy. The currents run beneath the surface and each current affects the others. Everyone in your family is contributing to these currents as well as any other sources of influence. The emotional energy is the response to what is before us or to what arises within us. It is a great wisdom and we may develop a greater capacity to be aware of it, to be present to it and to understand what we must know.

To develop a greater access to the intuition of heart intelligence notice what emotion you are experiencing while making a decision and use curiosity to peel back the layers of what your heart intelligence is telling you.

Our body intelligence senses what is going on. As we experience the lake in our example, our body responds to it. Our skin gets activated, our stomach tenses, our throat wants to be cleared as though to say something with regards to the situation. As we learn to notice the response of our body while we are making decisions we gain access to an amazing well of wisdom.

So the next time you find yourself needing to make an important decision on behalf of your family try taking a pause and looking very specifically through each of these intelligences. Allow any feeling, insight or sensation to inform you about what is needed. As you develop your practice of using these three intelligences I am sure that you will have fun with the many possibilities that open up for you. I wish you a great journey as a parent and it is my hope that the book Awakened wisdom will support you on it.

Patrick Ryan

For more information about Awakened Wisdom Experiences and our array of offerings around the world - one-on-one Coaching, Reclaiming Your Brilliance workshops, customized Team Development programs, and our Advanced Coach Training Program, please contact Ginny at 1-415-413-0010.