accessing your center of intelligence

using your intelligence to know more deeply

you can expand and train your awareness by being mindful of each of the three centers of intelligence and the information each provides. do this whenever you feel unsure about yourself or want to reflect on a reaction which you experienced during your day. your goal is to perceive more information by focusing on the experiences arising (images, thoughts, words, or sensations).

instinctive triad

being present in the body — discerning sensation

at this moment, as you become aware of wherever you find yourself, can you feel your body? how much of it? how is your body positioned right now in terms of your environment? how deeply are you experiencing the different parts of your body? what helps you to experience it more deeply? what sensations are arising, and what content in your reflection are they related to? what is the body or sensation trying to tell you? how would you interpret your body language, if you saw it in another?

come back to the experience of this moment and the task at hand. make a few notes before you move onto the next intelligence.

feeling triad

being present in open heart — discerning emotion

right now, turn your attention to the area of your heart. take some deep breaths and actually sense inside your chest, into the heart space. what sensations do you experience in this area? allow yourself to relax deeply and feel into sensations and emotions. what are you feeling in the areas of your heart and abdomen? what is the texture of the feeling? tender? numb? aching? sharp…? what is the exact emotion you are experiencing? if this emotion or feeling had a colour, shape or taste, what would it be? what effect does it have on your sense of yourself? what does it need from you?

come back again to the direct experience of this moment, and an awareness of the space around you. make some more notes about the last experience, and then turn to the thinking intelligence.

thinking triad

the quiet mind — discerning reason

now allow yourself to relax and rest the attention on the breathing cycle. don’t visualize or dream, but rather experience the calming effect of noticing the breath. as you become more grounded and calmer, you may notice that your mind quietens down too and becomes clearer. notice the thoughts and impressions you’re having. what do they say about your relationship with the content of your reflection? what are your assumptions and beliefs? what can you see now that was not obvious before? continue this process for as long as you can stay focused. notice the clarity, or lack thereof, in the thinking processes.