Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #414520 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Amazon.com Review
Everyone is born with intuition, explains author Shatki Gawain. The problem is, most people learned to suppress the natural connection to their intuition and were trained to rely solely on their logical, rational mind. "Many people who are not accustomed to being consciously in touch with their intuition imagine that it is a mysterious force that would come to them through some transcendent mystical experience," Gawain writes. "In fact, intuition is a very practical, down-to-earth tool that is always available to help us deal with the decisions, problems, and challenges of our daily lives."

Like Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing, Gawain spends most of the book emphasizing the practical uses of this seemingly mystical skill. In her opening chapters Gawain offers relaxation and meditation exercises that nurture intuitive awareness. From there she discusses how to interpret and apply the intuitive messages we receive in our daily lives. For example, Gawain shows how intuition can help readers overcome addictive behaviors, create prosperity, or heal physical ailments. It can also be used to enhance emotional stability or clarify career paths.

Gawain has a long history of writing straightforward, self-help primers that cover elusive spiritual material. Once again she has done an excellent job. Developing Intuition is a sensibly organized beginner's guide to intuition that steadily paces readers through a wealth of insight. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
When Creative Visualization (Gawain's first book, now a New Age classic) was published more than two decades ago, no one had heard of Deepak Chopra, and seminars on creativity and intuition did not exist in the business world. Now that many of her pioneering ideas and practices have found a place in mainstream American culture, Gawain offers this collection of simple exercises for accessing and employing "a universal, intelligent life force that exists within everyone and everything" through daily meditation. Such practice, she claims, can singlehandedly "point us in the direction we need to go at any given moment," "keep us safe" and "connect us to the soul level of our existence." Unlike instinct, which, Gawain says, protects survival and procreation, intuition promotes "growth, development, self-expression, and higher purpose." She recommends balancing intellect, instinct and intuition, rather than relying too heavily on any one of them. As always, Gawain's conversational prose is clear and uncomplicated, her mood easy and low-key; and, by now, her concepts are acceptably mainstream. She shows her readers how to distinguish the "voice" of intuition, trust it, interpret its messages and receive insight on questions and problems involving work, money, health and emotional issues. This slim volume is a faster, easier read than Judith Orloff's Guide to Intuitive Healing (Forecasts, January 24) and has the potential to win Gawain back some readers in this crowded self-help subcategory. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
According to Kassy and Gawain, Americans are searching for answers to life's tough questions from self-help groups or psychic hotlines when all they really need to do is tune into themselves. Both authors are interested in using intuition as a means of achieving optimum health and life fulfillment, and both agree that the more one practices intuition, the more easily answers will arrive. Kassy, who holds a master's degree in intuition/energy medicine from Greenwich University, here writes for healthcare workers and psychologists. Like psychic healer Edgar Cayce, she requires only a name and an age on paper in order to do a reading of a client's health-related illnesses. Arguing that many maladies are caused by Americans' diet of highly processed junk foods, Kassy recommends a visit to a nutritionist. Because she believes that illness is created when our physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual natures are out of sync, she also tunes into negative patterns that adversely affect them. Intuitive power even works with animals, she asserts. Her chapters are filled with anecdotes, case studies, and readings. Gawain is self-taught, and her name has been a household word in the New Age movement since her book Creative Visualization was published in 1989. Based on Gawain's belief that everyone is born with intuitive powers that end up being suppressed, Developing Intuition is written in a workbook style, containing exercises on relaxation, breathing, and meditation techniques. Gawain's book will better suit intuition beginners, while Kassy's more detailed work will serve a wider, alternative health audience. Both are recommended for public libraries. Other authors writing in this vein are Caroline Myss (Anatomy of the Spirit, Harmony, 1996), Marcia Emery (The Intuitive Healer, St. Martin's, 1999), Mona Lisa Schulz (Awakening Intuition, Random, 1999), and Judith Orloff (Second Sight, Warner, 1997).DLisa Wise, Broome Cty. P.L., Binghamton, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Developing Intution: Practical guides for life
I really like Shakti Gawain's books and this one didn't disappoint me.
Her knowledge and inspiration is so keen with awareness that you just
want to meet her. I especially like her book "Awakening" which is a daily dose of themes and inspiration.

A Great Aid for Recognizing, Trusting and Following Inner Guidance
"Intuition isn't mysterious or mystical: it's very practical inner wisdom that can be used as a tool for dealing with everyday decisions and challenges." - Shakti Gawain

Author Shakti Gawain teaches that intuition enlivens, informs, encourages and leads. If we would only listen, trust, and follow our intuitive guidance, we would make better choices, access divine wisdom, discover opportunities and meet challenges with optimism.

In the 52-card deck Developing Intuition, Gawain hand-selected various affirmations and passages from her book of the same name. Designed to awaken intuition and impart inspiration, these lovely cards demonstrate how utterly natural and empowering our inner voice is. Whether through "gut feeling", mental pictures, synchronicity or words, intuition makes itself known in a myriad of ways.

And, like any skill, intuition can be developed to the point where we can recognize our inner guidance system from all the other "voices" that compete for our attention.

Illustrated in soothing neutral tones, the Developing Intuition deck depicts images of sunflowers, shells and leaves--offering various passages, meditations and insight from Gawain's previous book. Here is some of the sage wisdom found in this deck:

"Trusting intuition involves giving up the futile effort to control everything. I will learn to enjoy this movement into the unknown, confident that I have a positive guiding force within me."

"My intuition is always trying to help me be more of who I am by fully expressing my power, truth, and creativity, and by living and trusting myself completely."

"Each of us comes into this life with a purpose--with lessons to learn and gifts to give. As I develop my intuition, I am guided toward fulfilling that purpose in every way."

"I know when I am following my intuition because when I do, I feel more alive: I literally have more of the life force moving through my body and mind."

"If we can develop the habit of checking our intuitive messages at least as often as most of us check our email, we'll be in great shape!"

The magnetic box top to the Developing Intuition cards doubles as a frame; simply flip open the lid, insert your card of the day (or any card you want to contemplate), and prop it up. Ouila! You now have an attractive display that reminds you of the power and flow of inborn intuition.

If you're looking for a deck to help you connect with your intuition, as well as aid you in recognizing, trusting and following this inner guidance, the Developing Intuition cards by Shakti Gawain will certainly assist in this life-enhancing pursuit.

(To see 6 images from this deck, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present

Generally Good Introduction....
If you come from the kind of background where spirituality, an appreciation for the nonphysical side of life, etc. was not encouraged, I think this is a great introduction to a practical development of intuition skills.

One of the reasons why this book is good is because it demonstrates that intuition is a skill we all have equal access to--both men AND women--though it may be more highly developed in some rather than others. However, like any skill it has to be fine-tuned in order to make more advantageous use of it in our daily lives and regular undertakings.

If following your intuition is already a major practice in your life and you are looking for a more advanced work on the subject as opposed to an introduction, there may be books that are more helpful to you than this one. That said, I bought this book because the author's other book Creative Visualization was so well regarded and I therefore figured this book would be valuable as well. The author has a very accessible writing style and by and large, this is an easy, useful read.