What is an Intuitive Practitioner?
The term "intuitive practitioner" is not standard in alternative health care, but I use it to describe myself professionally in order to convey to the public that I use my intuition as a primary tool in the work that I do with clients. For me this means that in all of the decisions that I make during a consultation (e.g. what questions to ask, what areas to focus on, whether the individual needs a new remedy or not, what potency to recommend, etc.), I connect with a part of myself that is deeply intuitive for the answer.
One of the techniques I use for externalizing my intuition is a technique called muscle testing. If you're not already familiar with muscle testing, this is a technique that is commonly used in alternative health care, in which the practitioner tests the client's muscle strength in order to obtain information from their body wisdom. (See below for more details on muscle testing.)
The idea is that we each have an "innate body wisdom" that knows all of the answers to our questions about our healing process, and by tapping into that wisdom, we can get clarity on how to heal. My experience has been that through muscle testing I am able to create a direct link between my intuitive "antenna" and the individual's body wisdom. It's a little bit like doing an internet dial-up - when the link is there I have access to a great deal of helpful information about the individual's healing process.
Developing and refining my intuition and discernment abilities has been a primary focus of mine for over thirty years, and has involved literally thousands of hours of personal growth work. Most of the work has involved working through, integrating and letting go of all the parts of myself that block my intuition (e.g. fear based inner voices, intellectual dominance, perceptual biases, inner skepticism, over-confidence, self-doubt, distorted perceptions based on past traumas, etc.).
It has also involved a process of clearing layer after layer of mental/emotional/physical blockage - each time bringing my spine and nervous system into greater alignment and each time improving my intuitive antenna more and more. I have found that the more I heal, the more my nervous system relaxes, and the more clear my intuition becomes. (My guess is this is typically the case for anyone doing on-going healing work.)
I think it's important to compare the intuitive approach of homeopathy (using muscle testing) with the classical approach. The classical approach is the approach taught in most homeopathy schools in the U.S. including the school I attended for four years (AUCM - American University of Complimentary Medicine).
With the classical approach the homeopath interviews the client for two to three hours, collects detailed information about the client's symptoms, discerns which symptoms are most significant to the presenting picture, and then uses an analytical process to select the optimal remedy.
My own personal experience with the classical approach is that it is more powerful when combined with an intuitive navigational system (externalized via muscle testing). I get the information I need much faster (allowing me to make my consultations more affordable.) Also, I have greater confidence in the accuracy of my recommendations.
I have more of a big picture understanding of what's going on with my client's healing process (why these symptoms?, why this remedy at this time?, what's the expected reaction?), and I can provide my client with more information about how to optimize their healing process (e.g. what foods to eat or avoid while they are taking a particular remedy.)
My belief in the concept of an "innate body wisdom" and my motivation for developing my intuition in order to better connect with it were born out of my own struggle with chronic illness. Not getting any significant help from more conventional approaches, I started asking my own body wisdom for guidance and listening for the answers to my questions. Essentially, I was seeking help from something beyond myself that could guide me in how to regain my health.
For me, developing my intuition and connecting with my own innate body wisdom proved to be my way out of a very difficult period in my life. I felt that it was necessary for my survival, so I put a great deal of energy into it for many years.
Eventually, when I moved into private practice, my intuition proved to be a great asset, and as such I was motivated to put even more energy into developing and refining it. I knew that it would make my work easier, and allow me to better assist my clients. Today, I use my intuition (via muscle testing techniques) as a primary tool in working with all of my clients, and my perceptual abilities continue to expand as I continue to heal.
More on Muscle Response Testing - The technique usually involves the client holding one of their arms out in front of them. The practitioner tries to push the client's arm down while asking their body wisdom a question and the client tries to resist. If the arm goes down (indicating a weak muscle response), this is interpreted as a No answer to the practitioner's question. If the arm remains strong (indicating a strong muscle response), this is interpreted as a Yes answer to the question.
In my practice, I often use muscle response testing to help navigate the homeopathic interview. I may ask "Do I need more information about this particular emotional issue?", or "Do I need more information about your digestive problems before proceeding?" In this way, I am able to hone in on what we need to cover, shorten the interview time and save my client money.
I also use muscle response testing to discern the potency of the remedy I recommend for a client, the frequency of dosage and number of days the client takes it. I might also use muscle testing to select a flower essence for the client, or to confirm the appropriateness of a particular nutritional supplement, herb, or adjunct therapy.
For individuals that I work with over the phone, I have the ability to do muscle testing remotely by doing an O-ring test. An O-ring test is another common technique amongst practitioners, especially those that work over the phone or via video conferencing. The O-ring method is a much more challenging technique to use as compared to the arm push method, but for an individual that already has a developed intuitive sense, it can be more expedient. It also allows for testing at a distance.
Muscle testing is admittedly a controversial technique in the alternative health care community, as practice styles and philosophies vary widely. I personally have incorporated this technique into my practice only after many years of study, practice and refinement - such that I have reason to believe that the answers I'm getting are accurate and can be trusted. This is not a tool I use lightly, but rather one of the parts of my craft that I take most seriously.