| This exploratory research focuses on an intuitive way of knowing based on the body as experienced during mindfulness. The researcher refers to this way of knowing as Body-based Intuitive Knowing. To access Body-based Intuitive Knowing (BBIK), five women participated in a five session group where they were trained in Intuitive Movement, a meditative discipline developed by the researcher. Essential interrelated aspects of the discipline include: (a) mindful attention, and (b) the ability to differentiate "intuitive" sensations and movement impulses from habitual, consciously-directed, creative, and free-form ways of moving.;As a result of their experiences, four of the five participants reported therapeutic improvements. These included: increased body awareness and self-connection; increased self-acceptance; decreased self-censoring and reactivity; reduction of pain symptoms; more relaxation, energy, and pleasure; awareness of multiple, simultaneous levels of experience; and insights into their relationships to others.;The findings support the view that the client possesses inner wisdom, body memory, and the capacity for healing without cognitive mediation. This view expands the traditional role of the psychotherapist to include trusting the client's ability to self-organize cognitively and emotionally directly through the language of the body. Ways to integrate BBIK through Intuitive Movement as the primary modality of treatment or as a therapeutic adjunct are discussed. Applications to clinical populations are suggested. |
