The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and forgotten the gift. ~ Albert Einstein

One of my favorite articles this month is Linda Sechrist’s “Trust Your Intuition” on page 24. As a young woman, I relied heavily on reason. Well educated, and working as an analyst, it seemed to me that rational thought was the only path to clarity. When making major or minor life decisions, it seemed wise to leave emotional arguments out of the equation; like calculating a return on investment, I weighed only the facts, not the feelings.

My mother, much wiser, always counseled me to rely more strongly on emotional cues.  She was often proven right. Some situations simply have more facets to them than the conscious, rational mind can see.  Whether we are picking up on subtle nonverbal messages, subconscious patterns and desires, or the Universal Mind, our feelings give us valuable information not otherwise available.

Hearing what intuition tells us is just the first step. We must also trust what we hear, and not dismiss it as fanciful.  There have been many significant times in my life where I’ve “known” something was true, without evidence.  In some cases I acted on the “knowing,” but in others I failed to trust my instinct and regretted it. I’m still a very logical thinker, but intuition and the strength to accept what intuition tells me is an ability I’m trying to nurture.

If you want to strengthen your intuition, read Linda’s article to learn how meditation, yoga, energy medicine, and simply being in nature can help.

In other articles this month, local experts share their knowledge on women’s wellness.  Dr. Aurora DeJuliis writes on the importance of collagen to healthy, beautiful skin and how we can maintain a healthy level of collagen even as we age (page 14). Hilary Bilkis shares how craniosacral therapy can benefit a woman through pregnancy and childbirth (page 13). Fran McConnell, a certified life coach and fitness trainer, shares her tips for reinventing your life and your lifestyle (page 22).

We’re also pleased to sharethese features of interest to local readers: first, an article about Fairlawn, New Jersey-based Samadhi Spectrum, training for yoga instructors who want to improve the lives of those with autism spectrum disorders (page 17); and an interview with Brian McAlister, founder of the Full Recovery Wellness Center in Fairfield, and author of Full Recovery: Abandon Addiction, Acquire Inspiration, Achieve Abundance (page 31).