Intuition, Gut Feeling, Prajna?

Loved reading Justin’s article on prajna in the May issue of The Vital Force. Also am very grateful to April Leffler for her leadership in keeping prajna and Justin’s definition present in our community through her conference presentations and the prajna workshops she has created. If anyone is in tune with prajna, it’s April.

While the term prajna came later in my life, for many years I have trusted my intuition and gut feelings. The message or feeling received is occasionally important, but often it’s something ordinary or quirky. For example, if I’ve packed for a trip and I’m ready to leave, I will sometimes get a feeling that I’m forgetting something. I’ll be at the front door ready to walk out and there’s that feeling… and I think, “oh heck” because I’ve learned through the years that feeling is never wrong.

Another more significant example of my intuition or prajna involved a health issue. Several years ago at my annual physical, I told my doctor, “Something’s brewing and I don’t know what it is.” Eight months later pre-cancerous cells were found in my right breast, and the issue was resolved successfully. On some level, I knew something was wrong.

For several years my husband and I explored the U.S. searching for where we would retire. We wanted a strong university presence, and I have always wanted to be near water. As we approached Ithaca, New York, I knew immediately that this is where we would live. It felt like home right away; three years later it did become our home.

One day I was looking at Petfinder.com, a website dogs from rescue organizations all over the U.S. We wanted to adopt a young female dog who was non-shedding and weighed at least 20-25 lbs. But young female non-shedding dogs were generally either 15 lbs or 50 lbs. Then I found Roxy, a Shih Tzu/Cocker mix, and as soon as I saw her picture (and the size of her feet), the feeling hit me like a thunderbolt in my heart. I said out loud to the computer, “That’s it. She’s the one.” I knew she belonged in our family, and crazy as it sounds, we traveled all the way from upstate New York to southern California to get her. [Editor’s note: Roxy is the middle dog in the photo.]