by Neal Harris, LCPC, DAPA
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The versatile and patented Intuipath® is based on the premise that through quieting the mind and slowing down the body through relaxation, enhanced interpersonal (between 2 or more people) or intra-personal communication (communication that occurs within individuals to help them become more self-aware) occurs.
Due to the nature of the Intuipath® design, either an individual moves a finger of both hands though the double pattern at the same time (often bringing greater balance to the functioning of the right and left sides of the brain) or two people, sitting opposite each other, move a finger through a complete labyrinth design; this action is known as “fingerwalking”. The fingerwalk takes an individual from the outside of the design to its center. Getting to the center is not the object; rather it is the insight that occurs along the “journey” to and from the center that is most valuable. Because these designs contain no blind alleys or dead ends, the fingerwalk journey becomes one of introspection and self-awareness (intra-personal communication) yielding greater interpersonal communication as well.
The process of using the Intuipath® as a 2-person communication enhancer follows. One person sits (face to face) across from the other so that half the Intuipath® rests on one person’s knees and half on his partner’s knees. They must be seated close enough to one another to allow for easy and total arms length access of their portion of the board, without any strain.
With the two people seated together in this manner, they both take several, slow deep breaths, and afterwards, begin the fingerwalk to the center at whatever pace each person feels comfortable with. During the journey, each person can feel free to say out loud any thoughts that come to her or feelings he experiences. Each person may choose to facilitate this dialogue by asking each other open-ended questions (questions that help deepen the interaction because they require more than a “yes” or “no” answer) that help each delve deeper into their own sense of each other. Each person may choose to talk and reflect in this manner or remain quiet.
It also becomes clear as the fingerwalk continues, that out of the relaxation that occurs with both individuals that the communication between them has deepened and become more equal (“I’m ok, you’re ok”) rather than hierarchical (“I’m ok, your getting there”). Each person feels more comfortable and intuitively “tuned in” or “linked” to one another (mentally and emotionally) as a result of the relaxation afforded by the Intuipath®.
The process of heightened communication among members of a group (3 or more people) can also be realized with the use of a 3 or more person Group Intuipath®. Developing “group cohesion” (how well members of a group understand one another and work together towards a common goal) is directly related to how relaxed each person in a group feels when communicating with one another. The Intuipath, as stated in detail earlier, facilitates relaxation and introspection for each person, thereby leading to more effective communication between group members.
Two examples of typical groups that would use a Group Intuipath® either prior to or during their meetings are, corporate or not-for-profit Board Members; (to set the stage for increased cooperation through more effective communication), and Project Teams (needing to come up with more intuitive/creative ideas to further their joint venture.) An example of a therapeutic group that could benefit from a Group Intuipath® would be an Anger Management Group, run by a hospital or church.