A Conversation with Intuition Expert, Bonnie Casamassima

Catherine A. Wood  12:04

Um, well, Bonnie, I am thrilled to have you on the show. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Why don’t you just kick us off by sharing a little bit about who you are? And, and a bit of your story?

Bonnie Casamasssima  12:17

Yeah, absolutely. So hello, everybody. My name is Bonnie customer, Seema. And it’s such a joy to be here with you, Catherine, and an honor to be alongside those listeners that are joining it. And so hello to everyone out there. In a nutshell, I work with the research and application of helping people to connect with their intuition and their intuitive abilities. The specifics of what that looks like, is I had worked in the research worlds as a professor for years and years, and also corporate America for years and years and started meditating for stress reduction. And one day, when I was minding my own business, as a very analytical person, I started receiving really clear visuals in my mind’s eye during meditation. And it scared the crap out of me, quite frankly. And that really led to a multiple, or like, it’s it’s almost eight years now, journey of really deepening my understanding of what intuition is, and kicking off my own research project where I interviewed other highly sensitive intuitives and empaths from around the world. And I’ve taken all of that into supporting people, either in one on one readings, or research and speaking engagements to look at. Excuse me, to look at how we can pull people into using their intuition into their everyday modern lives.

Catherine A. Wood  14:09

Oh, my gosh, I have so many follow up questions. Well, let’s see. Let’s just start at the beginning. So would you be willing to define intuition and what it means to you?

Bonnie Casamasssima  14:22

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. For intuition, the way within the work that I do and how I support people, is it’s looking at how we receive information beyond what we often let our five or six senses experience. So when we’re looking at intuition, we can look at it from a broad range of deep knowing I can’t really explain it but there’s just this gut feeling I’m supposed to take this position, or I’m supposed to reach out and ask for it. to date with this person, I don’t know why, right? All the way to receiving visuals, or things like in meditation, in our mind’s eye or with our eyes open, or, you know, hearing things beyond what are physically in the room, or what we can see with our 3d reality. So it’s really looking at that broader lens of information that we are connected to on a deep energetic level. And when we look at fields such as quantum physics, we start to really understand that we’re deeply connected to so much more than we often have let ourselves experience. So that’s how I would define intuition. We can dive a little bit deeper, however, it would be supportive, for sure. Well,

Catherine A. Wood  15:49

I would love to dive deeper. And like for context, I think I just I’d love to share a little bit of my story, because, you know, I come from a very analytical background, I’m a former senior economist for the government, like I think in data and numbers. And I think for me, personally, I resisted my intuition for so many years, because for me, intuition meant being woowoo, which I don’t like that word. I consider myself deeply intuitive and, and spiritual. And I just, I don’t like the word woowoo. And, but for me, like, into being intuitive has often meant pulling tarot cards, or going to a psychic, or being able to talk to ghosts, like just kind of all these terms, which felt very, I don’t know, just, you know, being from New England growing up near that near Salem, near the Salem witch trials, like, you know, they talk about lots of ghosts in New England, like for me like that is what being intuitive often meant. So I think I resisted kind of tuning in with my own intuitive knowing and you use that term. And that’s something I say a lot. So how do you? How do you distinguish the levels of intuition and the ways in which people connect and access their own?

Bonnie Casamasssima  17:16

Yeah, absolutely. And thank you so much for sharing that initial resistance to ket. Man, I’ve got the coughs, I’m sorry,

Catherine A. Wood  17:25

you know, by all means, grab some water.

Bonnie Casamasssima  17:28

I’m in Tennessee, and the allergies are pretty rampant right now. So I’ll take a deep breath here. So thank you for sharing that there was a resistance to connecting with your intuition. I so resonate with that, coming from a very analytical background myself, I saw, and I think often in society, it can be one or the other, or you tuned in to your inner knowing your intuition, or your analytical reasoning. And in my background, at least, you know, having gone through the corporate ladder and all the schooling, it was very heavily prioritize you put the emphasis on your brain and your thinking, right? And to answer your specific question of how do we really define or distinguish intuition from those that have the ability to see ancestors or spirits or ghost to the range of maybe really tuning into the deep knowing for me and the research that I’ve been honored to conduct? I include all of it in the definition. And the reason for that is because, one, we want to create a really open safe space for whatever each person’s experiences, and acknowledge it goes back to that definition of information that were connected to me on what we have been maybe conditioned to let ourselves experience. So for an example, I’m very empathic so when I was a researcher and a professor in the classroom, I can feel other people’s emotions, and I can sense kind of read the room for Okay, the person is, you know, Sally in the back left corner, okay, she’s needing a little bit more of this. Okay, Tom, in the in the front, right corner. He’s needing a little bit more of this. And then as a professor, I was able to very quickly kind of course correct how I was sharing the information, sharing the lecture, because of being able to be tuned in to the emotions, the feelings of others in the room at the time, I just thought, Oh, everybody can do these things right? Everybody senses how somebody else is feeling or even can sense. If there was an argument in a room, when you walk into the room and nobody’s there, and the argument happened a few minutes ago, right, you can still feel I could still feel that in my body, right. So I share that to say, really to honor what intuition means to review. And to hold space that it can mean, being able to see things with people’s eyes open all the way to really tuning into those deep empathic feelings of connecting with someone else. Because at the end of the day, what we’re seeing within research is it’s all it’s all energy, and we’re all connected to it, I can dive deep into it, but to keep it just at a really high level to hold space for that. That’s how I would respond to that.

Catherine A. Wood  20:59

I love that answer. And thank you for speaking to my resistance. Because that’s exactly it, right? Like, that’s just exactly what it is. And sometimes we can analyze it or, you know, or just we can get stopped in our own judgment, versus just seeing as calling a spade a spade.

Bonnie Casamasssima  21:21

Absolutely. And to hold so much compassion for yourself, oftentimes, not always, right, there are cultures around the world that are deeply ingrained with this interconnectivity in their everyday lives. Right. And for myself, and it sounds, you know, growing up at a really analytical trajectory, you know, going to undergrad and then grad school and in trying to climb the corporate ladder, and being Professor all the things. There was this. This tendency to not trust what my internal wisdom was telling me, to, you know, to fight through it, I can sleep when I’m dead, I need to just keep working, working, working to achieve and turning off that internal navigation system. In the process was not only the norm, it was celebrated, right? It’s celebrated with how busy we are with how much work we have to do with how exhausted we are. And building a relationship or rekindling our relationship with our intuition and our intuitive abilities can very much be a journey of deep internal listening, deep self trust, and deep awareness of okay, self doubt is kicking in, where is this coming from? self judgment is kicking in, where is this coming from, when in my gut, this decision to work with this client or not work with this client, or go on this date or not go on this date is so loud and clear on my body, but then in a split incidence, my analytical reasoning of what I should do, quote, unquote, kicks in, and we can stop listening to that internal wisdom. So I share that to say that the journey of reconnecting with our intuition is can very much be one of tuning in and building in our self trust, and seeing if there is judgment and doubt, where’s that story coming from? Is it from society? Is it from social conditioning, and isn’t meant to hold anymore, and checking in with what’s most aligned for you from there? Gosh,

Catherine A. Wood  23:47

I so appreciate that explanation. You know, on on the episode on podcasts lately, we’ve been talking a lot about this idea of dismantling and internalized capitalism. And you spoke to it this idea of like being busy and going on to the next thing and the next goal, and I so appreciate the reminder, that connecting with our intuition and our own intuitive knowing is just one more tool in our toolkit that we particularly as empaths and highly sensitive folks have to choose a different path to not choose the path of internalized capitalism and grind culture and hustle mentality, but as a way to connect with our own our own inner guidance, our own choosing what’s right for us. And and I also heard and what you shared just the reminder that you know, as empaths and pleasers and typically highly ambitious folks like we’re very practiced in doing what society says or doing what we think we should Do are being perfectionistic in our tendencies and for good reason, you know, like, something I always like to remind my clients about impostor syndrome is that, you know, typically the higher achiever you are, the louder the imposter syndrome you have because they go hand in hand. So, just that reminder that connecting with our intuition is another, another outlet like, that’s just so empowering, so freeing to hear.

Bonnie Casamasssima  25:32

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. Thank you so much for reflecting that. And I’ve been loving the content on how are we dismantling internalized capitalism, because I think that very much, it’s one of the pieces where I just thought that was the way I was supposed to be. And the more that I really tune in to, you know, what is that inner voice telling me in meditation? What are my body sensations telling me to when I walk into this room versus that room? What are the sensations that I’m experiencing? really telling me for my most deepest me? And how can I listen to that as the driver, it’s a journey, for sure. But I couldn’t agree more with you that we’re looking at intuition. And our connection with that as a very powerful tool to nurture our deepest intent to nurture it nurture our deepest desires, as we step fully into our most authentic selves. With that.

Catherine A. Wood  26:46

Well, let’s, let’s shift gears, because I, as a data nerd, am dying to hear about some of your data and research. So could could you just share a little context about the study that you that you’ve been doing on intuition? So we have a little background about what it is we’re going to dive into?

Bonnie Casamasssima  27:06

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. So at a high level, the the topic of the study was deepening our understanding of the highly sensitive, empathic, intuitive connection. So it saw just that, and the framework used for those researchers out there, a grounded theory framework. And it’s one that Brene Brown uses that really seeks to ask people their lived experiences first, and then analyze. Are there any patterns that we’re seeing with this? Are there any resources that were supportive for people on their journey connecting with their intuition or their intuitive abilities? Were there things that were hindering it? So the process looked at conversations with 50 people from around the world who were deeply connected to their intuition, to their empathic nature, and ask them five open ended questions on their journey? Now, can you tell me how you would describe it for you? What is intuition for you? How does it come strongest? Were there any things that were positive or anything that was supportive, or anything that hindered your experience in connecting with your intuition, etc. And what I thought was really fascinating. So to kind of talk more about the the nuts and bolts of it, is I was the primary researcher. And then I consulted with someone to help with the data analysis, because I wanted to be very clear and acknowledging, I’m a highly sensitive, intuitive empath. So by nature, I am I have inherent biases, right? I’m going to have those I want to bring all those to the surface, but how can we make sure we’re looking at this process from a really rigid, academic, academically rigorous protocol in understanding that, so I hired someone to help with the data analysis. We both analyze the data separately. And then we came together to analyze it, went back separately, and then came back together for a final okay, this is what we’re seeing as those patterns. So I share all that to say it was a very stringent process. And one thing that was really eye opening was one, how quickly we got to our goal of 50 interviews. I was thinking maybe I will put the call out there and maybe four or five people would respond. Because that’s often what can happen in the research like that’s why we get extra credit when we’re in college too. Do those studies, right? If we’re in a psychology class, there’s extra credit to try to get people to respond to surveys, because sometimes it can be almost like pulling teeth,

Catherine A. Wood  30:08

right? Oh my gosh, buddy, I think I sent your interview requests to like 10 friends within the first 30 minutes of seeing it.

Bonnie Casamasssima  30:16

Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for that, and for your support with that. And Katherine, what really was motivating and energizing as you know, I was obviously interested in what are the findings with this, I had my own lived experience. I had those that I was in trainings with and mentorships with, but really from this, you know, research and academically rigorous protocol, what are we finding? So, I put the call out there, and thinking I’d come back to my inbox the next day to maybe three or four applications. And I opened my inbox to over 30 applications. Wow. People wanting to share their story, connecting with their intuition, people wanting this information to be available to others on their own journey connecting with it. So that’s a overview of the research and during the process, I was able to interview doctors, therapists, CPAs, I had someone a prison warden, coaches, etc, as well as healers, and psychics and mediums, on their journey, connecting with their intuition to really understand what is it for them? And how are they pulling this as a support tool for their everyday modern lives.

Catherine A. Wood  31:42

I so appreciate hearing a little bit more about who was surveyed just the diversity across industries and occupations because it’s true. I think in some industries like yours and mine, it’s more natural and easy to self identify as intuitive, empathic, highly sensitive, even potentially introverted. And then for these other industries, which are less, kind of driven by self awareness and self reflection, it can be more unnatural, or I guess, just clearer to see those qualities and to self identify. So I love that you have so much diversity. So basically, you’re an expert into intuition. Which is hopefully what I hope my producer dubs our episode.

Bonnie Casamasssima  32:36

Oh, my God, what an honor to have that title. I am very passionate person here to help share experiences and academically rigorous. Honor, what an honor, I’m so grateful for those that join the research and think, you know, for those that thank you for sharing it with your community, and that it really the passion is how can we take these sacred experiences these sacred stories, and share them in a way that really honors people’s lived experiences? And what we’re finding in the research, how can we use that as a support tool for others along their journey? Regardless of what that journey is, for them, really meeting them where they are?

Catherine A. Wood  33:25

Will you share with us some of the findings, perhaps some of your most potent findings, and the ones that surprised you most?

Bonnie Casamasssima  33:33

Oh, my gosh, what a great question. Absolutely. I’m gonna sit with that for a second.

Catherine A. Wood  33:41

As we do.

Bonnie Casamasssima  33:46

Stuff identified introvert and highly sensitive, intuitive empath. Absolutely. One of the on that note, those that had really nurtured their intuition, and their empathic and intuitive abilities. And I want to make the distinction that intuition, and Empath are, they’re very closely related those separate and definition just to share that. So intuition in a way we can think about as almost that the overarching word, and deep empathy, deep connection, maybe emotion to emotion, would be an area in the research at least of how we’re really understanding a way that it can come through for people. So I just wanted to kind of share a little bit of that but I gotta watch out because the researcher and we will, we will, I will nerd out. So watch out. Some of the things that we are seeing in the research and we spoke to the first one a little bit earlier, in that intuitive information and insights and connection can come in a very wide Angell ways for people. Sometimes people expressed it as a feeling. I don’t know, I get tingles, I get goosebumps when my body knows I’m supposed to say yes to this client or say yes to this partnership or buy this house. I can’t explain why. But I got goosebumps all over. And I just knew I had to do it. We’re seeing in the research says that information can come in all of our senses. And some people experience all of them. Some people experience a few, a little bit stronger than others. So they can see things in their mind’s eye, such as in meditation, visuals, sight, taste, sound, touch, etc. And example, one of the participants shared that she knew that she was deeply connected with her mother who had passed away. And the way that it came strongest for her was she would smell roses in the room. And there would be no physical roses present, like she would open all the windows who would like look in no roses anywhere, and she would smell a very strong smell of roses, which were her mother’s favorite flower, just to give an example of what this included. So that was one of the big ones is that comes a lot of different ways. And all the way to deep inner knowings. I’ve looked at 20 houses, I can’t describe why, but this is the one for me. And everything goes smoothly, you follow it, it’s aligned. The second thing that really stood out to us is the why behind people wanting to deepen their connection with their intuition and their intuitive abilities. So not only does it come in a wide range of ways, but those that had developed and intentional relationship with that had expressed that their decision making was much clearer, their quality of life became much more aligned. Anecdotally, they were very joyful, very happy, very alive is a way that I would describe that. I want to hold a lot of space that these are the people that had developed an intentional relationship with that had really embodied that. along that journey. We did see those that got very overwhelmed with these abilities. Sometimes it can feel like it’s a whisper. And sometimes it feels like you’re on a Rolling Stones concert, right? And to be highly sensitive and have these experiences that feel like no, they’re the volume is turned all the way up. It can be really debilitating. So along the journey, holding a lot of empathy and compassion for making sure that you’re nurturing yourself with that, and not turning to things that Joyce’s that intentionally numb everything because it numbs this one ability. So those are two of the big ones is it comes in a wide range of ways. And those that connected with it. Were very passionate about seeing it as almost a superpower in their day to day. And then the final one that I’ll share is how so many people in the open ended questions, voluntarily said how they wish this information was available to them as they were connecting on their own journey with it, especially when they felt connected to these abilities as a child, and then around teenage years kind of shut them down, and then reconnected with them in their most often kind of 30s to 40s is what we’re seeing with the patterns.

Catherine A. Wood  39:05

Oh, that’s so fascinating. Yeah, so. So most of the people that you interviewed, realized in hindsight that they were intuitive at a much younger age and then disconnected only to reconnect in adulthood.

Bonnie Casamasssima  39:22

We saw a really I want to be cautious with the word most just on the research side. But we saw a very clear pattern of that, and most often have those that expressed remembering a deep connection with this deep inner knowing. As children, I’ll share an example of one person shared that she goes, I was an only child and I will go out into the woods, and I would just sit and I never felt alone. Like I felt an interconnection with everything that was around me. And she said I’d forgotten about that. until I was an adult, and worked to reconnect with it. So, so yes, there was definitely and where the ability to shut down the information, that intuitive connection, that, that really that connection with our inner selves and the deep wisdom that we have all around us. Is that fear of judgment, that fear of what people are going to think, am I going to be ridiculed, just owned for sharing this openly? And not always, but most often, we did see that happens strongest around teenage years, which makes a lot of sense. I know Brene, brown even talks about this, when she uses the term candle blower outers of, you know, I’m curious, you know, have you ever been where you are, you’re sharing your light, your being your full, authentic self. And you can think about it like a candle, like you’ve got this sacred flame, that is you, that is your heart of hearts. And then for whatever reason, someone comes along and blows out your candle, right? Oftentimes, that happened for those that we interviewed, and those that share that experience around their teen years. And it was in their mid two, it was in their adult life, that they started to reconnect with it and reconnect with our deeper selves.

Catherine A. Wood  41:36

Well, hearing you share that has me kind of over here, thinking about my own journey with intuition. And I don’t necessarily remember those teen years and, and how and whether I connected or became disconnected from it, but I am, I am mindful that it was also for me in my 30s, when I reconnected with my intuition. And similarly, by you, it felt like it was by accident on a meditation cushion. And the interesting thing for me was, it was at a really powerful period of transition in my career. I had unaffiliated from two business partnerships, which took up a lot of time and energy, and kind of emotional, just emotional energy, right, loving energy, anxious energy, just all of it. And I removed them. And I replaced it with a meditation journey, I became certified as a kundalini yoga instructor. Yeah. And for those for our audience, who doesn’t know what Kundalini is like Kundalini is, it is the yoga of science. So it’s all about moving blocked energy in our body, through mantra and asanas and focusing on different chakras and meridians. It’s just a very transformative yogic School of yoga and I, I love it. And

Bonnie Casamasssima  43:17

it’s powerful. I’ve done it on a practice level, powerful, powerful,

Catherine A. Wood  43:23

it is so powerful. And there is nothing like a Kundalini class, for me, which helps me connect with my intuition. So I don’t take it by to be kind of, I think it was very intentionally, the consequence of me unlocking my intuition, and gaining access to my own intuitive knowing when I was while I also created so much more space for me from these other commitments, which took up a lot of my voice and energy. But it was completely by accident, you know, it had, it was not a conscious choice. I’m sure in hindsight, it was probably a part of me probably knew that that was what was next for me. But I just I wonder how similar that is with other people’s journeys, with reconnecting with their intuition.

Bonnie Casamasssima  44:14

Oh, my gosh, yes. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m curious, I know, You’ve asked me how we define intuition within the research. But for you, what is intuition for you? And then I’ll answer that question that you had. So

Catherine A. Wood  44:29

I love that thank you for asking me. For me. The way I think about intuition is I think about it as accessing our own internal knowing. So you know, in my, in my body of work as an ontological coach, I relate to myself as a mirror to help my clients access more and more of what they already know to be true for themselves, and then take action in alignment with that. So from Maybe that’s what intuition it is. It’s the part of us that already knows the answers, and perhaps doesn’t consciously acknowledge or own it, we either suppress it or reject it or push it down. So that’s what it is for me.

Bonnie Casamasssima  45:15

Thank you so much for sharing. Absolutely, absolutely. Yes. I just want to like shout from the rooftops. Yes. It To answer your question of, you know, how was that journey for people connecting a pattern, you know, I could talk all day on the different patterns. But for the sake of today’s conversation, one of the things that we saw very much was people connecting with their intuition or reconnecting with their intuitive abilities, very much was a series of what we’ve called trusting the nudges. I don’t know why just, I needed someone told me to meditate, it felt right. I’ll share my own experience there. I was working 70 plus hours a week, and I was so stressed. And a friend of mine, recommended meditating. I was like, I don’t have time for meditation, what are you talking about? And the most I could do as I sat down for a two minute guided meditation that I listened to on YouTube. And I had, you know, a million thoughts in that two minutes, very much erasing minds. But something felt so right and so nurturing to my body. So the next day, I tried a three minute meditation, and it felt right. And along the journey of really listening to what feels aligned, and right in your body, very often, we saw very much the body is our antenna. For this, though, it comes a lot of different ways for people from seeing things, hearing things. One way that we want to really discern that the information is intuitive information, and not maybe a stress response, or symptoms of things such as anxiety, is really tuning in to how does it feel in our bodies? Does it feel very grounded? Does it feel safe? And what we’re seeing in the research is that that very much resonates with what you share with your experiences. It was kind of interesting, the subtle nudges of I don’t know why but Kundalini Yoga just feels really right so I’m gonna follow a certification for it. And then in the process, this awakening occurs or this reconnection with our intuition occurs. And even for those that shared very powerful awakening experiences, building that self trust was an ongoing journey with them

Catherine A. Wood  48:00

I just have so many thoughts of and I love that answer. I think the thing I’m curious about is you know honey, can you hear me?

Bonnie Casamasssima  48:26

I can hear you. Yeah, can you hear me?

Catherine A. Wood  48:28

I think I froze for a second Oh.

Bonnie Casamasssima  48:32

Okay. Can you hear me testing test then once you

Catherine A. Wood  48:42

turn off my video for a second

Bonnie Casamasssima  48:57

Okay, what about now?

Catherine A. Wood  49:00

I mean to be your like a little you can hear MCU so you’re kind of jargon like jargon is on my side turn off my video for one more second.

Bonnie Casamasssima  49:24

Okay, I’ll try and share my audio my video off as well. Can you hear me okay, now?

Catherine A. Wood  49:29

I can hear you fine.

Bonnie Casamasssima  49:33

So we’re close everything out.

Catherine A. Wood  49:37

It’s I’m sure it’s me. Again,

Bonnie Casamasssima  49:40

I use Can you hear is Is it working now?

Catherine A. Wood  49:45

It’s working. Yeah. The video looks like a little fuzzy. Am I fuzzy to you?

Bonnie Casamasssima  49:55

No, you look great. Yeah, you look very crisp, clear. are phenomenal as always. Thank you Oh, is it working now kind of testing test technology can be so fun sometimes.

Catherine A. Wood  50:13

So I think I think we’re back.

Bonnie Casamasssima  50:16

Okay, we’re back. Perfect.

Catherine A. Wood  50:19

Okay, let me just take a minute love video editors. Yes.

Bonnie Casamasssima  50:26

No, we can kind of pause.

Catherine A. Wood  50:32

Okay, let me see what I want to or want to bring us next. Yeah,

Bonnie Casamasssima  50:37

I do have what some people have shared us supportive and it’s kind of what we’re doing right here. And now. With like taking those intentional moments, I can share that if that’s helpful to pick it back at.

Catherine A. Wood  50:52

Stay a little more. I don’t know if I’m fully tracking.

Bonnie Casamasssima  50:55

Yeah. One of our we like officially back in recording.

Catherine A. Wood  51:03

Not yet. Okay. Perfect.

Bonnie Casamasssima  51:05

People shared what was supportive for them in their practices of honing their intuition. I’m happy to share a little.

Catherine A. Wood  51:15

Yes, totally. Okay. Well, so as we kind of wrap up with nearing the end of the episode, I’d love to hear for those of us who are interested in honing our intuition and deepening it. What, what did you find in the research to support those on their journey?

Bonnie Casamasssima  51:37

Oh, absolutely. Thank you so much for this question. What we found in the research is, in addition, it was really a series of trusting those nudges, trusting those subtle, internal knowings in addition to some of the powerful experiences, you know, such as seeing and for sharing down, people here, and practices around really tuning in, to tuning into stillness, and have to be activity, to get them to tune in to their bodies, tuned into the present moment, those things were essential for people on their journey. thing with their intuition. And I want to be really clear and precise. Annotation can look so many different ways. It’s not just about you know, sitting down on a silent mat for many it is that and that’s beautiful, if that resonates with you. But the overarching theme for what was supportive for people was really listening that was most nourishing for them. And maybe that was intuitive dance, or intuitive arts, or roller skating while thinking about where their body wanted to move next, or a journal practice where they would start it with dear intuition. I would like to connect more with you what are some ways and just keep the pen moving? Right. But it very much was an intentional practice, most often daily ish, that helps people to really connect deeply with their abilities. It’s a relationship and just like a relationship with a partner, you wouldn’t go six months without calling them and expect them to still want to like go on a date with you on Friday, maybe, maybe not. But those are very daily mini activities to connect so many meaning it doesn’t it can be a few minutes each day. We’re what we’re really powerful for people connecting with their intuition.

Catherine A. Wood  54:24

I saw appreciate the reminder of how important stillness is like how necessary creating space is from the busy and bustle of the world around us in order to connect with our interior world. And I’m thinking about my own journey. And when I became trained as a Kundalini instructor, part of our training was to do 240 day meditation challenges. And the first meditation challenge was 40 continuous days of an 11 minute practice. followed by 40 days of a continuous 31 minute practice. And I so appreciate my instructor because she was this, like small but mighty woman in her, you know, in her in her second chapter in life like and she was just so, so clear that if we got to day 39, and we missed it, we had to start again from day one, like there was no if ands or buts about it. But for me, it was that it was that kind of rigor, that championing from her that kind of demand for consistency and holding the practice sacred. That is what it took for me to out when my resistance because giving ourselves the space and the grace for that stillness, that in and of itself is a practice like allowing ourselves to quiet down to put down the phone to disconnect from the dopamine hit, that is the world we live in today, the the fastness of social media, you know, like, it is a journey even to just give ourselves permission to be still and to quiet our nervous systems. And I’m just wondering if you have any any thoughts as we wrap up about? How do we do that for those of us who want that in one sense, and yet resist it as a function of the world we live in as a function of the internalized, internalized capitalistic qualities that we all possess? Like? How do we hold that line? Not to end with us our question or an easy question or anything?

Bonnie Casamasssima  56:50

What What a great question. Thank you so much for that. And I, personally truly resonate with that. When often when people are wanting to deepen their connection with their intuition. Alongside a journey of really tuning in more deeply to our inner knowings and our inner selves, it can bring up a lot of resistance, one on a practical level, that it’s a very personal goal, a lot of times, and most often I’ll speak for myself here, if I’ve got 13 things on the stove 13 projects in the hopper, the one project that is dedicated only to me tends to get that backburner and all the emphasis goes on the things that other people are depending on. Right? And I know, right? That at the undercurrent, it is all about nurturing your self worth your self trust and giving yourself that space to grow. Can you ask the question again? Are those of us who

Catherine A. Wood  58:10

know what we’re wanting to connect with our intuition on a more deep level? And yet we resist doing and being what it takes to allow an experience of greater stillness for ourselves in life? Where do we start?

Bonnie Casamasssima  58:29

Thank you, again for that question. What is coming, and what we’re seeing in the research is allow it to be aligned with your life, wherever that is at that moment, and allow it to bring you joy. Right? There are many ways to connect with our intuition. There are many tools, practices, etc. One of the things that has been shown to be really powerful is when we do things that allow us to get into a state of joy, on an energetic level, a vibrational level, it’s, it feels incredible to be there. So we are subconsciously driven to do more of that. So you talked about the dopamine hits of social media, right? We’re using that but to our body’s advantage by doing things that bring us joy. So looking at practices, again, consistency has shown to be really powerful. I don’t say that to create another thing on someone’s to do list. I do say that to be very clear, that it can be a practice a practice of really honoring yourself, honoring your connection with your intuition and all that you’re deeply supported by and we can choose the way to do that is by what brings us most joy. So Maybe for you it’s walking in the woods with your incredible dogs while you’re walking in the woods If you’re bringing intention or a thought to your intuition, like, do your gut feelings that I felt yesterday about working with the client, I really appreciate you coming and sharing that with me. Could we keep this relationship going, right? A client that I’m working with, I have a connecting with your intuition, mentorship, she shared that she loves roller skating. She’s the business owner, she’s very highly productive. All the things that she goes, when I can just roller skate, I feel my most me, I was like, This is awesome. Let’s use that as you’re developing your practice to build your intuition. So look at things that nurture you try to do it daily ish. And again, it can be a few minutes, it’s all about your intention, and do things that align with what bring you joy. on an energetic level. It can attune our bodies to be much more receptive to intuitive information, intuitive downloads, and on a wellbeing level. It’s really wonderful to feel joy. So keep following that.

Catherine A. Wood  1:01:14

This has been such a thought provoking brilliant conversation, Barney, I don’t I don’t know if I realized how much of how much medicine I would take for myself from our conversation today. And I also don’t think I realized, or had fully connected the dots for myself, just how much tapping into our intuition and being guided by our intuition, rather than by our ego, or our more and grind and hustle tendencies is connected with my what this podcast is all about. Right? For me. Being a prosperous empath is truly redefining the terms of your success and your life’s meaning on what is meaningful to you, personally, and I am really taking with me from this conversation, just how much intuition can guide that journey?

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:02:12

Yes. Oh, like, so thank you.

Catherine A. Wood  1:02:15

And I mean, it sounds like you really wanted to respond to that.

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:02:22

Yes. Oh, my gosh, thank you so much. Thank you so much for sharing that. And it makes me think one of the talks that I’m so honored to share with organizations is fostering your heart led leadership, through honing your intuitive connection. And what you just shared is exactly that is how do we really look at this as a powerful resource to connect deeply with our own inner wisdom, to get in line with that heart led leadership, and to really tune in to the interconnectivity of it and shine incredibly brightly in the process. With that, I’m gonna I’m so excited to get to share it at a Women’s Summit coming up to a group of 100 people in the room. And I’m so excited to bring that interconnectivity for how we can pull it into our everyday modern lives. So thank you so much for sharing those highs that you had in our conversation. It’s such an honor to be here with you today. I

Catherine A. Wood  1:03:30

know our audience, and listeners are going to want to delve into this research and read more. So where can they? Where can they read some of the findings? And when are you going to publish your your version of Brene Brown’s book on on your mastery of intuition?

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:03:48

Stay tuned on that. But where you can find information and get on the waitlist, because it’s still like kind of in the publishing worlds of things get on the waitlist for is I get so excited about answering but I answered all at once. And seven questions come out at once.

Catherine A. Wood  1:04:13

Big begin to the choir my friend.

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:04:19

So two things there. The website where you can find more information is intuitive by nature.com. You can find information on the research and right now we’re still in the final stages. So stay tuned on the publication’s of that. And we are going into recording a podcast series where we’re going to be sharing information about the findings. So you’re going to be able to find all that on intuitive by nature.com.

Catherine A. Wood  1:04:52

Okay, thank you so much, Bonnie, as we wrap what has supported you most on your journey Becoming a prosperous empath?

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:05:03

I love this question. dedicating time for myself daily, daily ish, but daily from me is really tuning in in my meditation practice and creating that stillness for me. And then the second thing is giving myself permission to ask for support.

Catherine A. Wood  1:05:28

Mm hmm.

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:05:29

Yeah, that was

Catherine A. Wood  1:05:31

such a joy. I feel like I’m just taking so much for myself from our conversation. Thank you so much for joining today.

Bonnie Casamasssima  1:05:38

Thank you so much. It was wonderful to be here with you.