The Four Ways of Knowing

The Four Ways of Knowing:

The other day, I posted about the four ways of knowing. A contact of mine said they needed to internet search what they are. After that conversation I promised to write them up - this is my interpretation. Thanks to Jenny Mackewn for introducing them in our IFC accredited #systemic #embodied #coaching course.

First things first – what are the four ways of knowing? Intellectual; Intuitive; Emotional and Embodied. All four are interconnected and overlapping (see Venn Diagram below).

So, in more detail then…

Intellectual knowing can be thought of as cognitive or thinking. It encompasses what you have learned and stored in your brain from the minute you are born until the present moment. It’s your ability to be rational and logical, and allows you to analyse information.

Intuitive knowing is that instinctive part of you. The part that just knows right from wrong. The part of you that feels uneasy, you know, when you walk into a room, people there have just been gossiping about you! It’s how we access the collective unconscious wisdom of the Universe and everything in it.

Emotional knowing relates to how you experience the world through your emotions. It’s also linked to your emotional intelligence. Experiencing emotions is your body’s way of relaying information to your brain. For instance, if you sense something is going to be harmful (like a lion charging at you) you may want to take action.

Finally, embodied knowing is knowledge that resides in the body, or that is gained through the body. For example, riding a bicycle. The body just “knows” how to ride a bicycle, the wisdom doesn’t sit in the mind. ?It encompasses uncertainty, ambiguity and the messiness of everyday life. For example, this past Monday, my body knew I was overwhelmed. I felt like I was whizzing around the magic roundabout, not knowing when or how to get off. Luckily, we had a coaching team call booked for the evening. A session with a colleague on my coaching course enabled me to slow down enough to look at this situation and realise WHY I was overwhelmed. Needless to say, there’s “a lot on” :-).

And this is totally why I am loving my training. When I’m held; allowed to centre myself; to slow down, I get to explore the four ways of knowing in harmony. And the outcomes are often unexpected (in a good way). And a special bonus from the training - I get to spend time with some lovely humans, who are coaches and coachees to each other. We work together practising our skills and supporting each other.

Through the process I’ve been able to effectively charter a path for myself out of my corporate life, and into a new one. I’ve tried to do this before, with no support and it’s dang hard. I’ve so much gratitude for you guys and also for @jennymackewn, who is the most infectious facilitator!