As a medium, I am often told by my clients that they wish they could do what I do.

My response is always the same: “You can!” We all possess natural intuitive abilities, and like any other skill, intuition can be cultivated.

How intuitive abilities present themselves is different for everyone, so the trick is discovering where your natural intuitive strengths lie.

For example, one of my natural strengths is clairvoyance, or “clear seeing.” I see spirits and the images that they present to me. Every spirit communicates differently. Some spirits communicate in a serious and literal way, while others demonstrate their sense of humor through playful gestures or metaphors.

Learning the language of symbols and metaphors is key to communicating with those on the other side.

In addition to clairvoyance, I also receive strong intuitive information as a sort of inner knowing. Claircognizance means “clear knowing” and if you’ve ever suddenly just known something, you have experienced this intuitive faculty. As our intuition is developed, we begin to know things with a strong sense of certainty. A good example of this is found in the many accounts of people who were set to board the RMS Titanic but canceled their reservations at the last minute because of a knowing they had—one that presented itself as a strong sense of foreboding.

Regardless of where your intuitive strengths lie, learning to listen to and cultivate your intuitive abilities will enhance your life and enrich your relationships. Here are five ways to discover and cultivate your own natural intuitive abilities.

1. Learn to trust your inner voice:

Discovering where our intuitive strengths lie begins with listening to that little voice within. We have all experienced the quiet guidance of our intuition at one time or another. Our inner voice is a valuable tool that provides us with the kind of guidance that can protect us from danger and prevent us from making mistakes. When we are willing to listen, it does more than steer us away from danger and discomfort—it can also steer us toward new opportunities and increased well-being.

Because many of us have been conditioned since childhood to ignore our inner voice, it’s important to take note when it arises, and to pay attention (and resist) when our first impulse is to dismiss it out of hand. Recognizing the way in which our inner voice seeks to speak to us is also important. Does it show up as a knowing, a feeling, a voice, an image, or perhaps all of the above?

2. Meditate:

In order to hear your inner voice, you must first quiet your mind. It is often hard to hear the inner voice of intuition over the chatter of an active mind. I liken it to being in a crowded room with everyone talking at once. Intuitive information is often subtle and we must be quiet and focused to notice it. Developing a meditation practice can help to calm the constant chattering of the mind so that we can hear the quiet whisperings of our inner voice when it arises.

3. Embrace your inner child:

Children possess a natural sense of wonder and excitement about the world around them. Their innocence and openness allows their intuitive faculties to be fully functional.

Re-acquainting yourself with imagination and play serves to shift you into a state of mind that provides fertile ground for intuition. Allow yourself to let go and have fun the way you did when you were a child. Engage your imagination and shift from the world of the ordinary and mundane back into the realm of childhood wonder and magic. Search for dragons in the clouds, say yes to new opportunities, and remember to recognize new experiences as opportunities for adventure.

4. Find ways to receive feedback:

We learn through reinforcement. Extensive studies over the past several decades have revealed the important role feedback plays in the development of intuitive abilities. Confidence also plays an important role in the development of these abilities, as it is necessary for us to trust the signals we receive.

Keeping a journal documenting our intuitive experiences that we can later validate is an important way to provide ourselves with valuable feedback. Sharing insights and experiences with a trusted friend or family member can also provide us with the validation required to develop our confidence.

5. Learn the language of symbols:

Intuitive information is first received through the subconscious mind, which uses the language of symbols. Becoming familiar with symbols and archetypes will go a long way toward helping you interpret the information you receive through dreams, clairvoyance, and synchronicity. Because the subconscious mind is constantly receiving intuitive information, examining your day-to-day experiences through the lens of symbolic interpretation is invaluable.

Just as with documenting your feedback, keeping a journal of the signs, synchronicities, and symbols that present themselves to you on a daily basis will go a long way toward helping you understand how intuitive information presents itself to you.

As with all cultivated skills, the more we practice using our intuitive abilities, the better we will become. Remember not to take yourself too seriously and to have fun. Criticism and judgment are the enemies of intuition.

Now more than ever, the world needs people who are willing to tap into their intuition and open their intuitive hearts to make meaningful connections with others.

The world needs you.

~

Relephant:

How a Psychic Changed my Spiritual Journey.

The Art of Tarot in 3 Steps.

~

Author: Tonya Madia
Image: Natalia Drapina/Flickr
Editor: Catherine Monkman
Copy Editor: Nicole Cameron
Social Editor: Nicole Cameron