Love and intuition seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, the sun and the moon and…well, like two people in love. Who at one time or another has not felt a shiver move up their spine or their stomach leap in joy when looking into another’s eyes? Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection with them or somehow knew what they were thinking or feeling, without knowing how you knew? These are spontaneous natural occurrences of intuition and they can be so commonplace we often take them for granted.

We all have innate intuitive ability, which can be as simple as knowing something without knowing how you know it. Yet intuition, like love, can be mysterious and compelling and can bypass the rational and logical. This is because both love and intuition have their roots in the soul —the deeper, wiser part of us. They are both powerful energies that can enhance every aspect of your life. Knowing one will gain you instant access into a better understanding of the other.

Your intuition is as unique as you. I have discovered through many years of teaching others to access and develop their innate intuitive ability that intuition surfaces in four primary ways. You may receive energy information through your thoughts, your emotions, your energy field or your physical body. These four different intuitive modalities make up your intuitive type.

If you intuit mostly through your thoughts and ideas, you are a mental intuitive. Mental intuitives are naturally telepathic. Telepathy is the ability to tune into, receive, and send thought messages to another or a group. Emotional intuitives intuit mostly through their emotions. If you tend to easily pick up on others' feelings, are empathetic and tend to be the go-to person for your friends and family who are in need of a kind shoulder, you are likely an emotional intuitive. Spiritual intuitives receive intuitive vibrations through their energy field. Those who can perceive angels and auras have an active dream life and enjoy daydreaming may be spiritual intuitives. Physical intuitives absorb energy information into their body. Do you ever feel others' aches and pains or feel flushed and warm just sitting next to certain people? If so, you may be a physical intuitive.

Once you are aware of your intuitive type, you will be able to develop and use your natural intuition with more ease and success. Your intuitive type also plays an important part in your ability to communicate, understand, and increase intimacy with loved ones.

How is this? Do you ever know what your partner is thinking or suddenly feel that a loved one is having difficulties, even though they are miles away? Do you ever dream about a loved one who has passed over and feel their presence, almost as if they are in the same room with you? Does it seem like just holding your partner's hand helps you to know her better? While these situations are often random and unpredictable, you can learn how to better tune into and understand your particular intuitive strengths.

The bond of love between two people strengthens and intensifies intuitive ability. With this in mind, not only will you get better results when developing your intuition with a friend or partner, mutual understanding and insight into one another will also increase.

The following is a partner exercise. It will give you the opportunity to develop your intuition and gain insight into a partner, friend, or family member at the same time. It will also help you to experience how each intuitive type receives energy information.

To begin, find a time of day where you and your partner can both be undisturbed for an agreed-upon amount of time. It is not necessary to be in the same physical location. You can be across town or even across the country —it doesn't matter; just make sure that your time zones are in sync.

At the agreed-upon time sit or lie down, close your eyes and begin to take long, deep, relaxing breaths. Imagine as you breathe that you are inhaling cleansing and clearing breaths and you are exhaling any stress and tension. As you settle into the natural rhythm of these cleansing breaths, visualize your partner. Use your imagination and form a picture of them in your mind's eye. Don't force it. Rather, breathe, relax, and feel your connection to them. Keep visualizing your partner and wait for them to smile or acknowledge your presence. This is an intuitive exercise so you might just "know" or get a sense of when they become aware of you. Intuitive "seeing" is not always the same as three-dimensional seeing. It might feel like you are relying on your imagination, which is good. Keep it up.

Now practice one or more of these intuitive communication techniques.

• Mental Intuition:
  Take a long, deep breath and as you exhale, imagine that you are releasing and letting go of your thoughts and mind chatter. Keep breathing and releasing; notice your thoughts without attaching any importance to them. Eventually they will dissipate.

Now imagine that your mind is expanding and encompassing your partner's mind. Tune into their thoughts. Imagine that they have a message for you. Send them a thought, such as "What would you like me to know?" or "How is your day?" Project this thought and then breathe, relax and focus on the breath. This will help to clear your mind. Stay in this calm place for a few moments and receive whatever comes in, without over-thinking or allowing your mind to stray.

When you feel as if your concentration and focus is wavering, send a warm thank you to your partner. Take a few deep breaths and imagine that any negativity and stress is being released through the out breath. Breathe in love, fill yourself with its warm refreshing current and send this cleansing and clearing energy to your partner. Open your eyes and write down whatever you received.

• Emotional Intuition:
  Before you begin, it helps to first become aware of what you are feeling. You might want to put words to your emotions. Are you in a good mood, frustrated, tired, happy, or maybe a combination of different emotions? As you put words to how you feel, imagine that you can release these feelings through calm breathing. Keep breathing relaxing breaths and exhaling your emotional energy.

When you feel calm, take a long deep inhale and exhale through your heart. Keep breathing in this way, cleansing inhales and exhales through the heart. Imagine that the energy of your heart expands and encompasses your partner. Feel your partner in your heart energy and feel what they feel. Are they happy, serene, having a good day, irritated or fatigued? Keep breathing and feel what they are feeling. When you feel as if you have become aware of as much of their emotional energy as you can at this time, breathe and send them love. Imagine that as you inhale, warm waves of love move through you. You can send this love to your partner. Imagine love filling your partner. Breathe and allow your partner to move out of your heart energy and into their own space as you move into yours. Open your eyes.

• Spiritual Intuition:
  Imagine your partner. In your mind’s eye see them sitting or lying down and notice anything you can about them. Go to them. Spiritual intuitives often have the natural gift of being able to energetically transport themselves to distant locations. Keep it simple and trust your energy wisdom to take you to them. As you draw close, imagine that you can perceive the energy that surrounds them. Use your imagination and tune into their energy field or aura. These waves of energy will appear to you in different colors, hues and levels of vibrancy. Again, don't over-think this. Just activate your higher knowing through intent. You may be able to observe your partner's angels or spirit guides: just allow this to happen. They might even have a message for you to convey to your partner.

Take in what you are experiencing, relax into the energy and imagine your partner completely surrounded by a bubble of white light. This light is loving and protective. Now return to your own physical space and imagine that you too are surrounded by white light. Come back completely into the body and open your eyes.

• Physical Intuition:
  If you are a physical intuitive you might want to hold a photograph of your partner or one of their personal objects. Intuiting information through the energy imprint of a photo or personal object is called psychometry. Physical intuitives have a special knack for being able to receive intuitive information in this way. Close your eyes and breathe. Imagine white light healing energy moving down through the top of your head. Move this healing energy through your entire body. Notice any place in your body where you are tight or tense. Breathe into these places and release any tension through the exhale. Continue this process until you feel relaxed and stress-free. Now, imagine your partner. Use your imagination to do this. Intend to become aware of what they are experiencing. You might have the most success with this if you now tune into your own body. Move your awareness through your body and imagine that you can experience what your partner is experiencing. Are you stressed, anxious, relaxed, or full of energy and stamina? Go to any place in your body where you feel tension or stress and imagine sending warm love to this area. Release the stress and continue to breathe. Are there any unusual aches and pains; do you feel a headache, or light and full of life? Keep tuning in and send healing wherever it is needed. When you have experienced all that you can for now, allow your partner to move their energy back into their own body. You can do this through simple intent. They are now in their body and you are in yours. Take a few deep breaths and move white light healing energy through your body. Feel your body fill with energy vibrancy and love. Send this same energy to your partner.

When you are ready open your eyes.

Love is a potent life-force energy that is not restricted by time, space or condition. It has no barriers and there is no power in this world that is stronger than it. With love, two people become one. Develop your intuitive connection to love and allow its powerful presence and mystery to unfold in your life.