Let's be real for a second. We don't always know that our intuition is being utilized every day. We don't always realize we use it occasionally. But I'm here to tell you that, whether you're aware or not, you're regularly directed by your intuition. It's your gut instinct, the feeling you have, the nudge, or even the images you see that are guiding you throughout your life.

That being said, it can be difficult to be aware every time your metaphysical senses are present. Our intuition can feel as simple as a light breeze, or it can be as loud as someone yelling in your ear. In other words, it can show up in so many ways it becomes part of your regular day, without you even realizing it. Though it's not always necessary to identify that you're using your extra sensory perception (ESP), when you acknowledge your intuition, it tends to show up for you more often.

Look, I'm going to tell it to you straight—life is so much better and more fulfilling when you use your intuition. Whether you pay attention to your gut instinct, follow a hunch, or even have a tingly sensation that alerts you to something, it's all intuition. Calling it by a different name doesn't make it any less. And thank goodness! Learning how you perceive your gifts can help you recognize them more often.

The How
The most common perceptions, or the way we receive impressions, are known as the "clairs," clair from the French word meaning "clear." These are coupled with the metaphysical version of our physical senses. Clairvoyance (psychic vision), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (feeling), claircognizance (knowing), and I usually put these two together, but they are different—clairgustance (taste), and clairalience (smell). We've all experienced at least one of these, regardless of whether or not we realized it.

I am often asked how to determine which gifts someone may have a propensity towards, and I tell them, "What feels right to you? What do you feel more connected with?" If they still don't feel a distinctive inclination towards one or another, I tell them to pay attention to the words they tend to use more often. For example, when talking to someone, would you be more apt to say:

• I hear what you're saying!
• I feel you!
• I see what you mean!
• I know!
• This situation just stinks!
• This is leaving a bad taste in my mouth!

By simply paying attention to how you're speaking, it helps you realize your intuition is working! You can discover what strengths you may naturally have.

Recognizing Intuitive Moments
Your intuition is there to help you. It is a valuable part of your life because it continually tries to guide you towards your joy or keep you out of trouble. When we are moving through our day, it can be difficult to separate your intuition from everything else, so here are 3 ways to recognize those moments. And, again, when you begin recognizing that these are intuitive moments, and acknowledging that you are indeed, a naturally intuitive being, you will begin having more of these powerful ESP moments.

Here are three ways to recognize when your intuition is working.

1. Having a physical reaction in your body to someone or something.
When you meet someone for the first time, especially if you shake their hand, you instinctively pick up on their energy. This can cause a physical reaction. It might pull you closer towards them, their energy drawing you in. Alternatively, their energy can make you feel overwhelmed or even repel you.

When this occurs, it's because your energy fields are connecting and you are intuitively receiving information from them and from their aura. An aura is the energy field that surrounds all living things. It is usually about one to two inches away from the body, but can and does expand and retract.

When you meet someone, you generally will expand your aura towards them to kind of feel them out, intuitively. If they make you uncomfortable, your gut instinct will be to pull back, physically but also metaphysically. On the other hand, if they give you the warm and fuzzies, you will naturally expand your energy towards them.

This energetic reaction happens instantly, often unconsciously, and is a result of your intuitive vibes in action.

*Practice*
Whether you know someone or not, you can see how your energy instinctively reacts. Practicing feeling the energy of people with whom you're familiar will help you recognize how you feel around people you don't know.

Friends, hopefully, will expand your energy and you'll feel comfy and contented vibes. They make you happy. On the other hand, people you don't like can make you feel off. You might even feel confused or disoriented when thinking about them or when in their presence. Frustration, anger, or irritation also changes your body's reaction to someone you dislike. Pay attention to what your body is telling you!

2. Receiving symbolic information in your mind.
Let me introduce you to your intuitive mind! This is the place where you may hear or see things internally. These images or sounds can be sent from your deceased loved ones or your spirit guides in order to keep you safe and on your path, or they can materialize in your mind in answer to a question you may be thinking about or even asking aloud.

For example, if you're headed to look at a home to purchase that you've never seen before, and you see an image of a sparkly, shiny house in your mind's eye, it can be your clairvoyance showing you that the home you are on your way to visit is going to be a good option for you. Conversely, if you have a flash of a home in disrepair or actually falling down, this is probably that same psychic sight telling you that you will most definitely be disappointed by it (unless you’re planning to do a major renovation!). The imagery you see might not look like the actual house—more likely will just be the representation of a house. That's what makes it symbolic. Pay attention to what you see!

Hearing a symbolic message in your mind can also be random or can be sent in answer to something. For instance, maybe you're thinking about whether to stop at a fast-food restaurant on your way home to pick up dinner. It might be a bad idea if you hear a random toilet flushing! Or maybe instead you hear the jingle of a local grocery store, which can indicate that picking up some healthier groceries to cook dinner might be a better choice in the long run.

Now, these may seem insignificant and extremely simple examples. As you begin paying attention to the information you see or hear in your mind, you will be able to recognize more easily your intuitive guidance from your third eye and your psychic ears.

*Practice*
You don't have to wait to receive random guidance. You can practice by asking for it, instead. Let's say you are trying to decide what college to go to, or to help your child decide what college they should attend. Ask to intuitively hear or see a response and wait. You might get an answer immediately, or it may take a while. When the answer "shows up," it might be in the form of the school logo flashing in your mind's eye. Or, it could be the sound of boat horns blasting if you are looking at a school on the coast. You might just see colors that will relate to a specific college. You may even taste or smell food if you're debating between a culinary school or a liberal arts college. The sky is the limit for the information that may come through, but be open to any version that directs you intuitively.

3. Having intuitive connections to others.
It might be cliché, but it's cliché for a reason. Do you believe it's random when you are about to call or text someone and as you pick up your phone you see they are already reaching out to you? I don't. What I do believe is that we are connected to people we are friends with, or family members. We also can be connected to others, like doctors or neighbors.

This means that we can link to them intuitively. And further, we can retrieve or receive infinite amounts of information from them. It is within this boundless society that our intuitive relationships thrive, allowing us to know when someone is reaching out to us.

Take a mother's intuition, for example. This is when a mother knows something is happening with a child who is not near them or not present. It might be a moment of panic when a mom suddenly knows something's wrong so she rushes to her child's job, to discover they've just passed out. That is a connection that is highly charged because the mother and child are so close.

*Practice*
We are all connected. Think of the energy of the universe like a huge, endless bubble. It can be glittery and sparkly, or just clear. Whatever you want it to be. And now, see yourself and your family and your friends inside this bubble, where there's air and life. Now, imagine this bubble surrounds the entire earth, pushing out, again, to encompass the entire universe. And of course then, you'll see your house and your neighbor's house, and so on and so on.

So, what next? Send an intuitive message out with your mind. Tell your husband (or someone close to you) to reach out to you, call you. Allow at least 15 minutes for a response, and if it doesn't happen by then, try it again. This time, though, show him an image by visualizing it in your mind's eye and sending it to him. It can be dinner that's being prepared or a movie you want to watch or something else entirely. Really focus on the image and focus on sending it to him. You might have to try this a few times for it to work.

Learning to manipulate (in a positive way) energetic connections helps you to create stronger links or bonds among your family and friends, and possibly more importantly, allows you to receive those intuitive calls from them!

You've just discovered three different ways to recognize when you are using your intuition. Remember, there's no limit to how intuitive you can become. These gifts, these abilities that may have once seemed otherworldly, may now seem attainable to you. Possibly you've noticed that some of the examples I've given you have already happened, and you just hadn't realized it was your intuition talking to you. Now that you know how to decipher these messages, it's up to you how far you take it. Above all, enjoy these gifts! They are part of your birthright, and they are accessible right now!