Effectively Communicating With Your Spirit Guides

I always knew I had a guardian angel.

Ever since I was a little girl, it always seemed like there was something there — an energy I couldn’t quite explain. A presence that kept me out of harm’s way and always guided me in the right direction. And for years, I thought I was crazy for feeling this way. I never told anyone about it, for the fear of being judged or ridiculed.

But then in 2002, all of that changed. I was driving down a deserted winding road in the middle of the night when I started to feel very tired and my eyelids began to close. Then I was abruptly shocked awake by the lights of a tractor-trailer, speeding right towards me.

Before I could even react, I felt the steering wheel being pulled on its own. And as if in slow motion, I watched as my car was redirected safely back into my lane. As the tractor trailer whooshed on past me, it felt like my car was on a cloud, being guided by angel wings. With my heart thumping in my chest, I pulled over and caught my breath. I knew it was a guardian angel who saved me. I felt goosebumps and a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t believe I was safe.

That was not the first, nor the last time that I had been in touch with my guardian angels. As the years have gone by, these guardians visit me almost daily. I’ve come to know them as my “spirit guides,” because I know they are there to help me follow my spiritual path —the one that is in true alignment with my soul.

Everyone has a spirit guide (or several spirit guides), and each of us has the ability to listen to them. They communicate with us in a whisper because they are at a higher frequency, so we have to be very still, silent, open and accepting.

Here are seven ways you can learn to communicate with your spirit guides:

1. Tune in and start to believe.

To communicate with your guides, you must first believe that you have them. Can you think of moments in your life when you were helped, saved or redirected by some unknown force? Spirit guides come to us in many ways. Spend more time listening to your body, mind and spirit. In those moments of complete stillness, you will receive messages.

They may come as images in your head (clairvoyance), a smell or a feeling, or even a sound or voice (clairaudience). Write down what you see, smell, feel or hear, because these are intuitive messages from your guides.

2. Meditate with crystals.

Many crystals like amethyst in particular, have been known to have powerful intuitive properties. This purple, brilliant crystal is associated with the Third Eye Chakra — located at the brow between the eyes, associated with intuition and the higher self.

When you meditate with amethyst and place the crystal directly on your brow, you will instantly feel increased spiritual awareness as you elevate to a higher state of consciousness. Strengthening our intuition is a direct gateway to our spirit guides.

3. Get out in nature.

I always feel closest to my guides when I am in nature. Spending time outdoors is very healing and grounding, allowing us to become more in tune with the natural rhythm of the planet. When you’re in nature, close your eyes and listen to the birds, or the sound of the wind or water from a nearby creek. Place your hands on your heart and ask your spirit guides to come to you. As you sit, you might notice sensations or a presence. This is normal — just take note of how you feel. Part of building a relationship with your guides is also building a relationship with yourself and the earth.

4. Ask your spirit guides to reveal themselves.

You can ask your guides to reveal themselves to you in meditation, through dreams, numbers and messages, or when you are walking in the park.

The next time you are alone, you can try saying this out loud:

“Dear Spirit Guides, please reveal yourselves to me, I want to know you better and connect with you in this world. I thank you for your guidance and care.” Then notice in the next few days, if you receive any messages, feelings or strange dreams.

5. Keep a spirit guide journal.

Write down all of the feelings, sensations, messages, or “gut feelings” that you may encounter. Sometimes it’s hard for us to process all the messages that come through! This is why it is important to keep a journal, so you can look back and take note of the details you may have missed. Perhaps you saw a red cardinal and you didn’t know the significance of it, but then a week later, you read somewhere about how cardinals are associated with relationships, marriage, and courtship, and maybe this applied to your life in some way. The more we write down and then come back to later, the more we can decipher the messages being sent to us from our spirit guides.

6. Try “automatic writing.”

I began the process known as automatic writing, by meditating and asking my spirit guides to come through me. It was a technique I learned after reading the book, Many Lives, Many Masters. I closed my eyes and meditated, allowing myself to go deep into my subconscious. And when I awoke, I grabbed the pen next to me and just started writing whatever came out. As I read the words, I was sure it was one of my spirit guides — it didn’t even look like my own handwriting! The words said: “Yes, we are here. We have always been here and we always will be.”

As with all practices, it may take some time to allow yourself to release the ego (that’s you!) and allow your guides to come through.

7. Tap into your third eye.

There are other ways to tap into your third eye aside from meditation. There’s the ancient Ayurvedic treatment known as the Shirodhara massage. You lie on a massage table and an experienced, certified practitioner will pour warm oil and essential oils on your third eye slowly and rhythmically, stimulating the chakra. You might have visions or sensations, or you might just feel completely relaxed and full of bliss.

You can also study Reiki, the ancient Japanese form of energy healing. When I received my first attunement as a practitioner, I was able to see completely into my third eye — I saw the royal purple color associated with the 6th chakra, flush through my body and open my mind. I know for certain this Reiki attunement awakened a higher state of consciousness.

Lastly, you can simply try a third eye massage on yourself or a friend. Lay down in a quiet and peaceful place, with some relaxing music. With the tips of your fingertips, begin to slowly massage the area between your eyebrows, using small, gentle circles. Close your eyes and imagine that this area is being awakened and renewed. Breathe in and out deeply and slowly.

Each of these techniques can bring you one step closer to meeting your spirit guides. I hope you can find the time to listen to your spirit guides — they are speaking to you every day and have so much to say.