Quick, picture a psychic. You probably went right to the crystal-ball-and-incense place, right? Well, scratch that. Being psychic has nothing to do with voodoo and everything to do with what you do.

In fact, we're all a little psychic and, even better, we can become more psychic according to Rebecca Rosen, a down-to-earth mom who also happens to be a talented medium and author of "Spirited: Unlock Your Psychic Self and Change Your Life." While some people are more in tune with their "gift" than others, the reality is that with a little practice we're all capable of becoming more intuitive.

With that in mind, we decided to interview Rosen, who has worked with celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Arquette, to discover what benefits might come of increasing your spiritual awareness -- and how you can become your own psychic friend.

MyDaily: Why is it beneficial for someone to spend time tapping into her psychic/intuitive potential?
Rebecca Rosen: It's beneficial because we tend to make better choices -- choices motivated from a place of love versus fear and thus incur more positive karma along our journey. We have all the answers we'll ever need within us and we can access our inner guru through prayer and meditation.

And everyone possesses these abilities to some degree?
Yes. Intuition is our birthright; in addition to our five physical senses, we all have a sixth sense available to us if we choose to acknowledge it and use it. It's like singing. We all have voices and the ability to sing. Some of us came out of the womb with brilliant voices that needed little, if any, training to perfect. For the rest of us, singing just isn't our thing. But while singing may not be our strongest gift, we can still learn to sing better. It's the same with developing your intuition.

So is it possible to increase your psychic abilities no matter what your propensity?
Some people are naturally more sensitive and highly attuned to spiritual energies and their intuition than others. But it is possible to develop one's psychic abilities to the degree they are meant to. Our intuition is like a muscle and the more you work it, the stronger and clearer it becomes.

Since you are VERY tuned in, does that mean your husband and two sons can't get away with anything?
Ha! Well, I don't exactly read minds, but I do pick up on things intuitively, with my kids and husband. They can't get away with much! Just today I was outside with my boys and some of the neighbor boys and my 6-year-old said he lost his dollar bill. I got a psychic hit that it was in one of the other boy's pocket but I didn't want to embarrass the kid, so I said "OK, Jakob is missing his dollar bill and if you happen to recall I'm a psychic and that means I know one of you has it in your pocket." They all looked at me with big eyes and the one who had it said "Oh yeah, I forgot you do that ... I also forgot I found this and wasn't sure who it belonged to" as he pulled the dollar bill out of his pocket. So being a psychic can really come in handy!

Do you have to "believe" in order to ameliorate your connection to the psychic realm -- in other words, if you think this is all hooey, would you essentially not be able to benefit?
While I believe it's healthy to be skeptical to a certain degree, Spirit can only intervene if we let it in. So we must open our minds and suspend disbelief long enough to allow for a potential spiritual experience.

Ready to take a dive in? Though reading the book is your best bet for specific exercises to enhance your psychic abilities, check out these 10 tips from Rebecca for welcoming more psychic energy into your life!

Psychic Primer #1: Breathe
Our breath is what connects us to Spirit energy. When we consciously breathe, we bring our awareness into the present moment free of past regrets or future anticipation. The present moment is our point of power to access our intuition and spiritual energy around us. Start with five dedicated minutes a day where you breathe deeply and consciously try to expel any "icky" energy that may be clogging your awareness, including thoughts of your past, present and future.

Psychic Primer #2: Check for Dominant Senses
You have five physical senses ... but oftentimes one or two of them are more dominant. This also translates into which psychic senses may be strongest (i.e. will you have clairvoyance -- which is a seeing sense -- or clairaudience -- which is a hearing sense -- etc.?). To figure out which of your senses dominate, sit in a comfortable place and take in all the details of that area. Then close your eyes and breathe deeply for a few moments. Mentally review what caught your attention in the room. Was it the sight of something, the sound of something, the feeling of something or a strong thought about something? This will give you clues as to how you'll best receive intuitive information.

Psychic Primer #3: Tune In to Music
Turn on and tune in to music. Most music assists in shifting your energy , be it a calming and/or uplifting effect on your mood and energy. Focus on a particular lyric, note or melody as a way to slow down, quiet your mind and connect with your higher self.

Psychic Primer #4: Go Outside
Get out into nature. Being in fresh air outdoors helps to calm, clear and ground your energy. Whether you sit on a city park bench, take a hike or walk the beach, your mind is likely to quell the constant chatter and be in the present moment when you're outside.

Psychic Primer #5: Take a Salt Bath or Dip in the Ocean
Sea salt clears away negative energy, which can collect and clog your chakras (energy centers responsible for sending and receiving spiritual energy). Soak in it for 20+ minutes to detoxify from negative psychic debris.

Psychic Primer #6: Get Moving
Physical activity grounds you in your body, forces you to breathe deeply and become present, and moves old, stagnant energy through your chakras. If you choose your form of exercise wisely, it can also become a moving meditation. Good examples of psychic/physical multitasking include yoga, Pilates, tai chi, qi gong, running or walking.

Psychic Primer #7: Get Sentimental
Watch a heartwarming movie, pull out old photos of happy memories, or watch meaningful home videos. Your heart is the gateway to sending and receiving love and accessing your intuition. Any of these "sappy" activities will actually serve to open your heart center to Spirit energy.

Psychic Primer #8: Avoid Negative People
Spend time with people who uplift you. If you're a sponge for energy, it's mandatory to avoid psychic vampires -- people who drain your energy. Playtime with family and friends -- anyone who gets you laughing and joyful - helps raise your vibration and spirit.

Psychic Primer #9: Eat Healthfully
Be mindful of a healthy diet. Decide which foods and beverages work best to fuel your body. A good rule of thumb if you don't know is that "alive" foods, such as fruits and veggies, make you feel alive while "dead" foods (anything processed) will make you feel dead. What you put into your body will greatly impact your spiritual energy centers as well as your physical energy.

Psychic Primer #10: Invite Psychic Energy
If you don't ask, you shall not receive. Meditate for a few moments on an area of life in which you're struggling and how it's manifesting in your daily life. Then repeat the following aloud (or come up with something better that works for you):

I pray for my highest truth and my highest healing to come about now. I ask for my intuition, along with the help of Spirit, to reveal to me the root cause of my suffering, pain or block.

When you come out of your meditation, write down any answers you receive ... and you'll be on your way to a more intuitively-filled future.


Kimberly Dawn Neumann is a New York City–based freelance writer whose work has appeared in such publications as Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Maxim, Women's Health, Redbook and frequently online. A certified dating/relationship coach, she's published two books: "The Real Reasons Men Commit" and "Sex Comes First" and is the founder of Dating Diva Daily.