Psychic development is the practice of cultivating your awareness of unseen energy. We have all experienced this to some degree. Think about the wind - we can’t see wind unless we look for it in the movement of the trees, but it is very real and very powerful. The same can be said of spiritual energies. We simply have to train our senses to become aware of them. Everyone is capable of this, but it also requires a belief in psychic abilities.
Working with the psychic senses as a dancer is a powerful way to strengthen your intuition. The reverse is also true as learning to discern spiritual energy in your body can help bring a deeper level of consciousness to your craft. As you tune into subtle energies while dancing, you become more aware of your physical body and the impact your movement can have on you and those in your field of influence.
You can begin developing your psychic awareness by following these three steps:
1.) Prepare your energy
For me, this involves clearing my energetic field with sacred smoke, selenite, or a spritz of charged moon water. I also like to light a candle and spend a few minutes focusing on my breath and feeling my feet on the floor. This helps to ground my energy and also signals to the world of spirit that I intend to make a meaningful connection.
2.) Form an inquiry
This is where you declare your reason for engaging with spirit. I think this is the most important and also the most overlooked step in any spiritual practice. Don’t overthink it - this can be as simple as saying, “Spirit, what do I need to know today?” In my experience, an inquiry increases your likelihood of being able to detect and measure a response. The more specific your inquiry, the easier it will be for you to interpret the information you receive.
3.) Cultivate receptive awareness
This step takes commitment and regular practice. First, you’ll need to invest time in being able to detect and discern your own energy. Then, you can begin to ask spirit to help you increase your awareness of supernatural energies through the Clairs. When we work with the Clairs, we are training ourselves to detect unseen energy by developing our extrasensory perception. This allows us to begin to see, hear, feel, and know things that would otherwise be undetectable.
There are many different types of Clairs you can work with. But for dancers, there are five specific Clairs that I feel work well with kinetic energy. These modalities will help you begin to orient your body to interact with the supernatural realm through movement and dance.
- Clairvoyance means "clear seeing”. This is where we see visual messages beyond the physical realm. As a dancer, you can activate this gift by asking spirit to SHOW YOU how to move. Then you would wait and watch for specific movements to be performed and either observe them for interpretation or embody them yourself. There are two different types of Clairvoyance: internal and external. Internal clairvoyance is SEEING a specific motion, movement quality, or sequence of moves performed on the “screen of your mind.” It is often manifested through visions and/or symbolism in your own energetic field (meaning close to you). For example: seeing somebody in your mind traveling along a diagonal path and ascending in levels as they get closer to their destination. External clairvoyance happens when you can WATCH an OVERLAY of movement over your regular sensory sight. This can include orbs, aura, or shadowy motions. These images are often seen in the distance, it’s not something that’s happening in your own energetic field. This particular manifestation is like watching a dance performance but the person dancing is a type of energetic being or spirit.
- Clairaudience means "clear hearing". This is where we hear messages beyond the physical realm. As a dancer, you can activate this gift by asking spirit to TELL YOU how to move. Then you would wait and listen for specific movement instructions such as “extend your arms to the sky” or “sway side to side”.
- Claircognizance is an internal KNOWING of what shapes, steps, pictures, feelings, or stories need to be expressed through movement. It is an immediate understanding of how to move, usually accompanied by an immediate execution of shapes and movement sequences. In this modality, your body moves in a conscious manner utilizing specific styles, qualities, focus, etc., without any stimulus, forethought, or input from your own brain. This particular ability is often the primary Clair utilized during a channeled movement practice. I think it is also the most challenging to work with if you’re not accustomed to allowing your body to move freely. I would recommend working with my 11 movement primers in conjunction with this gift to help you ease into it.
- Clairsentience happens when you experience a particular FEELING in your physical body. As a dancer, this is triggered by the expression of posture, shapes, and motion. Clairsentience is more than just sensing, you’re actually experiencing the emotion firsthand. It’s what people mean by the phrase “gut instinct”. Here you are picking up on specific energetic qualities such as heavyness through dense and descending motions. Or perhaps determination through a narrow and forward focus alongside quick and repetitive actions. I often experience clairsentience in combination with claircognizance. If I allow my body to start moving via claircognizance, I will then begin to experience emotions that are a result of the movement I’m channeling. I also utilize clairsentience in healing containers as a way to detect and then shift energy for myself or someone else.
- Clairempathy is the ability to discern emotional energy happening outside of yourself. Unlike clairsentience, you don’t actually experience it - instead, you sense it happening in someone or something else. This clair is not as clear cut as the others when it comes to working with it in a dance and movement practice. I’ve experienced it many times in partnering exercises. But for me, I primarily experience this in conjunction with Clairvoyance. While I’m watching a dancer move in my mind’s eye, I also pick up on the emotion being expressed.
Everyone is wired to connect and experience spirit differently. Some of us come into this lifetime with a preprogrammed ability to sense spirit in a certain way. But I fully believe that everyone can develop ALL the of clairs if we apply ourselves.
To give you an idea of how this works for me, my channel usually opens with seeing a particular shape, motion, or sequence of movements (clairvoyance). Then, once I allow my body to mimic or embody the vision that came through, more movement begins to flow. Sometimes I hear spirit tell me to sink into the floor (clairaudience) and then I might feel the need to pull in and contract my body (clairsentience). At some point, I just know where the movement needs to go (claircognizance) and then I find myself flowing with power and ease.
When we activate and incorporate these gifts into our dance and movement practices, we can expand our spiritual perception and push the limits of our creative edges. I would recommend working with one clair at a time and then recording your findings. Remember, consistency and dedication are key to building a rich and rewarding practice.
If you would like to learn more about this practice check out my book titled Dance Divination where I offer more in-depth information, activation exercises, and tips for growing your psychic senses in conjunction with your artistic skills.
