Connecting with one's spirit guides is a worthwhile and enriching experience, and there are many excellent resources out there on how to do so. Excerpted from Sterling Moon's Talking to Spirits, here is a simple mind room meditation to help you get started.

Ensure you can be undisturbed for at least twenty minutes. Sit or lie down in a position that is comfortable, but not so cozy that you will fall asleep. Close your eyes and take four deep breaths, releasing any excess energy you are carrying. The goal is to get to a neutral state with no expectations or attachments to what may or may not happen.

Envision you are surrounded by a protective circle of light. Any color that comes to your mind is perfect. State out loud, "I am protected. Only that which is for my highest good is welcome." Set the intention that you want to meet your highest spiritual guide.

Envision a door in front of you. State out loud, "Behind this door is my highest spiritual guide."

Go through the door and take stock of what you find. What does it look like? Who or what do you see in there? Keep exploring. How far does it go? Is there anything that would make the room more pleasant, such as more light or cleanliness? Whatever it is, envision it and make it so!

If needed, state out loud that you would like your highest spiritual guide to greet you. What changes? Your guide may appear as a person, an animal, an object, a ball of light, a feeling, or perhaps something else. If someone or something appears, ask them if they are your highest spiritual guide. If they respond in an affirmative manner—it may not be with human words—ask their name. Ask if there is anything they need from you. You may find that something materializes in your hands or nearby. Give it to your guide and enjoy the satisfaction of giving a gift. Ask if your guide has anything to give to you. Accept what is presented with an open heart. Allow the feeling of this offering to permeate your entire being, rippling out from your core beyond the edges of your perception.

Have a conversation and ask anything you want. This is someone who has been with you since before you came into your current body, and this process can feel like getting back lost memories. Make sure to ask how you can recognize your guide in your daily life. I once had a guide turn into a bird with very specific coloring after asking this question. I began finding feathers with that exact same coloring on an almost daily basis for the better part of a year. I still find them to this day.

Don't get discouraged if you don't make contact right away. This can take practice.

If you encounter anything that feels false or wrong, tell the source to leave immediately and bring your meditation to a close.

When you feel you are ready to end the conversation or your guide is beginning to fade away, thank them for speaking with you. Leave through the door you entered from. Take a few deep breaths as you wiggle your fingers and toes. Check back in with the circle of light you cast at the beginning of your meditation. Allow yourself to come back to your body fully and allow the circle to gently fall away.

The more you communicate with your highest spiritual guide, the easier it will become. Adapt this meditation to meet your needs.

Working with deities, angels, and saints is powerful. Cultivating a relationship with your highest spiritual guide is both powerful and personal. Ask for your guide's help in connecting with the spiritual realm. They can assist you in opening lines of communication and help keep you safe—if you learn to hear what they are telling you.

Please journal on the following:

• How did this spirit guide practice feel?
• Who or what did you see?
• Were you given any clues to look for in your daily life? Did you find any signs of your guide in the first week after doing this practice?
• Are there ways you can adapt this meditation to better suit your needs?

Excerpted from Talking to Spirits, by Sterling Moon.