What your aura is

The idea

In many spiritual traditions, from yoga and Buddhism to modern energy work, people describe an aura: a field of energy around the body that reflects your mood, health and spirit. It's often pictured as a soft, coloured glow, strongest around the head and shoulders.

In the yoga traditions, a related idea is the koshas, five layers or "sheaths" of being: the physical body, the energy body (prana), the mind, wisdom and bliss. Lots of people think of the aura as the energy layers you can sort of feel but not see.

The honest bit

Nobody can measure an aura with an instrument, and that's okay. We use it here as a way of noticing your energy:

• Do you feel heavy or light?
• Bright or dim?
• Open or closed?
• Your own, or full of other people's stress?

That noticing is the real practice. The aura gives it a pretty shape.

Have you felt one?

You probably have. Ever walked into a room and felt the tension before anyone said anything? Or met someone and felt instantly calm? That's what people mean when they talk about energy and auras.

Try it: a one-minute check-in

1. Close your eyes.
2. Imagine your energy as a glow around your body, about an arm's length out.
3. Ask: is it close or wide? Bright or dull? Smooth or messy?
4. Don't judge it. Just notice.

Over the next lessons, you'll learn how to clear it, brighten it and protect it.