Have you ever felt a bit off? Maybe you began your morning by spilling your coffee, breaking a dish, getting honked at in traffic, or fighting with your spouse or kids, all before lunchtime. Or, perhaps an unanticipated bill arrived in your inbox, an important project got delayed, a friend ignited a seemingly sudden but actually long-suppressed complaint so you’re forced to blow off a prior commitment, or a tire on your car went flat, all before dinnertime.
On days like this—which are not quite as rare as most of us would prefer—we often start to think about our energy, and how much it would help if we could somehow kick-start or recharge it. These thoughts are rooted in our need to cleanse our auras.
Our auras are our energetic bodies. Some people believe they’re visible reflections of our emotional states. Our emotions are always changing, so the colors of our auras shift, too. It may help you to imagine auras as types of bubbles that our bodies exist inside of. They may be the source of the emotional vibes that we emit, so it’s important to keep them in good shape. We need to keep these bubbles clean, free, and intact.
But how do we do that? Here are three quick and easy ways to give your aura a quick cleansing so you’re free to be your best self possible.
- Breathing work.
There are many different ways to breathe, as well as many different breathing exercises. Here’s a simple one often used in yoga: start with a slow, deep breath in through your nose. Watch your belly rise as you inhale. To pump your diaphragm, exhale through your nose in sharp, tiny breaths. Continue inhaling deeply and exhaling in sharp, tiny breaths, watching your belly. Repeat this type of breathing for up to three minutes. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the process.
This exercise not only an effective method for strengthening your aura. It also helps you distinguish more clearly which thoughts and feelings are yours and which are not. Empaths and other sensitive people often intuitively experience other peoples’ emotions and incidents as their own, because they absorb other people’s energy simply because they’re nearby. Breathing exercises help us release anything harbored in our bodies that’s not ours, so we’re free to experience presence.
- Automatic writing.
For this exercise, find a private space where you won’t be disturbed. Bring your favorite writing utensil and some loose paper or scraps, not a notebook or journal, because you won’t be saving it. Leave your phone and other distractions behind. Light a candle or burn some incense if that relaxes you.
If you work better within constraints, set a timer. Ten minutes is a good timeframe to start with. To begin, just write down whatever thought comes to you, even if it’s “I don’t know what to write!” Words will soon begin flowing, possibly so quickly that your handwriting won’t even be recognizable or legible. That’s okay.
When your timer goes off or you begin feeling tired, stop. If your energy is still surging, or you’re still writing and have more to say, feel free to keep going. You’ll know you’re done when you feel tired and your pace begins slowing down.
It’s important that you don’t go back and read what you wrote. The intent of this exercise is to help you release negativity, not ingest it again. To complete the exercise, burn or shred the papers to fully release the negative energy from your mind, body, and spirit.
After you’ve destroyed your pages, the final step is to wash your hands. This serves as a concrete, physical reminder of the cleansing you’ve accomplished.
- Smudging.
The ancient ritual of smudging is simply the burning of herbal material to cleanse and purify your space from negative energy. It’s a simple three-step process: state your intention, choose the tool you believe will serve that intention, and review how well you accomplished your goal. Sage or palo santo work especially well for cleansing auras.
This simple ritual can be performed either indoors or outdoors. If you choose to perform it indoors, be sure to open a window or door so the smoke and negative energy can flow out. To begin, simply ignite your smudge stick and wave it gently so the fragrant smoke wafts all around you. Circle your head, then outline your silhouette around both the front and back of your body, all the way down to your feet. (Be careful—keep the burning stick at arm’s length, and if you have long hair, tie it back or in a bun before you begin.) As you smudge, repeat your intention either out loud or internally. Visualize the smoke clearing you of negative energy as it wafts away.
If you’d rather not deal with fire and smoke, use a selenite crystal to trace around your body. This will work just as effectively. Selenite lamps go a long way toward enabling full-time aura maintenance, especially if you live in a densely-populated area where there’s always someone around to lay on their horn or flip you off as you innocently go about your day!