To see your aura, sit an arm's length from a mirror with a plain, pale wall behind you, in soft light. Breathe slowly, let your eyes go soft, and look just past your reflection at the space around your head and shoulders. A pale haze or shimmer is usually the first thing you notice, and colour often follows. You do not need a gift, a dark room or special tools. Five calm minutes tonight is enough to begin. ✨
For a friend's aura, the same soft gaze works from two to three metres back while they stand just in front of the wall.
On this page: the 5 steps · a hand warm-up · your own aura colour · colour meanings · someone else's aura · stones for aura work · FAQ
How to see your aura in 5 steps
- Set the scene: sit an arm's length from a mirror, with a plain, pale wall behind you and soft light.
- Settle: take a few slow breaths and let your shoulders drop.
- Soften your gaze: in the mirror, rest your eyes on your forehead or just past the edge of your head (either works), and let your focus go loose.
- Find the outline: watch for a thin, clear band around the head and shoulders in your reflection.
- Read the colour: let any tint settle, then note it as today's mood.
Think of it like a hidden-image poster. You are not staring harder; you are letting your eyes relax so a faint layer can drift into view.
Step 1: Set the scene ☀️
Sit an arm's length from a mirror and set it so a plain, pale wall fills the space behind your head in the reflection. Choose soft light, such as daytime shade or a low lamp. Harsh glare and a fully dark room both hide the gentle outline. A plain white, cream or pale grey wall gives your eyes nothing to snag on.
Step 2: Settle and breathe 🌙
Take a few slow breaths and let your shoulders drop. A calm mind sees more here than a busy one. If your thoughts race, name three things you can hear, then come back to your breath. If you like to start with a short meditation, our beginner's crystal meditation is a lovely way in.
Step 3: Soften your gaze
In the mirror, rest your eyes on the middle of your forehead or on the wall just past the edge of your head. Either anchor works. Then let your focus go loose, as if you were daydreaming. This soft gaze is the whole trick. A tight, fixed stare switches off the relaxed vision you want, so keep your eyes easy and blink whenever you need to.
Step 4: Find the faint outline
Watch the space just beyond the skin around the head and shoulders in your reflection. Many people first notice a thin, clear band, like heat shimmer above a summer road. It often shows best at the edge of your sight, so let it appear sideways instead of hunting for it.
Step 5: Notice and read the colour 🔮
Once the outline holds, a wash of colour may settle into it. Note where it sits and how bright it feels. The colour can shift as you watch, and that is normal. Read your glimpse as a mood for today rather than a fixed label, using the colour guide below.
Short beats long. Five relaxed minutes, a few times a week, trains your eyes far faster than one strained half-hour.
What a first glimpse really looks like
A first sighting is almost never a vivid rainbow. Far more often it is a pale, clear haze, a faint brightness or a soft shimmer that comes and goes. In aura tradition this is the layer closest to the body, a band about a finger or two wide, and it is usually white, silvery or pale blue.
Some people feel warmth or a gentle edge before they see anything at all, and that counts too. Trust what you notice. The detail fills in with easy practice, the same way faint stars appear once your eyes settle to the dark.
A one-minute warm-up: the hand method ✨
Your hands are the easiest place to start, because you can practise anywhere.
- Hold one hand about 30 centimetres in front of a plain, pale wall, fingers spread.
- Soften your gaze on the gaps between your fingers, not the fingers themselves.
- Breathe slowly for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Watch for a faint, clear rim along the edges of your fingers.
Once you can find that rim, try bringing two fingertips close together. Many people see a soft thread of light stretch between them. That small win tells you your soft gaze is working.
How to see your own aura colour ✨
The same mirror set-up shows your colour. Let soft light fall on your face from the side, then slow down.
- Stand or sit an arm's length from the mirror and take three slow breaths.
- Rest your eyes on the middle of your forehead, or just past the edge of your head (either works), then let your focus go soft.
- Without moving your eyes, notice the space just beside your head and shoulders.
- Wait for the pale band, then let a tint settle into it.
- Close your eyes for a moment and ask, "What colour was that?" Trust the first answer.
Write the colour down with the date and how your day felt. Over a few weeks, you will see your own pattern: a steady base shade and lighter colours that come and go with your mood. If the mirror feels awkward, some people prefer to close their eyes, breathe into the centre of the chest, and notice which colour comes forward. Both ways are part of the practice.
Aura colour meanings 🌙
Once you start catching colour, keep this guide nearby. These meanings come from crystal and chakra tradition, where each colour links to an energy centre. Our guide to the seven chakras and their colours tells the fuller story, and the spiritual meaning of colours goes deeper still.
| Colour | Traditionally reflects |
|---|---|
| Red | Vitality and drive |
| Orange | Creativity and warmth |
| Yellow | Optimism and bright thinking |
| Green | Balance and calm growth |
| Blue | Calm and clear speech |
| Indigo | Intuition |
| Violet | Spiritual connection |
| Pink | Gentle love and kindness |
| White / Gold | Clarity and higher purpose |
| Grey / Murky | Tiredness: time to rest and cleanse |
Colours move with mood, rest and season, so treat them like a weather report, not a name tag. If a dull grey keeps turning up, a gentle reset helps, and our oils for aura cleansing are an easy way in. If your aura looks thin or patchy, our guide on how to strengthen your aura gives you seven simple practices.
How to see someone else's aura 🧿
Seeing another person's aura is often easier than seeing your own, because you can stand back and relax. Ask a friend who is curious too, and take turns.
- Ask your friend to stand about 30 to 45 centimetres in front of a plain, pale wall, so their shadow does not sit right behind them.
- Stand two to three metres back, in the same soft light.
- Rest your eyes on the middle of their forehead, or just past the edge of their head, then soften your gaze.
- Notice the space around their head and shoulders. Look for the clear band first.
- Ask them to sway gently from side to side. The band often moves with them, which helps you find it.
- Let colour settle, then tell each other what you noticed.
Two kind habits make this better. Always ask first, because reading someone without a word can feel intrusive. And keep what you share light and generous: a colour is a passing mood, never a verdict on the person. Some people like to close the session with a quick energy shield visualisation, so each of you walks away feeling like yourself.
Choosing a stone for aura work 💎
You do not need a crystal to see an aura. But a stone in your hand gives your attention a home and marks the practice as quiet time. Three easy stones suit this work.
Labradorite is the classic aura stone. It is a feldspar with a hardness of about 6 to 6.5, loved for labradorescence: the blue, green and gold flash that seems to float inside it. In crystal practice it is the stone of intuition and of the aura itself, and that shifting flash is a lovely thing to hold while you practise a soft gaze. It has easy cleavage, so keep it away from hard knocks and wipe it with a soft cloth.
A labradorite bead bracelet keeps the flash on your wrist all day, and our labradorite meaning guide explains why it shimmers.
Amethyst is the calm, focused choice, traditionally kept close for quiet and a clear head. It is a quartz, so it rates 7 on the Mohs scale and wears well. Its violet can fade with long, strong light, so keep it off a sunny windowsill, and clean it in warm soapy water. An amethyst point pendant rests neatly at the heart while you settle.
Clear quartz is the simple all-rounder, bright and easy for a first stone. It is also a 7 on the Mohs scale and hard-wearing. In crystal practice it is said to amplify whatever you set your intention on, so hold a clear quartz point pendant when you want your aura practice to feel bright and clear.
Choosing a piece
Prices checked in October 2026:
- Under NZ$10: a labradorite chip bracelet is about NZ$8.
- Around NZ$20: an amethyst or clear quartz point pendant is about NZ$20, with a cord and gift box. The labradorite bead bracelet starts at NZ$20, and larger beads go up to NZ$45.
- Under NZ$30: a labradorite moon pendant is about NZ$27.
- For a practice shelf: a single labradorite crystal point is about NZ$85, and each one has its own flash.
We ship across New Zealand, or you can see the flash in person at Shop 62, Westfield Manukau in Auckland. The whole range sits in our crystals collection.
Pick one stone to hold while you practise your soft gaze.
Find your aura stoneHow to see your aura FAQs
What does aura mean?
The word comes from the Greek and Latin aura, a breeze or breath of air. Since the late 1800s, spiritual traditions have used it for the soft field of light and energy around every living being. Many people describe it as layers of colour that reflect your mood, energy and spirit.
Can you see your own aura?
Yes. A mirror is the easiest way: a plain, pale wall behind you, soft light, and your gaze resting softly on your forehead or just past the edge of your head in the reflection while you notice the space around it. Your hands are a good warm-up, because the clear rim around your fingers is often the first thing you see.
How do I find my aura colour?
Use the mirror steps above, wait for the pale band, then let a tint settle into it. Trust the first colour you notice, often a pale blue, yellow or green, and write it down with the date. Our chakra quiz is a fun cross-check.
How do you see someone else's aura?
Ask a friend to stand just in front of a plain, pale wall, then step back two to three metres. Soften your gaze on their forehead or just past the edge of their head, and watch around their head and shoulders. A gentle sway from side to side helps the band show. Ask first, and share what you see kindly.
Why can't I see my aura yet?
Usually one of three things: light that is too harsh or too dim, a busy background, or trying too hard. A tight stare hides the soft glow you need. Shorten your sessions to five minutes, soften your eyes, and let the outline appear at the edges.
Do aura colours change?
Yes, often. In aura tradition the colours reflect how you feel right now, so they move with mood, rest and season. A base shade may stay fairly steady over years, while the outer colours shift day to day. Regular practice tells you more than a single look.
How long until I see one?
Many people catch a faint haze in the first week of short, daily tries. A clear colour can take a few weeks more. Treat each session as a calm pause that is worth having on its own. Progress tends to arrive while you are not straining for it.