Practice is the key to developing any new skill. Spend at least 15 to 20 minutes on each exercise. Don't lose patience with yourself, just keep trying. If you can't perform one exercise each day, try to practice at least 3 times a week. When you perform the exercise trust your instincts. If you think you see purple around your head, don't second guess yourself. You may want to keep a pen and paper nearby to record your findings. Write down the time it takes you to perceive the white inner layer, then the mid-layers and so on. Write down the colors you see and their location. When you are finished, put the paper aside and don't look at until after the next time you practice. This will help to keep your previous records from influencing the next session. Keep notes during the next practice session and compare them to the previous record. You may surprise yourself at how consistent your becoming, and how each time takes less and less effort to see the aura. After the exercise, write down the corresponding interpretation of colors you perceived. This is a good way to become familiar with and to remember what each color means. The white inner-aura is always the first thing you should see when you begin reading auras. As you progress and develop your skill it will become easier for you to see the other layers. You will be able to distinguish the colors of the aura. You'll begin to notice the slight differences between the inner, mid and outer layers of the aura field. And finally you'll begin to have a 'feel' for what each color, layer and location mean to the subject. Remember it takes time to develop a sense of these energy patterns. Don't get discouraged if you can not see the colors right away, or if you have trouble seeing the white inner-aura itself. Practice makes perfect, you may not see anything on your first try, but don't let that stop you from trying again. Reading and listening to other information about auras can only increase your knowledge and abilities. But it will be up to you to practice and to go within for the true interpretations and analysis of a reading. Exercises Mirror Watching This is a technique used to practice reading your own aura. This can be more helpful and valuable to you because you are not watching someone else who could become restless and impatient. But at the same time, many people have difficulty in being objective with themselves. This exercise should be used to practice seeing the aura and not necessarily interpreting it. Sit in front of a mirror. Place a small lamp, with a white shade, on a table to the left or right of the mirror. Be sure the light does not reflect in the mirror or is uncomfortable to your eyes. Begin by looking at your shoulder and neck area in the mirror. Let your eyes go out of focus, as if you were looking beyond your body's reflection. After some practice you should begin to see a white glow or outline, about 1 to 2 inches wide, around the shoulder and neck. This is your inner-aura. Perceiving Colors Now that you know what to look for, sit in front of your mirror as in Exercise 1. Practice seeing the white inner aura once again, only this time, try to move your focus to the outside line of the white glow. As you practice, you will begin to see the white outline grow wider. However, there should be a slight variation in the color, off white as opposed to snow white. As you watch the aura form, you will be able to see slight color emerge around the edges of the white aura. They maybe faint and cloudy at first, but keep watching and practicing. This is the beginning layer of the middle aura. Perceiving Shapes. To perceive shapes in and around the aura, you need to be able to see the entire aura. You should be able to look at all the sections and layers as if they were one big ball of energy. Return to you mirror and lamp as in Exercise 1. Find the white outline, move your vision out and practice seeing the color variations once more. Each time you practice, try moving your focus up to your head. If you lose the perception, begin again. You should be training your insight to focus on the aura regardless of where your physical eyes are looking. You should be able to move your vision around the entire body. Not just the outlined area, but in front of your body as well. In other words, you should be able to look at the stomach and perceive the energy that exists in front of the body, not just the illumination on the sides. Try looking from one shoulder to the other, following the line of energy around the outside of the body. At this point don't try to go across the neck. In this case a straight line may not be the best way to your destination. Try to keep your perception as you move your vision past the ears, around the top of the head and back down the other side to the opposite shoulder. When you can move your eyes without losing the perception, try moving your sight to the center of your body. Look at your throat and upper chest area. If you have a full-length mirror, move your eyesight down to your stomach and legs. You should notice a variety of colors depending on the location you're looking at. You may see a gentle shade of blue around your chest, but as you move your sight down to your stomach, the blue begins to meld with a light green. The color within that same layer may change again as you move your sight to another part of your body. As you practice, the layers will grow wider and it will take less time for you find the aura. Distinguish Consistent Energy This maybe the most difficult exercise to conduct on yourself. So an alternative would be to practice with a friend or while your in a meeting or at a lecture. Focus on the speaker or the other people around the conference table. If these options are not possible or you don't feel comfortable practicing on someone else, go back to your mirror and lamp as in the previous exercises. Try to see the white outline, then move your eyes farther out to perceive the entire aura. Focus on the color variations, the location and shape of the energy. If you're reading someone else, continue to watch their aura as you take notice of their emotional state. If they're laughing or happy, do you see any sudden bursts of pink around the chest area? If they're stressed or upset, do you see any spikes of brown or red? Because inconsistent energy is not always present, it may be difficult to practice this exercise. But you should try. Perceiving these energies will help you know when you can or shouldn't deal with other people. So don't give up, just practice. Other Exercises Plant Watching Everything living has an aura, even plants. If you find it difficult to read your own aura, practice on a tree or plant that won't be moving in a breeze. Sit in front of a potted plant. Choose a spot near the top or at the base of the plant. Let your eyes go out of focus. Look beyond the plant, as if you're focusing on an object hanging from a branch or leaf. You should begin to see the white inner-aura of the plant. Keep your focus on the white aura and try moving your perception around to the opposite side of the plant. You might try placing a small lamp behind the plant, to illuminate it's leaves and branches. Set the light behind the pot so you can not see the bulb, make sure the lamp does not hurt your eyes in anyway. This illumination can help trick your physical sight to focus on the slight reflection of the light. As you stare at the reflection, you may notice it grow wider and soon you'll realize that what you're looking at is a colorful aura. Now remember this is a plant, it may not have the color variations that a human or animal might have. But you should be able to see if the plant is healthy or if it lacks nourishment or if it's beginning to develop other physical problems. Animal Watching This technique can be difficult, especially if your pet does not want to sit still. But it's a great exercise to practice your technic on an independent subject. Choose a place around the head of the animal, and let your eyes go out of focus. Use the same techniques you might use on yourself in the Mirror exercise. Try moving your perception around the animals body and notice the change in color variations. Partner Watching Practicing with a friend is a great way to boost your confidence. Both of you perform the mirror exercise and write down your perceptions. Don't tell the other person what you think you see, just write it down. Now turn your chairs toward each other. Try to focus on your partner's aura and they on yours. Don't say anything, just look at their aura and write down your perceptions. When you've completed the exercise, compare notes. You may be surprised at much your perceptions match. Quick Practice Ideas The great thing about practicing aura reading is that you can do it anywhere. These are just a few suggestions you may want to try. Simply use the same techniques as previously discussed and open your inner eyes to all the energy around you. If you're attending a meeting or presentation at work, try focusing on the speaker. You may notice sudden changes of color in their inner aura. They may feel more comfortable speaking about a particular area of their presentation, but as they move into slightly unfamiliar territory, their aura will reflect the drop in confidence.

Everyone likes to stand or sit at the beach and watch the waves roll into shore. Take a moment to watch the waves, focus on the outline of the top of the water, or the white foam of the wave as it curves over and crashed upon itself. The first time I tried this exercise, I was amazed at the electricity my inner vision perceived. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Hold an object (a car key or a crystal) for 10 to 15 minutes. Visualize your energy imprinting itself onto the object. Sit the object on a table and focus on the energy residue you've left behind. The color you see should match the emotion you imprinted on the object. To learn more about colors and how it affects your life, you might like to click here and find out about Auras, The Color's of Life.

If you'd like to learn more about your energy field, click here to learn How To Read An Aura.