KATIE HOOSEIN, 61, underwent a surgery for ovarian cancer in September 2002. After three rigorous sessions of chemotherapy, this Pune-based entrepreneur came under a spell of acute depression that left her life in a mess. For Hoosein’s distressed soul, answers to her umpteen bottled-up questions came in the form of aura healing.Today, four years have passed and Hoosein claims she is 80 percent healed. For the rest 20 percent, she says, “It’s human. It’s me—to get angry at the drop of a hat, to not forgive, worry about petty things and to hold on to my bitter past. But at least I pat my back for having changed so many of my vices.”Pune-based holistic healer and reiki master Rani Venkat was Hoosein’s saviour. Venkat helped her reconnect with those friends she had forgotten with the passage of time. Through aura surgery (using either crystal or Reiki), Hoosein was also made to forget the bitterness she developed after the death of her mother, when she was just 14. “Somewhere in my mind, I was not being able to forgive my mother because she left me at a time when I needed her the most. Over the last four years, I have learnt to let go of my past and that is giving me peace,” claims Hoosein.Venkat,who treats aroundeight patients a day and charges between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, explainswhataura means:“Auraisan electromagneticenergyapersonpossesses. Colourofan‘aura’ determinesthe qualityof a person’s mind. Like deep anger will emit red, person of neutral character will radiate pinkandblue,whilethosewithextremeegos willshowabrightyellowhue.”Similarly, colours in the auric spectrum can vary depending on us. The colours of individuals who are emotionally withdrawn or have given up on life tend to fade into thin pastel washes, while good physical, emotional and mental health is seen in clear, bright colours.Depression, anger and self-pity tend to muddy the auric colours.Therefore, cleaning our auraonaregular basisbecomesvery important toallowus to lead a calm and peaceful life and not carry aroundunwantedbaggageattheauric level. Delhi-based expert Dr Jiwan Lal does aura therapy with the help of breathing techniques, flowers and his hands. “I use the ‘Dowsing Method’ to clean the defects in a person’s aura.Dowsing is done with a spiral rod and sometimes a pendulum,” he says. Butmostly,Laljusttouchesapatientwithhis handtogaugetheaurastatus.One of the easiest ways of cleaning our aura regularly is to have a saltwater bath in the evening. One can even use sea water for the bath. According to Lal, cleaning the aura of a house and workplace is also important. “There is a definite connection between illness and psychological problems—from mere headache to cancers. We stop our feelings by an energy block which leads to stagnation, clogging and finally disease in the body,” explains Lal. Charging a fee of Rs 1,000 and upward, Lal is choosy about his clients and sees no more than three patients in a day.Mumbai-based Rekha Gawri uses Extra Sensory Perception (ESP), Kahuna (technique used by African tribals) and Reiki for aura healing.Says Gawri: “In Kahuna therapy, healing is done with the help of a spiritual guide and astral (power derived from the stars) energy. I heal the outer body and this, in turn, helps to heal the inner body.”How do Lal or Venkat actually see these colours? “I have been a clairvoyant ever since I was five years old. Just like you might like or dislike someone’s presence, aura, for me, goes beyond the sixth sense,” claims Venkat. Ditto for Lal who senses the aura of a person by “mentally travelling through the person’s body. It’s like driving a car. You cannot explain what driving means, unless you experience it.”SHADES OF LIFEETHRIC AURA It is the closest to the skin and appears as a narrow, pale band that outlines the body. This usually looks cloudy and seems to be clinging to the body. This aura expands during sleeping hours to absorb life energy (pranvayu) and contracts to cover the body like a sheath during waking hours.MAIN AURA It covers the person in hoops of light. The colours emanate from psychic centres which use the feet to draw in basic energy from the planet. The main aura is photo-sensitive and expands in sunlight. This is also one of the main reasons why we have an attraction or aversion to certain colours.WHAT’S YOUR AURA?COFFEE BROWN Cancerous cells PINK Innocence and vulnerability BRIGHT YELLOW Egoistic SUNFLOWER YELLOW Open to new ideas and receptive WHITE Divine and spiritual TURQUOISE BLUE Ascetic or one with high levels of consciousness MURKY GREEN OR RED/ORANGE The presence of a disease or infectionCLEANING IT UPRegular cleaning of the aura is of paramount importance for leading a healthy life. Thankfully, it is an easy task, only requiring 10 to 15 minutes• Using your fingers as a comb, slice through the space surrounding your body from head to toe. Clean your hands with running water before and after doing this• Stand under a waterfall or shower• Walk in the rain • Run freely and playfully in the wind
