While meditating or doing bodywork like acupuncture or Reiki, you might suddenly start to see certain aura colors moving across your vision, even though your eyes are closed. These shades may move or form shapes… and you could start to wonder: “What do these meditation colors mean?”
Read on to get insight. First, however, let’s establish my credentials for writing this article.
My Experience with Meditation Colors
First, a bit about my qualifications to write this article. I am a trained energy work practitioner of Reiki in Boston who has experienced seeing meditation colors, myself, ever since I was young. When I’m in a certain relaxed state, I see purple and greenish-gold moving across the vision of my closed eyes — but I’ve started to see other colors now, too.
As I began my Reiki training several years ago and began using touch to help people, I realized that I see different colors depending on who I’m touching — which implies that these colors have different meanings and associations. As I talked with clients during our sessions, I began to see connections between their color auras and their individual characteristics and life situations.
I thought I was the only who one seeing colors during meditation happened to, until I published the article, “Seeing Colors During Meditation” in 2020 — and had hundreds of people write in that they’d experienced the same thing! (Take a moment to skim that comments section when you have a chance; it’s truly remarkable.)
This outpouring of community led to me to start researching the phenomenon of meditation colors more deeply, both by reading about chakra colors, and by noticing what happened during each individual Reiki session I held. The guide that follows is the results of years of this research, and I will continue to add to it as my experience grows.
Meditation Colors
During mindfulness, meditation colors may float across your vision while your eyes are closed. Pay attention to them, because they connect with the seven chakras, each of which has a meaning.
Chakra Colors and Meanings
There are seven energy centers of chakras in the body that are each associated with a different function and color of the rainbow. At the base of the spine is red, hips are orange, upper abdomen is yellow, heart area is green, throat is blue, forehead is indigo or purple, and top of head is violet or white. Let's explore each, starting at the top and working downward.
Seeing White Aura and Chakra Energy
If you are seeing white light during meditation, it could be associated with the 7th, Crown Chakra. This color is about connecting with universal energy and spirituality.
Seeing Purple During Meditation
The most common meditation color people see is purple, which is likely associated with the 6th or Third Eye Chakra on the forehead. This energy center is about intuition and seeing beneath the surface. During my Reiki work, it seems to come when energetic healing is happening, and good interpersonal connections forming.
Blue Aura: Meaning of Seeing This Chakra Color
If you're seeing blue during meditation, it is associated with the Throat Chakra, which is about speaking your truth. Ask: "Is my body gathering to be able to talk effectively and powerfully?"
Seeing a Green Aura
If someone has a green aura, it means they are brimming with compassionate love, and are giving and warm to others. Click through to read my story about how seeing a green aura in someone unexpected changed our lives!
Seeing a Yellow Chakra Aura
If you see yellow during meditation or Reiki, it's correlated with the third, Manipura, Solar Plexus chakra just above your navel, and has to do with confidence, self-expression, and powerfully moving forward. Think of the sun's bold yellow rays! Sometimes seeing a yellow aura can also mean that the body is building those characteristics, but has not fully achieved them yet.
Seeing Orange Aura Chakra Energy
If you're seeing orange as your meditation color, it is linked with the 2nd, Sacral Chakra, located at the hips. It is associated with creativity, joy, and sensuality. If this has been your meditation color lately, ask yourself: "Are my creative juices flowing? Am I finding more pleasure recently? If not, is my body calling for those things?"
Seeing Red Chakra Energy
Red is associated with the First, Root Chakra, located at the base of the spine. Seeing this meditation color indicates activity around safety or fear, and feeling grounded -- or not. Questions to ask are: "Am I scared about something? Is my feeling of stability and rootedness getting stronger lately?"
Seeing Black Aura Energy
Though our society tends to associate black with negativity, it can actually be a very positive meditation color. Black is associated with the Earth Star Chakra which is located 12 inches below the body, and is connected with the fertile healing and creation powers of Mother Earth. (Imagine rich black soil or the comforting womb.) During Reiki, I have seen black with clients who are growing exciting new projects or life changes. It is a powerful color to experience!
What to Remember with Mediation Colors
A pattern I’ve noticed of people writing in after reading my articles about seeing meditation colors is that they’re worried — especially when they see a black aura. Here’s the good news: In every Reiki training I’ve ever done, and every article I’ve read, it turns out that seeing colors is NEVER a bad thing.
Yes, you should pay attention to them in the sense that they can indicate healing and energy shifts, or can give suggestions for future paths to wellness. However, NO, they do NOT indicate anything negative. Meditation colors (or colours, if you’re British) are not something to be scared of; rather, if you cultivate your mindfulness practice (here are some tips on daily meditation), you can learn to expand and benefit greatly from these colors.
What are YOUR Experiences with Meditation Colors?
Now I’m so curious to hear from you! What have been your experiences with seeing meditation colors? What patterns have you noticed? What conditions are best for seeing and expanding this phenomenon? What healing or insights have you felt as a result? Do share!
Interested in the meaning of crying during meditation? Click that link to read my article about it.
The author and artist, Lillie Marshall, is a National Board Certified Teacher of English who has been a public school educator since 2003, and an experienced Reiki practitioner since 2018. All art on this site is original and hand-drawn by Lillie. She launched DrawingsOf.com Educational Cartoons in 2020, building upon the success of her other sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (established 2009), TeachingTraveling.com (founded 2010), and ReikiColors.com. Subscribe to Lillie’s monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media to stay connected!
Mandy Skayman
Thursday 24th of August 2023
I’ve loved reading your articles about colour. When practising yoga, I regularly see purple (sometimes blue and red). However, I have recently trained in reiki Seichem and now see every chakra colour. Where I see dull colours, I find that my crystal diviner indicates negativity. Once I have performed reiki, I see these colours begin to sharpen and flow. What has amazed me though, is the people I work on also see colour, where they have never seen colour before. I also seem to know when the session is ready to finish as I see a swirl of purple and red, with ‘sunset’ colours in between. This seems to have a ‘lightening/relaxing’ impact on the person and feels to me as if the root and crown chakras are suddenly connecting through. Positive flow. I seem to instinctively know when and where to place a crystal and some have felt this as a vibration, heat or intense cold.
I am finding this beautiful practice so fascinating (I only trained this year) and would love to hear your thoughts on these colours.
Namaste
Mandy
Lillie Marshall
Monday 28th of August 2023
Mandy, Many thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. You explain them beautifully, and I relate very much!