I Tried the First-Ever “Aura Reading Fitness Class” — Here’s How It Went

When I set out to try the first-ever “aura reading fitness class,” I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would my energy reveal that I should stop skipping leg day? Would I finally find out if I had Pilates princess vibes? My curiosity was at an all-time high. The unique fitness class — dubbed “202Vibe” by UK-based fitness center Gymbox — is designed like a short circuit. Participants rotate through three stations every 15 minutes: breathwork, guided meditation, and aura reading. But can a program like this really help inform your fitness routine?

According to personal trainer Jess Parkinson, it just might. Aura reading, she says, can help people get a better sense of their emotional state, along with any blockages or areas of imbalance. “This helps with fitness as it helps people become more aware of their mental and emotional health and helps them to approach their workouts with a clearer, more focused mindset,” she explains. “People can adjust their training or self-care approach to their energy accordingly.”

To get a better sense of what an aura fitness class is (and whether it might really improve your next workout) I decided to try it for myself. Read on to see what worked, what you should know beforehand, and what surprised me the most.

Experts Featured in This Article:

Jess Parkinson is a personal trainer, breathwork specialist, and holistic master trainer at UK-based fitness center Gymbox.

Shaz Diaz is a 460-hour qualified yoga teacher, meditation expert, and breathwork facilitator.

My Aura Fitness Class Experience

Gymbox’s 202Vibe aura fitness class is divided into three sections. Here’s how my experience went with each one:

The Aura Reading

I’ve had my aura read twice before, but never in a fitness setting. The first time was on a trip to Sedona, AZ, which actually helped me work through my relationship with my chronically ill body. The second time, I was curious to see if my aura had changed (and desperate to leave with a tangible photo for my scrapbook).

Because Gymbox is based in the UK, this aura reading worked a little differently. Instead of taking a photo and running it through some kind of software, I sent the aura reader a recent selfie via email, and they responded with their written impressions. “I see amethyst-indigo coloring around the crown chakra, smokey blue hues around the throat and a dull grey-green at the heart,” the reader said. “Heart clearing is needed to uplift and clear recent relationship disappointment.”

Up until this point, I’ll admit I was operating under a healthy amount of skepticism. But I had, indeed, just gone through a breakup. The aura reader’s recommendations for me? Focus on myself. “Bring back energy to self and brighten up that blue to turquoise and a re-energised green heart chakra,” the reader encouraged. “Listen to intuitive guidance.” You don’t have to tell me twice.

The Breathwork

To fully immerse myself in the 202Vibe process, I tuned in for a virtual breathwork session led by meditation and breathwork facilitator Shaz Diaz. We worked through a few simple breathing exercises, from longer exhalations to alternate nostril breathing. This particular session was focused on down-regulating breathwork for relaxation and focus, and I certainly walked away feeling much calmer than I had before. But Diaz says learning about breathwork in general has made a big difference in her everyday fitness.

“I never used to run. I was a very avid walker, and that was it,” Diaz says. Once she learned how to take better care of her breath, she started lightly jogging, and she says the difference is undeniable. “My body now knows how to recover better, how to maybe go for longer, how to pace itself, how to flip between that rest-and-digest and that fight-or-flight when it’s needed.” This is just one example of the power of breathwork.

The Meditation

I listened to Gymbox’s 15-minute meditation immediately after my morning yoga flow. From the comfort of my Savasana, I felt my body relax so completely, I had to set an alarm to ensure I wouldn’t fall asleep before work. While a morning meditation might not have an immediate effect on your gains, there’s plenty of research pointing to the powerful effects of meditation on physical health. According to the Peloton blog, meditation may even improve your focus, motivation, and attention, all of which could impact your next workout.

What I Liked About the Aura Fitness Class

I went in as a skeptic, but the aura fitness class pleasantly surprised me. Having never taken one before, I enjoyed the breathwork class most, and I’ve since used some of the techniques in my personal yoga practice, helping me flow with a little more ease. Meditation has many documented benefits, but I think it’s too soon to say whether or not this mindfulness practice is helping my fitness routine. If I were to commit to meditation for a longer period of time, I suspect I would feel a difference, and at the very least, I definitely felt less stressed and more focused after the 15-minute session.

What to Consider About the Aura Fitness Class

While I do think there are aspects of 202Vibe that might benefit your fitness regimen, I’m still not sure I’d call it a bona fide fitness class. To me, this felt more like a mindfulness workshop than anything else. The aura reading in particular, although enlightening, didn’t seem to have a major impact on my fitness routine. Still, marketing it as a fitness class — especially in a gym setting — definitely makes you think about how these wellness techniques might apply to your workouts.

Maybe you use the breathwork exercises to help you breathe while running. Or perhaps meditation makes it easier for you to strengthen your mind-muscle connection. Overall, I enjoyed the novelty of the class, and I agree that breathwork and meditation have a positive impact on overall health. I’m not saying you need to pencil an aura reading day into your gym split, but if you’re looking to shake up your next rest day, 202Vibe might just leave you with some helpful tools (and a lot of food for thought).

Rating:
★★★★☆

Chandler Plante (she/her) is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.