Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Levinson.
Hi Jim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In the middle of COVID, I made a life-changing decision. I stepped away from a 21-year career as a senior project engineer designing heavy truck axles and chose a very different path-one centered on giving back.
I felt a profound calling to help people and, in some small way, help the planet.
My partner, Laura, already had an aromatherapy business, and through deep research we found an aura-reading program that provides a detailed 14-page report, including Chakra levels. From that discovery we developed a process we now call Auratherapy-a holistic approach that helps bring balance to your Chakras through aromatherapy and other supportive practices.
We opened our first store in Asheville, North Carolina-right in the middle of the pandemic. Despite the uncertainty of that time, the response was powerful with the business really taking off. Since then, we’ve expanded to a much larger location in Wynwood, Miami and we’re currently completing an offsite space in Asheville called AuraSanctuary, which will serve as our factory and event space.
Along the way and after over 10,000 aura readings, we wrote a book titled Auratherapy: A Guide to Adoring Yourself.
Today I split my time between Asheville and Miami-hosting events, doing book signings, supporting our stores, and continuing this journey that began as a simple but profound decision to listen to a calling and create something meaningful
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all-and I don’t think meaningful change ever is.
Walking away from a 21-year engineering career during COVID meant stepping into uncertainty on every level-financially, emotionally, and professionally. I was leaving behind structure, predictability, and an identity I had carried for decades, without any guarantee of what would come next.
Starting a business in the middle of a global pandemic brought its own challenges. Supply chains were unpredictable, foot traffic was uncertain, and fear was everywhere. There were moments when we questioned our timing, our decisions, and even ourselves.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work today sits at the intersection of science, intuition, and lived experience. I specialize in helping people understand themselves more deeply and restore balance-emotionally, energetically, and spiritually.
I hold a four-year degree in behavioral science as well as a mechanical engineering degree, and I ‘m also a certified Reiki master. I am proficient with Chi energy, Chakra meditation, and crystals. What makes my approach unique is that I don’t see these disciplines as separate-they inform and strengthen each other.
As co-owner of Auratherapy, my title is Chief Auratherapist. I developed the process we use to read someone’s aura using a biometric reader, which generates a detailed 14-page report. That report gives insight into energetic patterns and Chakra levels. From there, I work one-on-one with each person to help balance their Chakras using aromatherapy, intention, and energy work.
Each session ends with the client receiving a crystal specifically chosen to support their lowest Chakra. That crystal isn’t just symbolic-it’s a reminder and an amplifier. Something as simple as going for a walk with intention, while carrying the crystal, can help raise and support the Chakra. The goal is empowerment, not dependency-giving people tools they can continue to use in the own lives.
What truly sets me apart, though, is the path that brought me here. I’ve been a champion judoist winning second place in the South Eastern Regional Junior Olympics at age 13, a carpenter and woodworker for ten years, a mechanical engineer for over two decades, and I’ve worked with crystals and energy for more than ten years. Each chapter taught me something about discipline, structure, creativity, and flow.
I was also shaped deeply by my environment. My father passed away when I was fourteen, and I spent several years navigating life with a narcissistic mother. Eventually, I left for military school my senior year of high school, which became a turning point. From there, I attended Warren Wilson College, where I studied behavioral science and began understanding how profoundly our experiences shape who we become.
I married at twenty-six, raised two beautiful daughters, and later went through a divorce after eighteen years of marriage. That transition marked the end of one life chapter-and the beginning of another. Today, I share my life with my partner Laura, and I find myself what I call my third act.
This work-serving as Chief Auratherapist, helping others reconnect with themselves-is what I’m most proud of. It feels like everything I’ve lived, studied, struggled through, and learned has led me here. Not to fix people, but to help them remember who they are.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Miami is the setting-it’s a beautiful city surrounded by water, with incredible light and energy. the weather, especially in the winter, is hard to beat. There’s something about the warmth and the ocean that just opens people up.
I also really love the diversity here. Miami feels truly global-different cultures, languages, and traditions all woven together. And that show up in the food. The culinary scene is amazing, and it reflects the soul of the city.
What I like least? The traffic-without question. It can be intense, and the driving can feel pretty aggressive at times. It’s one of those things that requires a lot of patience and presence…which, I guess, is also a good daily reminder to practice what I teach
Contact Info:
- Website: https://auratherapylife.com/
- Instagram: @auratherapylife
- Facebook: auratherapy
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jim-levinson-025a2669
