What is Color Therapy?

Color therapy is an alternative therapy that uses colors and their frequencies to heal physical and emotional problems. Color therapy is also known as chromopathy, chromotherapy, or color healing.

What Is Color Therapy Used For?

The goal of color therapy is to correct physiological and psychological imbalances. For instance, if you're stressed, color therapy can help soothe you so that you can regain your psychological balance. If you're depressed, color therapy can be used to invigorate you and give you increased energy.

When Did Color Therapy Start?

Color therapy has been around at least since the time of Ancient Egypt. Egyptians believed in the power of light and used different colors of light to promote healing. Color therapy has continued to be important in some cultures. Even in Western societies that tend to prefer modern, institutionalized medicine, natural healers have continued to use colors to help people improve their physical and emotional health.

Although Western medicine doesn't accept color therapy as much, Western researchers are studying the scientific properties of colored light and the light frequencies within it. Color therapy hasn't 'earned' a place in Western medicine yet, but there's a strong possibility that it might when all the research results come in.

Colors and Chakras

Eastern medicine is the source of many of the so-called alternative therapies in the Western world. In Indian philosophy, the chakras are considered the centers of spiritual power and energy within our bodies. There are seven chakras, and a different color represents each:

1. The Root Chakra, located at the base of the spine, is represented by red. This chakra has to do with our grounding and connection with the Earth.

2. The Sacral Chakra, located 2 or 3 inches below the navel, is represented by orange. This chakra is said to be associated with reproduction, the kidneys and adrenals, and pleasure. It is the mind- body chakra.

3. The Solar Plexus Chakra, located between the navel and sternum, is represented by yellow. This chakra is associated with the pancreas, liver, digestive system, and gallbladder, as well as positivity, empowerment, and well-being.

4. Green represents the Heart Chakra. It's associated with the heart, lungs, and immune system. It's associated with energy, the nervous system, mental focus, compassion, and empowerment.

5. The Throat Chakra is represented by blue and is associated with the thyroid and metabolism as well as peaceful expression.

6. The Third Eye Chakra, located between the eyebrows is represented by indigo and associated the pituitary gland and pineal gland and influences our sleep cycles, self-esteem, clarity, wisdom, and intuition.

7. The Crown Chakra, located at the top of the head, is represented by violet and associated with the pineal gland, light sensitivity, sleep cycles, dreams, clarity, and spirituality.

Methods Of Delivery For Color Therapy

The alternative healing practice of color therapy relies on the delivery of the light frequencies of color to the body. The light either goes into the body through the eyes or via color therapy equipment.

Through Eyes

One way to take advantage of light therapy is to view the color simply. You look at the color for a few minutes. That's all there is to the delivery. What you need to be careful with are the colors you choose. Green is considered the safest color. Red and orange may cause you too much excitement and agitation.

Color therapy is individualized as well. What works to help you might make someone else feel worse. For example, if you have a lot of anxiety and need to calm down, blue might be a good color to use. If someone else were depressed, though, blue wouldn't be a color they should use in color therapy.

Via Color Therapy Equipment

There are various kinds of color therapy equipment. Some of them can be made easily, while others can be ordered for a color therapist's use. This equipment uses the projection of colored light. Sometimes, the color is projected on a screen, and you look at it. The light comes from specific light bulbs of no more than 500 watts. With color therapy equipment, the colored light can be shone on your skin as well using modern and sometimes high-tech equipment that allows the hue and intensity of the color to be dialed in precisely.

Psychological Effects Of Different Colors

Colors affect our mental processes and can change our mood. Each color has a different effect, so different colors are used for different mental conditions and mood problems. The following list describes how each of the main colors used in color therapy affects us and what they can do for you.

Green

Green is the most balancing of all the colors. Color therapists usually consider green the safest color and typically start color therapy with it. When you're feeling sad, hopeless, or depressed, green can improve your mood. However, it's important to have a pure green color, as a light green can cause you to tip into anxiety.

Green is said to enhance the emotions of love, joy, and inner peace. It can bring you hope, strength, and serenity. Green is said to increase your wisdom and facilitate change and independence.

Blue

Blue is a color that must be used with extra care, as it can zap your energy if you're feeling low. Blue does help you express your feelings, though, and is related to your inner truth. Blue is a cold color that can be used to help you become more peaceful and relaxed. Primary blue is often used in therapy settings used for meditation and relaxation.

Blue can also be associated with wisdom, creativity, loyalty, and spirituality. Too much blue or blue that is too dark can lead to sadness, depression, and a feeling of emptiness. Light blue promotes serenity. It can also be used to help with insomnia.

Yellow

Yellow can be used in color therapy to bring energy and encourage action. This color can make you feel happier. It can bring out your intelligence and wisdom. Too much or too-bright yellows are associated with betrayal, cruelty, and deceit. It can remind us of our mortality. Yellow is the most intense color in the spectrum.

Orange

Orange signifies abundance, pleasure, well-being, and sexuality. Orange may be used to stimulate different organs in the body for physical healing. It revitalizes you and gives you increased mental energy. It can increase your feeling of connectedness between your mind and body. However, color therapists usually avoid this color for you if you're prone to anxiety.

Red

Red is even more stimulating than orange. It influences emotional issues like financial independence and physical survival. It's mostly used for physical healing because its emotional effects can be extreme. Color therapists avoid shining red on your head, as this can cause intense agitation. Infrared can also be used by a skilled color therapist if done so with caution. Neither red nor infrared is used for someone who has severe mental conditions.

Purple

Purple is most strongly associated with beauty, spirituality, and bliss. In color therapy, violet is often used on the forehead and neck to initiate feelings of calm and relaxation. However, it's recommended for use anywhere on the body.

Color Therapy - Chromotherapy

It has been known for eons of time that color plays a major role in setting up a particular mood or state of mind. Color does affect one's feelings, moods, and emotions.

Colors are certain wavelengths of electro-magnetic energy seen through our eyes. The color we see is the part of the visible spectrum that is reflected back by a certain object.

We know that when all colors join the result is white light. Therefore, working with White Light brings about completeness, oneness, union of all complementary parts.

How Colors Affect Us

• Color is one of the languages of the soul, just look at inspired or meditative paintings.

• They influence our mood and emotions.

• They have their impact on our sense of well-being or un-easiness.

• Using and avoiding certain colors is a way of self-expression; it sheds

  light on our personality.

• Colors affect our way of perception (light colors make a space look big,

  a high ceiling looks less high when painted in a dark color, etc.)

• Colors have a symbolic meaning which is immediately recognized by our subconsciousness. It must be said that not all colors mean the same to all persons and all cultures.

• They influence the flow and amount of energy in our bodies.

• Colors tell something about biological attraction and sexual availability.

Before examining color and its healing implications, we must address a very important concept: that of cause and effect. True healing comes about when the cause of the condition or illness is addressed and transformed. If healing goes no further than a mere relief or masking of the symptoms, then, eventually, that which brought about the need for healing, in the first place, will resurface and manifest itself within the body in one form or another.

Body is an outward expression of that which is taking place within the mind, the soul (subconscious), and the spirit (superconscious) of the individual. Thus, any healing technique which deals only with the physical body and the energy field of the individual tends to accomplish one thing: it jump starts the individual, so to speak, and gives him or her an added boost of energy. That energy boost then allows that person's own internal healing mechanism to become mobilized into greater activity.

Keeping this in mind, let us look at how color can help jump-start the tired or diseased body. Color healing, known as Chromotherapy, can be implemented in a number of ways. The ancients built great halls of color healing, where individuals entered and were bathed in light that was filtered through various colored glass panels or windows.

Energy (spiritual) healers often supplement their healing work with color healing. As they lay their hands on the patient, they mentally direct specific color rays into the patient's aura and body. Oftentimes, the color used is inspired by the superconscious.

In healing colors act as balancers: we administer the color(s) someone needs more of, or we give the opposite of the color someone has too much of.

Color Chart

Red

Healing properties: Brings warmth, energy and stimulation, therefore good for energy, fatigue, colds, chilly and passive people. Red energizes heart and blood circulation, builds up the blood and heightens a low blood pressure. Energizes all organs and the senses hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch. Increases sexual desire and activity. Stimulates ovulation and menstruation. Never treat cancer with red, because this color will stimulate cell growth!

Red links with and stimulates the root chakra, at the base of the spine, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This results in greater strength. Red causes hemoglobin to multiply, thus increasing energy and raising body temperature. It is excellent for anemia and blood-related conditions. It loosens, opens up clogs, releases stiffness and constrictions. It is excellent for areas that have become stiffened or constricted.

Orange

Healing properties: Orange is warm, cheering, non-constricting. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm and helps assimilate new ideas. It is also helpful in dealing with excess sexual expression.

Orange stimulates the lungs, the respiration and the digestion. Increases the activity of the thyroid. Reliefs muscle cramps and spasms. Increases the amount of mother milk.

Finally, orange links very strongly with the sacral chakra.

Yellow

Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve- related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves (shooting pains)

Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. Speeds up the digestion and assimilation, and the stool.

It helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself.

Yellow links with and stimulates the solar plexus, or psychic center. It can be used for psychic burnout or other psychic-related conditions or ailments. Activates and cheers up depressed and melancholic people. Gives lust for life.

Green

Healing properties: Green is the color of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing.

Green rings psychological and emotional harmony and balance.

Green links with and stimulates the heart chakra. Green affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. It has both an energizing effect and a moderating or soothing effect.

It cures hormonal imbalances. Stimulates growth hormone and rejuvenation. Cleans and purifies from germs, bacteria and rotting material. Harmonizes the digestion, stomach, liver, gall. Has a healing effect on kidneys. Increases immunity. Builds up muscles, bones and tissues. Stimulates inner peace. Strengthens the nervous system.

Blue

Healing properties: Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. Dr. Edwin Babbitt, in his classic, "The Principles of Light and Color," states that "The Blue Ray is one of the greatest antiseptics in the world."

Cools down inflammations (don't forget rheumatic inflammations), fever, high blood pressure, stops bleedings, reliefs the bursting headaches, calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. Brings tranquility. Anti-itching. Anti-irritation (for instance redness of the skin), anti-stress. Soothes suffering.

Blue can be used for any type of ailments associated with speech, communication, or the throat. Excellent for laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx.

Blue links with and stimulates the throat chakra. The throat chakra is often referenced as the "power center" and "the greatest center in the body" because it is the primary center of expression and communication, through speech.

Indigo

Healing properties: Indigo is a great purifier of the bloodstream and also benefits mental problems. It is a freeing and purifying agent.

Indigo combines the deep blue of devotion with a trace of stabilizing and objective red. Indigo is cool, electric, and astringent.

Indigo links with and stimulates the brow chakra (third eye) and controls the pineal gland. It governs both physical and spiritual perception. It can be of great assistance in dealing with ailments of the eyes and ears.

Violet / Purple

Healing properties: These are colors of transformation. It heals melancholy, hysteria, delusions and alcohol addiction and bring spiritual insights and renewal. These colors slow down an over- active heart; stimulate the spleen and the white blood cells (immunity). Bring sleep. Soothe mental and emotional stress. Decrease sexual activity. Decrease sensitivity to pain. They help in detoxification.

Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in Church windows.

White

Healing properties: White is the perfect color; for it is all colors, in perfect balance and harmony. It is the color of the awakened Spirit; the light of perfection; the light of the Cosmic Consciousness, the Divine Light.

Just about everyone has heard of surrounding people with the "White Light of Healing and Protection." White light raises the vibration of one's consciousness and the body, bringing harmony in all aspects of one's life. Directing white into to a part of the body that needs healing is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing.

Magenta

Healing properties: Strengthens contact with your life purpose. Stimulates adrenaline and heart activity.

Aversion to magenta: A person who has an aversion to magenta may feel overwhelmed by people with strong convictions or heavy emotions like jealousy; also may have difficulties with exposing deep emotions.

Pink

Healing properties: Heals grief and sadness. Restores youthfulness. Brings you in contact with your feelings.

Turquoise

Healing properties: Increases intuition and sensitivity. Works disinfecting and antiseptic. Tones the general system. Builds the skin. Relaxes sensations of stress.