Colors say a lot about a person. Very often we use colors to describe our emotions and moods. According to color therapists, the link between colors and our moods and emotions goes deeper than that. Color therapists believe that colors not only affect our emotions, but they can also have healing properties. This is something new to me – I just found out about color therapy recently and have taken quite an interest in learning more about it. Does it really work for healing? I don’t know, I admit I’m skeptical. But it would worth giving a try to find out!
How To Understand Color Therapy
People who truly believe in utilizing color therapy as an alternative method of healing emphasize that experts who know what color or mixture of colors is required for the cure of an illness should only perform color therapy. Since each individual receiving treatment is different, colors that work for one person might not necessarily work for another person. It is also believed that overexposure to certain colors can lead to side effects.
Different Practices of Color Therapy
- Colored light bulbs and colored glass windows can be used as part of the therapy.
- Some therapists use hypnosis to have their patients visualize certain colors.
- Some color therapists recommend what color of food a person should eat, the color of their clothes and even the color of his or her surroundings.
- Solarized water can be used as a healing tonic. With this method, purified water is filled in a clear container of the prescribed color and left out in the sun for a few hours. The sun’s rays filter through the colored glass container and energize the water with the vibration of the prescribed color.
What Do Different Colors Tell Us About a Person?
Red –
Red represents power, creativity, vitality and energy. People who favor the color red are usually those that like to be noticed and where they can attract a lot of attention. They are also often quick to react and over emotional. Red color helps to loosen stiffness and restraints, while stimulating the release of adrenaline in the bloodstream and causes hemoglobin to multiply. Therefore, it results in greater strength and energy and is good for treating anemia and other blood related conditions. It also helps with those who are feeling lethargic and depressed. Too much red though can make a person agitated and aggressive. The color red may excite sexual passion, it can also lead to anger and destructive behavior. Red is a color that should be avoided by those who have a heart condition or who have a tendency to always be nervous.
Orange –
Orange is also an energizing color. When used in moderation, orange has a gentle warming effect. It is useful in treating gallstones, digestive ailments, chest and kidney diseases and arthritis. Orange also helps lift depression and loneliness. Too much orange though can lead to agitation and restlessness.
Yellow –
People who have sunny dispositions, who are good communicators, and who love to talk are attracted to the color yellow. Those who prefer the stronger shades of yellow often tend to be arrogant or conceited while those are drawn to the more pastel shades of yellow may be timid.
Yellow stimulates the intellect and has a generally cheering effect. Yellow has been found to help with the digestive process and in curing skin problem. Yellow is not recommended for people experiencing great stress.
Green –
The color green represents balance, harmony and hope. If you are a person who favors the yellow tones of green, then you are probably adventurous. If you are a person who prefers the bluer tones of green, then you tend to be more of an optimist. Green helps to calm frazzled nerves and is good for people with heart conditions. Green also stimulates growth and helps to heal broken bones. This color is recommended for pregnant women to create a serene atmosphere. Too much green though can bring on a sense of lethargy and will make a person complacent.
Blue –
Blue is the color of truth, nobility and serenity. Blue also has a cooling, soothing and calming effect. Blue colored clothes should be worn in the summer to help combat the heat. Blue also helps those who are feeling frightened or flustered. Meditating on the color blue before going to sleep helps to ward off nightmares. Blue is useful in bringing down a fever, helps to stop bleeding, is good for burns, and can cure a sore throat. Blue is also recommended for those suffering from shock, inflammation and nervous breakdowns, but is not advisable for people with bad circulation. Too much blue can have a sedating effect and can make a person passive and easily led or taken advantage of.
Purple –
The color purple has strong links with creativity. Those drawn to the color purple are often shy. Purple is useful in treating people who are excessively emotionally agitated. It also helps compulsive eaters to calm down and control their urge to eat. Because of the powerful creativity of this color, if not channelized properly it can make a person feel very ill. It is not advisable for those who are clinically depressed.
Check out this introduction article on Chromotherapy:
http://www.articleworld.org/Chromotherapy
Content:
* 1 What do chromotherapists do?
* 2 Disadvantages
* 3 History
* 4 The Chakras and colors
It is everywhere you look, and everywhere you don’t look. You delight in its marvels consciously and sub-consciously. You see color all the time, but how often do you think about its origins and effects? In a series of articles, we explore this topic further. In this first article, we’ll review some basics of color therapy and healing. You can read the next 2 articles here: 1) Color Meanings and 2) Color Psychology. You can also download our color meaning and symbolism charts.
What is Color?
As most of you know, color is light and energy. Color is visible because it reflects, bends, and refracts through all kinds of particles, molecules and objects. There are a variety of wavelengths that light can be categorized, producing different types of light. Visible wavelengths fall approximately in the 390 to 750 nanometre range and is known as the visible spectrum. Other wavelengths and frequencies are associated with non-visible light such as x-rays & ultraviolet rays. Most people are aware of the effects of non-visible light, so it makes sense that visible light would also affect us.
One example of the way light can affect us is a mild form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes many people suffering during winters.
An Introduction to Color Therapy
Color therapy and healing (also known as chromotherapy or light therapy) is a type of holistic healing that uses the visible spectrum of light and color to affect a person’s mood and physical or mental health. Each color falls into a specific frequency and vibration, which many believe contribute to specific properties that can be used to affect the energy and frequencies within our bodies.
While it is common knowledge that light enters through our eyes, it’s important to note that light can also enter through our skin. Given the unique frequencies and vibrations of various colors, people believe that certain colors entering the body can activate hormones causing chemical reactions within the body, then influencing emotion and enabling the body to heal.
Colors are known to have an effect on people with brain disorders or people with emotional troubles. For example, the color blue can have a calming effect which can then result in lower blood pressure, whereas the color red might have the opposite effect. Green is another color that may be used to relax people who are emotionally unbalanced. Yellow, on the other hand, may be used to help invigorate people who might be suffering from depression. (We’ll dive deeper into specific colors in a future article.)
Alternative therapies also believe that a person’s aura contains different layers of light which can be used for cleansing and balancing. Knowing the colors in your aura can help you better understand your spirit, and thus help you better understand how to heal. Additionally, the colors surrounding you can also have various effects.
A Brief History of Color Therapy
It’s no mystery that the sun and its source of light (or lack thereof), can have a profound effect on us. Thousands of years ago, some countries began exploring color and its healing capabilities. Egypt, Greece and China are known for their forays into color healing and therapy. A few examples include:
Painting rooms different colors with the hopes of treating certain conditions.
Utilizing colors in nature in their surroundings (blue from skies, green from grass, etc.)
Healing rooms that utilized crystals to break up sunlight shining through.
There is evidence of people attempting to use color for healing and therapy from as far back as 2000 years. And it has gained in popularity throughout the years, with numerous books being written about it, including Johann Wolfgang Goethe who studied the physiological effects of color. As we mentioned though, many people are skeptical about using color and light for healing or therapy.
Stay tuned for upcoming articles over the next few weeks where we’ll introduce color meanings and symbolism, how we see color, and the various effects of specific colors.
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Color Therapy & Healing – An Introduction
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color therapy & healingIt is everywhere you look, and everywhere you don’t look. You delight in its marvels consciously and sub-consciously. You see color all the time, but how often do you think about its origins and effects? In a series of articles, we explore this topic further. In this first article, we’ll review some basics of color therapy and healing. You can read the next 2 articles here: 1) Color Meanings and 2) Color Psychology. You can also download our color meaning and symbolism charts.
Topics covered in this article:
What is Color?
An Introduction to Color Therapy
A Brief History of Color Therapy
What is Color?
As most of you know, color is light and energy. Color is visible because it reflects, bends, and refracts through all kinds of particles, molecules and objects. There are a variety of wavelengths that light can be categorized, producing different types of light. Visible wavelengths fall approximately in the 390 to 750 nanometre range and is known as the visible spectrum. Other wavelengths and frequencies are associated with non-visible light such as x-rays & ultraviolet rays. Most people are aware of the effects of non-visible light, so it makes sense that visible light would also affect us.
One example of the way light can affect us is a mild form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes many people suffering during winters.
An Introduction to Color Therapy
Color therapy and healing (also known as chromotherapy or light therapy) is a type of holistic healing that uses the visible spectrum of light and color to affect a person’s mood and physical or mental health. Each color falls into a specific frequency and vibration, which many believe contribute to specific properties that can be used to affect the energy and frequencies within our bodies.
While it is common knowledge that light enters through our eyes, it’s important to note that light can also enter through our skin. Given the unique frequencies and vibrations of various colors, people believe that certain colors entering the body can activate hormones causing chemical reactions within the body, then influencing emotion and enabling the body to heal.
Colors are known to have an effect on people with brain disorders or people with emotional troubles. For example, the color blue can have a calming effect which can then result in lower blood pressure, whereas the color red might have the opposite effect. Green is another color that may be used to relax people who are emotionally unbalanced. Yellow, on the other hand, may be used to help invigorate people who might be suffering from depression. (We’ll dive deeper into specific colors in a future article.)
Alternative therapies also believe that a person’s aura contains different layers of light which can be used for cleansing and balancing. Knowing the colors in your aura can help you better understand your spirit, and thus help you better understand how to heal. Additionally, the colors surrounding you can also have various effects.
A Brief History of Color Therapy
It’s no mystery that the sun and its source of light (or lack thereof), can have a profound effect on us. Thousands of years ago, some countries began exploring color and its healing capabilities. Egypt, Greece and China are known for their forays into color healing and therapy. A few examples include:
Painting rooms different colors with the hopes of treating certain conditions.
Utilizing colors in nature in their surroundings (blue from skies, green from grass, etc.)
Healing rooms that utilized crystals to break up sunlight shining through.
There is evidence of people attempting to use color for healing and therapy from as far back as 2000 years. And it has gained in popularity throughout the years, with numerous books being written about it, including Johann Wolfgang Goethe who studied the physiological effects of color. As we mentioned though, many people are skeptical about using color and light for healing or therapy.
Stay tuned for upcoming articles over the next few weeks where we’ll introduce color meanings and symbolism, how we see color, and the various effects of specific colors.
Does color affect you? Let us know in the comments.
Related articles:
Color Psychology: The Emotional Effects of Colors
Color Meanings & Symbolism
Mandala Art Activity For Self-Discovery And Healing
The Healing Properties of Music Therapy
Healing With Mandala Art Therapy – A Multi-Cultural Idea Worth Exploring
What a lovely introduction! I really liked it. I think that it is very important to spread the word out about Color Therapy and many other kinds of therapies in order to heal the body and the mind in a holistic way. I am really looking forward to reading the following articles! Thanks
Oops! I forgot to add that four years ago when I was going through a very bad state of depression I couldn’t sleep properly at night. As it was time to paint my room again, I chose a light perriwinkle colour. I was really surprised because after a few days I started sleeping really well and I started feeling relaxed and calm. It is awesome how colour can help!
If anyone wants to understand colour and all it’s healing qualities, have a read through any of Lilian Verner Bonds’ books on colour healing. She’s a master with it!
Thank you for making a start on this subject! Colour is very important to the healing process and the more people know about it the more people can apply it to their individual practices.
I found this article very helpful and I look forawrd to the upcoming ones:) I am VERY interested in art therapy as well as color healing and I can definatly say that I believe that color therapy works! Thanks for all the information!
Thats realy an intersting and helpful article to know the value of colours in our daily lives and their effects on the mmind and heart. one can get inner peace with the effective use of these colours in the routine hectic life.. I’ll be waiting for the next article to come.
Colour is such an important part of my life without it ever being an effort. I always wear colour and can never wear black,it simply drains me and i feel so heavy and stagnant. I wear the colours that i feel, whatever that means, I can put on a dress and take it off immediately because the colour just doesn’t feel right, despite it being the right colour a few days ago. I love deep colours but there are days i need soft pastels and other days lots of bold and other days just the one constant colour and ……i am so looking forward to the upcoming articles
I am wondering if you can refer me to any clinical studies re the healing power of color? Do you happen to recall the source for the lowered blood pressure statement? I would be much obliged. Love your blog!
Linda
Hi; I am a British Mature student with the British School of Yoga, having just completed my final exam in Advanced Colour Therapy Diploma. And have just started a 1 Year Professional Merit “Art-It’s Place In Therapy”, being an intro to Art Therapy yeah. With view to change my career due to Disabilty, with 7 year Non-Clinical experience working on ward as a Health Carer. I am studying to bring my Creative skills together to help those with Learning Difficulties eventually. My further studies are in Psychology in the way of Behavioural Cognitive Therapy. But I require advice in how to bring this together as a whole holstic approach in healing and therapy as a new career And how to go forward.
I have a learning difficulty being moderately dyslexic and dyspraxic and have a natural afinity with Colour and very Spiritual person I have also a 2year Diploma in Natural Healing Practitioner. And A’ Level Art n Design. With a extensive portfolio of “Rainbow Healing Art” (c) 2011) being an Artist and Author in Poetry. i have foiund your website invaluable and will be checking ion frequently and have subscribed to your emails to stay in the Loop so to speak. Bless you and Thank you. Many Rainbows Blessings Aho! RL (Rainbow Lizzie)