Colour Therapy: how colours can affect the way we feel

You may well be thinking “Colour Therapy, whatever next?”, as was my initial reaction. However on researching the topic it becomes clear that it is a perfectly natural and obvious form of tapping into our senses and discovering harmony and balance. It is as simple as feeling happy to see a blue sky, or being wary of a brightly coloured beetle, yet the therapy also delves deep into our subconscious. It has been around for centuries and can be extremely beneficial. Colour therapists introduce the optimum balance of colour energies into the human organism in order to promote harmony and balance between the body, mind and spirit.

Colour is a natural occurrence which is, put simply, light of varying wavelengths. We sense each of these lights individually, both consciously and sub-consciously. We see colour all the time, but how often do we consider its origins and effects? An obvious example is sunlight, which a lack of can ultimately make us feel low, whereas a burst of sunlight first thing in the morning will energise us. Painting a room in a certain colour can create a sense of calm and comfort or simple pleasure.

Within the realm of natural therapy, colour is a form of energy which affects all living cells. All living things are affected by the different frequencies of colour, and so, used in the correct way, the different colours can have different positive effects on us.

Colour therapists believe that the seven colours in the spectrum relate directly to our seven main chakras, or energy points, within the body and therefore our inner vibrations. If those vibrations are not balanced for some reason, a Colour Therapist, Chromotherapist or Light Therapist – would attempt to correlate the correct colour to harmonise and rebalance your body by stimulating its own healing process.

What do the colours represent?

You might now be wondering how a therapist would go about selecting a particular colour to deal with a certain issue you may be having – how does this actually work? How do they know which one to choose?

We have common tendencies to relate certain colours to particular feelings, for example, red has always been associated with danger – drawn originally from warnings by nature. We can make a generalised list which of course have variations within them, a deeper red would stimulate a different emotional response to a bright pillar box red for example. Colours may also have deeper relationships within us triggering memories both good and bad.

A basic guide to the meanings of colours:

• Red: aggressiveness, energy, movement, confidence, stimulation, intensity
• Yellow: happiness, vitality, improved mood, optimism, laughter
• White: sterility, cleanliness, purity, innocence, light
• Pink: calm, reduced appetite, sweetness, love and romance
• Green: renewal, openness, peace, prosperity, tranquility
• Black: strength, toughness, power, anger, authority, intelligence
• Blue: openness, space, contemplation, focus, serenity
• Orange: energy, ambition, activity, socialisation, freeing
• Brown: reliability, stability, wholesome, organic, natural
• Purple: intuition, creativity, luxury, spiritual, wisdom, mystery

Different colours tend to have a certain effect on people, those with emotional troubles can find calm in the colour blue, resulting in lowering the blood pressure. The colour red may have the opposite effect, yellow may provide some invigoration, as previously referred to by sunlight and its positive attributes.

How it works:

A colour therapist can put you in tune with what certain colours can do to help you. Once you understand this, all you need to do is to heighten your awareness of the energy of colour and how it can transform your life for the better. The therapist will work with your natural colour preferences and choices of colour within certain aspects which will indicate to them where you may be experiencing any imbalances or issues that may need addressing. They can allocate certain colours that you need to experience in order to conjure that balance daily. Colour therapy can be useful for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issues as well as an all over relaxation technique by acting as a catalyst in encouraging healing and the normal workings of the body.

Ways in which the therapist can apply the therapy:

• Directing colour / light on to different parts of the body
• Use of colour on acupuncture points
• Using colour with chakras
• Colour breathing
• Colour visualisation
• Use of colour essences or lights on the skin
• Solarised essences
• Coloured foods
• Give advice on wearing certain colours
• They may wear or utilise coloured silks

Once you have been advised on what works for you it is something you can utilise within your daily life and enjoy at home.

Ways to beneficially utilise colour on a daily basis:

Memory: It is suggested that yellow enhances memory. Have something yellow near you or wear it to help you when you need to memorise something as it stimulates interest, curiosity and will motivate your mind.

Focus and Creativity: Opt to surround yourself with blue or green when trying to focus, they help limit distractions and stimulate calm and creativity. Studies have shown that stark white walls incur negative attention spans and even headaches.

Eating: Studies have shown that people eat less when the colour red is apparent as opposed to yellow where they would eat more. Try using a red plate if you’re on a diet!

Time to Relax: Go for a soft green surrounding, get back to nature and and relax in the comfort of the colour of the environment. Greens have the capacity to reduce stress and promote a calming energy.

Happy Energy: Put together orange and yellow to inspire your inner sunshine and lift your mood. Potentially this will pass on to others! A good colour to lift a gathering or party by stimulating energy and interaction between the guests.

De-stress: Again Mother Nature wins the vote; green connects us to the spiritual centre, and brings our attention to the heart, alleviating stress and letting all those small worries just fade away with the breeze.

Self Expression: If you need a helping hand to express yourself, find your orange place – it lift repressions and encourages the freedom to get it all out. A handy helper when in a tricky relationship situation.

Find your Intuition: Having trouble hearing yourself? Get some purple in your life. This colour can help you turn down the logical mind for a moment and stimulate your intuitive side. Purple is also the colour of psychic power and dream activity.

Romance: Not just a traditionally ‘girly’ colour, pink has the power to soften, calm and soothe. A great addition to an intimate moment.

Why not explore Colour Therapy farther? Look into how it can affect and change your life, whether as someone with an interest in complementary therapy or colour or a professional therapist wishing to learn more.

Become a qualified Colour Therapist

Here at the School of Natural Health Sciences we offer a distance learning diploma course of 10 lessons, accredited in 26 countries worldwide. This Colour Therapy Course will show you how to use colour to balance energy, aid creativity and learning, release blocks and alleviate physical, emotional and mental conditions.

• View our A-Z Holistic Therapy Course list
• Check out our outrageous 21st anniversary offers
• View our worldwide accreditations
• Contact us for more information. We’d love to hear from you!

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