Healing through Colour

If you are lacking energy by midday, feeling blue, or suffering from a physical ailment, you might be surprised to learn that the very colours you see every day can help to heal you. Colours are all around us and whether we realise it or not they play a dominant force in our lives. The use of colour in therapy is an alternative and holistic method that can be used for a variety of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual problems. The following sections will detail how psychologists are utilising colour to influence moods and emotions.

What is Colour Therapy?

Colour therapy, or 'chromotherapy', is a form of holistic healing that utilises the colours that we see every day to help treat emotional, physical and mental conditions. Each colour has its own unique healing properties connected to an energy point or chakra within the body. These energy points coordinate with the seven colours of the rainbow, and then applied to heal the mind, body and spirit.

Where did it come from?

The therapeutic use of colour is not a new practice; in fact, it has been around for over 2,000 years, beginning with the Ancient Egyptians. It has been recorded that the Egyptians had a deep understanding of the healing powers of colour rays which were later passed on to the Greeks who applied the practice in the scientific arena. The method was also used in the middle ages and later pioneered by Isaac Newton who published a paper on the subject after passing a beam of light through a prism. Today the use of colour is widely accepted and utilised in the modern world among businesses, interior designers, artists and therapists to influence mood and create positive environments.

Methods of Colour Therapy

If you are wondering how all of this can help to heal what ails you, it all comes back to the chakra energy points. The main energy points within the body are the root, navel, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and crown chakras. By applying colours that coordinate to these chakra points, you can realign and balance energy. Depending on what you are treating, a typical healing session could last anywhere from fifteen minutes to one hour. The following are a few methods utilised to apply colour therapy for healing purposes. The Use of Coloured Lights or Filters Colour therapists often use filters inside a light box to direct various colours towards the body. This method sends out vibrations to affected body parts to restore and revitalize balance to diseased or depleted tissues. This has been very successful in the treatment of several skin diseases, seasonal affective disorder, and many other conditions. The light used in this process is the most like natural daylight. Using Coloured Skills This popular method involves applying specific colours directly to the body's affected chakra area. For example, the colour blue links with the throat chakra and, as such, is used to treat any ailment associated with communication, speech and the throat. Colour therapists use this method as a balancer and by administering more of one colour that an individual is lacking, and less of another, energies can come into balance. Solarised Water Using solarised water is a cost-effective way for anyone to apply colour therapy to the body right from home. Simply choose clear coloured glass bottles with a lid or cork, fill them with water and place them in direct sunlight for a period of eight hours. Once your water is ready, it can be applied to affected areas or ingested. Colour Cards If you are looking for another DIY way to implement colour therapy in your life, colour cards are the perfect budget-friendly solution. This method involves concentrating on the colour you feel you lack for ten minutes, and then using a complementary colour for balance. Colour Breathing and Visualisation This colour healing technique is employed by therapists and involves breathing techniques, focus, and creating a calming environment. The session involves the patient visualising breathing in the colour red, with strength and courage enveloping them. The same process repeats with the colours orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This exercise opens awareness and helps to balance the body's energy. Whether you begin slow with solarised water therapy or make regular use of colour visualisation, implementing colour in your life can be an effective healing tool. You can start by choosing a colour that feels right to you. The perfect healing colour for you will arouse mental understanding and openness within your soul.