Wellbeing

Emotions: Colour Therapy

Feeling blue? How the colours of the rainbow can help you shine

At a Glance

What: Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular wavelength and energy. The energy relating to each of the seven spectrum colours of red, orange, yellow,green, blue, indigo and violet, resonates with the energy of each of the seven main chakras/energy centres of the body. Colour therapy re-balances the chakras.

What happens: Colour is given to a person in a variety of ways once a therapist has deemed what’s out of balance.

Good for: Lots of conditions, but it’s particularly great for stress-related problems and mild depression.

Colour therapy addresses all levels of being. It’s been shown to help on a physical level, but although we pick up colour by sight, we also pick it up through the skin.“Colour therapy is a totally holistic and non-invasive therapy,” explains colour therapist Valerie Logan-Clarke. “Really, it should be apart of our everyday lives, not just something we experience for the odd hour or two when we see a therapist.

“Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular wavelength and energy, The energy relating to each of the seven spectrum colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet resonates with the energy of each of the seven main chakras, or energy centres, in th ebody,” says Valerie.“If you can imagine the chakras as a set of cogs or wheels, they are rather like the workings of a clock or an engine,” says Valerie. “Each wheel needs to move smoothly for the clock/engine to work properly. Thus good health and wellbeing is achieved by a balance of all these energies. Balance of the energy in each of the body’s chakras is very important for health and wellbeing.”

The theory

It’s when the energies of the body become inbalanced that problems begin, because negative experiences over time can manifest themselves in the body as disease. “For example,” says Valerie, “perhaps over the years you have felt unable, for whatever reason, to speak your mind, or express your needs and feelings. This can manifest as a problem in the throat chakra, which relates in the spiritual aspect to self expression. The energy in this area will not be free flowing and in turn this can lead to a physical manifestation of disease.”

What happens?

During consultation your medical history would be taken.“Generally, you would be asked if you have any colour preferences,” says Valerie. “This can give the therapist some good insight into possible psychological and physical issues, but can also be related to life experience. For example, if the client has had a negative experience involving a particular colour this can stay with them, and we’d avoid that colour.”

By applying the appropriate colour to th ebody, colour therapy can help to re-balance and/or stimulate energies and therefore re-balance our chakras. Colour can be applied to the body in a number of ways. For example,when exposed to sunlight, water in a coloure dcontainer absorbs the vibrational energy of that colour. It can then be sipped, or used for bathing a part of the body. Other methods include giving colour to a patient using lightboxes and lamps with colour filters, coloured silks, as well as hands-on healing using colour

Try this!

Visualising colour means we can access its healing energy anytime.
Stand with arms relaxed by your side, and concentrate on breathing.
Visualise yourself safe and relaxed, at one with nature in a safe haven
Finally, visualise the colour you need, andabsorb it, holding your breath as you breathe it in, and visualise all the pain and anxiety leaving your body as you breathe out

Chakra Colour Guide

Each colour corresponds to a chakra in the body. To heal a chakra, a therapist may apply coloured light, for example, to the area for 10 to 15 minutes, and often a complementary colour with it to rebalance the energy

RED:

Base chakra, relates to self-awareness.

Associated problems: constipation,diarrhea, piles, colitis, Crohn’s disease, cold fingers and toes and high blood pressure.

ORANGE

Sacral chakra in the abdomen. Relates to self respect.

Associated problems: PMS, fibroids,ovarian cycts, IBS and endometriosis.

YELLOW

Solar plexus chakra, below the ribs. Relates to how we feel others perceive us.

Associated problems: diabetes,pancreatitis, liver disease and peptic ulcers.

GREEN