Color! Glorious, beautiful majestic color. We think in color, dream in color, imagine, visualize, we speak in color. We eat colors, in fact we live our lives in living, breathing, vibrating color. Our entire world is impacted, both positively and negatively by the colors that surround us in nature and those that we choose for our environment. Color is as essential to being alive as air is to us breathing. We can’t live without color. In fact, it’s impossible.
The Psychology of Color
Color has both a physical and psychological effect on us. Our moods and emotions can be influenced and manipulated by color. The human body will respond to color by producing neurochemicals that in some instances leave the body feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, for example, when being in a room painted pink for an extended time. Or becoming physically and verbally combative when in a room painted in red for an extended period of time. Feeling down or depressed when surrounded by the color grey, or feeling happy when surrounded by the color yellow is normal. This illustrates the depth at which we can be impacted by color.
It’s important to note that color is also a cultural thing. In china, red is the color of traditional wedding dresses, and white is the color worn at funerals. In the west, white is the traditional color of wedding dresses and black is the color worn for funerals.
Chromotherapy
Chromotherapy is a healing modality that uses color to restore balance to mind and body. This can be achieved by the use of color object placement, gems, stones and crystals, interior décor, clothing, sound/music, aromas and what we are interested in here, the color of food. Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy healing and are still using it today as an alternative healing modality.
DIY Chromotherapy
Understanding what you are lacking in life or perhaps where you are feeling imbalanced is a good opening to exploring chromotherapy. Everyone knows what they are lacking, even if they choose not to admit it out aloud to anyone else. If across the board you want your relationship with self and others to be less contentious, you may need to bring more green into your life. If you are living in fear of your future you may need to bring more red and or violet. If you are in a creative slump, the color orange and what it brings might be what you need.
Color To Create Life Balance:
This can all be implemented fairly easily and depending on what you choose fairly cheaply. Starting with the foods you eat. Then meditation, music, aromas and scents, followed by the placement of objects, like candles, cushions, wall hangings etc. Your clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as your interior decoration are also strong options. By using a mashup of the methods outlined above, your ability to achieve inner and outer balance will increase 1000-fold.
What Is Color?
In 1666, an English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light is passed through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colors. Newton also found that each color is comprised of a single wavelength and cannot be separated any further into other colors.
Further experiments demonstrated that light could be combined to form other colors. For example, red light mixed with yellow light creates an orange color. A color resulting from a mix of two other colors is known as a metamer. Some colors, such as yellow and purple, cancel each other out when mixed and result in a white light. These competing colors are known as complements. And when all colors are mixed together, they create black.
Colors
Primary colors: Red, Yellow, Blue
Secondary colors: Orange, Green, purple
Tertiary colors: Browns & Grays (also known as taupe)
Browns and grays contain all three primary colors. They’re created by mixing either all three primary colors or a primary and secondary color; secondary colors of course being made from two primaries.
The feel of Colors
And yes, color really does emit a tangible feeling. Colors are typically divided into two categories warm and cool. On a linear scale you have hot at one end and cold at the other. Both hot and cold, nor wet or dry can function without each other. It’s like a coin.
A pink dress can run from hot pink to a cold pink. Typically, the more intense the color the hotter it is and the cooler it is the paler it becomes. The vibration of each color isn’t diminished by whether it’s cold or hot. It just tells you where it is on the color spectrum.
Colors can also present themselves as feeling wet or dry. They are either positively or negatively charged. Each color vibration has an affinity to a female or male aspect like yin and yang. Each color has a musical note, element and month that it resonates with.
Positive +charge = hot/warm, dry masculine daylight = yang
Negative -charge = cool/cold, wet, feminine night = yin
Warm/hot: Energetic stimulating bold, vivid and feels hot: Reds oranges yellows pale pastels yellow pink, peach. Red/purples are where the colors turn from cool to warm.
Cool/cold: soothing, calm peaceful and feel cool to touch: greens blues purples pastel green, blues, green/yellows are where they turn from warm to cool.
The importance of this is this knowing how to transition from hot to cold.
Brief Overview of Colors
B
Black is the presence and equal blending of all colors in the spectrum. Black brings parallels into our lives. The color black represents authority, seriousness, strength and power, it’s formal, elegant, and prestigious. The color black is authoritative and powerful, knowledgeable and can evoke strong emotions, and too much can be overwhelming. Read more about Black and the chakra it influences.
W
White is the equal absence of all colors in the spectrum. White creates contrasts. It represents both the positive and negative aspects of all colors. White brings equality, fairness and impartiality and neutrality. It supports new beginnings. Too much white can create a cold, cruel and detached attitude. Read more about White and the chakra it influences.
RRed: is the base or root chakra it’s the first of the seven major chakras. It is the ultimate color of survival. It’s also the color of romance and sexuality. While romance isn’t a prerequisite to our survival as a specie, sex is. Red is the color of intensity and focus, it speaks of innovations and ability to manifest. Extroverts definitely have a red quality about them. The energy that red emits keeps us rooted to the planet and to the sustainable parts of our lives. People who are self centered and only interested in short term security have become detached and lack the red wave length or frequency within their personal color spectrum.
Add Red: if you lack enthusiasm and interest in life, lack of energy or chronically fatigued, inability to manifest your dreams and walk around with feelings of insecurity, unwarranted fear or anxiety, you may need to put red into your life.
Eating Red: Encourages stability and a strong foundation upon which to build. It strengthens the resolve to work through whatever obstacles are in your way.
Wearing red: If you want to be seen as bold and dynamic wear a red scarf or tie. This can help during an interview process or a presentation. It can give a sense of security when you are going into a new social situation and you are uncertain of the people whom you are going to meet. Read more about Red and the chakra it influences.
O
Orange: is the sacral chakra and it’s the second of the seven major chakras. It is the ultimate color of Curiosity and creativity primarily on a practical level, but sometimes will be compelled to act on strong impulses. Orange is the color of exploration. Orange compels you to determine what something feels like and taste like; by asking what will happen if you touch and taste it? You witness this in action when you see a child wanting to touch taste…and eat everything as he or she begins to explore the world around them. Whether as a child or adult, exploration can sometimes be painful or downright dangerous. Research suggests that this maybe why the color orange is the least popular. Orange is instinctive rather than thought out. When people are designing artistically or creatively, they are centered in orange energy.
Add Orange: to your life if you are unable to set into motion what is needed to actualize or manifest your dream. If you resent change in familiar routines and obsess over things being in the proper place all the time, feel boredom and bleakness with time just dragging, taking one’s self to seriously, fear of experiencing pleasures in life, in ability to let go of the past and creative blocks.
Eating Orange: Encourages, exploration, productivity and creativity.
Wearing orange: Wearing orange can help the body return to a balanced state after a shock or surprise. It can also unleash the creator and explorer within and instill a sense of humor. Read more about Orange and the chakra it influences.
Y
Yellow: is the solar plexus chakra and it’s the third of the seven major chakras. It is the color of choice. It is the color that allows us to continuously extract relevant information from the life we are living, and understanding information that we rely upon for our well-being. The digestive and immune systems all resonate with yellow frequencies. The absorption of food that takes place in the digestive tract is about extracting and assimilating what is good for our bodies’ health and survival and eliminating what is harmful or unnecessary. The immune system works the same way.
Add Yellow to your life when you are in a perpetual state of confusion,indecision, fear and anxiety caused by unknown factors impacting nervous immune and digestive systems, allergies and intolerance to foods and other substances, panic attacks, breakdowns, burnouts, poor memory, inability to concentrate, SAD seasonal effective disorder and malabsorption.
Eating Yellow: supports and aids in digestions of both food and thoughts. It boosts courage and increases focus and intellect. It supports us in making choices.
Wearing yellow can assist in concentration, help balance nervous, immune and digestive systems. Read more about Yellow and the chakra it influences.
G
Green: is the heart chakra and it’s the fourth of the seven major chakras. It is the color of relationships and being adaptable to life’s changing process. It too is the color of growth and expansion. It’s where choice creativity and survival coalesce and meet expression, vision and understanding. Green is about creating a harmonious, compassionate and loving balance and applying that skill to all relationships that you embark upon…including the relationship with self. The energy of green has a lot to do with pushing out of boundaries and finding a comfortable direction. It provides us with a means to achieve the desired end. Green vibration is the frequency to accomplish, rather than dominate.
Add green to your life if you feel the need to let change happen but are afraid of the unknown, or you’re feeling trapped by rules regulations and people. Add green when new ideas and relationships are starting and if you are harboring feelings of envy, jealousy and greed.
Eating Green: Encourages balance, compassion for self and others and finding a way.
Wearing Green: can assist you to find balance when you feel restricted and trapped by external circumstances or if your ambitions are being impeded. Read more about Green and the chakra it influences.
B
Blue: is the throat chakra and it’s the fifth of the seven major chakras. It is the color of communication, all kinds of communication, talking, listening, learning and the exchange of information and viewpoints. It also relates to artistic expression. So, blue is the color of communication and expression. The vibration and energy frequency of blue also allows for us to commune with the universe at large as it relates to the physical body.
Add blue to your life if you are agitated and excitable or live in a state of chaos, if you need new information or to see things in context, or if there is a need for peace, solitude and rest.
Eating Blue: Encourages authentic expression and the ability to communicate effectively. It also supports and boosts the thyroid gland and areas within the mind and body that thyroid influences.
Wearing Blue will support the flow of easy communication whether with other people or listening to your own thoughts. It allows for good informational exchange, and presents an attitude of progression with a calm and open manor with self and others. Read more about Blue and the chakra it influences.
V
Violet: is the third eye chakra and it’s the sixth of the seven major chakras. It is the color of intuition, inner and outer vision and internal communication. Sudden clarity of awareness, realizations, innovative concepts and intuition are all a vibration of violet. The quality this frequency imparts for us to listen and commune with self. Violet can be beneficial when contemplating or meditating.
Add Violet if you need to develop your intuition, to trust self and others, to quiet the mind, relieve physical and mental pain, a need for space and solitude.
Eating Violet: Encourages the ability to see things as they really are and to see and create within your minds eye. Foods that are rich in this color can support effective use of your intuition.
Wearing Violet: can bring about a sense of peace and heighten your intuitive process. It allows you to listen to and trust self. Read more about Violet and the chakra it influences.
M
Magenta: is the crown chakra and it’s the seventh of the seven major chakras. It is the color of spirituality and power. It is the vibration that we recognize as bringing you closest to God. It allows us to be inspired by miraculous happenings. Magenta frequency is one of the most powerful healing colors that we can use as it impacts all other chakra colors.
Add Magenta: when you need to remove all obstacles from your life, when healing is required, when you need to re-balance life, be inspired.
Eating Magenta: Encourages a deep feeling of being connected to the Divine. It opens you up to be inspired and creates profound emotional balancing and healing.
Wearing Magenta can give you a regal bearing given its purple undertones and is the color of royalty. It states power and confidence. Read more about Magenta and the chakra it influences.