What is it?
Colour therapy and healing (also known as chromotherapy or light therapy) is a type of holistic healing that uses the visible spectrum of light and colour to affect a person’s mood and physical or mental health. It is the science of using colours to adjust the body’s vibrations to frequencies that result in health and harmony. Each colour possesses frequencies of a specific vibration, and each vibration is related to different physical symptoms, which many believe contribute to specific properties that can be used to affect the energy and frequencies within our bodies. The unique frequencies and vibrations of various colours can influence emotions and enable healing.
How do you use colour in colour therapy?
You can incorporate colours into various aspects of your life from food, rooms in your home and clothing. So for example;
- You can paint different rooms in your home with specific colours to heal and treat certain physical, emotional and spiritual conditions and issues.
- You can use different coloured foods for different chakras, for example, eating yellow coloured foods such as bananas, yellow peppers, lemons, pumpkin and pineapple to heal your solar plexus.
- You can put water or other beverages into specific coloured glasses to drink from.
- Different colour crystals can be used for different spiritual ceremonies, during meditation or as jewellery for healing.
- When doing energy healing you can use place different colour crystals on different parts of your body to balance the different chakras.
- Wear specific colours and jewellery to heal and balance your different chakras, for example, for your heart chakra you could wear green clothes or jewellery that contains green crystals such as jade.
- During divination or spiritual ceremonies or rituals you can use specific colour candles to channel certain energies. For example, you can light red candles if you are seeking to invoke health, energy, passion and vitality.
- Colours can also be used in meditation. When meditating visualise the specific colour in your third eye or a flower that is of the same colour blooming in your third eye. Then envisage that colour flooding your whole body and aura and sit in that for a while.
So let’s get into the colours!
Black
Black is where all of creation and all other colours comes from. Black is necessary for all other colours to have depth and a hue variation. It resonates with all the colours of the chakras. The black colour represents the absence of colour. It is a mysterious colour that is sometimes typically associated with the unknown or the negative. It can represent both the positive and the negative. As the opposite of white, the media has typically depicted everything associated with white as being good pure and angelic and everything associated with black as being bad or dark. But this is not always true!
The colour black represents strength, seriousness, power and authority. It represents the unconscious and mystery. Black is associated with power, fear, mystery, strength, authority, elegance, formality, death, evil, aggression, authority, rebellion and sophistication. Authoritative and powerful, the colour black can evoke strong emotions and too much black can be overwhelming. It affects the mind and body by helping to create an inconspicuous feeling, boosting confidence in appearance, increasing the sense of potential and possibility, or producing feelings of emptiness, gloom, or sadness.
Visualising the color black or meditating in a dark room can help promote deep meditation. You can sit in the dark alone with no light to allow your mind to show you symbols and images that can be messages from your higher self or guides. If your aura is black it is a sign that there is some kind of blockage or something being hidden. Black candles can be used to remove curses and hexes. They can be used for protection and to repel negativity, to release stress, negative thoughts and feelings. In my culture, black is the symbol of grief. It is worn by people when going to funerals. It is a sign of mourning, death, and sadness. Black birds such as crows or ravens are seen as a gateway to the supernatural. Seeing a dead crow may symbolise that someone is ascending or about to pass.
Blue
This colour is known as the colour of spirituality. Blue is the colour of the ocean and the sky which provide a sense of peace, calmness and tranquillity. It is a soothing colour which is associated with trust and harmony. Blue symbolises intuition, inspiration and inner peace. It is the colour of the throat chakra, which is associated with communication. So, you can improve your communication, expression, willpower, expression of true will and walking your talk by incorporating the colour blue in your life. The colour blue is associated with truth, patience, domestic harmony and organisation at home and in the workplace. Physically, the colour blue is associated with ailments related to teeth, gums, sore throat, high blood pressure, any kind of nervous breakdown or nervous tension. The presence of blue in our auras indicates calmness, serenity, contentment, spiritual development and gratitude.
Brown
Brown is the colour of the earth and represents practicality, material success, concentration and study. In the aura it indicates being down to earth and having common sense. It is also associated with the throat chakra. It is used in earth related rituals and blessings. To promote focus and concentration, put some coconut oil in a brown jar, cover it and leave it outside for 15 days. Use this coconut oil by tapping on forehead to improve concentration and focus. Alternatively use a brown headwrap to promote focus and concentration. Brown candles can be used for the following rituals: locating lost objects, real estate and construction related projects, finances and food blessings.
Gold
Gold has all the other colours encompassed in it and therefore represents all of the chakras. Gold represents understanding and luck. It is the most powerful healing colour, but so powerful that many are not able to stand it initially and must be conditioned to it through other colours. In the aura it represents service to others. It has a masculine energy. The pineal gland emanates the colour gold, similar to the sun’s rays. Use gold for, or to promote, a positive attitude, attraction, justice, beauty, splendour, status. luxury, exaltation, deep joy, illumination, wisdom, ecstasy, peace, comfort, trustworthiness, self-valuing and worth. The timeless wisdom of the Egyptian, Mayan, and Aztec cultures all embraced the transmutational qualities of gold in their religious practices, their jewellery as well as in their art. Use gold candles in solar eclipse rituals and in rituals that pay homage to ancestors. This colour can also be used on the seven chakras. Too much gold can cause imbalance that may lead to false modesty, self-righteousness, cheating, deception, delusion, an addictive personality, fear, nervousness, greed, confusion and disgust.
Green
This colour reminds us of nature and the environment – life, forests and plants. It is therefore the symbol of health, youth, birth, rebirth, renewal and fertility. It also symbolizes good luck, money and prosperity. You can use green in your meditation when you need healing or renewal. Green is the colour of the heart chakra. It governs emotions, compassion, love, truth and forgiveness. The presence of green in our aura indicates balance, peace and even healing abilities. This is the most basic colour of all in healing. It is the colour which you always use first and last in healing and is the safest to use. It can be applied all over yourself or it can be concentrated on to any one part of the body. The green should be taken from the middle of the colour spectrum, neither too blue nor too yellow. For healing, you can use some type of a colour lamp . To apply you must be relaxed while the green light bathes the whole front of the body for five minutes and the back for five minutes. Then you can start using other colours. Use the colour green for love, self-control, prosperity, emotional healing, growth, good luck and to stay energised. Wear green clothes to attract positive and healthy interactions with people and to convey sympathy and compassion. Green is the bridge between our will (represented by the colour yellow) and God’s will (represented by the colour blue). It also represents self-acceptance, self-love and the body, mind and spirit being in harmony. Green represents regeneration, compassion, love of the earth, harmony with nature and her laws, trust, faith in love and generosity. In addition it is associated with discernment, capability of making decisions and sound judgments, negotiation, prosperity consciousness, balance, compromise, contentment and being centred. When imbalanced this colour represents self-doubt, self-imposed limitations, jealousy. Selfishness, withholding, envy and greed.
Indigo
This colour symbolises the inner mind, cosmic consciousness and faith. This colour symbolises the inner mind. It is associated with intuition, consciousness and psychic abilities. Indigo is used in meditation to achieve relaxation, reassurance and also to increase psychic abilities. It is the colour of the third eye chakra. It also governs the quality and clarity of our thoughts and intuition. Indigo is associated with psychic ability. In healing, use indigo for relaxation, reassurance and promoting psychic abilities. It also helps us to open up our psychic abilities, interpret our dreams and remember past lives. If your aura is indigo, it signifies a seeker of spiritual truth. Use Indigo coloured candles help to stop people from gossiping and telling lies about you, to reclaim lost dignity, to overcome depression and to communicate with the deceased (when used with a silver candle).
White
White is associated with truth, purity, cleansing, healing and protection. It is a good general healing colour for the removal of pain and suffering. In the aura it signifies a high level of attainment and is associated with a higher level soul incarnate to help others.
Lavender
Lavender is associated with knowledge and intuition. Use lavender in food, scrubs and essential oils. If you are having guests over, add lavender buds in their water, tea or have a lavender plant in the room. It protects you from negative energy and helps change a person’s negative attitude of you. Lavender promotes love, peace and purification. It attracts friendly people to you. If you are indecisive you can use lavender candles, sheets and pillowcases in your home to help you become more decisive. Lavender can also be used for rituals relating to past life karma. It also helps with dream interpretation. Imagine lavender on forehead/third eye and the dream will reveal itself to you.
Orange
Orange symbolises the individual’s relationship to the external world, the needs and wants of the physical body and the ways in which these are satisfied. In healing, orange may increase immunity and sexual energy. In the aura orange signifies thoughtfulness and creativity. It is the colour of harmony and can lead us to enlightenment. This colour symbolises affection and sensuality. It also denotes our relationships with the outer world, the material world. Orange is colour of the navel/sacral chakra which governs our emotions, sensuality, intimacy and creativity. When orange is present in the aura, it symbolises thoughtfulness and creativity. This is a stimulating colour that is associated with the reproductive system, lower extremities, sex, ovaries, testes, uterus, spleen, liver, bowels, kidneys, heart and any organ which helps to promote good circulation. This colour can help with PMS, creativity, new ideas, sexual repression and stimulating mental enlightenment.
Pink
Pink is a feminine colour associated with the heart chakra. It represents unconditional love, friendship and conviviality. In the aura it signifies balance between the spiritual and the material. It is associated with emotional healing, spiritual healing and relationship healing. It is associated with unconditional love, caring, feminine intuitive energy, awakening, the ability to receive love, compassion, serene love, nurturing and spiritual sexuality. When unbalanced it can represent sexual addiction, possessiveness, the need for warmth and extreme problems with material issues.
Purple
Purple is associated with power, both earthly and spiritual. In healing, purple is used for becoming one with Spirit. In the aura purple signifies higher spiritual development and enlightenment. This colour is associated with wisdom, influence, spiritual power, making contact with the spirit world and changing one’s luck. It can also be use to drive away negative energy. Use this colour to gain confidence, independence, dominance and when feeling reclusive.
Red
Red is the most vibrant colour of all. It draws our attention easily. Red is about power, energy and the life-force itself. It speaks to creation and it’s structure – the physical or material side of life. Our blood is red, which symbolises energy and strength. Red also indicates passion, courage, creativity, strength, physical activity, creativity, warmth and security. It is also a warm colour that gives us security. It is the colour of the base or root chakra which governs our survival and sexual instincts. It keeps us in the material world and links us to the physical life. The presence of red in the aura denotes materialism, materialistic ambition, a focus on sensual pleasures and a quick temper. In healing, use red to bring warmth and “burn out” ailments. Red is a powerful colour and should be used in moderation. It is a masculine energy that energises and is associated with rage, anger, danger, warnings, control, anger, aggression, war (warrior energy), courage, protection, valour or loyalty. It is also associated with materialism, spending, abundance, base emotions and survival issue, controlling and manipulating others and circumstances to your advantage.
As the colour of materialism and the base chakra it represents the connection to our mother earth- and the physical “grounding” of one’s own energies. As such, the tie-in to Indigenous cultures acknowledging “the good red earth”, actually pertains to the life “blood” of the planet, and speaks to our most fundamental issue on the physical level – “survival”. As the colour of the “root” or first chakra, red speaks to fertility and sexual/procreative issues. Symbolically, we use red roses to indicate our passion or love. This colour has the affect of holding people and situations at a distance, therefore it is extremely protective in an isolated way. If you are seeking separation or detachment, or are making an effort to ground yourself so that you may focus more objectively on a situation, this colour is your greatest ally. If a change of any sort is needed and you wish to kick-start the process, energise with red. This is the colour of spontaneity (the spark), awareness and concentration of mental energy, so if one is already out of sync with oneself for any reason, red will create chaos, stress and negative detachment.
Yellow
Yellow is the symbol of intellect, creativity, happiness and the power of persuasion. This colour symbolizes the power of persuasion. But it also considered the colour of cowardice. Yellow is the colour of the solar plexus chakra. This chakra is often called the power chakra because it is the governor of the personal power. When our aura is more yellowish, we are powerful. Yellow is associated with wisdom. Physically it is associated with our spleen, liver, stomach, pancreas, gall stones, diabetes and small intestines. It is great for helping stimulate nerves, driving negativity away and for memory and concentration.
A concentrated beam of yellow light about the size of a tennis ball applied at the base and at the front of the neck, has been found very valuable for cases of nervous conditions and for cases where some mental blockage or other shows itself. The mental blockage may be brought on by bad circulation which caused the brain cells to be starved of lymph and blood. It may be caused by incorrect breathing, which brings about mental deterioration more quickly than anything else or it may be the result of a nervous breakdown or severe mental strain. In the latter case it could no longer be considered a mental blockage, but rather – mental tiredness. Yellow is the colour which will relieve this type of condition. The normal time of application is twelve minutes altogether, therefore if it is applied over the front and back of the head, and the front and back of the neck in concentrated form, it should last for three minutes on each place on the bare skin. You can also use yellow to promote clarity of thought. In the aura yellow signifies intellectual development, for either material or spiritual ends.
Violet
This colour symbolizes the healing of our mind, body and spirit. It is a gateway to our spirit. Violet is also the symbol of cosmic consciousness, awareness of being, the Universe and spirituality. It is colour of our crown chakra which governs our relationship and connection with the spirit and the spiritual world. You can use this colour every time you meditate to open a connection to Spirit. Violet can be used all over the body, but I suggest that it is confined mainly to the forehead, the back and front of the head, the back and front of the neck and in concentrated form over the heart and between the shoulder blades for a total time of fifteen minutes. Violet tends to bring great relaxation and, like blue, can often be felt as waves of coldness. It does not stimulate basic circulation, but it does stimulate the flow of the more subtle energies throughout the psychic centres and the nervous system. Because of this it is especially beneficial when used on the forehead and neck. It indicates spiritual and physical power. The presence of violet in our the aura denotes higher spiritual development.
Coral
The colour coral has been identified as the “New Christ Ray”. It resides between red and orange and is the first ray on the newly emerging chakra row, which runs right and parallel to the kundalini. This new chakra row is now manifest in those souls who have acknowledged and holistically integrated their spiritual selves. As the “first rung” in the secondary chakra system, making peace with coral is the First Element of evolvement to illumined consciousness – that is – being able to love ourselves. This is the “true wisdom of love” and as such, is the long awaited awakening of the Christ Consciousness within us. Living coral is enabled to grow and flourish in our oceans and seas – but it can only do so by giving up its individuality and attaching to another piece of the whole. In this respect, coral is representative of the self and universal consciousness. For thousands of years, mystics and holy persons of many cultures have worn coral or saffrom robes, in an effort to support their quest for an awakening of their “Bhudda” or “Spiritual Body”. When imbalanced it represents misdirected sexual energy, competitiveness and survival (material issues). On one side, coral indicates resolution in all relationships or the ability to discern where resolution is needed and deal with it. It is associated with protection, awareness of dishonest people and situations, unresolved relationships and the inability to accept and give joy because of it. This colour represents an understanding of universal one ness as opposed to attachment to the self.