The Color of Healing

When we think of colors, we think of rainbows, a sunset, the ocean on a sunny day and our lover’s eyes. And even though we are looking at varying wavelengths of energy, we forget that it is in fact just that... energy. And energy has an effect on the body at subtle levels. Chromatherapy is the idea of using color to heal. The idea of chakras has been around for longer than we probably know, and traditionally each chakra is associated with a particular color. But when we think about the fact that color is energy and that each color is a particular wavelength, vibration rate and frequency, then we can begin to understand the true meaning of this ancient philosophy of health and healing... a way to bring the body’s varying energies into balance.

There are seven chakra points located at the mid-point of each area of the body from the top of your head to the base of your spine. Each chakra is thought to affect the energy of various areas of the body and be related to a particular color. By bathing the body in color, there are therapies through light, clothing, jewelry, minerals and art that achieve healing that more traditional methods have not been able to achieve.

By opening your mind to the possibilities, you may be able to find the answers you have been looking for...

Base Chakra — the color is red. This color would be used to treat blood disorders, low energy, to raise body temperature and blood pressure and restore vision. The base chakra affects the legs, feet, bones, large intestine, spine, nervous system and gonads.

Sacral Chakra — the color is orange. This color is used for depression, kidney and gallbladder stones, chronic bronchitis and muscle cramps. The sacral chakra affects the skin, reproductive organs, kidneys, bladder, circulatory system, lymphatic system, adrenal glands and sexual energy.

Solar Plexus Chakra — the color is yellow. This color is used for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the motor nerves, skin issues, hearing, rheumatic and arthritic conditions and to increase calcium reserves. The Solar Plexus affects digestion and absorption, the breath, the diaphragm, the stomach, duodenum, gallbladder, liver and pancreas.

Heart Chakra — the color is green. This color is used for balance, as an antiseptic, for cancer and to restore the sense of smell. It is contraindicated for pregnancy. This chakra affects the heart, circulatory system, lungs, respiratory system, immunity, the arms, hands and the thymus gland.

Throat Chakra — the color is blue. This color can dispel tension, fear, palpitations and insomnia. It is the opposite of red and so can lower blood pressure. This chakra affects purification, the nervous system, female reproductive system, the vocal cords, ears, thyroid and parathyroid.

Third Eye Chakra (the brow) — the color is violet. This color is used for psychological disorders including schizophrenia. Some have gone so far as to paint their bedroom violet to achieve balance. This color also can lower melanin production, reduce sciatica and affect the scalp, nervous system and the sense of touch. This chakra affects the eyes, nose, ears, brain and pituitary gland.

Crown Chakra — the color is magenta. This color is used for tinnitis, benign cysts, detached retinas and to help the person to simply "let go". This chakra affects the pineal gland, so your body clock is related to this chakra.

As you may notice, there are more than one chakra and more than one color that can have an effect on particular glands, organs and systems. That is because each body function has myriad aspects and so for instance one can affect the lungs, while another affects the breath and breathing.

There are even combinations of colors and mid-colors that can be used in the healing process. Red with Turquoise is used for infection, while Indigo Blue is used for the eyes, ears, throat and as an anesthetic. Turquoise alone helps to boost immunity and has a beneficial effect on the thymus gland and the lymphatic system.

Incorporating color therapy into your daily life can be simple, inexpensive and very subtle... but the effects may be worth millions.