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Color Therapy
Intro:
-According to Ameridisability.com, "Color therapy has been suggested (though not proven) to positively impact academic performance, aggressive/hostile behavior, asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, blood pressure, bronchitis, dyslexia and learning disabilities, enhanced athletic performance, epilepsy, insomnia, lethargy, lung cancer, migraine, muscle relaxation, prison reform, stress, uterine fibroids and vision disorders."
-"Colors have certain biological and psychological effects on people, and I think it’s about time we start taking advantage of it,” says Mohab Ibrahim, PhD, MD, associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.
Brief History of Chromotherapy:
-Chromotherapy, aka Color therapy is a centuries old concept. It was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece, India and China.
-Egyptians used sunlight and color for healing with their medicinal uses dating back to 2000 BC. People during this time were unaware of the scientific facts of color therapy but still held strong beliefs in their power. Red, blue and yellow were known to be healing colors.
-According to Egyptian mythology, the art of chromotherapy was discovered by the god Thoth.
-"The ancient Ayurvedic physician Charaka, who lived in the sixth century BC, recommended sunlight to treat a variety of diseases."
-In The Canon of Medicine, Persian philosopher and physician Avicenna (980–1037), saw color as of vital importance both in diagnosis and in treatment. He wrote that "color is an observable symptom of disease" and also developed a chart that related color to the temperature and physical condition of the body. His view was that red moved the blood, blue or white cooled it, and yellow reduced muscular pain and inflammation.
-Researcher and scientist Edwin Babbit "presented a comprehensive theory of healing with color. He identified the color red as a stimulant, notably of blood and to a lesser extent the nerves; yellow and orange as nerve stimulants; blue and violet as soothing to all systems and as having anti-inflammatory properties. Accordingly, Babbitt prescribed red for paralysis, physical exhaustion and chronic rheumatism; yellow as a laxative, emetic and purgative and for bronchial difficulties; blue for inflammatory conditions, sciatica, meningitis, nervous instability, headache, irritability and sunstroke. He also stated that ‘all vital organs have direct connection with the skin through arteries, blood vessels and capillaries, and color rays can affect the entire blood stream through circulation and elimination of toxins."
-"American scientist Dinshah P. Ghadiali discovered that there is a unique color or energy vibration that either sedates or stimulates the stream of energy through a specific organ, causing a natural biochemical reaction. By knowing the action of different colors upon the different organs and systems of the body, one can apply the appropriate color that will balance the action of any organ or system that has become abnormal in its functioning or condition. When this balance is disturbed, mental and physical problems occur. The aim of the science of color healing is to cure disease by restoring normal balance of color energies of the body. Ghadiali established that particular areas of the body respond to particular colors; these areas are similar to what the ancients called ‘chakras’.
-"Alexander Schauss, director of the American Institute for Biosocial Research, said color had a direct physiological impact. The electromagnetic energy of color interacts in some still unknown way with the pituitary and pineal glands and the hypothalamus, deep in the brain. These organs regulate the endocrine system, which controls many basic body functions and emotional responses, such as aggression."
-"During the 1950s, studies suggested that neonatal jaundice, a potentially fatal condition found in two-thirds of premature babies, could be successfully treated by exposure to sunlight."
-"Bright white full-spectrum light is also now being used in the treatment of cancers, SAD (seasonal affective disorder, so-called winter depression), anorexia, bulimia nervosa, insomnia, jetlag, shift working, alcohol and drug dependency, and to reduce overall levels of medication."
-"The blue light found to be successful in the treatment of neonatal jaundice has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as emphasized by Pleasanton in his work. In studies by McDonald, most of those exposed to blue light for variable periods of up to 15 min experienced a significant degree of pain relief. It was concluded that the pain reduction was directly related both to the blue light and to the length of exposure to it. Blue light is also used in healing injured tissue and preventing scar tissue, as well as for burns and lung conditions."
-"In the United States, ultraviolet has become a standard treatment for psoriasis. And white fluorescent light, in conjunction with photosensitizing drugs, is widely used to help heal herpes sores."
-"The successful use of blue light in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders and depression. At the other end of the color spectrum, red light has been shown to be effective in the treatment of cancer and constipation and in healing wounds."
-"Chromotherapy is now used to improve the performance of athletes; whereas red light appears to help athletes who need short, quick bursts of energy, blue light assists in performances requiring a steadier energy output."
-"By comparison, pink light has a tranquilizing and calming effect within minutes of exposure. It suppresses hostile, aggressive and anxious behavior. Pink holding cells are now widely used to reduce violent and aggressive behavior among prisoners, and some sources have reported a reduction of muscle strength in inmates within 2.7 s. It appears that when in pink surroundings people can never become aggressive despite their desire, because the color saps their energy. In contrast, yellow should be avoided in such contexts because it is highly stimulating."
-"Research in Russia during the 1960s showed that one in six experimental subjects could recognize color with their fingertips after only 20–30 min training, and blind people developed this sensitivity even more quickly."
-"Dr. Jacob Liberman's work concerns hormonal changes as a result of exposure to sunlight. Of course, sunlight is a perfect blend of seven colors; different colors are responsible for the release of different kinds of hormones, which keeps us healthy."
Ways to use color therapy:
Environment design- using colors in your environment to stimulate or calm down one’s nervous system and/or responses, (eg: wall color, bedding, rugs, furniture etc.)
Food- if you feel that a chakra is out of balanced or you want to feel energized/relaxed, eat the color for your specific needs. For instance a yellow banana for energizing power or lavender tea as a way to wind down and relax.
Color yoga- blends color concentration with chakra opening poses.
Color gear- wear the color to fit your needs, eg: red for stamina or green for balance. (https://www.itszen30.com/)
Colorpuncture- developed by Peter Mandel, a German naturopath and acupuncturist who viewed the body and mind as a single continuum constantly informed by light, colorpuncture involves the application of colored light frequencies to “acu-points” on the skin. Each color consists of different wavelengths and stimulates intra-cellular communication, according to colorpuncturists.
Crystals- use crystals during mediation or carry them on your person to help balance the chakras that are not in harmony.
Additional Notes
To help with blue light irritation/ strain (stop watching or looking at tv, your phone, car deck etc.) 30 min before bed to have a restful slumber.
20/20/20 Eye Rule: Every 20 minutes / Look 20 feet away/ For at least 20 seconds
Color allergy - colors you don’t like
The colors you don’t like or are adverse to are probably related to the chakras that need the most healing.
Energy meridians; eating foods to correspond with the organ as a way to bring balance to the body
For red eye: Optique 1 Homeopathic eye drops/ Liquid msm eye drops
Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson
Sense by Russell Jones
Body of Health by Francesca McCartney
Sunning/ Sun Gazing- at sunrise/ sunset, let the sun bathe you without glasses or contacts, no more than 30 minutes.
Sources:
https://www.ameridisability.com/post/how-color-therapy-benefits-people-with-disabilities
https://www.itszen30.com/collections/all
http://www.arttherapyblog.com/online/color-therapy-healing-an-introduction/#.YCwX8ZNKjdI