Did you know the colours you see can have a great impact on your mood, health and energy? Think about how you feel if you walk into a room with red walls? Or how do you feel when you see the blue ocean on a hot day? Or the uplifting happy colour yellow often makes you think of the daffodils and the sun.
Colour therapy is a non-invasive form of treatment and goes hand in hand with aromatherapy - using another one of our senses to help bring the body to balance and achieve vitality and wellbeing.
So let us look at the colours of the rainbow and how they can impact on our health?
Blue: Soothing and cooling - Blue is perfect to wear in summer as it helps to cool the body. It can alleviate tension, stress, relieves insomnia, anxiety and even high blood pressure. Often in herbal medicine plants that contain active ingredients with blue (eg blue chamomile) are very good for inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.
Purple: Nurturing and creative - Purple has long been known as the colour for royals. It also has great affects on encouraging imagination and creativity, it uplifts and calms the mind and nerves. I often think of the bright purple saffron flower, although the orange stigma is used as medicine and as a spice, the purple flower is vibrant and holds the stigma, which is specific for its benefits with the nervous system and stimulating the mind.
Red: Stimulating and energising - Red is very heating for the body and brings a surge of energy. Think about the bull running for the red flag, or the expression “they are seeing red”. It is true as this colour can raise blood pressure and stimulate circulation. It is often used to help alleviate feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.
Green: Balance and harmony - Green is my favourite colour and reminds me of beautiful nature, it really is the symbol of nature and the natural world. Its also said to be the colour that genius pick. Im not sure about that but It has been shown to ground the body and bring it back to balance. Its represents tranquility and good health and is also said to have a calming affect on the body and mind.
Orange: Vitality and enthusiasm - My other favourite colour is orange - its been shown to increase oxygen to the brain and produce energising affects and stimulate brain activity. Its a great colour to wear when exercising. It is attention grabbing as well as a soothing colour often associated with autumn and sunsets.
Yellow: Cleansing and uplifting - the colour yellow has long been associated with the liver and digestion. Its is also bright and cheery, energetic and attention grabbing. Interestingly it also can bring out feelings of frustration (which is linked to its connection with the liver) and it is not a good colour for baby’s as studies show its a colour that makes them cry more. However its great for those cold winter drab days when you need some gentle warm and happy uplifting, Think of the beautiful sunflower with its bright yellow flower.
Another interesting thing to note is that certain colours suit certain constitutions or doshas as they are known in Ayurvedic medicine. For example:
Vata: Vata personalities often need grounding and balancing - soo they need colours that are warm and calming - White must be a staple colour, as with violet, blue, yellow and even deep reds.
Pitta: Pitta’s are hot in nature - thus they need cooling to stay balanced - pastel colours are great for this as they help to ease tension, blues and greens and rose are all beautiful colours to help cool the pitta personality. In general they should stay away from reds as this can be too heating and stimulating for them.
Kapha: Kapha personalities need stimulation and energising - so bright hot colours are there favourites to balance them. Red and oranges needs to be staples in their colour schemes as this helps to boost energy and stimulate them.
So next time you choose something to wear or when you are about to buy a new cushion cover for your bedrood, give some thought to how the colours will affect your mood, energy and health.
I often say “you are what you eat” but now I might add “you feel what you wear”, so wear some red for energy and uplifting, blue to cool and sooth the mind and body, yellow to bring purity of mind and uplifting feelings, orange for vitality and energy, green to balance and harmonies with nature or purplefor creativity and nurturing.
If you want to learn more about what your Ayurvedic constitution is and how this can affect your health and vitality - book an in depth consultation with me and we can get you on the journey to vitality and wellbeing.
In health and happiness
Sarah Emily Herbalist
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