What Is #ColorTherapy Really?

Maybe you’ve recently seen the hashtag #colortherapy popping up all over your Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds. Even Instagramers are taking to posting photos of their #colortherapy creations, and just about everyone who has tried is raving about this new type of stress-reliever, praised as being even more effective than yoga.

What is #colortherapy? In the land of social media, it’s the new adult coloring book craze. I was intrigued when I first heard about it. I definitely get it. I love to play with colors and am excited that more people are joining in on the fun. I wonder though, do color book enthusiasts really know the full story on color therapy and how big a favor they’re doing themselves by lighting up their life with color?

Color therapy is also known as chromotherapy, a method of treatment that uses the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation to promote a healthy mind and body, and helps balance our individual chakras (our body’s energy). Color is absorbed not just by our eyes but also our skin which means that light and color therapy affect us on all levels, physical, spiritual and emotional. In short, color is healing.

Incredibly, our bodies need the sun’s light to survive and that light can be broken down into a seven color spectrum as named / created by Newton himself. You know this spectrum, you see it after the storm clouds pass in the form of a beautiful rainbow. Each color of the rainbow when used correctly can address and alleviate specific wellness needs.

Here are some examples of how color can be used as an alternative treatment (for a full definition of what chakras are and how they affect you, check out this article):

Red

  • Red, of all the colors, has the slowest rate of vibration and the longest wavelength. It can be used to infuse energy and to fight anemia and cold feelings, or numbness. Red is associated with the Root Chakra.

  • It makes sense that orange is present in things associated with warmth like sunlight and fire, since the color orange can be a tool to combat depression. Use orange light if you’re suffering from gout or ulcers. Orange is connected to the Sacral Chakra.

  • Green, often found in nature, affects the Heart Chakra. Surround yourself with green when you’re seeking harmony, or to alleviate chest pain.

  • Yellow is best known for its ability to uplift, instill joy and help concentration. Yellow lighting is often used to help with jaundice, and controls the Solar Plexus Chakra.

  • As the Throat Chakra color, Blue light can be a remedy for laryngitis, the hiccups, or influenza. Try using blue to soothe stress and promote tranquility.

  • For a deeper connection to your spirituality, grab some Indigo. The Third Eye Chakra of Indigo is a combination of both Blue and Red, and has a stabilizing, freeing affect.

Purple

  • Lastly, if you’re fighting an earache, you may want to try basking in a Purple glow. Sometimes known as the color of royalty, Purple is the Crown Chakra, or a go to color for mental wellness.

The takeaway here is that no color is bad, and all colors are beneficial. I recommend using every color possible in your daily life, whether through #colortherapy or some adding some new Mood-Light additions to your home. Remember, there’s no wrong way to use color.