Since the beginning of recorded time, it has been believed that light and colour can energise and calm down, make happy and sad, irritate, and heal. Colour affects our moods and health, the way we think, and the way we are perceived by others.
Historically, every culture has used colour for different customary rituals. In the last few decades, the powerful impact of light and colour on the human body has turned this into a form of healing art - Colour Therapy (sometimes known as chromotherapy). Today, Colour Therapy is used as a practical tool in daily living and can be a beautiful addition to enhance our yoga practice.
Each colour consists of electromagnetic waves which vibrate at different frequencies. The reason that we see colour is that these vibrations are received by the sensitive photoreceptors in the retina of the eye, called cones. These can translate the vibrating energy of each object into colours, sending messages to our utmost powerful control centre – the brain.
In turn, the brain generates the release of certain hormones and neurochemicals depending on the messages it gets. For example, by looking at a particular colour you may stimulate or suppress pituitary and pineal glands located in the centre of the cranium. These glands regulate the function of hormones governing metabolism and growth of the body, sleep patterns and blood pressure functions, appetite, and thirst sensations.
By simply being exposed to a particular colour, it is believed to have a wonderful ability to help in treatment and prevention of unwanted conditions.
Colour therapy in daily life
Today, therapists use colour therapy as an alternative completely non-invasive method to restore energy and boost the natural immunity bringing vitality to the mind and body. Therapists believe that as light and colour is received and absorbed through the skin, it works on the entire body bringing harmony to growth and sleep patterns, nervous and immune function, mood, digestion, and appetite.
Colour Therapy may involve exposure to coloured lights, massages using colour-saturated oils, visualising and meditating with colours. By using filtered floodlights or small beams of light to bathe the skin in different shades, practitioners use this for both physical and emotional problems, treating the body as a unit, as one whole and complete self.
Colour therapy for a yoga practice
Using colour therapy is a wonderful technique you can use to enhance your yoga practice. Since each colour has a different meaning, try to match these with your current state of being and what you want to achieve from the session of asanas.
For example, if you are depressed, feeling dull and lack the energy to get you going, try to visualise or even surround yourself in red and violet, colours from the warm end of the spectrum. These colours will invigorate your spirit, re-energise the body, and shift your mood in the positive direction.
If you feel anxious, restless and can’t seem to find concentration, head to the cooler end of the spectrum. Blue, green, and indigo tones will calm your rushing mind, ease tension in the muscles and joints and bring awareness and focus.
Colour meditation
Colour Therapy Meditation is based on the theory that each pigment has its own individual vibration which impacts your brain in different ways, just like different sounds and breathing patterns used in meditation. Colour Meditation is something you can practice by yourself for personal healing.
One technique involves sitting quietly while focusing on a single colour, whether on a small crystal, a picture, a flower or vase, a pained card, or a coloured light. Use your imagination and see what captures your eyes in the moment. Using colours in your daily meditation practices can help you to achieve deeper relaxation and healing.
Get creative
Awaken your inner child with mindful colouring or intuitive painting. Make a feast incorporating all the colours of the rainbow. Plant brightly coloured flowers in your garden or on your windowsill.
Decorate your yoga space with coloured lights, candles, cushions, and yoga props. Add a small table draped with a colourful cloth as a focal point. Incorporate crystals, gems, paintings, plants, flowers, figures, basically, anything that uplifts and inspires you…