By Elena Voropay

Since the beginning of recorded time, it has been known that light and certain colors can energize and calm down, make happy and sad, heal and irritate. Historically, every culture have used color for different customary rituals. But the powerful impact of light and color on the human body have turned these into a form of healing art and alternative medicine modality of Color Therapy.

The medicinal properties of Color Therapy were uncovered by historians and anthropologists from age-old treasures and brought to new horizons of modern awareness and understanding. Ancient Egyptians looked at nature and reflected its vibrant colors in all aspects of their lives. The floors of temples were green and blue as the grass and the river. They believed that red, yellow, and blue corresponded to the body, soul, and spirit, respectively and used colored gels, cloth filters, gems and crystals as remedies for many diseases. The cure was believed to come from the reflection of shining sunlight that was conveyed into vibrating energy of color.

The Atlantans are said to have used light and color to treat physical and emotional ailments, strengthen relationships and assist in childbirth, reconnect with inner self and help the dying in their transition from earthly to spiritual life. They built circular temples with a domed roof from interlocking crystals. The magnificent interplay of colors coming from sunlight and crystal reflection filled the temple with the spectacular energy which was used in special rooms for healing.

Indian Ayurveda to this day refers to colors as sources of subtle energy when describing the seven main Chakras of the body. They represent nexus of metaphysical forces of the entire body and go from the base of the spine to the top of the head physically corresponding to different organs and glands. Also referred to as 'auras', they vibrate around the body at certain frequencies projecting electromagnetic fields which can be translated into colors of the rainbow.

Greeks built healing temples of light and color. A common practice amongst the Romans was to treatment by sunlight, known as heliotherapy. In Europe, a German Acupuncturist Dr. Peter Mandel integrated color into his practice and developed a system where different acupuncture points on the body correspond to certain color vibrations. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), each organ is associated with a color. In qigong, healing sounds are also associated with a color, which in turn corresponds to a specific organ and emotion. Chromotherapy in the East is also applied in practice of Feng Shui which believes that placement and arrangement of objects in the environment may guide to harmony or balance.

The first major breakthrough into the therapeutic use of color were carried out in Europe during the early twentieth century. Rudolph Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, related color to form, shape, and sound suggesting that the vibrational quality of certain colors is amplified by some forms, and that certain combinations of color and shape have either destructive or regenerative effects on living organisms. In the schools inspired by Steiner's work, classrooms are painted and textured to correspond to the "mood" of children at various stages of their development.

Rudolph Steiner's work was continued by numerous researchers all finding evidence that color preferences demonstrate states of mind and glandular balance and that certain colors have measurable and predictable effects on the autonomic nervous system.

After all, the complexities of all studies all bring to the uniform explanation – color is the giving vital force of all beings. How does it work?

The Power Of Color

You know that everything has energy. Life itself is pure energy. If you have ever felt the vital force of color vibrating from the environment, you have come one step closer to being connected not only with your spirit, by with your physical senses as well. The reason is that color consists of many electromagnetic waves which vibrate at different frequencies.

The reason you see color is that these vibrations are received by the sensitive photoreceptors in the retina of the eye, called cones. These are able translate the vibrating energy of each object into colors and send the 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. And color perception is an extremely significant influencing factor. For example,the brain 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.

Any imbalance of energy influences the corresponding organ or gland leading to changes in all body systems. Hormonal disturbances, mood fluctuations, impaired digestion and other illnesses may all be caused by many different events, but something as simple as being exposed to the correct color has a wonderful ability to help in treatment and prevention of unwanted existing and potential conditions.

Today, natural therapists use color and light as an alternative completely non-invasive method, known as Color Therapy, to restore energy and boost the natural immunity of the body bringing vitality to one's life. The method of color therapy is based on the theory that different freq

uencies of body fields may be changed by applying corresponding frequencies projected by colors. Therapists believe that as light and color is received and absorbed through the skin, it works on the nervous system changing the chemical balance. They suggest that correctly applying this modality may change the production of neurochemicals in the brain leading to optimal state of growth and sleep patters, nervous and immune function, sexual behavior and mood, digestion and appetite.

Medical Evidence

While more research needs to be done in this area to prove the therapy's effectiveness, some early studies show promise. In a preliminary study in the journal Headache, 98 percent of patients (49 out of 50) with migraine headaches reported big improvements after being treated with goggles that alternately illuminated the right and left eyes with red light.

In another study, red light was emitted onto the knees of 50 patients with osteoarthritis of the knees. Those who received the red light therapy reported that their pain was significantly reduced as compared to the group that had no light emission.

The most clinically supported use of light therapy includes the use of light boxes in the treatment of for stress-related ailments, mood disorders, sleep problems, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is a condition induced by lack of sun light exposure when you don't get enough outdoor natural rays of energy from the sky.

What To Expect From the Therapist

Used to treat both physical and emotional problems, Color Therapy may involve exposure to colored lights, massages using color-saturated oils, visualizing and meditating with colors. By using filtered floodlights or small beams of light to bathe the skin in different shades of color, practitioners use this modality to treat the body as a unit, as one whole and complete self.

Depending on what's being treated, a variety of colors are applied to corresponding body parts. This technique has shown to restore disrupted energy within each organ and bring it to the genuine natural state of equilibrium.

Meaning of Colors

RED stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, respirations and blood pressure, excites sexual glands. It warms us and awakens us physically and energizes our blood. It is a good color to wear when we have colds and poor circulation. Too much red can over stimulate and make some illnesses worse.

ORANGE is the color of joy and wisdom, energy and internal connection. It stimulates appetite and it is a good color for illnesses of the colon and digestion.

YELLOW is the color of wisdom and emotions. It energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite and helps in digestive problems.

GREEN has a calming and balances effect on the nervous system. Soothing and relaxing, green color ease from depression, anxiety, nervousness. Since green stimulates growth, it should be avoided in cancers and other tumors.

BLUE is calming and cooling to our system and hence, a good color to counteract hypertension. Spiritually it is the color of health and connects us to holistic thought.

INDIGO is the color for healing. It stimulates immunity and enhances intuition connecting us to our unconscious self.

VIOLET is cleansing, strengthening, and awakening. It has the power to suppress appetite restoring the peaceful environment. It affects the skeletal system of the body and is a good color for improving immunity, cancerous conditions, and arthritis. It also purifies the system and is an excellent color for headaches and migraines.