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What is color therapy? -

Color therapy, which is otherwise known as chromotherapy, is a form of therapy that uses color and light to treat certain conditions.

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Origins -

It is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, where people used sun-filled rooms with colored glasses for therapeutic purposes.

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Associations -

Nowadays, it is most often associated with Indian ayurvedic medicine, according to which the application of certain colors can realign our body’s chakras.

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In Western medicine -

Color therapy is still not widely accepted in Western medicine. Indeed, many experts consider it to be pseudoscience.

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Gaining traction -

That said, there is little to no risk in trying color therapy, and it has gained a certain amount of traction in recent years.

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Types of therapy -

The main premise of color therapy is that different colors can impact the body differently. Red, for example, may be used to energize or invigorate someone who is lacking in energy.

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Blue -

Blue is often used to influence depression and pain. Darker shades of blue are also believed to have sedative properties and are sometimes used to treat insomnia.

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Green -

The color of nature, green is used by color therapists to help relax their patients and relieve their stress.

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Yellow -

Chromotherapists often use yellow when they are trying to improve their patients’ moods and make them more happy or optimistic.

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Orange -

And, finally, there's orange, another color that is believed to elicit happy emotions, as well as stimulate appetite and encourage mental activity.

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Techniques -

Chromotherapists believe that colors can enter our bodies either through our eyes or through our skin. This means that there are two main techniques.

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Sight -

The first technique uses sight. It involves looking at a particular color in the hope it elicits the desired response in your body.

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Light on the body -

The second technique involves directly reflecting different colored lights on parts of the body.

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Unique frequencies -

Each color in the spectrum has a different wavelength and unique frequency, and color therapists believe that each frequency has a different effect on the body.

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Warm vs. cool -

In general, chromotherapists use warm colors for stimulating effects, while cooler colors are generally associated with calming effects.

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Alternative medicine -

As previously mentioned, color therapy is not generally accepted in Western medicine. As such, it is considered a type of alternative medicine.

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Uses -

Color therapy has been purported to help with a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, stress, sleep disorders, and skin infections.

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Important to note -

However, it is important to note that there is no significant evidence that color therapy is effective in treating any medical condition.

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The American Cancer Society -

In particular, the American Cancer Society has emphasized that the available scientific evidence does not support the use of light or color in treating cancer or any other illnesses.

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Trying it out -

Despite the unsubstantiated science, there is no harm in experimenting with color and light to see how it affects your well-being.

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Getting started -

A good way to start is by getting rid of blue lights at nighttime in order to improve your sleep.

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Blue light -

Studies have shown that the blue lights in our laptops, phones, and televisions affect our circadian rhythm, which in turn impacts sleep quality.

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Turning it down -

By wearing anti-blue light glasses or turning the light settings on our devices to warmer yellow tones, it may be possible to reduce this effect.

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Green spaces -

Another easy way to get started with color therapy is to spend more time in green spaces, such as forests and parks.

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Relaxation -

In many places around the world, there is an abundance of naturally occurring greens, such as leaves and grass, and these can positively relax us.

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Color therapy -

Another good way to practice color therapy is to be more intentional about the colors you surround yourself with.

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Color therapy -

Whether it’s the color of the clothes that you wear, or the color that you paint your walls with, aim to pick something that elicits positive emotions for you.

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Final thoughts -

To reiterate, color therapy is not a definitive treatment for any medical condition. If you are experiencing symptoms of mental or physical illness, it is important to seek medical treatment.

Sources: (Verywell Mind)

See also: The surprising pattern behind color names around the world

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