Chromotherapy is an alternative medicine technique that claims to cure various physical or mental disorders by using colors.
Chromotherapy is an alternative medicine technique that claims to cure various physical or mental disorders by using colors. Most practitioners of modern medicine believe that this technique lacks scientific evidence. Few studies have demonstrated a positive outcome in people when color therapy was used in addition to the standard treatment by a professional.
However, soft, neutral (or perhaps even muted) colors such as crème, beige, lavender, and pastel may help some people relax. Because blood pressure may be influenced in part by stress or anxiety, exposure to these colors may temporarily lower or stabilize blood pressure.
Blue light therapy is often claimed to help mood disorders and anxiety perhaps by influencing the biological clock. Studies for the same are underway. Some studies have reported that people with anxiety were more likely to associate their mood with the color gray. Yellow is widely recognized as the happiest color in the world. Yellow symbolizes happiness and warmth in almost all cultures. Below are few other colors that may help people with anxiety:
- Gold
- Green (restful and quiet color)
- Light blue (especially natural blue in the mornings)
- Indigo
- Magenta
- Turquoise
However, excess of blue and green colors is better avoided. For people who have high stress levels or who struggle with anxiety, color therapy can be inculcated along with standard treatments under the supervision of mental health professional.
What is chromotherapy?
Chromotherapy is also called color therapy. Color therapy is an alternative therapy that uses colors and their frequencies to heal physical and emotional problems within the human body. Color therapy is also known as chromopathy or color healing.
- It is often incorporated into other types of psychotherapy in addition to being practiced on its own.
- It is classified as a vibrational healing modality, and it uses living things or earth objects in some cases.
- A color therapist may ask you to close your eyes and imagine scenes that are rich in colors designed to evoke the emotions that will lift you out of depression or reduce your anxiety.
- The goal of color therapy is to correct physiological and psychological imbalances in the human body. For instance, if you're stressed, color therapy can help soothe you so that you can regain your psychological balance. If you're depressed, color therapy can be used to invigorate you and give you increased energy.
For example, a blue room may be used to promote calm and relaxation during an acupressure or reflexology session. Green plants may be used to facilitate healing. It all depends upon the therapist, disorder of the person, and symptoms experienced.
Chromotherapy uses six basic colors:
- Red: It is known to escalate the body’s metabolism with vibrancy and passion and overcome depression. Red color claims to connect us to the earth.
- Orange: It has a gentle warming effect, increases immunity, and is claimed to be the best emotional stimulant.
- Yellow: It helps mental stimulation. It gives us clarity of thought, increases awareness, and stimulates interest and curiosity.
- Green: It is good for tired nerves, will balance emotions, refreshes the spirit, and encourages us to feel compassion.
- Blue: It is a mentally relaxing color that has a pacifying effect on the nervous system and brings great relaxation. It is ideal for sleep problems and hyperactive children.
- White: White contains an equal balance of all the colors of the spectrum, representing both the positive and negative aspects of all colors. It offers an inner cleansing and purifying of your thoughts, emotions, and ultimately your spirit, refreshing and strengthening your entire energy system.
Summary:
- Colors are visible light energy that enters our body through the eyes. They are thought to stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands, and the consequences are the production of hormones. Evidence for the same in large-scale studies is however lacking.
- Certain colors have a role in your moods, behaviors, and thoughts.
- Blue light has shown to be useful in treating certain mood disorders; however, its damaging effect on the eyes is a cause for concern.
References
The Effects of Room Color on Stress of Room Color on Stress Perception: https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=jur
The Benefits of Chromotherapy: https://canadianspacompany.ca/blogs/news/the-benefits-of-chromotherapy
