Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Ayruvedic Application of Healing with Color

COLORS ARE ALL AROUND US. WE ARE BATHED IN IT EVERY WHERE , BUT IF WE ARE
UNAWARE OF IT AND UNCONSCIOUS OF ITS INFLUENCE , ITS WEALTH IS NOT PROPERLY
UTILIZED

Caution: While color therapy may be an effective treatment for promoting
Relaxation and overall well-being, and as an adjunct, or complementary therapy
In treating some disorders and illnesses, individuals with serious chronic or
Acute health problems should not rely solely on the therapy for treatment.
Anyone with a chronic or acute health concern should seek the advice of a
Qualified medical practitioner.


I have known for quite some time that good information regarding Ayurvedic and
Natural remedies are scarce on the net, and getting scarcer because there is big
Money in selling of preprepared products. Products that can be prepared at a
Fraction of the cost and do not require a chemist or advanced training. I do
However recommend you talk to a practioner to get the proper guidance so you
Know which remedy you should be preparing.
Regarding Chromotherapy: It has become faux synonymous with colored light
Therapy, usually in water, but that is just part of it and while I understand
And have seen affects of color on the Divine Beings we are, it is also one of
The most abused areas I have witnessed and so my focus is mainly on colored
Bottles used to cull different or combined[or all] light spectrums into health
Remedies.
Another caution: New Age Adulteration of Age Old Naturopathy, whether it be
Ayuvedics, Herbology, the writings of Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Galen,
Paraclesus, Fuchs, Culpepper or any of the myriad of other great practitioners
Who are also integral to not only what is now known as "alternative" medicine,
But also traditional medicine.
The following article is good in its concepts, however I am going to make a few
Comments and a couple of changes which I will post in blue/jenna
MIRACLES OF LIGHT AND COLOR
The sun is the soul of universe. Sunlight is the basic source of all life and
Energy on earth. Sun-worship and the love of basking in the Sun date back to
Antiquity.
"Let there be light" was one of the first comments of the creator of the
Universe. In the year 1666 Issac Newton discovered that sunlight is a
Combination of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet colors of the
Rainbow(VIBGYOR), which he called a spectrum. The different visible colors are
Due to their different wavelengths. The three colors on one extreme I.e. Violet,
Indigo and Blue are cooling and soothing in nature. The three colors on other
Extreme I.e. Yellow, Orange and Red are hot and stimulating in nature. The green
Color in the middle of spectrum is a harmonizer color. It maintains the
Equilibrium between the hot and cold colors.

COLOR
It is the property of light. It is the ability to receive the vibrations of the
Light through the eyes. It is the most attenuated form of energy. Color is all
Around us. We are bathed in it everywhere, but if we are unaware of it and
Unconscious of its influence, its wealth is not properly utilized. The trinity
Of colors , The Red, Yellow, and Blue , finds representation in the three great
Elements of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen.
What is Chromotherapy?
Chromotherapy is also known as heliotherapy, solartherapy or colortherapy which
Means healing with the color or through the use of the color. It may be said
To be the science which uses different colors , visible or invisible to the
Human eyes, to change diseased vibrations into healthy vibrations. With it's
Roots in an ancient Indian medicine called Ayurveda, chromotherapy is based on
The theory that certain colors are infused with healing energies from the
Elements. The therapy uses the seven colors of the rainbow to promote balance
And healing in the body and mind. Color therapy, as it is sometimes known, was
Also prevelant in ancient Egyptian and Chinese Traditional Medicine.
Origins:
Color therapy is rooted in Ayurveda, an ancient form of medicine practiced in
India for thousands of years. Ayurveda is based on the idea that every
Individual contains the five basic elements of the universe: earth, water, air,
Fire, and ether (space). These elements are present in specific proportions
Unique to an individual's personality and constitution. When these elements are
Thrown out of balance through unhealthy living habits or outside forces, illness
Results. Ayurvedic medicine uses the energies inherent in the colors of the
Spectrum to restore this balance.

Color therapy was also used in ancient Egypt and China. 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.

Which therapeutic effects is each colour supposed to possess? Each of the seven
Colors of the spectrum are associated with specific healing properties.

Violet promotes enlightenment, revelation, and spiritual awakening. Practioners
use violet to soothe organs, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system.

Indigo is also sedative and calming. It is said to promote intuition. Indigo may
be useful in controlling bleeding and abscesses.

Bluepromotes communication and knowledge. It eliminates toxins, and is used to
treat liver disorders and jaundice.The blue ray is one of the greatest
antiseptics in the world. It is cooling and soothing color. The blue color
controls the throat centre. It can stop bleeding of lungs, dysentery,
inflammations of bowls etc. Violent and maniacal patient become calm and quiet
when kept in blue radiated rooms.Blue light has relieved many cases of high
blood pressure. Blue oil massage over the crown centre and the brow centre,
induces sound sleep. Foods containing blue color like Blue-berries(Phalsa),
Blue Plums(Jamun) etc. should be included in the treatment.Caution:These colors
should never be used in chills, rheumatism, gout, arthritis, cold and
respiratory diseases, like bronchitis and bronchial asthma etc.

Green is calming, and is used by Ayurvedic practitioners to promote healing of
ulcers. It is said to have antiseptic, germicide, and antibacterial properties
and is sometimes used by practioners to treat bacterial infections. Because it
is located in the middle of the color spectrum, green is associated with
balance. Green is the color of nature. It is neither hot nor cold and neither
acidic nor alkaline. It is the middle color of the spectrum. It is very good
color to through out the toxic matter. It is an eye tonic. It is a disinfectant
and germicidal detergent. It is an excellent blood purifier. It is also a muscle
and tissue builder.It has been found that Green affects the whole system and is
particularly beneficial for sympathetic nervous system. Green foods in the from
of raw green salads, green cabbage, green asparagus, green celery, green peppers
as well as green peas etc. should also be taken along with the treatment.

Yellow is a sensory stimulant associated with wisdom and clarity. Yellow is
thought to have decongestant and antibacterial properties, and is useful in
stimulating both the digestive system and the lymphatic system.Yellow stimulates
the third chakram or solar plexus, the great brain of nervous system. Yellow
activates all body functions except the spleen. Yellow charged water is one of
the most important medicines for chronic constipation, fevers, eye diseases,
skin diseases and chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, in conjuction
with other treatments. It stimulates heat, liver, kidney and gall-bladder.
Yellow helps in diabetes and stimulates the pancreas. Heart diseases and
depression etc. are well controlled with yellow color.It is very good tonic for
the nerves. It influences the higher mind and soul.

Orangepromotes pleasure, enthusiasm, and sexual stimulation. Ayurvedic
practitioners believe it has antibacterial properties and may be useful in
easing digestive system discomforts (e.g., flatulence, cramps).

Red promotes energy, empowerment, and stimulation. Physically, it is thought to
improve circulation and stimulate red blood cell production.It is the thermal
color. It is the element of fire. It is the warmest of all colors. It increases
circulation, vitality, energy and warmth in the tissues. It stimulates and tones
up the nervous system. It improves anemia and is an excellent color in all
blood deficiency diseases. It promotes circulation of the arterial blood. It
controls over the Adrenal Glands. It releases the adrenalin and stimulates the
sensory nerves. It is very beneficial in case of physical debility , polio,
paralysis, rheumatism, gout and arthritis. Red charged oil is used for external
applications and Orange - charged water is used for internal uses. The hot
colors are never used in empty stomach. Only 1/4th cup of charged water should
be taken fifteen minutes after each meal. Caution: These colors should not be
used in fevers, inflammation, diarrhea or excessive heat in the body.
HEALING POWER OF SUNLIGHT OR WHITE LIGHT:
It is the combination of seven visible colors or the rainbow. Sunlight has been
in use for healing since ages. Water solarised in colorless transparent glass
bottles acts as a good tonic for aged people . It makes up deficiency of calcium
in the children. We get Vitamin 'D' directly from the Sun rays.
NOTES: The color spectrum is composed of different frequencies and wavelengths
of light energy. Ayurvedic medicine uses the energy of colors to promote harmony
and healing. The colors are said to be imbued with certain healing properties
(i.e., red is energizing, blue is calming) and the vibrations generated by each
color balance the individual.

Practioners who practice colour therapy often relate the seven colors of the
color spectrum to specific areas of the body known as the psychic centers,
energy centers or chakras. In yoga, psychic centers are specific spiritual
energy centers of the body. The therapeutic action of colors is related to the
psychic or energy center they represent:

* first (root; or base of spine): red
* second (sacral; or pelvis/groin area): orange
* third (solar plexus): yellow
* fourth (heart): green
* fifth (throat): blue
* sixth (brow): indigo
* seventh (crown): violet
***
Different colors have been assigned to different planets. They are summed up as
below :
Red - Sun
Orange - Moon
Yellow - Mars
Green - Mercury
Blue - Jupiter
Indigo - Venus
Violet - Saturn
Ultra Violet - Rahu
Infra-red - Ketu
Different colors can be generated by different gems They are given as below :
Red - Ruby, Orange - Pearl, Yellow -coral, Green - Emerald, Blue - Topaz,
Indigo - Diamond, violet - Blue Sapphire, Ultra violet - Onyx, Infra-red - Cat's
eye.
Our body is made up of five elements. Each elements has its own color:
Akasha(Ether) - Sky Blue, Vayu(Air) - Green, Agni(Fire) - Red, Jal(water) -
Deep Blue, Prithvi(Earth) - Yellow
According to Ayurvedic system of medicine, there are three Doshas(Tri-doshas)
which are as under:
1. Vata (Ether + Air)
2. Pitta (Fire)
3. Kapha (Water + Earth)
Colors of five sense organs, when examined with prism are as below:
Eyes - Red, Skin - Violet, Nose tip - Green, Tongue - Orange, Ears - Blue
PRINCIPLE:
The general principle in color healing is to supply the color which the
individual lacks or to reduce a too abundant color. According to the Ayurvedic
system of treatment , there are three types of disturbances(doshas) in the body,
i.e.:

* (1) Vat(Wind) - It is indicated by accumulation of morbid matter or toxic
matter or foreign matter. It is balanced by Green color,

* (2) Pit(Bile) - It is indicated by excess of heat in the body. It is balanced
by cold colors(Violet, Indigo and blue),

* (3) Kaph(Phelgm) - It is indicated by the excess of cold in the body, It is
balanced by hot colors Yellow, Orange and Red.
A person is said to be in state of health so long as the colors of the spectrum
are in a hormonious state in the body.
A person is said to be indiseased condition if there is disturbance in the
balance of colors of the spectrum in the body.

MEDICATION BY SUNLIGHT
There are various methods of medication by sunlight. The method of color healing
is to create harmony in the nerves and all parts of the body and mind. some of
the methods are given below :
Surya Namaskar
Sun Bath
Charging solids, liquids and gases with colors
Color Radiation
Color Inhalation
Color Meditation
Color efficacy of Gems
Relationship between the visible colors and psychic/energy centers/chakras
Relationship between Herbs, Foods, Plants and their colors.
Color is radiant energy, which is visible. It appears as different colors due to
presence of photoreceptors called 'cones' in our eye.

There are 3 kinds of cones: one for blue, one for green and one for red color.

Combination of these colors leads to perception of other colors. When the light
rays of color enter our bodies, they stimulate the various endocrine glands
especially, the pituitary and pineal glands causing a variety of physiological
processes.

Blue Color It lowers the blood pressure, heart rate and respiration. It also has
a cooling effect.

Green Color It has a soothing and relaxing effect (like blue color) on the body
as well as the mind. It alleviates the mood in depressed and ill patients.

Red Color It increase the heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. It
simulates and warms the body. It is useful for anemic patients and patients with
hypotension.

Pink Color It relaxes the muscles and acts as a tranquilizer.
Orange Color It increases the appetite and decreases tiredness.
Yellow Color It has an energizing effect just as sunshine. Anything written on
yellow paper is easier to remember.

Black Color It increases self-confidence. However, it also decreases the
appetite.

Violet Color It suppresses the appetite. It is useful for migraine headaches

SPIRIT OF SHADES
Red
Increases blood circulation, alertness and self-confidence; decreases lethargy
and depression.

Orange
Increases confidence and joy; decreases loneliness and fatigue.

Yellow
Increases memory, persuasive abilities and charm; decreases desire to be
critical.

Green
Strengthens finance, luck and energy; reduces claustrophobia, indecisiveness and
anxiety.

Blue
Heightens tranquility and patience; lowers negativity and stress.

Indigo
Increases stability and rational thought and actions; decreases blood pressure
and impulsiveness.

Violet
Increases psychic ability and spirituality; decreases aggression and insomnia.

COLOR CONSCIOUS
By Ambica Gulati

We certainly could do with some color in therapy. But color therapy? That's
right. And it is really about healing with something as simple as color.

There is more to color than meets the eye. From time immemorial, colors have
been credited with miraculous healing powers. Sages of ancient India discovered
how the unique vibration of each color could help heal ailments, and this
knowledge was later codified in the Atharva Veda, ancient Indian scripture, as
Surya Kiran Chikitsa—healing with the sun's rays. In the Egypt of yore, temples
had special healing rooms where the sun dispersed the seven colors of the
rainbow. Today, this ancient healing technique is making a popular comeback
under the quasi-scientific label of chromotherapy.

But how do colors work their healing power? "The seven colors of the rainbow are
associated with the seven of the energy/psychic centers[aka chakras] of our
body," explains Dr M.C. Verma, a chromotherapist. "The muladhara chakra (root
center) is related to the color red, and the swadisthana chakra (cross center)
to orange. As we travel upward to the manipura (navel center), anahata (heart
center), vishuddhi (throat center), agya (third eye center) and finally the
sahasrara (crown center) chakras, the colors follow the sequence of yellow,
green, blue, indigo and violet respectively. Each of the energy/psychic
centers[aka chakras], in its turn, is related to a specific gland. So, a proper
use of color helps heal the body ailment concerned." For instance, red is used
to treat liver disorders, blue affects the pineal gland and green helps treat
pituitary problems.
According to Gita Ramesh, director of Kairali Ayurvedic Health Club based in New
Delhi, India, ayurveda links certain colors with the three basic doshas
(humors): Vata (colic) is associated with blue, pitta (bile) with fiery red and
kapha (phlegm) with light and luminous shades of yellow. Ayurveda also
recognizes the close relation that the five elements of the body—ether, fire,
air, water and earth—have with the world of colors: ether is associated with
light blue, water with deep blue, air with green, fire with red and earth with
yellow. Any disturbance in these elements leads to an imbalance in the physical,
mental and spiritual body that can be corrected by boosting the color concerned.

To do this,practitioners harness the five elements in colored bottles. "We fill
a colored glass bottle three-fourth with water oroil and keep it in the
sunlight, exposing it to ether," says Dr Verma. "Air fills up the little space
left in the bottle. Thus, all the elements are collected in the bottle."

*note: Oils are traditionally charged for 40 days.
According to reiki master Damini Singh, this singular technique works wonders.
Damini begins her day by drinking water charged in a green bottle and claims
that it "harmonizes the nervous system and keeps me active the whole day". Says
Damini: "If I don't drink green-charged water for a few days, I feel irritable
and disoriented." *note: this has a very powerful mind over matter facet and
belief is key here.
You can not only drink but also breathe color. Just put the required colored
bottle out in the sun for a couple of hours and then inhale the air within the
bottle. If this sounds tame, try sitting inside a thermolium, a wooden cabin
with colored glass panes. To keep your vital energy flowing smoothly all day
long, you could even wear clothes of naturally soothing colors.*note: this has a
very powerful mind over matter facet and belief is key here.
If nature is here, can technology be far behind? Gone are the days when color
therapy required the sun. The modern therapist makes use of colored bulbs to
give out radiation on infected areas. In fact, Italy has also invented a
chromotherapy machine called Chromogei that uses colored gel filters. In Delhi,
this machine is used by Joto, a company specializing in alternative healing
equipment. "Chromogei," says Neelam Khurana, director of Joto, "is more
effective than cellophane-wrapped bulbs as cellophane tends to fade with time."
*note: so replace the cellophane or buy colored bulbs, actually, cellophane
colored windows are preferable as they harness natural sun.
Colors have as much to do with the physical as with the metaphysical. In his
book Ayurveda and the Mind, David Frawley notes that many mantras (Hindu
couplets invoking deities) give out vibrations that are similar to the
vibrations of some colors. For instance, the mantra 'Ram' should be meditated
upon a red triangle.

In Magic and Mystery in Tibet, Alexandra David-Neel writes that the six
syllables of the basic Tibetan Buddhist mantra, Aum mani padme hum, are closely
connected with the six mystical colors: white, blue, yellow, green, red and
black.

In his book Surya Chikitsa, Dr M.L. Kathotia notes that colors can resolve your
past karma. The seven chakras of our body are centers of different karma, and
the negative karma can be taken care of by proper color visualization.

Color, in fact, has always been an integral part of our lives. Centuries ago,
when color was not mass manufactured, buildings and other objects were painted
with natural pigments. The Indians of New Mexico trimmed their earthen houses
with blue pigments. In India, you have the festival of Holi, where a vibrant
splash of color welcomes—and invokes—the fecund power of nature in all its
spring splendor.

Colors also trigger varying responses from different cultures. Christian brides,
for instance, wear white on their wedding day, signifying purity. In Japan, a
bride wears white to signify her 'death' to her family. The same white becomes a
color of mourning in India. For weddings, Indian brides prefer the passionate
red—symbolizing the awakening of their sexuality.

The rarer the color, the greater its significance. Gold symbolizes opulence and
divinity. Purple, on the other hand, signifies high order—so much so that at one
time purple clothing was only worn by priests and kings. In Greece, thousands of
murex shells used to be crushed in order to get a small quantity of this dye.

Colors, however, do more than look attractive. In fact, it might not take a
psychiatrist long to figure out your basic personality from the colors you have
done up your room in. Nicholas Humphrey, a British zoologist, links the visual
concept of colors to the evolution of colors in nature. According to him, we
respond to bright colors, for instance red, with the emotional part of our
brain. First, our muscles get tense, then we lean towards the color. Our
respiration and heart rate goes up and the blood pressure starts rising. The
opposite reactions occur when we see light colors such as blue. Our muscles
relax, the heart and respiration rate drops and the blood pressure lowers.

Since bold colors stimulate conversation, they are normally accentuated in
living areas and restaurants. Light, relaxing colors are best suited to
bedrooms. This link with the psyche also forms the core of chromotherapy.

Notes Dr K.K. Aggarwal, senior consultant in medicine and cardiology at
Indraprastha Apollo hospital, New Delhi: "The so-called therapeutic effect of
colors is largely psychological. It can't be proven empirically. But then,
perhaps this system needs no proof."

Unconventional words indeed from a man of medicine, but the kernel of truth in
such a statement cannot be avoided. For, at the end of the day, some questions
may not have a so-called rational answer.

What would life be without colors? Where do the sunbeams disappear?

To get "light" therapy at home without expensive machines and light fixtures you
can buy colored bulbs and use any lamp, you can choose specific paint colors for
you room, use safe vegetable dyes in bath water, colored candles and/or
lanterns, colored cellophane over your windows..be creative, this in it self is
empowering and therapuetic.
The article below gives you the biggest hint of why color therapy works and why
I believe it is a disservice to rely solely on those aforementioned, from the
article below is the crux of the concept mentioned frequently throughout this
thread: "colors come originally from the light of the sun. By accessing colors,
we access the healing properties of the sun". So it is vitally important that
as much as possible be sure you are getting the bulk of this remedy from the
sun, such as colored cellophane over your windows or remedies made with sun
infused oils. In fact to keep and maintain balance everyone should take benefit
from the sun, well or ill.
Here are a few more tips to 'color' your enviornment:

color me healthy

by mary thompson

The power of color to balance and beautify
We feed ourselves through all five of our sense organs. By what we take in
through our mouths, we can heal and build the body. But what we take in through
our other senses is just as influential to our state of health. We take in
sights, smells, sounds and sensations, and all of these provide for subtle
shifts in healing that can have profound effects. The treatment of the physical
and emotional state by taking in specific light and color is termed
chromotherapy, and has been shown to heal the physical body and to balance the
emotional state.

Chromotherapy has long been used as a healing modality. All colors come
originally from the light of the sun. By accessing colors, we access the healing
properties of the sun. Ayurvedic practitioners of old and new use colors as they
were found in nature to facilitate healing. When Newton discovered that the
light ray could be broken up into its colored spectrum, the colors of the
rainbow became accessible through a prism.

Colors begin to affect our mental state immediately and their effect is long
lasting. When using color therapy, consider the colors in the home and wardrobe
as a starting place for assessing and changing use of color. People may surround
themselves in healing color, incorporate color in meditation, or even in what
they eat and drink.

Ayurveda recognizes that the colors have profound and often immediate effects on
our mental states. We call the potential mental states sattva (calm leading to
clarity), rajas (activity leading to distraction), and tamas (inertia leading to
ignorance). Colors are assessed for the effect they have on our mental state,
and are chosen to enhance our state of mind. Most will benefit from choosing
sattvic colors for the home and wardrobe: white, blue, gold, green and violet
are considered sattvic.

When working with color, shading and tone play a significant role. To make the
energy effect of a color softer, lighten it; to dull the effect, darken it.
Specific colors have specific actions, for example:

Red is a hot color. It is considered rajasic (activating) and raises physical
and emotional heat when used. When you think of the effect this color has on
bulls, you begin to see the power of this color as a motivator.

Orange is a warming, stimulating, rajasic color. It can motivate creativity and
sexual expression. Orange draws attention, and indicates informality.

Yellow is also a warming, rajasic color. It is mildly stimulating, though
uplifting. It increases joy, expansiveness and lightness.[didn't colorize
this because it would blind you;)]

Green is a neutral color. It is considered sattvic (clearing) and healing.
Spending time with plants and trees, or beside water are excellent ways to
incorporate more green into your life and begin to heal on a subtle level.

Blue is a cooling, calming, expansive, sattvic color. Its use counters the
fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. This color is also
found widely in nature, in water sources and in the sky.

Violet is a neutral, sattvic color. It has a high vibrational frequency and is
often considered a spiritual color.

White is a cool, sattvic color representing purity and clarity. Meditation on
the color white expands the consciousness.

Black is a cool color. It is tamasic (dulling) and creates separation; it is a
color of divisiveness, and can draw one deeper into his darker nature. It can be
used as a color of renunciation to enhance spiritual practice by encouraging
separation of the self from one’s surroundings.

As a general rule:
* vata (expansive, frenetic) energy is pacified by warming colors, such as
yellow and orange and is disturbed by cooling colors and is aggravated by the
use of blue and white.

* Pitta (focused, fiery) energy is pacified by cooling colors, especially blue
and white, and is disturbed by heating colors and aggravated by the use of red
and orange.

* Kapha (steady, stagnant) energy is pacified by stimulating colors, such as
red and orange and is disturbed by dull colors and aggravated by the use of
brown, gray and black.

By starting with the home and the wardrobe, we can affect fundamental shifts in
our color consciousness. By incorporating accent colors that are beneficial to
our constitution, healing can begin on a subtle level that will affect change
throughout our lives.


COLOR CHARGED
Take a clean colored glass bottle or wrap a colored cellophane on a transparent
bottle.

Keep the bottle in sunlight.
Fill three quarters of the bottle with water.
Put a cork to stop dust from getting in. Clean the bottle at least once in a
day.

Don't let the cellophane fade.
Water takes six to eight hours to get charged. For emergency, you can charge
water for about two hours, but only in the morning sun.

about.com
http://www.reikinurse.com/colortx.html
www.natural-holistic-health.com/healing-with-color-therapy

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