The Joy and Healing of Colors

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Originally appeared in
Earth Star Magazine April/May 2005
By Rosemary Gaddum Gordon, D.B.O., M.A.

At this time of the year in New England we are often starved of certain colors. As I look outside I see blue sky, very white snow, bare gray trees and some dark green pines. No reds, oranges, yellows or bright purples. It is true that if I stand in just the right place I can see sparkling spectrums in the snow that give me the whole rainbow, but it is only a tidbit compared to what is available to us in the summertime. Our eyes have evolved to respond to a particular portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, from deep violet to bright red. These colors enliven our world and bring us joy. There is evidence that color has also been used for its healing properties since the days of Ancient Persia. Each color has different qualities and is associated with different moods, different chakras.

Good health requires that we be in balance. One way to help maintain that balance is to make sure we are getting a broad range of colors in our visual diet. There is a lovely meditation I learned from Jacob Liberman O.D., Ph.D., which allows us to discover whether we are in need of a particular color. You can do this any time you are sitting quietly, and it is especially beneficial if you do it while palming your eyes. (See Vision Tips October/November 2004). Close your eyes and take a few deep, calming breaths to soothe your nervous system. Now imagine the color red filling your body, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Notice if it’s easy or difficult to let yourself be filled by red. Do you welcome or resist it? Be aware of how you are breathing and feeling. After a minute or so, allow orange to fill you from your crown to your feet, and experience your responses in the same way. Continue this process with yellow, then green, blue, indigo and violet. Spend enough time with each color to experience the felt-sense of it and your responses.

If you find you welcome and love every color then you can rest assured that at this time you are in color balance. If you felt resistant or uncomfortable with one or more colors, those are the colors that need replenishing. Look at you surroundings, your current wardrobe and at the food you eat and see if those colors are included in your life. Even if they are, your system is wanting more, so add them somewhere. For example, if blue was a difficult color, you might eat some blueberries, look up at the sky more often and allow you eyes to feast on someone’s blue coat on the bus. Notice, as you look at the color, how it feels in your eyes, in your body and in your mind. For a banquet of colors, take yourself to an art museum, or the Tropics or the mall.

Remember that a banquet can be tasteless if we are not noticing what we are ingesting. Let your eyes bring nourishment all the way to your soul.

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