An Introduction to Chromotherapy and the Chakras
How light therapy can invigorate your Chakras to help you live a disease free & balanced life
Fields of Arts have used color to evoke emotion since man first learned to paint. But does science stand behind it?
Though artists and painters understood and utilized color as a medium to evoke human emotion, it was much later that fields of science like psychology were to give their support to the color theory in evoking human psychological responses.
But science was yet to catch up (Isn’t it always catching up?). White light comprises seven colors and all those colors have their own frequency and vibration. That is when science made its contribution to what the ancients across the world had believed in and utilized for a millennia. At this intersection lies Chromotherapy.
What is Chromotherapy?
Chromotherapy aka Light therapy is the practice of subjecting the human body to various colors to treat ailments and diseases. Sounds flimsy?
Let’s define chromotherapy in scientific terms. Chromotherapy is practice of subjecting the human body to specific frequencies of electromagnetic spectrum to treat ailments and diseases.
Colors are nothing but different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, which are visible to the human eye. There are other frequencies beyond that spectrum, which the human eye cannot perceive and hence, they are invisible.
Have you heard of ‘Winter Blues’?
Humans have been describing it as a seasonal complaint since forever. Usually at the change of seasons, a person often goes through a change of mood and a phase of depression.
Now, it is medically diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and doctors recommend light therapy for it.
Light and specific colors trigger a specific reaction in the brain’s biochemistry, which stimulates hormones and balances out the body.
Chromotherapy states that every color has a unique sedating or stimulating effect on the energy produced by every organ of the body. And the very color can be used to balance the organ which has been showing abnormality in its functioning.
Not surprisingly, the energy system of Kundalini, places seven concentrations of energy inside the human body called the Chakras. The first, called the Muladhara or the Root Chakra starts beneath the tailbone of the spine and is characterized by the color Red. As the Kundalini energy rises up the spine in a serpentine motion, each chakra opens up. As it reaches the top it opens the seventh chakra – the Sahasrara or the Crown Chakra. This chakra’s energy is characterized by Violet color.
The seven chakras in the Kundalini are linked to the glands inside the human body. And thus, each of these chakras bears a physical and emotional connection with the body, just as the glands do. The balances of the chakras manage the secretions of the hormones from these glands and affect the related organs of the body.
Using Light Therapy, we stimulate the inactive chakras to release energy inside our body. Since the colors relate to the specific organs, any maladies of the body can be positively affected using chromotherapy. And it is not just physical maladies which can be remedied but the psychological issues to. In fact, the most immediate effects of light therapy are seen on the psychological states.
You need to understand at this point that the use of colors is to stimulate the chakras. Chakras can be stimulated and energized using other practices like – the eight limbed yoga sutras of Patanjali. But given our lifestyles, light therapy offers simple and a more easily available approach.
In the chart underneath, you will find the various associations of each chakra.
The Root Chakra
Color – Red
This chakra being the root chakra is associated with the sense of being grounded and calm. It affects the areas of hip, kidneys, legs, and colorectal issues (like piles, hemorrhoids). As we see in our life, Red is the color of fervor and zeal. Thus, this chakra causes aggression and anxiety along with self-doubt and insecurities, if in an overactive state.
The Sacral Chakra
Color: Orange
This chakra is situated along the spine around the lower abdomen area. It bears an impact on the testicles, ovaries, cervix, and uterus and affects their maladies. As is evident by its physical association with the body, it is liked with the psychological states of desire, arousal, and fantasies. It affects relationships and our association with people.
The Solar Plexus
Color: Yellow
Situated below the ribs this chakra’s position enables it to affect the liver, stomach, spleen and the intestinal area, and the pancreas. Have you ever noticed jaundice, which is an ailment of the liver, turns the body’s color yellow? Most of the ailments around the gastro-intestinal area usually produce such effects. The physical manifestations, in this chakra’s unbalanced state, also cause diabetes and ulcers. The Solar Plexus affects the confidence of a person and their outlook towards life. An active Solar Plexus makes a person optimist and an inactive solar plexus causes pessimism.
The Heart Chakra
Color: Green
As its name, it is situated along the spine and nest to the heart. Its position allows it to affect the areas of heart, chest, and breasts. Its energetic positioning affects a person’s generosity and lovingness. An inactive Heart chakra will make a person jealous, miser and indifferent, and unloving.
The Throat Chakra
Color: Blue
Situated at the throat, it affects the throat, lungs, food pipe, mouth, and gums. This chakra gives one the power of speech. It enables the person to speak their truth and their mind. An imbalance in the energies of this chakra limits a person’s ability to communicate. This may cause bottled-up feelings or feeling of loneliness due to inability to communicate with others.
The Third Eye
Color: Indigo
It has a huge significance in the practice of Kundalini as it is the one chakra before the final. It is the chakra associated with the ability to see all. Once this chakra opens it activates the higher senses of perception, intuition, visualization, and wisdom in general. Physically its effects can be felt on the eyes, nose, and ears. An unbalanced chakra often causes ENT ailments. And psychologically it manifests as lack of perception, social acumen, clarity in life, and imagination.
The Crown Chakra
Color: Violet
This is the final chakra and since it is placed at the top of the brain, it affects the source itself – the human and his or her existence. It is where the psychology of the human begins. In simple terms, it is associated with the sense of ‘I am’ or self-esteem.
As you now have a basic understanding of the Chakras and the effects that their colors have on their energy, let us now look at some of the ways you can use chromotherapy to balance your body and live a healthy life.
Chromotherapy Exercises
The Colorful Breathe
This one is an exercise which combines mindfulness with deep breathing (Pranayama) to stimulate the chakras.
Sit in a comfortable meditation position with your spine erect.
You can use a cushion underneath if seating otherwise is difficult for your posture.
Sit in a place full of light though sitting under direct sunlight is not necessary.
The place should not be dark as it blocks the energies.
Close your eyes and breathe.
While breathing you have to focus on
the chakra
its location inside your body
the related color.
With these three things in mind, when you breathe in, feel yourself surrounded by the energy of that color.
As you breathe in, your body absorbs that color.
It is going in through the pores of your skin; it is going through your breath.
This color is energy.
As this energy goes inside your body, it reaches the chakra and begins to strengthen your chakra.
Imagine the energy residing in your chakra zone and healing your body. Feel that the energy is healing your body and organs.
The hormones are now being secreted adequately and you feel better.
After around 5 minutes of meditation, you are free to open your eyes gently and welcome yourself back to the world.
You can do this exercise twice a day (mornings & evenings) and you can increase the time as your mind stabilizes.
The Colorful Bask
Just like the mindful incorporation of color stimulates the chakras, the physical effects are also potent on your brain and your body.
For this, you must sit in the light of the color of the chakra that you want to affect.
If you prefer to do it during daytime, you can use colored lamps or one of those modern bulbs which can change colors.
We found one for your reference here.
This one links with your phone and you can set an app.
If you want to light a scented candle or incense to bring an aroma, that is even better.
You do not need to completely darken the room and let only that light come it. You can let it mix with the ambient natural light.
Sit on a chair, or lie on a couch/ bed.
Turn your phone off and absorb the light.
Let it sink in your pores. And heal your body.
You can choose to keep your eyes open or close them from time to time.
An ideal period for this exercise is 20 minutes a day.
Remember that chromotherapy relies on the holistic body and your state of mind. So, get yourself in a state of mind and let your body heal. You can harness the power of this therapy not only to deal with the physical maladies but also with your psychological states of existence. If something hurtful is bothering you, take a bask in the color Violet or the color Yellow. Haven’t ‘they’ always been saying to a sad person ‘Go take a walk outside and you’ll feel better.’? Funny enough, light therapy, in its essence, has been around all along—we just didn’t know it.