Many of you may already be familiar with methods of alternative medicine and natural healing. Aromatherapy, homeopathic treatments and herbal medicine are words we have become very familiar with in the past ten or so years; however, there is another word that many of you may have heard before, but because it lacks a suffix of –therapy or –pathic you may think that it has nothing to do with the above.
The word I’m referring to is Ayurveda. To understand its meaning we need to look at it consistence. Ayus means life and health while veda means complete knowledge and science. Ayurveda, or The Science of Life, originated in the Indian Subcontinent. It examines the creation of the universe and human beings. Ayurvedic medicine aligns with elements of our daily lives and the state of the Three Levels of Existence: the material “crass” of the body, the mental body and their inner nature combined.
How is This Considered Medicine?
Ayurveda focuses on how people get sick. Many of the Ayurvedic scripts are based on preventative medicine, which focuses on how to keep ourselves healthy. By respecting and accepting our true nature and living in harmony with our environmental and non-environmental surroundings, we can prevent many illnesses.
Prevention does not stop there, of course. If a person falls ill even when living on the right path, Ayurveda provides ways for healing, curing ailments and restoring that person’s health to its prior state, if not even better than before. One of the healing therapies of Ayurveda is through the use of color.
How Colors Affect our Lives.
We feed and nurture ourselves by using our five senses to absorb everything from food to information to knowledge. As the famous saying goes, “We are what we eat’. Our health and well-being are just as connected to what we absorb physically as they are to our senses.
The way colors affect our lives may be discrete but it is very significant. Colors affect our emotional and physical state. They affect our emotions on a cellular level and they can help us heal if used correctly. In contrast, colors can also cause illness if not used properly.
Ayurvedic Chromo Therapy.
The treatment of our physical and emotional ailments with Ayurvedic theories about color is called Ayurvedic Chromo Therapy. Ayurveda connects each color with one of the physical Doshas and with our mental states. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the Doshas of our physical health.
Vata guides the elements that control our nervous system. Vata represents the elements of air and ether; therefore, much like in astrology, this dosha represents quick thinking, intelligent conversation, and high energy. Pitta controls everything from our internal organs to our skin. It is connected to the elements of fire and water, which means a Pitta person is more likely to have a fiery and passionate personality. Oily skin is also associated with this dosha. Last but not least, Kapha represents elements that control our bodily fluids, from water to mucus. These elements are earth and water and in people of this type, there is a certain calm and solidity.
When we connect to color, there are many states we can invoke. Sattva is a peace of mind that leads to enlightenment, rajas are the action that distracts us, and tamas is inactivity that makes us docile.
How to Color Properties Relate to the State of Our Physical Being.
Blue, red and yellow is connected to Vata, Pitta, and Kapha respectively.
The color blue directly relates to our nervous system. It has the ability to bring forth calmness and patience and gives us the necessary state of mind to overcome the problems, stress, and anger caused by everyday situations.
The color red is connected to our organs and blood flow. It helps us stay active, thus allowing us to have a stronger heart and better blood flow. It motivates us to be more confident in our choices and actions. It also encourages us to make better decisions about our health.
Last but not least, the color yellow affects all our bodily fluids. As simple or unimportant this might seem, it plays a very important role in the way our bodies function. Yellow harmonizes the excretions in our bodies. It balances hormones and allows us to feel and look better.
Colors Make us Happier!
Colors can play a big part in the health of our physical bodies as well as our spiritual essence.
I am sure that many times you might have found yourself in a place where the color of the walls or the furniture was invoking certain emotions within you. Sometimes you walk in a home and the colors have created a unique feeling of coziness and warmth and other times a feeling of distancing and aversion.
Every color Ayurvedically promotes a certain mental state.
Red is a passionate color. It is considered Rajasic, as it promotes activity and movement. It is a fiery color that produces emotional heart and feelings of love or desire.
Orange is another Rajasic color. It is also warm and promotes activeness but it has a greater effect on creative and sexual expression. You can use orange to make something more noticeable. It can also be used to give a sense of familiarity and intimacy.
Yellow is considered a Rajasic color as well; however, its effect is far more subtle. It has the ability to make you feel more joyful and light, as well as create humorous conversations and situations.
Green is considered Sattvic. It is the color of peace, calm and healing. Green is found abundantly in nature and that is the best place to truly experience its powers. Spending time in nature with green all around is a very good way to start healing your emotional imbalances.
Blue is another Sattvic color. It has the same calming effect as green; however, it works its magic in a different matter. We all possess an involuntary brain response that kicks in when we find ourselves in a bad situation that can make us coward away or become hostile. Blue has the ability to calm that type of reaction. Also found in nature, all you have to do for a little dose of healing is turn your eyes to the sky.
White is another significant Sattvic color. It is often used in meditation, as it is well-known for its calming effects. White signifies enlightenment and also purity of the mind and soul.
Black is the only Tamasic color on this list. Mostly its effect on us are not of good nature. It tends to promote feelings of withdrawal into one’s darker self.
Start Painting a Colorful Life!
In order to change your life and make it happier and healthier, all it takes is painting it with new colors. Start with your wardrobe or your house. You can even choose the colors of the foods you consume if you so desire. One thing is sure, once you find the balance in your own palette, life will be a much more colorful experience!
