While working towards becoming an energy healer over a decade ago (I became a Certified Reiki Master back in 2001), I absolutely loved learning about the healing powers of color.
As I learned more about the different qualities of each color, I
began to notice which colors I gravitated towards: what colors I felt
like wearing each day, the colors I painted my home, etc. For example,
our kitchen was yellow to promote health and vitality and our bedroom
featured blues for a calming, restful sleep.
Now that I know Penelope has Sensory Processing Disorder,
I am pulling out every healing tool from the depths of my brain and
soul and trying them out in different ways to work with her. Here are
some ways that we are working through her SPD with color therapy:
Calming Color Circles. After school, Penelope needs
an opportunity to integrate everything that got poured into her “sensory
cup” so that she is not so overwhelmed. I like to give her a quiet
activity to give her senses a break. I put out two calming color
combinations to choose from, pink and light blue, and orange and dark
blue, and let her pick what colors she wants (similar to working with crystals,
kids know EXACTLY what color they need to work with). Then I ask her to
draw a page of circles. Over and over again she fills the pages with
circles and begins to calm, process, and organize her system after the
craziness of school.
Green Walls. Green lies in the middle of the color
spectrum; being neither warm nor cold, so it creates balance. We often
retreat to the green of nature when we need space, calm and a sense of
peace. Using green within decor helps create a feeling of harmony and
balance. I purposefully painted Penelope’s room before she was born a
very light shade of green, and before we moved last Spring, I went to
great lengths to line up a painter to come and paint her room the exact
same color so that it was there for consistency and I knew it was the
color she needed.
Play Silks. These have long been used for play in
the hippie/homeschool community familiar with Waldorf and Montessori
styles of education, and I am sure instinctively this crowd new about
the healing properties of color too. Penelope and I will play with the
silks in a playful way but also set our intention the the color is what
is needed for healing in that moment.
Again, I will display them all for her and ask her what color she needs. Then
I let her hold it and play it with it as she wants. Then at some point
I ask her to lay down so I can cover her in the color silk she picked
or wrap her up in the silk. And because I am Catholic who also happens
to believes in things like energy healing, crystals and color therapy, I
always pray too. I pray and ask that God, who created the light and
the colors, use the genius that He created to heal Penelope and balance
her nervous system. These are the play silks we have, I like that they are softer shades of the rainbow, because Penelope is so sensitive to bright colors.
School clothes. It is no wonder that Penelope’s
favorite color is pink and she picked over half of the school uniforms
to be pink. She also picked purple and blue. We were forced to buy a
dark green shirt, because although the kids can pick what color uniform
shirts or dresses they wear, they all have to have at least one dark
green shirt for all school functions and field trips.
Crystals. Crystals are a form of color therapy because
they are well, colorful! So the other day when I cleaned out my
jewelry box, I gave her some of my shorter length crystal necklaces that
I used to wear in collage. So now she has a collection of
necklaces-turquoise, amethyst, garnet, amber and rose quartz. I let her
pick which necklace she wants to wear for the day in the morning when
she gets dressed. And sometimes I will get out my crystal collection
and just let her pick one to put in her pocket or play with. Again, she
knows exactly what she needs.
If you are interested in color therapy for yourself or your kid,
here is a run down of what each color means and energy it gives:
RED is hot, initiating, pushes
through, fire, igniting, stimulating, vitality, anger, life-force
energy, revolution, change, ambition, grounding, Earth, power, war,
passion, alert, danger, pioneering, activity and force without
consciousness, blood, positive, aggression, liberation, survival,
material side of life, primal, awakening, emerging. In relation to the
physical body, RED is good for circulation, chronic illness,
non-infected wounds, scar tissue, strengthens kidneys, heart, muscles,
blood, lungs, bones. RED lives in the Root or Base Chakra.
ORANGE is joy, happiness,
warmth, creativity, pleasure, sensuality, sexuality, generosity, moves
energy gently, awakening to wisdom within oneself, sociable, aspiring,
gregarious. In relation to the physical body, ORANGE is good for
depression, cramping anywhere in body, relaxant, sclerosis, heart
disease, boosts immune system, circulation, raises blood pressure,
artery disturbance (especially in legs), genitals, fear (alternate with
blue), endocrine balancer (when used with blue), cleans and purifies
hormonal system. ORANGE warms the Sacral Chakra of creativity.
YELLOW is mental activity,
learning, intellect, acquired/learned knowledge, little will,
individuation, alertness, concentration, focus, cheerful, sun, warmth,
cleaning, fear, left brain, empowerment, self-esteem, confidence. In
relation to the physical body, YELLOW is good for combating fear
(obsessive, habitual), digestion, stomach, gall bladder, liver, immune
system, fortifies endocrine and nervous systems, nerve tonifier, motor
stimulant, assimilation, lateral disturbances, helps chronic to become
acute. YELLOW clearly says “here I am” in the Solar Plexus Chakra.
OLIVE speaks of new beginnings,
hope and peace. It is the color of new spring growth, life coming out of
dormancy. lives in the area of the xyphoid process which is the bridge
between the lower and higher Chakras.
GREEN is sedative, cooling,
calming, soothing, fluidity, growth, balance, money/prosperity, birth,
new beginnings, nature, health, healing, heart, loving, expansion,
curiosity, good for people who do precision work, space, trust,
feelings, integrity, harmony, seeking Truth, relationships. In relation
to the physical body, GREEN is good for liver, swelling or growth,
anti-inflammatory, eye problems, bronchial catarrh, gout, diabetes,
cysts, tumors, pituitary stimulant, washes out endo-toxins, promotes
healthy bones, painful joints, allergies. GREEN abides in the Heart
Chakra center.
TURQUOISE is bridging color,
higher heart, making contact with yourself, communication of the heart,
creative communication, studying and gathering information, learning,
unconditional love, self-respect, respect for all life, taking
individual responsibility, silica technology: crystals, computers,
media. In relation to the physical body, TURQUOISE is good for immune
system, skin (burns and infections), mental relaxation, acidic,
tonifier, regulates lung/large intestine systems. TURQUOISE stimulates
the Thymus center, or Higher Heart Chakra. This Chakra has only been
recently awakened by cosmic time. TURQUOISE resonates at the Higher
Heart Chakra located at the thymus gland.
BLUE is calming, deep inner
peace/”peace that surpasses all understanding”, nurturing Mother and
protecting/benevolent Father, deep, restful, openness, cooling,
relaxing, assists in making deep changes, higher mental activities (3rd
eye), insight, wisdom, sky, water, sadness, faithful/tru blue, unity,
safety, godliness, communication that comes through us, clarity. In
relation to the physical body, BLUE is anti-bacterial, anti-infection,
anti-cramping, headaches, helps farsightedness, facilitates restful
sleep, pain relieving, nervousness, insomnia, hemorrhage, herpes, warts,
lowers blood pressure, fever. BLUE creates the open space for clear
communication at the throat and resonates with the Throat Chakra.
INDIGO/ROYAL BLUE is the higher
mind that is connected to the all-that-is, the akashic records, the
cosmic library. It is the color that makes contact with your “inner
vision” or intuition, that part of you which sees beyond the five
senses. It resonates at the causal Chakra at the back apex of the head.
INDIGO/ROYAL BLUE says claim your inner power. INDIGO/ROYAL BLUE
resonates at the 3rd Eye Chakra.
VIOLET is stimulates emotions,
meditation, inspiration, intuition, inner emotional release, opening
inner doors, stimulates dreams, wisdom, spirituality, higher mind,
power, Thy will, letting go, vision, transformation, alchemy, loyalty,
synthesis, integration, mysticism,
clairvoyance/clairaudience/clairsentience, service, union, artistry,
balance of male and female. In relation to the physical body, VIOLET is
good as for menopause, spleen, sedative, relaxant, build leucocytes,
lymphatic relaxant, soothes solar plexus, neutralize mercury from
fillings, anti-viral. VIOLET, a combination of blue and red, connects
the spirit and matter of yourself at the Crown Chakra.
WHITE/CLEAR pigment is the lack
of any color, while WHITE/CLEAR light contains all colors. Since all
colors are present, white does everything on all levels: physically,
emotionally, mentally and spiritually (PEMS). White is about purity,
innocence, softness, illumination, release, brilliance, radiance,
transcendence, merging with God/Goddess/Universe/Nature/Spirit or
whatever you call your higher power. In relation to the physical body,
WHITE/CLEAR is good for everything as the innate intelligence of the
body will take whatever colors it needs. WHITE/CLEAR, being all color,
resonates with not only all Chakras, but everywhere in our Being.
WHITE/CLEAR lives in all the Chakras, but is often associated with the
Crown Chakra.
MAGENTA is bridge to Spirit,
connection with Divine Love, caring in the little things, Love from
above, beyond passion into compassion, abundance that is always there.
Magenta connects us to what it is like to exist out of our physical
bodies as pure Spirit. It is the bardo state, when we have left our
physical shells and before we incarnate into a new physical lifetime.
MAGENTA is that in-between place, the place beyond the veil of physical
illusion. MAGENTA resonates above the Crown Chakra at the Transpersonal
or Soul Star Chakra. More…
GOLD is the the ancient wisdom
lying deep within the soul, an eternal seed planted eons ago, ready in
this new age to sprout once again and usher forth the knowledge of the
ancients. GOLD resonates at the Naval, Crown and the higher Chakras
above the Crown.
ROSE/PINK is softness,
gentleness, motherly unconditional love. It represents self-acceptance,
self-love, self-forgiveness and non-judgment. It can also denote
romantic love. ROSE/PINK is the happiness and joy from loving and being
loved. ROSE/PINK resonates at the Root or Base and Heart Chakras.
If you have no idea what the heck a chakra is, no worries I will do a post soon and explain, but this post and this post about energy healing will kind of give you an idea.
And I just want to add a
little side tip for color therapy with babies-they
are more sensitive to color than adults, so dressing them in bold, busy
patterns and decorating their room in busy, bright colors can overwhelm
there senses and energy systems. Sticking to very plain, very calming,
pastel colors are the way to go. Or just be conscious of it to wear
something calm on busy days, and wear the brigth busy stuff on the calm
days.