C O L O R S
Color therapy, which often overlaps in theory and in practice with phototherapy or chromatherapy, is the the use of particular frequencies of light to stimulate the body in a certain way.
It has been long established that exposure to light is an essential feature of healthy living. When sunlight passes through the eyes the pineal gland detects the amount of quality of light and signals for the upregulation of Melatonin production during periods of darkness and the upregulation of Serotonin and Acetylcholine in extended periods of daylight. This feedback system is what signals for most seasonal behaviors within vertebrates, including the changing of skin color or fur according to the season, breeding behaviours, migratory patterns, etc.
Similarly, upon prolonged exposure to a certain color, the body will respond in a unique way. This may be applied as a therapy for a medical condition, as a Feng Shui cure, or simply to improve mood or disposition. Generally the change must be dramatic and applied for an extended period of time for the treatment to be effective. This may mean painting walls, changing curtains, bedsheets, buying a new wardrobe, or even moving to a new climate or landscape.
Implementing radical color theme changes in one’s life is a practice which can change the way the body and the mind are functioning. For instance, moving from a coastal town where the ocean is regularly visible to a desert environment will cause many changes in the body, but one major stimulus would be the change from seeing blues all day to seeing reds. Similarly, living in an area with constant snow cover will stimulate the body very differently than living somewhere with dense vegetation and a thick canopy. Understanding how these colors affect the body is one piece of creating a comprehensive treatment approach to complex and difficult to resolve disorders.
In the context of medicine, color theory is organized within the five element cycle. Let’s take an in depth look at this cycle and how it helps us to understand the applications of color in a healing way.
The Five Elements (also known as the Five Phases or Wu Xing) is a concept from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine. It represents a cycle of interaction and transformation between five basic elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements are thought to interact in two main cycles: the generating cycle (also called the creation or nurturing cycle) and the overcoming cycle (also called the controlling cycle).
The Generating Cycle of the Five Elements
Wood creates Fire:
Wood (such as trees) can fuel Fire. This is like how wood burns to create heat and light. Wood "generates" or "feeds" Fire.
Fire creates Earth:
Fire produces ash, which nourishes the Earth. When fire burns, it leaves behind residue that enriches the soil, adding minerals and nutrients to the ground.
Earth creates Metal:
Metal comes from within the Earth. Over time, minerals and ores are formed in the Earth, and humans extract metal from these sources. Earth gives birth to Metal.
Metal creates Water:
Metal can condense water. When you cool down a metal surface, it can cause moisture in the air to condense into water droplets. This represents how Metal can generate Water, though in a more symbolic sense.
Water creates Wood:
Water nourishes Wood (plants and trees). Without water, plants cannot grow. Water feeds Wood, helping it grow and thrive.
So the stimulation of an element will in effect generate more of the consecutive element within this cycle. This can be demonstrated with the example of a person who has heart disease; their arteries are in a state of inflammation because they are being damaged by free radicals; from a holistic diagnostic perspective we would say there is heart heat. A Feng Shui therapist might suggest this person expose themselves to green colors for a period of 1 year to correct this problem. So the person would go home and paint their walls green, they would buy green shirts and pants to wear, they would change the curtains and bedsheets to a green color, and they would get green plates for the kitchen. Now in a constant state of exposure to this color, the Liver will be continuously stimulated. Since the Liver is the organ with nourishes and engenders the Heart, this will work to cool the Heart fire and correct the problem. In this way you go to the mother organ in the generating cycle to nourish the child.
The Controlling Cycle of the Five Elements
Wood controls Earth:
Wood (trees and plant roots) can break through and destabilize Earth. For example, tree roots can penetrate the soil, causing erosion or disrupting the earth's structure. Wood "controls" Earth by acting as a force that can break or disturb it.
Fire controls Metal:
Fire can melt Metal. When you heat metal, it becomes soft and eventually melts. Fire’s heat "controls" Metal by altering its solid form.
Earth controls Water:
Earth (soil, mountains, or land) can absorb and contain Water. For example, the earth can soak up water in the ground or direct its flow through the landscape, acting as a barrier or regulator. Earth "controls" Water by limiting its spread or absorption.
Metal controls Wood:
Metal can chop or cut Wood. Tools like axes or saws (made from metal) are used to cut down trees or plants. Metal "controls" Wood by limiting its growth through cutting or pruning.
Water controls Fire:
Water can extinguish Fire. When water is poured on fire, it puts the flames out. Water "controls" Fire by suppressing it and stopping its spread.
Each element in the controlling cycle regulates the next element, creating a dynamic where no one element can overpower the others, helping maintain harmony and balance. Utilizing the controlling cycle in the same example from above, for someone with heart heat you might place them in a dark environment with black colors everywhere to stimulate the water element. Since water controls fire, this type of environment will suppress an excess in the heart and correct the imbalance. Here you might see someone buying black clothing, black bedsheets, painting the walls black, and using dark shaded sunglasses all the time to immerse in the water element environement.
blue - green
This is the color of the wood element and the Liver / Gallbladder; it stands between the axes of Water and Fire. The darkness of water, as it moves toward wood, first becomes deep, rich blue like that of deep indigo. This color stimulates the movement of qi from the Kidneys to the Liver. It then progressively moves toward a cobalt or lapis color to resonate strictly with the liver, followed by a turquoise and into the greens as the energy moves into the heart. A wood-type environment is filled with plants and it is situated near a forest setting. The application of this color in your life is most often to either nourish the Liver yin & blood or the Heart yin & blood. An environment of deep, dark blues will work to nourish the Liver yin. Brighter blue colors will regulate the Liver qi and relax constraint. Turquoise to greener colors will stimulate the Gallbladder and nourish the Heart yin. If you are experiencing frequent signs of Liver blood or yin deficiency such as tension headaches, stress, insomnia, anxiety, chest oppression, and frequent feelings of anger and frustration, you would likely benefit from this color. Across the generating cycle this color nourishes the Heart and across the controlling cycle this color restricts the Spleen / Pancreas.
red
Reds are the color of fire and stimulate the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium, and Triple Burners. A fire type environment is one which is highly stimulating; it is filled with music, art, the tv is on, the computer is on, it is filled with people. This type of environment stimulates the Heart. Deeper reds will work to nourish the yin aspects of the Heart while brighter reds will stimulate the yang functions of the Heart. This means a dark red like mahogany will nourish the Heart blood and gently regulate the Heart function. This is most appropriate for someone who has symptoms of blood deficiency like: Pale face, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, palpitations, fatigue, poor memory. A bright red like crimson will be helpful to improve circulation and warm the Heart yang. This is more appropriate for someone with signs of Heart yang deficiency like: Cold hands, difficulty speaking (including stuttering or similar conditions), shortness of breath, sweating easily, feeling cold in general or having poor circulation. The Pericardium and Triple Burner are related mostly with the metabolic system and the distribution of heat throughout the body and these channels are often in poor function when there are signs of metabolic deficiency such as hypothyroid, weight gain, coldness, edema, etc. Red colors are helpful for these type of patterns as well.
Yellow - orange
Yellows, oranges, and earth tones stimulate the earth element - the Spleen, Pancreas, and Stomach. An earth element environment is one which is very nurturing; there are snacks, someone is supportive of you, your loved ones are there, there is a heated blanket and a lifetime movie. This is the type of environment which nourishes the Spleen. The Spleen and Pancreas are conventionally both considered under the single title of the Spleen organ system. Dark oranges like ochre are the most stabilizing and grounding colors for the Spleen. This is going to nourish the Spleen blood and be helpful for all patterns of blood deficiency. Brighter oranges and yellows like gold are more warming and helpful to invigorate the qi of the Spleen and Stomach. This is helpful in the case of disorders like indigestion, insulin resistance, fatigue, edema, etc.
White - silver
Colors on the spectrum of white to grey to metallic sheens are associated with the metal element and the organs of the Lung and Large Intestine. This is the organ system which is related with the concepts of refinement and abstraction and this is reflected in the metal type environment. An environment with a lot of silver and white colors is generally one which is filled with glass, mirrors, exposed metal surfaces, porcelain, bright lighting, etc. Essentially hypermodern architecture is a very metal-type environment. There is a very high level of organization and attention to detail. This is the type of environment which will stimulate the Lungs and, by virtue of the elemental transformations, generate the Kidney Qi and restrict the Liver Qi.
black
The color black is associated with the water element and the Kidney and Urinary Bladder. A water type environment is one which is really the opposite of the metal environment; it is dark, with curtains drawn, candle-lit, very few reflective surfaces, and with black-colored walls and rounded surfaces. This type of environment encourages the movement of energy internal and down, and it will strengthen the Kidney Qi. Black is a very useful color therapy to nourish the Liver and to restrain the activity of the Heart. This type of environment is the one classically associated with monks and mystics because they are seeking to develop a stronger relationship with their internal landscape in order to get closer to the divine.