Colour Therapy has been used for thousands of years, probably having it's origins in either Egypt, India or China. Even today, the walls of certain rooms in establishments are painted with particular colours in order to create a certain atmosphere: pink is known to calm aggression so is often used in prison cells; green is calming and balancing and is known to promote a feeling of peace conducive to healing so is found in many hospital wards; classrooms are often painted yellow because it's mentally stimulating and therefore perfect for a learning environment
Many years ago, Colour Therapy was given by means of the patient entering a temple with a small, singular window in the ceiling. This window would be filled with coloured glass and the patient would literally bathe in the coloured light for a given period of time. It's been demonstrated in modern times that the colour blue can have a beneficial effect on high blood pressure, reducing it quickly and without the need for any drugs. Interestingly, the positive effect will last far longer if the blue treatment is followed up by an orange treatment - orange is the opposite colour on the colour wheel. This is true of all colours and the second (or opposite) colour used in a treatment is known as the complimentary colour.
So, how do colours affect our moods or physical well-being? Colour is vibrational and can be measured on a spectrum; some colours are visible to the naked eye but others are not, such as ultra-violet. (In this article we're concentrating on those we can see.) Green, being in the centre of a rainbow, is also at the centre of the colour spectrum. It contains equal amounts of yellow and blue and is therefore a balancing colour. On one side of green are the warmer colours: yellow, orange and red and on the other side we have the cooler colours: blue, indigo and violet. Red is the most stimulating colour, providing lots of energy, and violet is the calmest and is associated with spiritual wisdom and the practice of meditation. Orange stimulates the digestive system so is great for dining rooms and restaurants, while blue is perfect for bedrooms, being a very peaceful colour and, therefore, helpful for sleep and relaxation.
There are many ways to bring the vibrational qualities of a particular colour into your life, and all without the need to visit an ancient temple: you can eat fresh, natural foods in the colour you feel you require (we often do this subconsciously, anyway) or you can wear clothes made from natural materials in the colour of your choice; painting your room or house a new colour can have a tremendous impact on how you're feeling and many people use crystals - another natural source of colour - in their home or placed/worn on the body.
If you enjoyed reading about Colour Therapy please watch out for articles I'll be writing soon, focusing on each colour in turn and discussing it's properties and associations in far greater detail.
颜色疗法已经有了它上千年的历史,它的起源可能是在埃及、印度或是中国。即使到了今天,企业中某卧室的墙壁也被涂上了特殊的颜色,是为了能够营造出某种气氛:粉色能让人们平服心里的愤慨,因此经常在牢房里使用;绿色能让人平静和保持镇定,众所周知能给人一种安逸感,促进康复,所以常用在医院的墙壁上。教室经常刷黄色,因为它能在精神上给人一种激励感,因此完善学习环境。
许多年以前,颜色疗法被应用在患者进入的一间天花板上带有很小,很特殊窗户的庙上。窗户被各种颜色的玻璃装上,患者会被在指定时期内用不同颜色的光来沐浴。在现代它是为要说明,蓝颜色对高血压是很有益的,可以迅速降低血压,无需吃任何药。有趣地是,它的正面影响会在接受了橙色疗法之后,继续一个兰色疗法时变得更加的长久和有效。这适用于所有的颜色,用在治疗中的第二个颜色(或者对立的)被认为是主光的补色。
因此,颜色是如何影响我们的情绪或者身体健康的呢?颜色是不稳定的,它能够在光谱中被侧出;有些颜色是用肉眼可见的,但是其它的则不是,比如紫外线。(在这章中,我们要集中说那些我们能看到的。)绿色,是彩虹的中心颜色,也是色谱中的中心颜色。它包括均等数量的黄,兰色,也因此是一个平衡色调的颜色。绿色一方面属于暖色系:黄色,橘色和红色,另方面我们还有冷色系:兰色,湛蓝色和紫罗兰色。红色是热情的颜色,给予我们很多的能量,而紫罗兰色是最最安静的颜色,让我们与心灵的智慧和乐于沉思向结合,兰色最适合用在卧室,是个很和平的颜色,因此可以有助于你的睡眠和放松。
有很多种方法可以将更多品质的特殊颜色带入你的生活,无须观访那个古代寺庙:你可以吃你认为是自身需要的新鲜的,带有颜色的天然食物(不管怎样,我们经常无意识的在做它)或者你可以穿一些你选择的用天然材料制成的带颜色的衣服。用新的颜色来粉刷你的房间或房子,这样你就会对你的感觉有很大的影响,许多人们使用水晶-另一种颜色的天然原-用在他们家中或是带在身体上。
如果你喜欢阅读颜色疗法,请留意这篇文章,我马上开动了哦,要依次注意每一个颜色,要针对更多的细节来讨论它的特点和联系。