Since the beginning of recorded time, it has been known that light and certain colours can energize and calm down, make happy and sad, heal and irritate. Historically, every culture have used colour for different customary rituals. But the powerful impact of light and colours on the human body have turned these into a form of healing art and alternative medicine modality of Color Therapy only recently. Today, Colour Therapy is used as a very practical tool in daily living, and can a beautiful addition to enhance your Yoga practice.

Medical Evidence of Colour Therapy

While more research needs to be done in this area to prove the therapy’s effectiveness, some early studies show promise. In a preliminary study in the Journal Headache, 98 percent of patients (49 out of 50) with migraine headaches reported big improvements after being treated with goggles that alternately illuminated the right and left eyes with red light.

In another study, red light was emitted onto the knees of 50 patients with osteoarthritis. Those who received the red light therapy reported that their pain was significantly reduced as compared to the group that had no light emission.

The most clinically supported use of Colour and Light Therapy includes the use of light boxes in the treatment of for stress-related ailments, mood disorders, sleep problems, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition induced by lack of sun light exposure.

Colour Therapy for Yoga Practice

Using Colour Therapy is a wonderful technique you can use in your Yoga practice. Since each colour has a different meaning, try to match these with your current state of being and what you want to achieve from the session of asanas. For example, if you are on the down side, feeling dull and lack the energy to get you going, try to surround yourself in Red and Violet. These colours will envigorate your spirit, re-energize the body and shift your mood in the positive direction. If you feel anxious, restless and can’t seem to find concentration, Blue, Green and Indigo colours will calm your rushing mind, ease form tension in the muscles and joints and bring awareness and focus. Match your Yoga poses, breathing and meditation with any particular colour or combination as complete healing comes from all these attributes.

Be creative. Decorate your Yoga room with coloured lights, mats, other Yoga props, crystals, gems, candles, paintings, plants, table cloths, basically, everything available.

Colours for Chakra Healing

According to the Yogic tradition, there are seven Chakras (meaning “wheels”), or energy centers, which concentrate and distribute life-force energy throughout the body. Located along the spine, each Chakra is not only associated with particular functions within the body, but with specific life issues and the way we handle them, both inside ourselves and in our interactions with the world. At different points of our being, our energies may come out of balance and become either deficient or excessive spinning the “wheels” of energy out of sync. Specific Yoga asanas used for particular Chakras are splendid in bringing the homeostasis back and reconnecting body, mind and spirit.