Colour has a profound impact on health and happiness. Here’s how to choose the right hue for you.
Modern colour therapy is used to treat physical, emotional and spiritual ailments, says Sumien Brink, editorial director of Visi Decor magazine and Plascon Colour. “Violet, for example, has a powerful effect on the psyche, balancing the mind and combating obsessions and fears, while orange is a wonderful anti-depressant. But when it comes to brown, well I tell my kids that brown is not a colour – it’s a state of mind!”
Because of its association with both sky and water, BLUE is associated with tranquillity and peace, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of The Color Answer Book (Capital Books). True blues and sky blues used on bedroom walls and ceilings bring a sense of relaxation to the space, and lower blood pressure. Use blue to treat insomnia and pain.
YELLOW is a wonderful colour to create a feeling of warmth and improve mental health. “The connection is to sunshine, which always makes us feel better,” Eiseman says. Yellow promotes digestion and strengthens the nerves. Add a bowl of yellow sunflowers to a dressing table, bring yellow cushjons into your lounge during grey winter months, hang a yellow-framed print on your office wall.
RED is a sensual, exciting and dynamic colour, brilliant for boosting energy. It keeps you more alert and promotes activity, but red also means danger so it can put you on edge. Avoid red in the kitchen and dining room if you’re trying to lose weight – it stimulates appetite!
GREEN is the colour of nature – restorative and calm. It rejuvenates; use it to create a mental escape. Hang botanical print curtains at your windows or bring the outdoors in with pot plants in bathroom.
“Not everybody gets PURPLE,” says Eiseman, “because it’s so complex”. There is a push-pull relationship between dynamic red and relaxing blue so it’s a provocative colour. But it is also associated with spirituality and creativity: paint a wall in your office pale mauve to get those creative juices flowing, and take a purple mat to yoga class.
ORANGE has the same fiery spirit as red, but is tempered with yellow so is less aggressive. “Use it in the kitchen to create an inviting space,” says Eiseman. It is also a wonderful anti-depressant, and fights the effects of chronic fatigue, says Brink.
Curious about what your colour preferences and aversions mean? Go to www.colorquiz.com and be prepared to discover the true you!
For colour therapists, try:
- www.colourmehappy.co.za
- Angel Cove healing and wellness
- Sunshine Colour Academy
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