Applications of Chroma Therapy or Color Therapy in Veterinary Practice
Colour is a part of our everyday life. It’s in the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the soda we drink, the television we watch, the house we live in, in nature, etc. We see it everywhere, all the time. In fact, it has become so much a part of our life that we probably are not even aware of it. Can we imagine life or the surroundings in black and white? The answer would be a big NO.
How many times have we found ourselves attracted to or have a liking to a particular colour. And on occasions, even disliking a particular colour. Similarly, we find some colours lift our spirits while other colours make us depressed. Ever wondered why it is so? Why different colours affect us the way they do? It is because the colour is nature’s very own powerful signalling system.
It may sound like hocus pocus to some but human hospitals have been practicing it for years, starting with green hospital gowns and painting the rooms in pale blues or green. Light therapy (phototherapy or conventional ultraviolet light phototherapy) is used in hospitals by doctors to treat high bilirubin blood levels in infants and in dermatology to treat skin disorders such as acne or psoriasis. Light therapy is also commonly used to treat patients who experience seasonal affective disorder (living in areas where there is less sun light can cause depression and emotional disorders in some people).
The marketing industry knows that color affects mood and uses it strategically in advertising and packaging to increase sales. The restaurant industry caught on long ago when they started decorating walls in vibrant colors and upholstering booths in bright reds and oranges. Festive colors stimulate people, which makes them want to eat more quickly and that means a higher turn over in customer seating.
What is Color?
As most of you know, color is light and energy. Color is visible because it reflects, bends, and refracts through all kinds of particles, molecules and objects. There are a variety of wavelengths that light can be categorized, producing different types of light. Visible wavelengths fall approximately in the 390 to 750 nanometre range and is known as the visible spectrum. Other wavelengths and frequencies are associated with non-visible light such as x-rays & ultraviolet rays. Most people are aware of the effects of non-visible light, so it makes sense that visible light would also affect us.
One example of the way light can affect us is a mild form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes many people suffering during winters.
An Introduction to Color Therapy
Color therapy and healing (also known as chromotherapy or light therapy) is a type of holistic healing that uses the visible spectrum of light and color to affect a person’s mood and physical or mental health. Each color falls into a specific frequency and vibration, which many believe contribute to specific properties that can be used to affect the energy and frequencies within our bodies.
While it is common knowledge that light enters through our eyes, it’s important to note that light can also enter through our skin. Given the unique frequencies and vibrations of various colors, people believe that certain colors entering the body can activate hormones causing chemical reactions within the body, then influencing emotion and enabling the body to heal.
Colors are known to have an effect on people with brain disorders or people with emotional troubles. For example, the color blue can have a calming effect which can then result in lower blood pressure, whereas the color red might have the opposite effect. Green is another color that may be used to relax people who are emotionally unbalanced. Yellow, on the other hand, may be used to help invigorate people who might be suffering from depression. (We’ll dive deeper into specific colors in a future article.)
Alternative therapies also believe that a person’s aura contains different layers of light which can be used for cleansing and balancing. Knowing the colors in your aura can help you better understand your spirit, and thus help you better understand how to heal. Additionally, the colors surrounding you can also have various effects.
A Brief History of Color Therapy
White light is made up of 7 different colours having different frequencies (vibrations) and wavelengths of electromagnetic energy. Each color has its own properties which are determined by its wavelength. For instance, the colour blue is cooling, green is healing, orange creates stress and red is energetic.
Since ancient times this property of colours to effect a change in the physical, mental and spiritual condition of a human body, has been used to heal it. This system of healing is called colour therapy, chromotherapy colorology or chromatherapy. Mention of this therapy has been made in ancient texts of India, China, Greece and Egypt. Colour therapy is a complementary system of treatment which uses the healing energy of light through its basic colours, to balance the body’s energy centres or chakras. It has been in existence for more than 4000 years.
Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the human body has 7 energy centres or chakras located along the spine. Each colour is associated with a specific energy centre and a specific location in the body. Also, each chakra is associated with specific organ systems and organs. In effect meaning that each colour is organ and organ system-specific.
It’s no mystery that the sun and its source of light (or lack thereof), can have a profound effect on us. Thousands of years ago, some countries began exploring color and its healing capabilities. Egypt, Greece and China are known for their forays into color healing and therapy. A few examples include:
- Painting rooms different colors with the hopes of treating certain conditions.
- Utilizing colors in nature in their surroundings (blue from skies, green from grass, etc.)
- Healing rooms that utilized crystals to break up sunlight shining through.
There is evidence of people attempting to use color for healing and therapy from as far back as 2000 years. And it has gained in popularity throughout the years, with numerous books being written about it, including Johann Wolfgang Goethe who studied the physiological effects of color. As we mentioned though, many people are skeptical about using color and light for healing or therapy.
Color can be applied in many ways including using colored lenses and color infused essences. Here are some guidelines how colors can help our animals and ourselves.
Rainbow-includes all the colors to provide a balance of the entire system to help calm and especially helpful for stress or trauma
Individual colors below can be used to target specific problem areas:
Violet- Spiritual frequencies can build the spleen, detoxify, purify and promote emotional releases, offers connection beyond the physical plane. Tumors/ Cysts
Blue- Cool, soothing frequencies aid meditation, help with insomnia & hypertension, antifungal, antibacterial & antiviral properties can fight infection & fever. Insomnia/ Meditation
Turquoise- Calm frequencies unify to benefit the immune system , skin conditions, thyroid and lungs, offers a sense of safety and protection during stress. Skin Conditions/ Immune/ Thyroid
Green- Helps balance and provide a sense of well being and peace, supporting joints, heart conditions, the nervous system, vision, blood sugar and elimination. Liver/ Gallbladder/ Blood Sugar
Yellow- Can strengthen the immune & endocrine systems, dry out infections, calm indigestion, plus flush and drain the lymphatic system. Detoxification/ Lymphatics
Orange- Lively frequencies offer hormonal balance, healthy metabolism and a joyful enthusiasm while relieving respiratory congestion and adrenal/ kidney weakness. Hormonal/ Depression
Red- Deeply penetrates tissue & skeletal structure to bubble up chronic conditions, relieve pain and strengthen the entire system. Pain/ Adrenals
Color therapy can have profound effects on our physical, emotional and even mental well being. The same applies to our dogs and cats.
Color therapy is an ancient healing art that originated in Egypt, and was commonly used in India and China. Much like crystal healing, it is based on the premise that a particular vibration or frequency draws forth or attracts to a being similarly resonating vibrations or frequencies.
Scientific data confirms that each color found in the light spectrum has its own measurable wavelength and vibrational frequency. This means, for instance, that the color purple vibrates at a different frequency or energy level than the color red. So each color carries its own unique healing properties
How does it work?
You may have heard that some animals, including dogs, don’t see color. While I disagree, color influences even those who can’t see it. That’s because it works primarily through the energy field, namely the chakras and subtle bodies.
The energy field of an animal is his nonphysical component and is made up of etheric, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, also known as subtle bodies, as well as a chakra system. Chakras are energy portals or vortices.
Each chakra governs a specific area of the body including the surrounding organs, tissues and glands as well as related emotional, mental and spiritual concerns (see diagram below). Color therapy helps restore balance in the animal’s energy field, which in turn has a positive effect at the physical level.
Specific colors or “vibrations of color” can be used to treat various conditions by promoting healing and balance in areas that the animal is struggling with, including physical, emotional, mental or spiritual issues. Ways to use color therapy
- Colored fabrics – bedding, blankets, clothing and collars.
- Colored silks – laid on the body during a healing session.
- Colored light – bathe your animal in light from a color-filtered light source. Simply place a colored light (or regular light with a theatrical color gel or transparency) in a comfy place where your animal can rest. Allow him to naturally gravitate to the area; instinct will guide him to what his body needs. It is crucial to not subject him to this treatment in a crate or cage where he cannot move away from it. Your animal will intuitively know if and when he has had enough. Do not shine colored lights directly into his eyes.
- Solarized drinking water – solarize water by simply surrounding a glass container of water with an appropriately colored theatrical gel and leaving it in the sunlight for a number of hours.
- Lasers or “colorpuncture” – uses concentrated colored light pens but requires training or professional knowledge.
- Color aura sprays – these are commercially available, but make sure ingredients are natural and animal-safe.
- Color elixirs – similar to flower essences and commercially available.
- Gemstones – use stones of the particular color that your animal companion needs.
- Candles – burn appropriately colored natural candles in a safe situation; use candles made from beeswax or soy/vegetable based waxes.
- Color baths – color packets can be found in most health food stores, but are not recommended for light colored animals. Make sure the product uses non-toxic color sources.
- Crystal or glass prisms – hang these in the windows of your animal’s living area.
When choosing a particular color (or colors) for your dog or cat, remember that you know him best. Follow your heart and intuition, and you can rarely go wrong.
Animal chakras
Root – red
Sexual progression – orange
Solar plexus – yellow
Heart – green
Throat – sky blue
Sensing – silver blue
Brow – indigo
Crown – purple
Note: Color therapy is not a replacement for veterinary care. One very simple way of using color therapy is to simply match the color to that of the chakra governing the issue at hand. If you’re not sure which color to use, simply choose the chakra closest to the ailment or condition you are treating. Also, for general well-being, you can treat each chakra with its associated color as a sort of energy “tune up”. This is particularly useful before a special event, or as a followup to a particular taxing one.
Health Benefits Of Water – Blue Solar Water
Water is the essence of life. Did you know that this very water that you drink can deliver many more health benefits just by adding something that is easily available to make it more potent to fight many health problems?
Healing With Color Therapy Tools
A colour therapist uses colour to heal the body using a variety of different tools. I will mention some of them briefly here.
- Gemstones & Crystals
The healing properties of various precious stones and crystals are used to balance the energy centres. An infusion of a particular gemstone, as indicated by the affliction, is made by dipping the washed gemstone in water and placing it in the sun for a period of 2 hours. The gemstone is then removed and this charged water is drunk. Use only glass vessel to make the infusion.
- Coloured Fabrics
In this case, specific coloured clothes are worn and one is supposed to remain in the sun for an hour or more.
- Coloured Bath
Different colours are mentally visualised moving around the energy centres to heal them.
- Colored Eye Lenses & Glasses
The wearer of the coloured glasses or lens allows the colour to enter the eyes. The colour reaches the endocrinal glands and causes changes at the hormonal and cellular level.
- Coloured Candles
These have healing properties. When the candle is lit, the vibrations associated with that colour are activated and thrown in the surrounding area, magnified manifold. These vibrations affect those who are in the vicinity. The energy levels of the healer and patient are raised.
- Coloured Food
Coloured foods also heal. Orange foods are stimulating, red foods give energy, green foods detoxify, yellow foods enhance weight loss while blue and purple foods soothe.
- Coloured Light
Specific body areas are targetted by specific colored lights. The primary colour is used, followed by its complementary colour.
- Solarised Water
This is the water that has been energised by keeping it in different coloured bottles for a definite period of time. Consumption of this water heals the body.
Clinical Effectiveness
Every substance on earth contains color. Even the rays cast on earth by celestial bodies contain color in the form of white light. The rays of the sun contain seven different colors violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These are natural colors which are highly beneficial to the maintenance of health and for healing disease.
Sunlight is the principal curative agent in nature’s laboratory and where light cannot enter, disease will. Anemia, cancer, emaciation, muscular debility, degeneration of heart and liver, edema, softening of bones, nervous excitability, physical deformity, stunted growth and respiratory problems can result from the lack of the beneficial effects of suns light.
Light and color therapy can also be used to enhance the healing capabilities of animals.
If animals cannot see all colors, how can we use colors to treat them?
We know that dogs see Violet, Indigo, Blue, Yellow and Red, including various shades of these colors. Green, Yellow and Orange are too similar to dogs for them to tell them apart.
Cats see Purple, Blue, Green and Yellow. Red, Orange and Brown appear as shades of Grey or Purple. Still, color therapy has been successfully used in dogs, cats and horses, as well as pocket pets and birds.
What we need to remember is that each color has a specific wavelength and frequency. The body absorbs light in this energetic form, regardless of what the eyes see. So, Red at a wavelength of 780 to 622nm or a frequency of 384 to 483 THz (depending on the shade) has a different effect on the body than the color Blue at 492 to 455 nm or 610 to 659 THz (Tera hz). Color healing or light therapy works on all bodies due to their response to these differences in light frequencies.
The Energetic Color wheel
The Energetic Color wheel, it is divided into 12 colors in 4 sections. The Median Color Green; the Infra Green colors: lemon-green, yellow, orange and red; the Ultra Green Colors: Turquoise, Blue Indigo and Violet; the Circulatory/Reproductive/Emotional Colors of Scarlet, Magenta and Purple. Green brings the physical body into balance, Magenta the emotional body. Each color influences the body in it’s own way.
Calming colors such as greens and blues can be left in the cage of an animal in the form of colored blankets or towels. It can even help without special lighting.
The action and effect of various colors and their healing qualities:
Red: Symbolic of heat, fire and anger, it is a stimulating and energing color. It stimulates arterial blood and brings warmth to cool extremities. Used as a general tonic, it is very valuable in the treatment of disease like low blood pressure, rheumatism, paralysis, Anaemia and advanced cases of tuberculosis. Do not use this color if there is heat in the body such as inflammation or fever.
Orange: Symbolic of prosperity and pride, orange is useful for stimulating blood supply and energizing the nerves. It is beneficial in the treatment of kidney and gall stones, hernia and appendicitis. It is also used to stimulate milk production after giving birth. Do not use this color if there is heat in the body such as inflammation or fever.
Violet: Violet is beneficial in the treatment of nervous and emotional disturbances, arthritis, acute cases of consumption and insomnia.
Yellow: Associated with joy and happiness, yellow is laxative and diuretic. It is a stimulant to the brain, the liver and the spleen. It is also effective in the treatment of diabetes, indigestion, kidney and liver disorders, constipation, eye and throat infections, syphilis and impotence.
Purple: Purple or indigo combines the blood-warming red and the cooling antiseptic blue. It is an excellent stimulant without being an irritant. It is beneficial in the treatment of advanced stages of constipation, hydrocele, and leucorrhoea, many disorders of stomach and womb, cataract, migraine and skin disorders. It exerts a soothing effect on the eyes, ears and the nervous system.
Green: Made up of blue and yellow, green is regarded as a color of harmony. It is a mild sedative. It is useful in the treatment of nervous conditions, hay fever, ulcers, influenza, malaria, colds, sexual disorders and cancer. It preserves and strengthens eyesight. Being highly medicinal and depressive, it is of great help in the treatment of inflammatory conditions.
Blue: Cool, soothing and sedative, blue alleviates pain, reduces bleeding and heals burns. It is beneficial in the treatment of dysentery, colic, asthma, respiratory disorders, high blood pressure and skin aberrations. In a study at the New England state Hospital in the United States, 25 members of staff with normal blood pressure were bathed in blue light for half an hour. It resulted in universal fall in blood pressure. The blood pressure rose when the red light was applied.
Methods and Instructions
Charged Water Method
In this method, colored glass bottles are used. These bottles should be sterilized and filled to three-fourths full with distilled water. The bottles should be capped or corked and then placed in bright sunlight for three to four hours. After this exposure, the water is said to acquire medicinal properties and this color-charged water can be used in both internal and external applications. Externally, wounds and ulcers can be washed with the treated water and it can also be used to massage the affected parts or it can be applied as a compress.
Internal Dosage Suggestions for Pets, any animal can be given from 1 to 30 ml (depending on size). Tiny animals 1 ml., small cats or dogs, 5 ml, Medium dogs 10 ml, Large dogs 15 ml and Giant breeds or horses 30 ml. of colored-charged water as a single dose. The dose can be repeated as necessary. Human doses can be broken down the same way. The adult dose for a human would be 30 ml.
Direct Light Method
The easiest way to achieve the effect is by using naturally dyed silk cloth, colored pieces of glass, cellophane or translucent vellum (from an art supply store). Put the colored material of choice in front of a 25-40 Watt bulb or flashlight. For use in rehabilitation the animal can receive whole body tonation. Or the light may be focused directly on the affected parts (using the beam from a strong flash light). For therapeutic benefit, light therapy treatments should last 30 to 60 minutes.
Contraindications
There are some important contraindications to color treatment which should be kept in mind while using this method of healing. For instance, the red color would be injurious in inflammatory conditions, and in cases of fever and excitable temperament. If the red light is employed for too long and frequently, it may produce fevers. The danger can be eliminated by only using the red light for a few minutes at a time or by placing a wet compress over the head, neck or belly region.
Similarly, yellow should not be used when an animal is nervous or irritable. Yellow and orange or reddish tones should not be used during fevers, acute inflammations, diarrhea, neuralgia, palpitation of the heart and any condition of an over excited system.
In cases of paralysis, chronic rheumatism, respiratory disorders and in all cold, pale and dormant conditions of the system, blue, indigo and violet many prove to be too cooling and stagnating and should be avoided in these conditions.
Color Therapy also Plays a Roll In Diet
A balanced diet is essential during any treatment of disease. The patient should be given food items with analogous coloring.
The various colors contained in different food items are:
Red: Beets, tomatoes, watercress, most red-skinned, fruits, red berries and water melon.
Orange: Orange-skinned vegetables and fruits such as carrot, apricot, mango, peach and papaya.
Violet: Dark berries
Yellow: Yellow squash, pumpkin, melon, banana, mango, yellow apple.
Purple: Foods having both blue and violet coloring.
Green: Most of the green vegetables and fruits such as gourds, spinach, plantain, romaine lettuce, pea, green mango, gooseberry, pears, beans.
Blue: Blue plum, blue beans, berries.
Special Note: It is extremely important when treating any animal to maintain positive energy and a gentle approach. All beings, especially wild or injured animals or companion animals that are afraid and out of their element, sense their surroundings. Being mindful to be calm and quiet when tending to these patients, this will decrease their anxiety and encourage faster healing on their part. Make their habitat an area of safety where the animal does not constantly feel exposed and learn about the habits of individual species to further decrease stress and increase their comfort level as they heal.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
