Colour Therapy is a form of healing for which there is evidence dating back thousands of years to the ancient cultures of Egypt, China and India.

Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths. Each colour has its own particular wavelength and energy. The energy relating to each of the seven spectrum colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, resonates with the energy of each of the seven main chakras or energy centres of the body.

If you can imagine the chakras as a set of cogs or wheels, they are rather like the workings of a clock or an engine; each cog or wheel needs to move smoothly for the clock or engine to work properly. Balance of the energy in each of the body's chakras is very important for health and wellbeing.

Colour therapy can help to re-balance or stimulate these energies by applying the appropriate colour to the body and therefore re-balance our chakras.

• Red relates to the base chakra
• Orange the sacral chakra
• Yellow the solar plexus charka
• Green the heart chakra
• Blue the throat chakra
• Indigo the brow chakra
• Violet relates to the crown chakra

The energy of colour affects us on all levels, that is to say, physical, spiritual and emotional. Every cell in the body may need light energy. Colour energy has widespread effects on the whole body.

There are many different ways of giving colour, including; Solarized Water, Light boxes or lamps with colour filters, colour silks and hands on healing using colour.

Colour therapy can be shown to help on a physical level, which is perhaps easier to quantify, however there are deeper issues around the colours on the psychological and spiritual levels. Our wellbeing is not, of course, purely a physical issue. Fortunately, many more practitioners, both orthodox and complementary are now treating people in a holistic manner. That is to say, we are body, mind and spirit and none of these areas function entirely alone; each has an effect upon the other. This is why Colour Therapy can be so helpful since colour addresses all levels of our being.

As babies, it is believed we first experience colour in the womb where we are enveloped in a nurturing and comforting pink. Then as a child we associate with colour as part of our first learning processes. These first associations contribute to our consciousness. As we get older we attach many different feelings, memories and meanings to certain colours and this can then become a feature in our subconscious. We can build up prejudices to colours which have happy, sad, or frightening connotations for us.

All life experiences make an impression upon us. Some experiences will be positive and some negative. It is these negative experiences that can manifest themselves physically over time as disease. Over the years, for example, we may have been in a situation where we have felt unable, for one reason or another, to speak our mind or to express our needs and feelings. This can manifest as a problem in the throat chakra. The throat chakra relates in the spiritual aspect to self-expression. If our self-expression has been blocked, the energy in this area will not be free flowing and in turn this can lead to a physical manifestation of disease.

Noting strong colour preferences can also be a helpful aid to finding possible problems. Working with the appropriate colour or colours to help to dispel negative feelings, free blocks and re-balance the body emotionally, spiritually and in turn, physically.

Colour Therapy is a totally holistic and non-invasive therapy and really, colour should be a part of our everyday life, not just something we experience for an hour or two with a therapist. Colour is all around us everywhere. This wonderful planet does not contain all the beautiful colours of the rainbow for no reason. Nothing on this earth is here just by chance; everything in nature is here for a purpose. Colour is no exception. All we need to do is to heighten our awareness of the energy of colour and how it can transform our lives. A professional therapist will help you to do this. The capacity for health and wellbeing is within us all.

Colour therapy is safe to use alone or alongside any other therapy whether orthodox medicine or another complementary therapy and is safe and helpful for adults, children and animals too.

Please be aware that no complementary therapy should be considered as an alternative to professional medical advice where necessary and no properly qualified complementary therapist would suggest that, neither would they suggest that you stop taking your medication etc. If you are taking medication you should consult the prescribing professional before you stop taking it.