I came across a local art competition and decided to enter it.
It was a crazy decision because, entries had to be finished and emailed by yesterday at 5pm. I had less than a week.
The theme was WILD, and I knew I hadn’t done anything recently that met that brief, so I had to start fresh.
Was I putting too much pressure on myself?
I had to do a check-in at one stage, because, when you prioritise self-care, you have to know the difference between pushing yourself too much and stepping out of your comfort zone.
So I made myself a bargain, if I hadn’t finished by Saturday evening, I would just wait for the next competition. No biggy. Therefore removing the stress from the situation.
So I sat down in the Wednesday group last week and started my first idea for the comp. It was going to be wild roses around a windowsill.
I wasn’t happy with it, so put it aside for now. (I am happy to show you when you come to the group.)
Next, I decided to paint a monkey in the wild, adding bold colours to symbolise playfulness and joy.
Many times I wasn’t happy with him, my daughter kept telling me to stop ‘fixing’ him and leave him alone, but I couldn’t help it. Over a couple of days, I was finally happy.
Here is Wild George.
While I was painting George, my husband jokingly said, “Why don’t you do Wild Girls Afloat he he he.”
Well, it got me thinking, you see lots of pictures of black silhouettes of girls with a colourful background, but not really the other way around.
So off I went. I drew three silhouettes of girls dancing and painted the background a dark purple. In the girls I used chakra colours, every time I applied colour it had a meaning. My main idea was that they were dancing in the purple to soak up the energy of that colour.
Here is the finished product.
I am so very proud of both of them and completed my entries on time. (Of course my husband is taking all the credit for Wild Girls Dancing.)
I drop them off at the gallery next Monday and the show starts on Wednesday next week.
So what if I had never decided to push myself out of my comfort zone, I would never have felt this feeling of accomplishment, nervousness, and pride that I’m feeling.
What if 9 years ago, I had never picked up a brush and paint after years of suppressing my creativity, where would I be right now?
I will never regret getting back in touch with my artistic side, even when I was struggling to find what medium I was good at. (There are some that I am bad at believe me.) It’s all worth it for the buzz that I get creating. And the amazing feeling I get when I am supporting someone else to open up their creativity.
Is it time to push yourself out of your comfort zone just a little bit?
Come and discover different forms of art and discover which you are called to.
I would like to share something important, personal and life-changing with you. I believe it will benefit you, and more than likely change the way you think. It will help you work out your priorities in life and know where your joy is.
A long time ago I came up with a kind of meditation, something that changed my life.
You could say, I taught myself mindfulness before it was even a thing. It is something I do now without even thinking about it.
But the other night, well I guess it was more morning because I was beginning to wake it, something told me to share it with you. I’m not sure whether it was something in the dream or my conscience telling me to stop keeping it to myself. But whatever it was, it was insistent.
I am a big believer in everything happens for a reason, so if something is telling me to share this, it is because someone NEEDS to hear it. Maybe it’s you.
So now I will share it, then I will explain how it has changed my life.
Disclaimer: If you aren’t religious (I’m not really), just go with it please, you will see why.
“Imagine you have lived a wonderful full life, and you are now at the pearly gates of heaven. There an angel standing in front of it. You are walking slowly towards it. Feeling everything in that moment. The angel meets you halfway and starts talking to you.
“Welcome, you’ve made it. What a wonderful life you have lived. Now I need to explain the requirements of entering the afterlife.”
Worried, you look at them. Requirements? If this is heaven, maybe you aren’t going to make it in.
The angel sees your confusion and quickly says, “Oh don’t worry. You will be going through the gates; you just have something to decide first. And it’s really important. You need to choose one moment from your life, one where you felt the best, happiest, and most content. This moment will be your ever after, your eternity. That feeling you felt, will be your heaven. You get to live in that one moment forever.”
Your mind starts going a mile a minute, playing back all of the bits of your life.
The angel interrupts, “Wait, wait, before you decide, there is a rule. Whatever your moment is, there are no consequences of that moment. For example, if your moment is skydiving but you later crashed, you will only remember the feeling of the skydiving, not the result of it.”
You are amazed but know that you must choose wisely, you have so many questions but just nod back at the angel. Looking around you see a lot of people standing around.
“The people you see are taking their time to decide on their moment. When you have picked one, and are sure, come and see me.”
You see a big tree in the distance and make your way over to it. To ponder you life and pick what feeling, emotion, moment from your life you want to experience forever.
When I first came up with this, and you have my permission to change it as you need, I wondered what I would choose as my moment.
The first moment I chose, was when I first got on my jet ski and flew over the waves on Jervis Bay. It was pure excitement and freedom. I felt like I could live in that feeling forever.
Another time I decided on a moment was on my honeymoon and we were in a long taxi ride to an adventure in Fiji. The moment was full of love for my new husband, contentment, and excitement for the future. I knew this was a feeling I could be in forever.
And just the other week, another moment struck me. Not really exciting though but heartwarming. My daughter was not feeling well and all she wanted was cuddles on the lounge with her mum. It filled me with love.
All these moments had something unique and magical about them. And they are a huge reflection about what I valued in my life at each stage.
If I died today, would I pick the jet skiing moment, knowing that I then wouldn’t remember the family and love I would later have?
This challenging meditation makes me able to see and appreciate every moment that I cherish in my life.
It’s funny because I have never shared this with anyone. But it has changed so much the way I view my life.
You can even look and analyse the moment, and work out why you chose that one. Is it because you were free, in love, comfortable, or in nature. And whatever it is, can you invite more of that into your life right now?
And make more of those moment happen?
So when your time here is finished, at the end it will be joyfully hard to choose which moment was the best.
After all that’s happened since the pandemic, socialising and maintaining relationships has become more difficult for a lot of us.
It makes sense – with online services from grocery shopping to remote work and so much more – it’s easier than ever to live your life without even leaving your home.
In some ways, this can be a good thing. There’s less waste, you save time and gas, and there’s more accessibility.
Unfortunately, our social lives become non-existent, and we don’t strive to change it.
Today we have less opportunities to mingle with people. We spend more time alone than we ever have in the past, and we have become used to avoiding other people.
(If you have social anxiety and it makes you unable to function in your daily life, please reach out for help.)
Socialising is good for your health.
Anxiety and depression thrive in isolation. Our mental health can decline when we don’t feel a sense of belonging in the world. Wherever you live, the people that surround you are essential to your quality of life.
“If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, you know what a lonely experience this can be. It also has great impacts on our mental health. As humans, we’re hardwired to crave connection with the people around us, and our social bonds are vital to a stable community. Strong communities cultivate a sense of belonging and stability. When we work to empower each other, it creates a positive domino effect. Where do you think the attitudes of society come from? They don’t fall out of thin air. Our attitudes and beliefs are strongly influenced by the ideas that surround us. If we want to make an impact on society, we must be an active participant in it.”
Dr Mesina
It isn’t sustainable to go through this life alone.
Our social lives maintain our health and emotional well-being. Maintaining a healthy social life is linked to better memory, cognitive function, self-esteem, and even physical health.
So how do you socialise with poor mental health?
If you battle with isolation, you can find ways to innovate your social experiences to make them more manageable. A few ways to engage with other people without damaging your health might look like:
Meeting with people in places that don’t feel too overwhelming to you
One on one activities with people who make you feel safe
Digital dates with friends
Going for a walk or any solo activity in a public place
Go to a social group with a similar interest, so you know you will have something to talk about
It’s okay if you don’t have a huge number of social events on your calendar. The very fact that you are out there doing one or two is a win. Find what works for you and go at your own pace.
So if you have been putting off coming to one of the create time art groups, maybe now is the time to get social.
We have an amazing friendly group that come, (but it is still a smaller group under 9 people) and we chat about anything that comes up. You can join the chat or quietly listen and create your artwork.
Everyone benefits differently from coming, because we are all individuals.
Art is genuinely a gift to the world.
It’s what we crave in the human experience.
Art gives meaning to our lives and helps us understand our world. It is an essential part of our culture because it allows us to have a deeper understanding of our emotions; it increases our self-awareness, and also allows us to be open to new ideas and experiences.
Art therefore continues to open our minds and our hearts and shows us what could be possible in our world.
So to create it in a semi-social setting, imagine the mental health benefits!
Does this rainy, windy weather make you feel bored and tired. And then when you give in to that it sometimes starts a downward spiral of negativity.
Have you noticed that as rain falls, your emotions do to? If you feel meh on a dreary day, you might just chalk it up to coincidence, one or twice but…
Yep, rainy days really can get you down
If you feel down during a downpour, it’s not your imagination: Bad weather can indeed have a negative effect on your emotions. According to one study, nearly 9 percent of people fall into the “rain haters” category. This group feels angrier and less happy on days with more precipitation. Another study found that rain even increased the number of negative posts published on Facebook.
If your mood tends to downshift with rainy weather, what can you do about it? I know it’s tempting to shut off the lights and crawl into bed during a rainstorm, make the choice to turn on the lights instead. “There has been research that light can boost serotonin, which elevates the mood,” she says.
Cooped up inside because it’s absolutely raining hard and you just don’t want to drive anywhere? Try some fun activities that make you feel good, such as watching a cheerful movie, playing a game, doing arts and crafts or reading a book.
When you’re feeling down, get up and do something! Whether it be creative or active. It gives youvitality, can contribute to self-esteem, and increases endorphins which have a positive effect on the mood.”
Lastly, don’t isolate yourself in rainy weather. When people are by themselves, it can feel like things are worse than they really are. Connect with others instead of hiding from the rain alone indoors, and your disposition is sure to be sunnier — no matter how dark and gloomy the weather may be.
So stop the spiral before it happens and be creative, inspired and motivated instead.
White is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion
Just about everyone has heard of surrounding people with the “White Light of Healing and Protection.” White light raises the vibration of one’s consciousness and the body, bringing harmony in all aspects of one’s life. Directing white into to a part of the body that needs healing is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing.
The colour white is colour at its most complete and pure, the colour of perfection. The psychological meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.
In colour psychology white is the colour of new beginnings, of wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn’t stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.
White is totally reflective, awakening openness, growth and creativity. You can’t hide behind it as it amplifies everything in its way.
White is a colour of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency, a great help if you need to declutter your life.
White offers an inner cleansing and purifying of your thoughts, emotions and, ultimately, your spirit, refreshing and strengthening your entire energy system.
In other cultures it is traditionally related to death and mourning. In these cultures death usually means the end of one life and the beginning of another, moving forward to a new life, so the colour psychology meaning of new beginnings still holds.
White forms a duality with black, and is such an opposite reflection of what black represents. Where black is feminine, white is considered masculine. Where black is evil, white is considered good. Where black absorbs, white reflects.
Positive and Negatives:
Positive keywords include: innocence, purity, cleanliness, equality, complete and whole, simplicity, immaculate and neat, self-sufficient, pristine and open, new beginnings.
While there are very few negative connotations to white, particularly in western culture, too much white can be cold, isolating and empty. It implies a feeling of sterility, detachment and disinterest, providing little stimulation for the senses.
Preference for white: White points at innocence, purity, virginity, cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, nothingness, oneness and completion, truth. In certain cultures white is the colour of death and mourning.
Aversion to white: A person who has an aversion to white colour is foremost or solely interested in ‘realistic’ and tangible things, not in illusions or things that are beyond seeing or understanding. Knows and accepts the own imperfection and does not wish to achieve perfection.
Healing Qualities:
Healing properties: White is the perfect colour; for it is all colours, in perfect balance and harmony. It is the colour of the awakened Spirit; the light of perfection; the light of the Cosmic Consciousness, the Divine Light.
White rescues us from the dark. It is the white knight, rescuing the damsel in distress. Symbolizing a clean slate, we can envisage anything with white. White is clean and clinical, giving an impression of efficiency and organization.
How to use:
White is used in many medical practices such as dental surgeries and doctors’ rooms as an indication of cleanliness and efficiency; however it also can give the feeling of sterility and coldness of emotions and may lead patients to think the doctor or dentist won’t relate to them on an emotional and personal level. It can be too clinical and sterile.
White may indicate the completion of a cycle in your life – you may find you have a desire for white clothing or white in your surroundings at a time when you are moving in a new direction in your life – for example, planning an overseas trip for the first time, or moving house after a long time in one place, or in seeking a new relationship or a new career direction.
Many people use white to recall their youth and innocence. It reminds them of a time when their lives were easier and less complicated.
Too much white can cause feelings of isolation and emptiness; it can be too pristine and immaculate, making you feel as though you can’t make a move for fear of upsetting it or creating a mess.
Grey
Intro:
The colour of detachment, indecision and compromise
The colour grey is an unemotional colour. It is detached, neutral, impartial and indecisive – the fence-sitter.
From a colour psychology perspective, grey is the colour of compromise – being neither black nor white, it is the transition between two non-colours. Being both motionless and emotionless, grey is solid and stable, creating a sense of calm and composure, relief from a chaotic world.
In the meaning of colours, grey is conservative, boring, drab and depressing on the one hand and elegant and formal on the other, yet never glamorous.
Grey conforms – it is conventional, dependable and practical. It is a colour of maturity and responsibility, associated with the grey hair of old age. It will never be the centre of attention, the dynamic leader or the director – it is too safe and toned down.
It can stifle and depress energy but it is also the stable base from which the new and positive can come.
It has a steadying effect on other colours with which it comes into contact, toning down the stronger and brighter colours and illuminating the softer colours. Rarely is grey a perfect mix of black and white – it often has elements of other colours such as blue, green, pink, mauve or yellow within it which lift it and energize it
Most people are indifferent to grey- it relates to the corporate worker in the grey suit – conservative, reliable, formal and independent and maybe boring.
Preference for grey: Very neutral and indifferent, non-expressive. It can be deliberate, but also lifeless, fixed, depressed and apathic. Reserved, cool people; unwilling to expose themselves or to have obligations. Grey can be refined and tactful.
Aversion to grey: A person who has an aversion to grey may prefers to be straight to the point, no time for political and tactical attitudes. Demands clarity, a knowing where one stands.
Shades:
The closer grey gets to black, the more dramatic and mysterious it becomes. The closer it gets to silver or white, the more illuminating and lively it becomes.
Light grey is soothing and calming. It enlightens, saves and rescues those in difficult life situations.
Dark grey is conventional and constrained. It is serious and solemn, inflexible and strict. It relates to self-denial and self-discipline
Healing Qualities:
Neutralizing negative influences, erasing or cancelling situations, causing stalemates
How to use:
Too much of the colour grey creates sadness and depression and a tendency to loneliness and isolation. Add some colour to change this.
Grey is impartial and dispassionate, it doesn’t take sides. So it could be used in a negotiation situation. It is the transition between two non-colours, neither black nor white. It takes the middle ground, neither one way nor the other.
Grey is reserved, quiet and conservative. It has a steadying effect on other colours around it. So great in a situation where you would like to fade into the background.
However, be careful using it, being non-emotional, grey can appear indifferent, uncaring, cold and aloof.
Black
Intro:
Black is mysterious and protective, the colour black relates to the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world.
It creates a barrier between itself and the outside world, providing comfort while protecting its emotions and feelings, and hiding its vulnerabilities, insecurities and lack of self-confidence.
Black is the absorption of all colour and the absence of light. Black hides, while white brings to light. What black covers, white uncovers.
Black is intimidating, unfriendly and unapproachable because of the power it exudes.
It can prevent two-way communication because of its intimidation. The salesman wearing all black will make a lot of sales, but no friends! It radiates authority, but creates fear in the process.
Black implies self-control and discipline, independence and a strong will, and giving an impression of authority and power.
Affluent and success orientated women often choose black as it can give an impression of elegance, sophistication and confidence.
Black is often associated with sexiness and seduction, as in the temptress in sexy black lingerie creating an air of mystery and intrigue. It can also imply submission to another similar to the priest wearing black robes in submission to God
Black is considered the antithesis of colour and is absolute in its nature.
Symbolically, it represents death in its passivity and eternity, as well as the dark
elements of the psyche or human behaviour.
Positive and Negatives:
Positive keywords include protection and comfort, strong, contained, formal, sophisticated, seductive, mysterious, endings & beginnings.
Negative keywords include aloof, depressing and pessimistic, secretive and withholding, conservative and serious, power & control, sadness and negativity.
Black can close us to the positive aspects of life, forcing us to look at our disappointments and the black or negative aspects of our life. It can create a fear of the future.
Preference for black: Symbolizes seriousness, darkness, depression, death, mourning, mystery, secrecy, occultism, a standing apart from or revolting against triviality, provocation, underground, underworld, things that have to remain hidden, nothingness as the great source of all creation, the need to keep your energy with you. Black is a colour for extremes, everything and nothing. People who foremost trust themselves. People who like black may be conventional, conservative and serious, or they may think of themselves as being sophisticated or very dignified
Aversion to black: A person who has an aversion to black may have fear for the unknown, or fear for the abuse of power. Desires to become free from all kinds of dependency, blockages, hindrances; to throw off shackles.
Healing Qualities:
Black is power and control of the self and others. It creates fear and intimidation. Black is the unknown. It is secretive, keeping a lot buried inside, unwilling to show its real feelings. Black is the end, but the end always implies a new beginning. When the light appears, black becomes white, the colour of new beginnings. In colour psychology this colour gives protection from external emotional stress.
We all use black at various times to hide from the world around us in one way or another. Some of us use it to hide our weight; others among us use it to hide our feelings, our fears or our insecurities.
How to use:
It can be Formal, dignified and sophisticated, as in the little black dress and the formal dinner suit. Black sets itself aside from others with its heavy and intense energy. It keeps others at arm’s length.
Black absorbs negative energy. It is useful to carry something black with you to protect you from harm and negativity when traveling or when going about your usual daily activities outside your home.
Teenagers often have a psychological need to wear black during the stage of transition from the innocence of childhood to the sophistication of adulthood. It signifies the ending of one part of their life and the beginning of another, allowing them to hide from the world while they discover their own unique identity. It is important they go through this stage but a worry when it continues on into adult years if they continue to wear black to the exclusion of other colours.
Too much black can cause depression and mood swings and create a negative environment. Combined with white only, it can create an argumentative atmosphere.
It is best to use some colour with black to lighten and brighten its energy.
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
The colour gold is the colour of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the psychology of this colour implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.
Gold in its physical state, by its very nature, denotes wealth and prestige in every country, culture and market in the world.
This colour is linked to masculine energy and the power of the sun, compared to silver which is associated with feminine energy and the sensitivity of the moon.
Optimistic and positive, gold adds richness and warmth to everything with which it is associated – it illuminates and enhances other things around it.
At the uppermost level, this is a colour which is associated with higher ideals, wisdom, understanding and enlightenment. It inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul.
In the meaning of colours, gold is generous and giving, compassionate and loving, the benefactor or patron, sharing its wisdom, knowledge and wealth with others.
Confident, passionate and eye-catching, gold draws attention to itself.
Negative keywords include: Fear of success, fear of wealth, self-centred, demanding, mean spirited, lack of trust, falseness.
If living under the negative of the colour gold, you may not trust easily, have a fear of success and wealth, or even exhibit a fear of failure. You may be selfish and demanding, lacking kindness and generosity, even to the extreme of being miserly.
Shades: Gold is a warm colour that can be shiny, glistening and happy as well as dull, muted and traditional. The brighter shades of gold catch the eye with their brilliance while the darker muted shades are deep, warm and intense.
Healing Qualities: Gold, at its highest level, inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul.
How to use: Gold relates to achievement and victory, the winner. Gold implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance. Gold is associated with sophistication, elegance, value, quality and status. Being surrounded by too much gold can lead you to become egotistical, self-righteous and opportunistic in your quest for greater power and influence.
Silver
Intro:
The colour of illumination and reflection, the colour silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides – it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying.
It signals a time of reflection and a change of direction as it illuminates the way forward. It helps with the cleansing and releasing of mental, physical and emotional issues and blockages as it opens new doors and lights the way to the future.
With its reflective and sensitive qualities silver inspires intuition, clairvoyance and mental telepathy. It reflects back any energy given out, whether it is positive or negative.
In the meaning of colours, it is associated with prestige and wealth. It is seen as a glamorous, sophisticated colour.
Silver restores equilibrium and stability to both feminine power and spiritual energy. It protects itself from outside negativity, reflecting the energy back to where it began.
This colour is very versatile, being shiny, modern and hi-tech on one hand and alluring, sparkling and elegant on the other.
From a colour psychology perspective, silver is respectable and courteous, dignified, self-controlled, responsible, patient, determined and organized – it relates well to the corporate world and those in positions of responsibility, whether they are male or female.
Traditionally silver represents the celebration of the 25th anniversary and is related to the graceful aging of those with silver coloured hair.
It is a colour that works well with most other colours – it illuminates and reflects the energy of those colours which surround it.
From a negative aspect, silver can be indecisive and non-committal, dull and lifeless in a colourless world, neutral, cold and insincere. It can be deceptive and two-faced.
Healing Qualities: Silver opens the mind and lights the way forward. It reflects back the energy sent out, whether that energy is positive or negative.It is related to the femininity of the moon’s energy, sensitive, emotional and fluid.
However, the colourless energy of silver can lead to negative feelings of coldness, indecision and being non-committal.
How to use: Silver is seen as glamorous and sophisticated, and relates to the professional and corporate market. Its gentle and comforting qualities relate to the sensitivity of the moon’s cycle of ebb and flow. Silver is respectable and courteous, mature and determined, wise and organized. Use in business to soften thing up, or use in a comfortable setting to bring some order.
Copper/Bronze
Intro:
Copper is the colour of the metal copper. It is a purplish-orange colour.
Copper can be used in both its metallic and non-metallic forms.
Non-metallic copper is more subdued than its metallic counterpart, and the shade is often seen in nature. Naturally occurring in the pigment of some plants and animals, such as the copperhead snake, copper can vary from deeper, redder tones to paler, buff-coloured hues.
An overwhelmingly warm shade, copper has a comforting, homely feel that makes it feel more approachable and down-to-earth than other metal shades, such as gold and silver. Because of its association with money, copper can be indicative of wealth. But, the fact that it is a feature of low-value currency makes it feel more comforting than luxurious.
Effectively a dressed-up shade of brown, copper also embodies the colour’s warm, homely energy. A hint of red lends it a more impassioned and lively energy, which is then further enhanced in its metallic form.
Positive and Negatives:
Positives: Love and passion, for positive relationships in love, friendship and business, career promotions, negotiations.
From a negative point of view, it shares certain aspects of the bad reputation of the colour brown, as it shares the trait of irritability, ambition, ego and cheekiness. This colour is often related to deceit, envy, manipulation, hypocrisy, cynicism as other negative aspects.
Shades: Rose-toned coppers are more feminine and playful, while orange-infused coppers are energetic and exuberant. An overwhelmingly warm shade, copper has a comforting, homely feel that makes it feel more approachable and down-to-earth than other metal shades, such as gold and silver.
Healing Qualities:
According to myths, copper has the ability to conduct spiritual energy back and forth between individuals, crystals, auras, the mind and the spirit world. … It is also used for its healing properties in improving circulation of blood, increasing energy and detoxification of the body.
Copper is thought to assist the body with repairing tissues, oxygenating the blood, easing arthritis, strengthening the female reproductive system and increasing vitality.
How to use: Popular in rustic interior design, copper often features on traditional cookware and basins, lending it a soothing domesticity. Copper accents on home products, such as lamps, picture frames, and kitchen splashbacks add instant warmth and luxury to a space.Wearing copper accessories is believed to emanate the required healing energies within the body. … The copper ring benefits astrology is also widely regarded as a means to ward off negative energy and bring in positive change.
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
Hi everyone, welcome to day 8 of the Intro to colour therapy lives. Today we will be doing two colours, Pink and Turquoise.
First we will start with Pink.
Intro: Pink is essentially a light red hue and is typically associated with love and romance. Pink is thought to have a calming effect. Sports teams sometimes paint the opposing team’s locker room pink to keep the players passive and less energetic. Pink is often described as a feminine colour, perhaps largely due to associations people form during early childhood. Since the colour is so strongly associated with femininity, people sometimes associate the colour with qualities that are often thought of as feminine, such as softness, kindness, nurturance, and compassion. Pink is considered Red (Life) with more light (consciousness) added. While pink’s calming effect has been demonstrated, researchers of colour psychology have found that this effect only occurs during the initial exposure to the colour. When used in prisons, inmates often become even more agitated once they become accustomed to the colour.
Positives and Negatives:
Preference for pink: Pink symbolizes softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness and tenderness. Theredore people that prefer pink are generally soft and kind people. They show, Unconditional love. Feminine intuitive energy. And awakening. It represents the feminine role model. All red “issues” are either enhanced or negatively strengthened. They have compassion, serene love, and are nurturing. They bringing the Light to the Life.
Aversion to pink: A person who has an aversion to pink may have a challenge with expressing soft, tender, female side, and find it harder to receive love. Excessive pink may incline towards excessive passivity.
Shades: One shade known as “drunk-tank pink” is sometimes used in prisons to calm inmates. Bright pinks stimulate energy and can increase the blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat and pulse rate. Bright pink encourages action and confidence.
Healing qualities of Pink:
Heals grief and sadness. Restores youthfulness. Brings you in contact with your feelings. It has a warming affect on the mind and helps to restore youth. It combats and eases over-eating, obesity, childbirth, pregnancy, adrenal activity, and emotional healing. Pink treats conditions to do with a lack of self-love, a feeling of loneliness and of feeling unloved. It brings an awareness of your life purpose. It promotes self-realization and unconditional love of the Self and others, alleviates jealousy, alleviates grief and sadness, and awareness of deepest emotions and feelings. Pink alleviates feelings of irritability and anger, and surrounds us with protection and a sense of love and comfort. Pink also assists with feelings of unhappiness, vulnerability, loneliness and over-sensitivity.
How to use: Pink should not be used for treating quick-tempered or nervous people. It is used for soothing and calming emotional and mental issues and is very relaxing and soothing and promotes feelings of contentment, caring and tenderness. Pink is great for a bedroom or a comfortable room. Wearing pink can change peoples moods about us
Turquoise
Intro:
Turquoise is the colour of the gem turquoise. It is a slightly greenish shade of blue. Turquoise is sometimes described as a mixture of pale blue and green. The name comes from the French word for Turkish. The colour turquoise ranges from light aqua to radiant azure green and from vivid sky blue, called celeste, to deep shades of teal. It combines the calming, expansive nature of green and the cool, quiet flow of blue. It is basically a mixure of Blue and Green and therefore mixes their emotional qualities. The colour turquoise is commonly associated with tranquility, wisdom, protection, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, friendship, joy, patience, and intuition. Also associated with the desire for freedom to be a unique individual. It allows the expression of our dreams and wishes. It brings together the green energies of growth and desires with the blue qualities of communication. Whatever the need may be in the heart, the blue ingredient in turquoise ensures that it will communicate itself and be recognized
Preference for turquoise: Just like the wide turquoise sea you don’t want to feel restricted and you don’t immediately bring to the surface what goes on in you; emotions can remain hidden. A colour for renewal, innovation and inventions, progressive technics, alternative ways of living together, and humanity. Those with a preference for turquoise typically don’t want to feel restricted in any way. They are extremely adaptive and efficient. A person with an aversion to turquoise may be unable to communicate emotions and reluctant to think originally or to walk new paths. They may be looking for solidity and security in society, especially in marriage. Unable to communicate emotions. Fear of expressing oneself in front of a group of people. Inability or resistance to learn computer technology. Pessimism. Out of touch with creative expression
Healing Qualities: Healing properties: Increases intuition and sensitivity. Works as a disinfectant and antiseptic. Tones the general system. Builds the skin. Relaxes sensations of stress.
How to use:
In Color Therapy, turquoise is often used for invoking courage and strength. It can also be applied in order to influence honest communications and to encourage communication with higher dimensional beings.
People who practise holistic medicine say that turquoise has a calming effect on patients. They use this colour to treat patients prone to panic attacks or mania. To a lesser degree, mainstream mental health facilities also use turquoise and other light shades of blue and green to calm patients by painting the walls in these colours.
Incorporate turquoise into your wardrobe when you feel depressed, have low energy and a lack of interest in life. Wearing turquoise may be beneficial when you feel that you don’t fit in with your surroundings or when you need courage to strike out on your own. You can wear turquoise jewellery to give yourself confidence and strength.
Turquoise is believed to provide protection from any negativity and to attract prosperity. In the home, turquoise can establish a connection to the elements, especially water and air. This calming as well as uplifting colour can bring peace and higher energy to any space. It can be applied as a wall colour or accent colour for children’s rooms, home offices, and family rooms. Use turquoise in moderation, as too much of this colour can cause us to become overly analytical, fussy, and egocentric.
Thanks for tuning in today, Tomorrow we will be discussing the metallic colours, Gold, Silver and Copper.
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
Hi everyone, today I will be discussing the colour Purple, This is an interesting colour to discuss. It is a Secondary colour made up of Red and Blue. It relates to the imagination and spirituality. It stimulates the imagination and inspires high ideals. It is an introspective colour, allowing us to get in touch with our deeper thoughts.
It has different meanings according to its shade and covers two Chakras. Indigo is a bluer Purple and is the third eye chakra, and Violet is a Redder Chakra that sits on your crown.
Purple assists those who seek the meaning of life and spiritual fulfillment – it expands our awareness, connecting us to a higher consciousness. For this reason it is associated with transformation of the soul and the philosophers of the world are often attracted to it.
Purple shades represent the future, the imagination and dreams, while spiritually calming the emotions. They inspire and enhance psychic ability and spiritual enlightenment, while, at the same time, keeping us grounded.
From a colour psychology perspective, purple promotes harmony of the mind and the emotions, contributing to mental balance and stability, peace of mind, a link between the spiritual and the physical worlds, and between thought and activity.
Purple encourages creative pursuits and seeks inspiration and originality through its creative endeavours. It likes to be unique, individual and independent, not one of the crowd. Artists, musicians, writers, poets and psychics are all inspired by purple and its magic and mystery.
Purple is the colour of the humanitarian, using its better judgment to do good for others. It combining wisdom and power with sensitivity and humility. The colour purple is specifically associated with royalty and the nobility, creating an impression of luxury, wealth and extravagance.
Purple has power. It has a richness and quality to it that demands respect. Purple is ambitious and self-assured, the leader.
Positives and Negatives:
The positive use of the colour purple, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to symbolise:
Royalty
Transformation or reincarnation
Passion and reason
Passage from life to death
Artistic temperament
Faithful
Sense of Unity
Practical idealists
Articulate
Unusual and individual
Creative and inventive
Psychic and intuitive
The negative use of the colour purple, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to symbolise:
Aloofness
Overbearing nature
Secrecy based on egotism
Emotionally rigid
Inconsiderate
Judgemental
Impractical
Intolerant
Separateness
Pompous and arrogant
Delusions of Grandeur
Preference for purple: This Colour is used for meditation, contemplation, mysticism, spirituality and religious power. Therefore a person with a preference to purple has a longing to ascend and dissolve polarities (purple consists of the active red and passive blue), to improve the world. They have a reservation, mystery and dignity. Soft, sensitive people with possible paranormal abilities or an openness to them.
Aversion to purple: A person who has an aversion for purple may have a very serious attitude towards life; and may find it difficult to give dreams, fantasies, vague fears or memories a place in it. They may have a tendency to reject everything he regards as unnatural or unrealistic.
Shades:
There are many shades of Purple, all with their own subtle different emotional meanings.
Indigo is a great purifier of the bloodstream and also benefits mental problems. It is a freeing and purifying agent.
Indigo combines the deep blue of devotion with a trace of stabilizing and objective red. Indigo is cool, electric, and astringent.
Indigo links with and stimulates the brow chakra (third eye) and controls the pineal gland. It governs both physical and spiritual perception. It can be of great assistance in dealing with ailments of the eyes and ears.
Magenta which is more like a purple red, is an emotional balancer and the colour of ‘letting go’. It aids in moving beyond old emotional patterns and feelings no longer relevant to our current situation. It is lighter and more vibrant than red and a more spiritual colour.
It has the healing properties of strengthening contact with your life purpose. Stimulates adrenaline and heart activity.
The colour violet relates to the fantasy world, and a need to escape from the practicalities of life. It is the daydreamer escaping from reality. Violet relates to self knowledge and spiritual awareness. It is the union with your higher self, with spirituality, and your higher consciousness. It is the highest colour in the colour spectrum.
Healing Qualities of the shades of Purple:
Healing properties: These shades of purple are colours of transformation. They heal melancholy, hysteria, delusions, alcohol addiction and bring spiritual insights and renewal. They slow down an over-active heart; stimulate the spleen and the white blood cells (immunity). Bring sleep. Soothe mental and emotional stress. Decrease sexual activity. Decrease sensitivity to pain. They help in detoxification.
It has a very calming effect on us and is, therefore, very helpful for those people experiencing sleep difficulties or stress. However, it can do the opposite for those suffering from depressive disorders.
How to use:
Purple being the colour relating to our spiritual connection, can be very helpful for meditation and any spiritual matters.
Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating using colours like purple as a way of creating a balanced environment.
Purple is a sedative and helps to open up our intuition. The colour of divine knowledge and the higher mind. It’s not suitable for areas for entertainment but for more ‘quiet’ places. Bedrooms or treatment rooms for example. Some people find indigo is helpful for studying so this colour could be used as part of the decor of a library or study under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in Church windows. As a complimentary to the colour Yellow, it could be used well in a study room to not overstimulate with yellow.
Too much of the colour purple can promote or aggravate depression in some. It is one colour that should be used extremely carefully and in small amounts by those who are vulnerable to depressed states.
That is the end of the spectrum or rainbow colours. For the last three days of this intro to colour therapy series of lives, as we have covered the main Primary and Secondary colours, I will be covering two or three colours of interest each day. Tomorrow I will be covering Pink and Turquoise, then the next day Silver, copper and Gold, Then the last day we will cover Black Grey and White. What do you think the meanings behind Black and White are? You will have to wait and find out. See you tomorrow at 10am
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
Blue is a primary colour (along with red and Yellow), and has been universally linked with the spirit. In fact, in the early period of the Church it was associated with the highest attainment of the soul, and on a physiological level relates to man’s will. It is a soulful colour – one that transcends time and space. It is “an accumulation of emptiness, the void of the Heavens, of the depths of the sea, of crystal or diamond. Blue is the coldest of colours.
It is this “accumulation of emptiness” that makes blue an ethereal colour. All objects, movements, sounds and shapes disappear into the blue abyss if we use this colour on our walls, clothing and art. It has a depth to it that draws everything within. To pierce blue is to step into another world, like Alice through the looking glass, and to explore the depths of our own unconscious mind. Where light blue is the colour of meditation, dark blue is the colour of dreams. The realm of blue, like the colour green, soothes and comforts. However, unlike green, blue does not stimulate. That is, to encase ourselves in blue is to move away from reality and into the surreal. This form of escapism, when not balanced, can soon lead to depression. The saying “got the blues” refers to depression and is indicative of the over-use of the colour blue.
Positive and Negative:
If in Art therapy the Colour blue is determined to be used for positive, then the positive use of the colour blue, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to symbolise:
Transcendent wisdom
Detachment from the world
Truth
Highest spiritual attainment
Indifferent and unafraid
Cooling and calm
Loyal
Tactful
Trustworthy
Peaceful
The negative use of the colour blue, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to symbolise:
Depression
Disembodiment
Escapism from reality
Unfaithful
Untrustworthy
Self-righteous
Cold
People with a preference for blue show these qualities: Cool and soothing, dreamy and magical. Peace and rest. For people who keep a certain distance, but give calm and practical help; they are faithful and loyal, have a sense for order, logic and rational thinking. Flying in day-dreaming, ideals or nostalgia when felt mis-understood. Dark blue is more severe and can be melancholic. Blue is also the colour of truth.
A person with an aversion to blue, may be very disciplined, strong career worker, with an aversion of commentary or restriction. He may have charted out a clear direction for his life and wants to follow it strictly.
Shades:
A deep clear blue represents pure religious feelings, a pale ethereal blue indicates devotion to a noble idea, bright blue suggests loyalty and sincerity.
Healing Qualities:
Healing properties: Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. It cools down inflammations, fever, high blood pressure, stops bleedings, reliefs the bursting headaches, calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. Brings tranquility. Anti-itching. Anti-irritation (for instance redness of the skin), anti-stress. Soothes suffering.
Blue can be used for any type of ailments associated with speech, communication, or the throat. Excellent for laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx.
Blue links with and stimulates the throat chakra. The throat chakra is often referenced as the “power center” and “the greatest center in the body” because it is the primary center of expression and communication, through speech.
For the most part, the use of blue is positive as it indicates a deeper connection with the unconscious mind and spirit. Over-use of this colour, as stated earlier, can lead to depression as the individual is not balanced in green (earth), instead the individual has escaped into the ethereal quality of blue – as though falling into a deep abyss, not ever to return. We all want to escape at times, this is natural, but for our health and wellness we need to return to life
How to use:
Blue is calming, relaxing and healing. But not as sedating as indigo. Also the colour of communication, so wearing blue when you really want to communicate with someone is helpful. Blue can be used in any rooms except those used for physical activity or play as it is a calming colour.
For the most part, blue touches on other worlds and as such should be approach with a curious, open mind, and not one burdened by a clinical world view. So great for a room you relax in.
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
Thank you for joining me today, what a great day to be discussing the emotional qualities of the colour green, it is Mother’s day here in Australia, and green is ofter associated with mother nature and balance and rebirth.
It is definitely a colour I love to surround myself with.
Intro:
Green is a balancing colour, in the middle of the visible spectrum. The higher three colours blue, magenta and violet are known as the “cool” colours and are calming in effect, the lower three which we have covered Red, orange and yellow, are known as the “warm” colours and have a stimulating effect. Green is the balance between these two.
Green is the colour combination between blue and yellow, it is a passive and self-regulating colour, it is strongly associated with nature and to a sense of balance and normality.
Green has a symbolic interplay with red, where both colours offset each other and bring a harmonious state of being. For example, red fruit from a green plant. As symbolic of spring time, it is also a rejuvenating and refreshing colour that brings hope in its warm. Life comes from red and blossoms in green. In other words, our life force (red) blossoms when we are balanced (green). It is this sense of balance that has associated green with medicine and healing. Perhaps it’s the ability of green to balance other life forces that makes it a therapeutic colour, able to assist us in achieving a sense of balance when we feel pulled by two opposing forces.
Traditionally, the colour red is associated with masculinity (Mars/Hunter), the colour green is its complementary opposite by being associated with femininity (Venus/Nurturer).
This nurturing quality has sadly been lost in a masculine dominated world, and as such our awakening of life. Concrete jungles form our cities, and greenery is slowly giving way to high rise buildings and car parks. It is this disconnection to nature, to the nurturer that is the Earth, which prevents us from developing balance in our life. The levels of high anxiety and other mental problems are symptomatic of this. When green is introduced, a sense of balance is restored.
Positive and Negative:
The positive use of the colour green, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to symbolise:
Therapy and healing
Hope and salvation
Balance and rebirth
Medicine and nursing
Warm and reinvigoration
Nurture and motherly love
Generous
Sympathetic
Compassionate
Understanding
Harmonious
Adaptable
Practical
love of children, animals and nature
The negative use of the colour green, based on universal philosophy and mythology, is said to
symbolise:
Weakness and imbalance
Death and decay
Dark and malignant
Deceit and manipulation
Madness
Sickness
Unscrupulous with money
Indifferent
Miserly
Hangs onto possessions
Lack of consideration
Shades:
We can also determine emotions by the shade of green – if the green is more towards the blue shade, which is darker in appearance, it is then positive in nature and represents trustworthiness and healing.
If the colour is more towards the yellow shade, making it a lime green, it is then negative in nature and represents weakness and deceit.
Dark green can be seen as the colour of deceit, and olive green of treachery and double nature.
Healing Qualities:
Green is the colour of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing.
Green rings psychological and emotional harmony and balance.
Green links with and stimulates the heart chakra. Green affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. It has both an energizing effect and a moderating or soothing effect.
It cures hormonal imbalances. Stimulates growth hormone and rejuvenation. Cleans and purifies from germs, bacteria and rotting material. Harmonizes the digestion, stomach, liver, gall. Has a healing effect on kidneys. Increases immunity. Builds up muscles, bones and tissues. Stimulates inner peace. Strengthens the nervous system.
People who have a preference for green attract the following attributes: peace, rest, hope, comfort and nurturing, calmness and harmony. They tend to have an interest in nature, plants, fellowmen, children and animals, health and healing, natural and plain life. Longing for a safe home and family-life. A dislike of conflicts.
A person who has an aversion to green: may be more interested in independence and self-development than in a warm family-life. May prefer to keep a certain distance in relationships.
How to Use:
Green is the colour of balance and harmony and can, therefore, be helpful in times of stress. If one has experienced a trauma, a green silk wrapped around the shoulders can have a very therapeutic effect. Green is used a lot to attract healing and calm. Some people believe it is important to be in nature often to recharge and balance yourself. Green can be beneficial to introduce if you spend long periods of time working with computers or in artificial lights. A lot of healing businesses use green in their company colours, knowing that others subconsciously see green as a healing colour, I know I do.
Don’t forget that you can always re-watch the video to remember details about the colour
