One of the most versatile and popular colours in recent history, indigo is known to most of us simply as denim or ‘blue jeans’. Indigo dyed pants were originally clothing worn by cowboys, miners and factory workers. In the 50′s they were adopted by the youth, and what was originally an act of rebellion became a fashion staple. The rebelliousness was, I believe, a search for deeper meaning and universal truths, and the colour indigo represents those ideals.
Indigo is the colour assigned to the Brow, or Third Eye chakra. This chakra relates to spirituality, intuition and the ability to see beyond the face value of things. In feng shui, the deep blue of indigo relates to the Abundance area of the bagua, which at first glance may seem counter productive to spiritual pursuits. However, the element for the Abundance area is Wood and the wood element is about growth and flexibility. Now there can be different types of growth — rapid growth and slow growth. Rapid growth can lack inner stability – like a spindly, light starved plant – but slow growth allows time for a solid structure and foundation to develop.
In healing systems, indigo is related to the skeleton, which is the structure and foundation for the body. Putting it all together, the story and message of Indigo is that the search for deeper spiritual truths takes one on the path to wisdom and the true source of abundance and stability.
~*~ Healing Properties of Indigo ~*~
- Feeds and strengthens the bones and skeleton
- Stimulates the parathyroid gland
- Calms and sedates — can counteract Insomnia
- Increases creativity, inspiration and intuition
- Brings pain relief, especially from rheumatism
- Heals skin disorders such as eczema
- Eases varicose veins
~*~ In the Home ~*~
Although deep blue is a sophisticated and refined colour it is difficult to decorate with because it yin and therefore cold. In paint (as a colour for walls) I find it often looks harsh, especially when combined with white for a nautical theme. Indigo actually works better with similar deep colours such as burgundy, grey, mid-toned blues or black but a palette of deep hues could well be very drab and depressing in the home — extremely yin.
When using indigo in your colour scheme, the best use is as accent colours. It looks beautiful mixed with mid toned blues (think Delft pottery from the Netherlands). In textiles, indigo can be elegant or casual. I love the traditional Japanese textile art of Tsutsugaki. Denim looks great in jeans and can look great in the home too. Also pay attention to textures: a shiny surface gives a colder feel than a matt one — in textiles think of the difference between satin and suede.
Where to use it: like other shades of blue, indigo gives a feeling of peace and a calming influence in meditation and therapy rooms. In bedrooms use as an accent only and warm it up with other colours — or else you may find yourself ‘singing the blues’. The same applies for family rooms, dining rooms and studies. Blue is an introspective colour: It does not foster sociability and communication and too much of it tends to be depressing after awhile.
Copyright Deborah Redfern, 2007. All rights reserved.
Tags: , Abundance, bagua, Blue, chakra, Deborah Redfern, element, Energy, fashion, feng shui colour, flexibility, healing, home, intuition, Peace, room, wisdom
