Where Energy Flows

Some of the associations to the colour blue are the sky (heaven, higher source and wisdom) and water (the emotions). In feng shui, blue is related to the bagua for Self-Knowledge, wisdom and higher truth. In the chakra system, it is related to the throat.

There are several aspects to element of water related to different emotional states. In a balanced state, water and emotions flow freely and easily. In an overactive state, water and emotions flood or burst free. In an under-active state, water and emotions are blocked or frozen.

Blue is related to insight, intuition, wisdom, finding meaning in life, and your spiritual connections. The deeper hued blues - sky and cobalt, help you understand who you are. Use for greater communication and speaking your truth.

If you are low on energy, feel depressed, or find yourself feeling isolated and withdrawn, keep blue in your environment to a minimum. Increase blue in your environment if you find yourself unable to express your feelings. Turquoise blue is especially uplifting and supports communication.

Healing Uses

• Reduce anxiety and bring calmness 
• Lower blood pressure
• Relief from pain (headaches)
• Relieve pain and irritation from burns, stings, insect bites or other skin problems
• Reduce fever, relieve tired eyes, and cool hot flashes in menopause
• Problems with the voice or throat
• Reduce claustrophobia
• Ease breathing difficulties
• Increase intuition, clarity and psychological protection (esp. dark blue).

Blue in the Home

Because it is a yin colour related to nighttime and restfulness, it is a good colour for bedrooms. However some shades of blue have a cold feeling. By using contrasting accent colours you can keep the restful qualities of blue while warming it up. Of course blues that tend more towards turquoise do not have this problem because they have more yellow in them and are warmer.

Blue is also a great choice for a meditation room or a therapy room, but not for any rooms that are social, such as the family room, dining room or study. Blue is the most recessive colour in the spectrum and - especially light blue - can successfully be used to make a small room appear to be larger that it actually is.

There are many shades of blue and it is said to be most people’s favourite colour. Is blue your favourite colour? Which shade of blue?

Copyright Deborah Redfern 2007.  All rights reserved.

Green is a very interesting colour. It marks the separation between the warm yang colours (red, yellow and orange) and the cool yin colours (blue, purple and brown). I find it is one of the harder colours to get right because wearing the wrong shade of green can be particularly unforgiving. With my Celtic colouring, (light skin, freckles and dark green eyes) I look good in green which has blue tones in it. If there is too much yellow (as with olive green, khaki, or lime green) it looks dreadful on me. I also suit turquoise. Turquoise really stands in a class of its own, being between green and blue. It is a colour that looks good on most people.

I find green also needs careful consideration as a colour for the home. Some shades are too cool and makes the area feel cold and uninviting. Other shades of green are too yellow. It is interesting that green is the most restful and balanced of colours in the spectrum, but is also related to greed, envy, jealousy and feeling ill. Some people really do look ‘green around the gills’ when they have nausea.

And yet, in nature, nothing is as wonderful and restorative as green. It is my guess that it is difficult to produce the depth and subtlety of green in nature with synthetic dyes and I believe it is better to bring the healing vibration of green into the home with living plants and gemstones.

~*~The Healing Properties of Green~*~

• Restorative and calming
• Supports healthy functioning of the Heart and circulatory system
• Emotionally healing - relates to the Heart chakra
• Stimulates the thymus gland
• Soothes irritations
• Relieves inflammation and swelling
• Eases eye-strain
• Enhances communication (turquoise)

~*~Consider the effects of the different shades when choosing green for your home~*~

Light spring green symbolises new beginnings, growth, optimism and rebirth (think ‘new buds). It is said to be a good colour for the bathroom because it is related to cleanliness, rebirth (as we get ready to start the new day), rest, nurturing and relaxation.

A mid tone green is lively and quick moving, (think ‘grass’ and how quickly it grows). It is a good colour for kitchens because it is cheerful and stimulating but feels cool. Also consider it for an art or project room (such as a sewing room).

A deep green is the most restful and conservative shades of green. It would be a good choice for a meditation room or as accents in a study — but I wouldn’t recommend it for a family room or dining room except as an accent colour.

Turquoise is playful and childlike. Lighter versions of turquoise - up to a pastel - are a good choice for a child’s room because it is vitalizing but still restful. Deeper turquoise makes a good accent colour because it brings deep peace and harmony as well as joy into the home.

Copyright Deborah Redfern, 2007. All rights reserved.

Yellow is an interesting colour that represents opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. On  one hand there is the association with the sun and all it represents - warmth, happiness, activitity and growth. The flip side is the association with cowardice (hence the terms yellow-bellied, or saying someone has a yellow streak). This is because yellow represents the third charka - the solar plexus or ‘will’ center, which is also the seat of fears, and when yellow is not functioning well, it respresents nervousness, fear, irrational behaviour, anger and cowardice.

When well balanced, the Will center is responsible for activating our ‘drive to thrive’ and propels us us forward in the direction we want to go. Unlike other yang colours (red and orange) it does this through the powers of thinking and reasoning. So yellow is connected with the power of rational thought, intelligence, discrimination, analyzing, studying and memory.

What happens when a person has too much yellow in their surroundings? Consider that we use yellow as a colour meaning ‘caution’ (e.g. in traffic lights and road signals). It doesn’t mean the person is cautious (though they might be); it means that we mght wish to be cautious around them because too much yellow can manifest in willful and manipulating behaviour. 

Physical effects of yellow include:

–> raises low blood pressure
–> strengthens the nervous system
–> stimulates the brain
–> increases liver activity

In the Chinese culture, yellow is for longevity and good luck!

Where to use yellow in your home: it is best used in areas that are active, such as kitchens, breakfast and dining rooms. Here it will be helpful for getting people up and going in the morning, and to stimulate lively discussion around the dinner table. It can help to have small touches of yellow in a bedroom if you have difficulty getting up in the morning — but only small touches because yellow bedrooms are very stimulating, increase mental activity and and can keep you awake. Consider adding yellow to home offices for increased concentration, organization, optimism and communication.

Copyright Deborah Redfern 2007. All rights reserved.

Red is the colour of the 1st chakra — the grounding root energy that gives you zest for life. It represents vitality, passion and helps you stay clear and focused in life.

The effect on your emotions is strong as red is stimulating on all levels:

• it is the associated with romance (hearts, and valentines, red candles — anything red is ’sexier’).
• it is motivating - a color for getting things done.
• It helps you get going when you feel sluggish or melancholic and is a great color to have in your surroundings if you constantly procrastinate.
• It helps increase creativity. 

Red can actually be too stimulating for some people: its intense stimulating actions can ‘inflame’ emotions, increasing anger levels (hence the expression ’seeing red’). If you get upset easily, avoid large ‘doses’ of red in your environment.

On a physical level, red is useful if you have poor circulation: if you usually have cold hands and feet, red ‘warms’ you up. It also acts on the muscles, feeds the adrenal glands and stimulates the nervous system.

Red actually raises blood pressure so if you have high blood pressure or heart problems, red would be a colour to avoid (in large doses). On the other hand it is useful if you have low blood pressure.

When and where to use the colour red:

In large spaces, red is womb-like and can be a bit claustrophobic. It is definitely not a restful colour so not suitable for any place  you want relaxation and rejuvenation — like your bedroom (even though red is related to ‘romance’), the family room or den. It is too stimulating for children’s rooms as the main colour scheme — especially avoid red if the children tend to get wound up.

Red is a good for social areas such as your dining room or great room if you do a lot of entertaining and your goal is to encourage lively discussions. Just be aware that in a red dining room, discussions may turn into arguments, and if you want more sedate meals, red would not be the best choice at all.

As small accent colours, red anywhere is great anywhere.

Copyright 2007 Deborah Redfern. All rights reserved.