Color Therapy and Crystals

 

Good Morning!

Color Therapy and Crystals

Color healing, light therapy and chromotherapy are all terms used

interchangeably with color therapy, which is a set of principles used

to create harmonious color and color combinations for healing. This

form of energy medicine is based on the belief that the human body is

composed of energy fields. When the energy is properly distributed

and circulating freely, the body is healthy. Imbalances or abnormal

amounts of energy are believed to indicate an excess or deficiency.

Color is energy. The energy vibration of that color is what you need,

in the moment, in order to improve and balance your physical and

emotional state.

Chakra Balancing, Aura Cleansing, Colorpuncture, Light Therapy and

Color Therapy modalities of healing are profound and are great

integrative therapies that can be used in conjunction with many other

forms of health care.

History of Color Therapy

Color therapy is a technique of restoring imbalance by means of

applying color to the body. It was a popular method of cure even in

ancient times. Some 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras applied color light

therapeutically and `color halls' were used for healing in ancient

Egypt, China and India.

The first color wheel was invented by Sir Isaac Newton. He split

white sunlight into red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue. He

then joined the two ends of the color spectrum together to show the

natural progression of colors. Newton went a step further and

associated each color with a musical note.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe began studying psychological effect of colors

about a century after Newton. Goethe created a color wheel showing

the psychological effect of each color. He divided all the colors

into two groups: the plus group (red, orange, yellow) and the minus

group (green, blue, indigo, violet). Colors of the plus group produce

excitement and cheerfulness. Colors of the minus group are associated

with weakness and unsettled feelings. Goethe observed that blue gives

a feeling of coolness and yellow has a warming effect.

The pioneer of modern color therapy was Niels Finsen of Denmark.

Following the discovery, in 1877, of the bactericidal action of solar

ultra-violet energy, Finsen studied the possibility of assisting the

healing of wounds with visible light. He subsequently used red light

to inhibit the formation of smallpox scars and, in 1896, founded a

Light Institute ( now the Finsen Institute of Copenhagen) for the

phototreatment of tuberculosis. In 1932, Gerrard and Hessay, two

Californian psychologists, scientifically established that:

• blue light has a calming effect

• red light has a stimulating power on human beings.

Blue and red colors are considered at the two extremes with yellow

representing the midpoint. These are also the three principal colors

in a rainbow.

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

diseases.

Healing With Color and Crystals

There are numerous ways to heal and balance with color and crystals.

Crystals are color and light captured in a solid form. Crystals incorporate the

energy from their minerals, the intense pressure it took to create them and the

"energetics" from the color they have created over time!

A good rule of thumb is this: "Energy follows thought". Where we put our

thoughts, this is where the energy goes. By concentrating on a

particular healing color, it is the visualization of that color that

will be projected. If we focus on a color, the energy emanates from

our body and begins to change the frequency that resonates with that

particular color.

Color and crystals are captured light energy. Light, which is split into

different wavelengths vibrating at different speeds and different frequencies,

instilled in a crystal. Objects that ABSORB all wavelengths and DO NOT reflect

any, is black. Objects that REFLECT all wavelengths and DOES reflect everything,

is white.

Between black and white lies COLOR. Colors are wavelengths of energy

that, to us, appear as color because of the potential and

capabilities of the object to either absorb or reflect the energy.

This basic principle is how we experience color.

Every substance on earth contains color. 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 diseases.

Crystal Light Therapy

Crystal Light Therapy has been valued throughout history as a remarkable source

of healing. Today, the therapeutic applications of light and color are being

investigated in major hospitals and research centers worldwide. Results indicate

that full-spectrum, ultraviolet, colored, and laser light can have therapeutic

value for a range of conditions from chronic pain and depression to immune

disorders.

The oldest form of light therapy is natural sunlight, which is the ultimate

source of full-spectrum light. For those living in areas that see very little

sunlight this time of year, there are other

options; full-spectrum light therapy, bright light therapy, various

forms of UV light therapy, syntonic optometry, cold laser therapy,

and visual color therapy.

Crystals and Color from a Psychological Perspective

This color experience provides the opportunity to discover for

yourself, the impact colors can have on your well-being. The need for

a particular color's vibration seems to differ from day to day or

even from hour to hour.

When you absorb a color vibration it travels, via the nervous system,

to the part of the body that needs it. Each body has its own optimum

state of well-being and is constantly seeking ways to maintain or

restore a balanced state. Utilizing color, is one way you can help

yourself to harmony!

You can experience the affects of color therapy by the food you eat,

light you experience, clothes you wear, colors you meditate on and

the colors that surround you.

Crystals can be a very affective tool when bringing color into your

life. The color of crystals are associated with the Chakra and Aura

systems are coorelate to the specific layers and centers. Below is a

partical listing of crystals and the Chakra:

Chakra/Crystal/Color Correspondence (a partial example)

The Root Chakra, 1st chakra: red or black: lodestone, ruby, garnet,

smoky quartz, obsidian, onyx, hematite.

The Spleen Chakra, 2nd chakra: orange: carnelian, coral, orange

jasper, orange jade

The Solar Plexus Chakra, 3rd chakra: yellow: amber, topaz, citrine,

yellow calcite, yellow jasper

The Heart Chakra, 4th chakra: green or pink: emerald, tourmaline,

aventurine, malachite, rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite

The Throat Chakra, 5th chakra: blue: turquoise, aquamarine, lapis,

sodalite, quartz, angelite, aqua aura

The Brow Chakra, 6th chakra: purple: lapis, iolite, amethyst

The Crown Chakra, 7th chakra: white or clear: quartz, diamond, white

amethyst

Recipes: Low Fat Pumpkin Pie

 

Good Morning!

Recipes: Low Fat Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS:

-6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (use a ready-made, reduced-fat graham
cracker crust instead)
-Cooking spray
-3/4 cup dark brown sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-1/2 cup egg substitute or 4 egg whites
-1 15-ounce can pumpkin
-1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
(Serves 8)

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut phyllo sheets in half and stack on wax paper or plastic wrap
(each full length sheet is 14 x 18 inches; if you happen to have 14 x
9-inch sheets, leave whole). Place wax paper or plastic wrap on top
layer and cover with a damp towel to prevent sheets from drying out.

Coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Lay a half sheet of phyllo
pastry in pie dish. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with
rest of half sheets, fanning out to form a circle. Fold and crimp
edges. Weigh down with pie weights and bake for 10 minutes until
slightly browned.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat egg substitute or egg
whites with pumpkin puree. Slowly pour in evaporated milk and mix
well. Add sugar and spices to pumpkin mixture and blend thoroughly.
Pour into pie crust; bake for an hour, or until knife inserted in
center comes out clean.

Homemade Shampoo

 

Homemade Coconut Shampoo
Liquid castile soap is generally made from olive oil (and/or other oils) and water.  Though some naturals have shied away from it with all the talk of pH, the reality is that other naturals have faired fine using it in their shampoo recipes.  If you are interested in giving liquid castile soap a try, the following mixture involves the addition of organic coconut milk (for dilution and additional lathering), distilled water (for further dilution), and safflower oil (for moisture).
Ingredients:
1/4 cup liquid Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's)
3 tbsp organic Coconut milk
1 tsp distilled water
1 tsp. coldpressed Safflower oil or Coconut oil or Grapeseed oil (add more if you desire)
Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bottle. Shake the bottle well before use.
2. Save the remainder in a closed bottle for future use (up to a few weeks).
3. Follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse (if necessary) for pH balance.

To make a Herbal homemade shampoo  for Oily Hair:

• 8 oz distilled water
• 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary                                   
• 2 teaspoons of dried rose petals                                   
• 3 ounces liquid castile soap
• 3 Tablespoon aloe vera gel
• ¼  teaspoon of jojoba oil
• 30 drops of pure rosemary essential oil

Fill the jar with boiling water and immediately place a lid over the jar.Let this mixture steep for a minimum of 30 minutes. Sometimes I just let the mixture stand until cool.  Strain the herbs. Let the remaining liquid cool to room temperature.  Place the liquid into a shampoo bottle. (You can buy a new shampoo-like bottle or simply store it in an old shampoo bottle that has been washed out).  Add the castile soap to the container.  Place the rosemary and rose petals into a jar. Then add the jojoba oil and essential oil.  And finally add the aloe vera gel.  Shake well and voila! You have your own herbal homemade shampoo. You'll want to shake this mixture each time before you use it. This shampoo should last for several weeks. If it will take you longer than that to use the whole content you may consider keeping a portion of it in the fridge to prolong the shelf life.If you don't have distilled water (you can buy it at any grocery store), you can use regular water – but this may lead to a shorter shelf life. The distilled water ensures that you aren't adding any bacteria to the mix.

Variations:
(Feel free to mix and match herbs.  This recipe uses about 3 teaspoons of dried herbal material.)
If you have blond or lightly colored hair you might use chamomile and calendula in your herbal mix.
For a dark blend you can mix nettle, sage, and black walnut hulls.
For dry hair try violet leaf and marshmallow root and possibly add more oil to your recipe.
To strengthen your hair, simmer horsetail, oatstraw, clary sage, and nettle for twenty minutes. Strain and cool. Use this as your herbal base.
Besides rosemary essential oil you might also enjoy chamomile, lavender, and sage essential oils. If you have an itchy scalp and/or dandruff you might try adding tea tree oil to the mix.
Adding organic sulfur in the form of MSM (methylsulfonylmethane, an organic sulphur compound) to help strengthen your hair.
You can add vitamin E by pricking a liquid capsule with a pin and squeezing it into your cooled mixture.
Add Honey to your Coconut milk. Both of these make your shampoo creamy and give a sweet scent. You also benefit from these two by getting soft, shiny hair.