Healing with Color: Glorious Green

Several weeks ago, I posted a blog with an introduction to color therapy and then talked about working with the color blue.  Today, in continuation with the color series, I would like to focus on the color green.

Green is a very healing color, and like blue is known as a cool color.  It has many associations, some good and some bad.  Green is often associated with money, greed, envy, nature, health, luck, and much more.  So, how exactly can you make green work for you, and how can you incorporate it into your everyday life?

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Physical Effects

Because green is a cool color, it is great for soothing.  It can be used to help with inflammation or headaches.  Try making a cold pack with green fabric.  I have a small green eye pillow that I keep in the freezer and use for headaches.  If you already have a cold pack that you like to use, try covering it with some green fabric.  An ice pack should never be applied directly to the skin, so using a cloth in a green color as a barrier is a great idea.

Green is the color associated with the heart chakra and can be beneficial in healing concerns related to the cardiovascular (heart) or pulmonary (lungs) systems.  It is great to use for things like lowering your blood pressure or soothing breathing conditions such as asthma or hay fever.  If you have high blood pressure, try relaxing for a little while each day with a green pillow or blanket, or having a green decorative focal point.  When you see the color, your brain will be triggered to relax which can help

Green is also associated with helping things to grow and should therefore never be used on tumors or growths.  However, it is a great option for things like tissue regeneration.  Green is also a cleansing color, so it is perfect for clearing bacteria or infections. 

Emotional Effects

Green is an interesting color because it is all about balancing.  In order to have balance, you have to have some of each thing.  So while it is a very calming color which can be used for relaxation, it is also stimulating and is great for a pick me up. 

Green is associated with peace, calm, and harmony.  It is a great color to have in the room if you are mediating an argument or for those family get togethers where you want to promote feelings of harmony.  

Because of it's calming nature, green is great to use if you have trouble with insomnia.  Try having something green in your bedroom that you will see when you are getting ready to go to sleep.  If you have trouble waking up in the morning, try a crisper green color.  Try adding some mint to your morning tea, or making a green smoothie to get you going.

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How to Use Green

Green Decor
Green is associated with wealth and prosperity, but on the flip side it can also be associated with jealousy and greed.  In feng shui, green is placed in the wealth and prosperity section of your home to encourage monetary gain.  Try adding a green accent to the upper left hand corner of your desk to encourage prosperity. 

Try putting up a green painting, or having some leafy plants around your house.  House plants are great for cleaning the air, and make great focal points.  Need to promote calm?  Try putting a green plant on a nearby table, or a picture of green trees in eyesight.

Green Clothing
Green can sometimes be overwhelming, and as I said above, it is a color of balance.  You want to make sure you encourage it's good qualities without bringing out the bad.  Try using green as an accent color.  Add a green scarf, jewelry, shoes, or nail polish. 

Crystals

Try carrying or displaying green crystals to help with a variety of health and wellness goals.  Different stones have different properties and there are some great resources out there for finding out more about them.  If you are looking for a crystal to help with some of the health issues listed above, try looking at bloodstone, green agate, emerald, malachite, green calcite, chlorite, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, green fluorite, jade, larimar, peridot, green selenite, seraphinite, or green tourmaline.

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Enjoy playing with your colors and see how you can make green work for you.  Do you have any favorite ways to incorporate color into your life?  Leave your ideas in the comments!