Color Therapy
Naked on a towel in a steam room as Celtic music gently serenades, I attempt to settle into a meditative state and disconnect from the demands of the day while redeeming my gift certificate for a Swedish massage at the Tranquility Day Spa. Alas, this vernal equinox, that day the Earth’s equator aligns directly with the Sun at noon enabling an equal amount of day and night, seems the perfect occasion for an hour of corporeal alignment as well. Consequently, a one hour Swedish massage is scheduled at the midday hour. Still, intermittent thoughts of this and that disturb my peace along with the roar of spewing vapor that drowns out the soothing instrumental melody.
A panel on the wall controls options for color therapy to augment the 125° heat and herbal aroma that permeates the misty cell. A rainbow of choices beckons, each associated with a state of being. Blue, green, purple, yellow, orange, and lavender equate with soulful, bliss, relax, creative, energize, and harmony respectively. How? I wonder. This naked skeptic ponders whether these pairings are based in science or merely arbitrary. I sample the spectrum to investigate the veracity of the chromatic claims as the promise of transcendence is checked by the drippings of condensation that tap my skull.
New to this field, I resolve to memorize the hues and their corresponding moods. I will later learn that chromotherapy is a method of treatment that incorporates color through lights, imagery or other empirical sources such as clothing and house paint. Rooted in Ayurvedic medicine, considered a pseudoscientific practice, it is thought beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety while also claiming to boost immune system, promote digestion and improve skin health.
Color therapists hold that each wavelength elicits certain changes and adjusting them may yield alternate results. Red increases energy by stimulating the lymphatic system. It can also trigger stress as it is often used to alert of danger. Orange is associated with mind-body connection and may improve one’s relationship with food. Yellow brings warmth, happiness and a feeling of safety. Green, commonly associated with nature and vegetation, promotes calm. The shorter length of blue light waves increases alertness and focus. What would Roy G. Biv have to say about all this?
Augmenting the above, other possible benefits of color therapy include improved sleep, energy rejuvenation, reduced anger, improved relationships and decreased seasonal affective disorder symptoms. All these years later, I wonder if my father’s rage over my long hair as a teen might have been stemmed had he or I been wearing more khaki.
Thinking of a friend with a passion for coloring, I reach out to inquire how many such books she’s collected and how many pages she’s filled in with painstaking care. She admits to amassing over 100 adult coloring books and acquiring approximately 5,000 markers. Her attention to contrast, blend, consistency and variety likely produce every benefit outlined above. Nevertheless, she’s moved on. “I don’t color anymore,” she explains. “Now I derive satisfaction from my nails.” She goes on to text 16 photos of different wraps featuring a range of colors and patterns. By way of example, she identifies ombre and geometrics as her preferences with a shout out acknowledging the appeal of a simple floral. “And there always has to be some glitter and sparkle,” she adds.
A poster child for the legitimacy of chromotherapy -– a term she never before heard -- Merrill proclaims her unequivocal love of color. “I need things to match perfectly and always search for the exact shade of whatever I need. Whether it’s the shirt to match a pair of patterned pants, or the ideal needlepoint yarn, I literally feel a physical change within when I get it right. I've been this way my whole life. I take color very seriously.”
The gallery of pics showcasing her artful fingernails frame hands gripping different props. Silk flowers or fingerless gloves – she has 25 versions of each -- are color coordinated with impressive impressions left by applications of polyacrylic acid and ethyl acetate sheets of cruelty-free nail-shaped paper. Asked to expound on the pleasure derived from such accessorization, she responds, “I just like my nails to be pretty.” Deciding what to wear every week can take hours with over 2,000 varieties to choose from. Ultimately, it comes down to mood. “Do I want bright and cheery, dark and mysterious, or just plain neutral?”
Long before I become privy to these nuances of self-styling, I master the memorization of light panel options while sweat drips from my head and the recommended limit for such hothouse exposure approaches. In addition to the six colors of the steam room spectrum, another stands apart. Its color and its mood are one and the same. Where green is bliss and lavender is harmony, white is just white. The palest option, considered the sum of all colors, sidesteps the mood wheel. Is it the choice of those who prefer not to choose? The default in the damp for those who’d rather not be disturbed by the burden of selection? The untinted beacon illuminates those reaching for their inner zen with the brightest light in the diabolical heat.