Chromotherapy: the story of color therapy at Forte Village

Humans have always been influenced by colors and the effects on their psychophysical wellbeing form the principles that describe chromotherapy.

An ancient holistic discipline which has been included in the treatments available at the exclusive Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa at Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.

Chromotherapy: history and origins

Chromotherapy has ancient origins dating back to ancient Egypt, when each color was associated to a function, and god Thot was thought to discover the therapy of colors. Black, pronounced KeM, was symbol of fertility, yellow, KeNiT, represented the solar divinity and red, DeSHer, represented blood and fire and both positive and negative energy. From the Pharaohs of Egypt to the philosophers of Greece, the theory of chromotherapy is based on the connections of natural elements (water, fire, earth and air) and “bodily fluids” as in yellow bile, red blood, white phlegm and black bile. Each fluid is strongly connected to a determined organ of the human body: spleen, heart, liver and brain. If all elements were perfectly balanced so was the health of the individual, in the contrary case, any sort of unbalance indicated the presence of malaise.

Avicenna, Persian doctor and philosopher, described how he saw an “observable symptom of the illness” in color, he therefore studied the relation between colors, temperatures and the physical condition of a being, arriving at the conclusion that, for example, red makes blood flow faster and when there is the presence of cuts or hemorrhages it was better to use blue to cool the organism and stimulate coagulation.

Psychophysical wellbeing was also processed with chromotherapy also in India and in China. For the Indian population colors are associated with the balance of the chakras which are also connected to specific parts of the body. For the Chinese population, yellow regulates the intestine and violet was used for keeping epileptic attacks under control.

Although the therapy was still in use after the Middle Ages, ideas of the Enlightenment led to the refusal of using any sort of therapy which was not scientific.

At the begging of the 20th century, Indian colonel Dinshah Pestanji Famji Ghadiali invented spectrum-chromotherapy, a therapy that suggested the use of light and different colors associated with a specific diet to treat different pathologies.

Before Ghadiali, danish scientists Niels Finsen and his Italian colleague Antonio Sciascia, studied the theory of phototherapy and received a Nobel Prize in 1903.

At the Acquaforte Thalasso and Spa of Forte Village Resort, we take care of the wellbeing of our guests: discover all the advantages of chromotherapy and of massages with Ayurvedic oils. 

Chromotherapy: how it works and why it is important

Chromotherapy is a holistic technique based on the connection between colors and health with the objective of reestablishing a balance between mind and body through the radiation of light shed from special devices that allow the body to absorb the beneficial chromatic vibrations that balance the wellbeing of an organism.

The principles of chromotherapy describe the association of each color to a property or meaning, a specific part of the body and certain mental and spiritual features which are stimulated by colors during the therapy with the objective of reducing stress and regaining psychophysical wellness. Let’s find out together the effects and the qualities of each color.

Red: symbol of love represents energy, strength, sensuality but also is synonym of blood and violent passions. It’s useful to cure asthma, depression and coughing.

Orange: has a liberating effect on physical and mental functions, it provokes happiness and optimism. It acts positively on the thyroid and spleen.

Yellow: associated to happiness, knowledge, imagination and good humor, it is the color influencing neuromuscular activity and stimulates reflexes. It also purifies the intestine and helps digestion.

Green: is the color that reminds one of nature therefore harmony, peace and hope. Green relaxes, help fight anxiety and insomnia, it also stimulates the organism to regain a balance of its natural functions.

Blue: is calming and refreshing, it’s a cold color that helps the mind regain peace and serenity, it diminishes pressure in arteries and regulates hearts beats and breathing.

Purple: just like blue, it’s a color with a cold energy, it stimulates imagination and helps find ones spirituality. From a physiological point of view it stimulates the production of white blood cells and is beneficial to the skeletal system.

Apart from luminous radiations, colors can be absorbed by the body and spirit with solar light, chromatic baths and showers, food, meditation and the choice of interior decoration or the clothes we wear every day.

Would you like to try the chromotherapy treatments and discover all the benefits from therapy with color? Book you accommodation at Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.