The Color Blue

I’ve had quite a few emails questioning my color choice for my blog site. A question from one of my readers, Amy,  asks,

"... why did you chose black for my background it seems a little ...um ...dark.”

My perception is that my words are the light in the darkness shining through, trying to awake people. So, it’s really all perception, and how your state of mind creates a reality and births your own worldview.

Change your perception, and change your world.

I really wanted my words to stand out, and more imporantly,  I chose to use the color Blue for it's natural positive energy.

Most people do not understand the impact color has on our physical body and on our emotional states. Color is wherever we are: at home, school, workplaces and hospitals.

Walk into any kindergarten room and most likely you’ll notice a lot of bright colors on the walls. These colors stimulate brain functioning and make learning more fun. Some Tibetan teachers of Buddhism decorate their meditations rooms in midnight blue to calm the mind, with vertical lines of deep red to help wake up consciousness.

Color therapy helps people release tension and promotes healing by utilizing colors associated with the seven energy centers in the body.

Some color therapists also aim colored lights on an area of the body that is in need of healing. Colored light treatments have been known to increase or slow metabolic activity in an area and promote healing, depending on the color. Most alternative health practitioners have experimented with color and its powers to affect a person’s state of mind and health.

Scientists have found that color is actually mood altering and it is one of the most important keys to relaxation. If you think about this, it makes so much sense, understanding that 80% of illnesses are a direct result of stress, therefore, relaxing plays a huge role in disease prevention.

In the book Color and Light in Man-Made Environments, author Frank H. Mahnke notes: --People subjected to visual under-stimulation showed symptoms of restlessness, excessive emotional response, difficulty in concentration, irritation, and, in some cases, a variety of more extreme reactions. The effects of color are drastic!

Researcher Robert Gerard found through experimentation that when subjects looked at red lights flashing, their blood pressure, breathing rates and the amount of sweat on palms all increased, as did the frequency of eye blinks. On the other hand, when subjects looked at the blue light, blood pressure dropped, as did the amount of eye blinks and breathing.

Dr. Gerard found that colors with longer wavelengths (the warm colors: red, yellow and orange) hype us up, while shorter wave lengths (cooler colors like blue, purple and green) calm us down.

Because peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, it is often used in bedrooms. It is believed that blue slows metabolic activity. Blue can also be cold and depressing.

Blue is described as a favorite color by many people and is the color most preferred by men. The color blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms and is one of the most popular colors, but it is one of the least appetizing. Weight loss plans even recommend eating your food off of a blue plate. What is interesting is that the color Blue rarely occurs naturally in food aside from blueberries, plums, and some grapes. Studies find that the color Blue can also lower the pulse rate and body temperature.

In our language alone, we find the color Blue is often used:

blue moon, blue Monday, blue blood, the blues, and blue ribbon, black and blue, blue-collar, a bolt from the blue, blue blood, a blue-eyed boy, into the wide/wild blue yonder, the boys in blue, like blue blazes, between the devil and the deep blue sea, out of the blue, be in a (blue) funk, talk a blue streak, scream blue murder, until you are blue in the face, once in a blue moon, a blue-arsed fly, and true-blue among others. - We are, after all, living on the "blue planet."

When questioned, 50% of people claim blue as their favorite color. Blue denim is the most common clothing material in the western world, and blue cars have been among the top selling cars for decades.

In systems which correlate favorite colors with color symbolism, people who wear light blue are said to be analytical and have a practical approach to life.

People who wear dark blue are intelligent and self-reliant and are found to take on a great deal of responsibility. In any case, people are comfortable with blue and return to blue again and again.

The color Blue symbolism emphasizes the cooling and relaxing qualities of blue, reminding us of the peace and calmness of night. Midnight night blue has a sedative effect that promotes meditation and intuition, and is being explored when building new hospitals, especially noting the location, now being built atop of building closer to the sky.

It’s no wonder we can associate the color Blue with power.

Blue is also the color of protection and is nearly universal in meaning, and as a result, the color Blue is used in national flags and symbols around the world, including the flag of the United Nations. 

We all know and have used the phrase "once in a blue moon." We give the best a "blue ribbon.” A person born of royalty is a "blue blood."

However, too much dark blue can be depressing, therefore we’re said to have the "blues."

The color Blue is associated metaphysically with the throat and thyroid gland, and as mentioned above, it has been shown to reduce blood pressure, thus calming the autonomic nervous system and is anti-inflammatory.

Dark blue affects the pituitary gland, which affects sleep. It is also known to reduce pain and strengthen the skeletal body by keeping bone marrow healthy.

However, blue symbolism also has some negative associations due to the connection between lack of oxygen and blue skin color.

In Greek and Roman days, blue symbolism was associated with the sky gods Jupiter, Juno and Mercury. In Judaism, blue symbolism is connected to God the Father. In the Catholic Church, blue symbolism is most closely related to the Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven. In Islam, blue symbolism (including turquoise) is the color both of religion and community and is often used for decorating mosques.

I use color therapy in my everyday life, by painting my home in color association, such as my bedrooms being a beautiful soft blue, which helps alleviate insomnia. My dining room was painted a golden yellow which is associated with appetite, and I find it actually contributes to the overall experience all together.

Last but not least, the color Blue is a natural choice for bathrooms due to the color symbolism association with water.

When an animals coat is described as "blue", it usually refers to a shade of black that takes on a bluish tint, a diluted variant of a pure black coat.

It’s no wonder that I have a Blue Healer, Australian Sheppard, named Brandy. Her coat looks blue in the sunlight, and her eyes are the most beautiful thing to look out, half brown and half blue in each eye.

The color Blue symbolism provides a fascinating look at one of the most prevalent and beloved colors around the world. There is Blue symbolism in all aspects of life and even religion, as it is a representation of loyalty and faith. The color Blue is most popular in the western world with all its blue skies and blue water, both of which are full of positive meaning and is associated with freedom, strength, optimism and better opportunities, and new beginnings.

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