Colors in Ayurveda: Balance Your Doshas

The Primary Colors in Ayurveda

Colors, their intensity, light, and shadow have an enormous impact on the body and mind. We primarily perceive both light and colors through the eyes. However, the skin is also an important, not to be underestimated sensory organ in this context.

Furthermore, we know from physics, that a prism splits white light into the colors violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red – also known as the rainbow colors.

Within this spectrum, in Ayurveda we associate the primary colors blue, red, and green with the three bioenergies Vata, Pitta, and Kapha . Because with the right choice of colors, we can balance out imbalances of our doshas, stimulate or soothe them.If you already know your

Ayurvedic basic type , we'll show you which colors balance your dosha and which you should better avoid. Don't know which bioenergy is dominant in you? Then we recommend ourDosha Test ..

The Vata Color Chart

Vata is, so to speak, the queen of our bioenergies and therefore takes on a special role in our body. This dosha is responsible for the coordination of all movements as well as the flow of our energy and supports our mememory.

We attribute the elements air and ether to Vata, resulting in properties such as cool, dry, and mobile. In the Ayurvedic color theory, we assign Vata the primary color blue . Since this dosha is the easiest to get out of balance, we should always pay special attention to this bioenergy.

Are you more restless than usual, often cold, and is the carousel of thoughts in your head spinning endlessly? All these could be signs of a Vata imbalance. Caution: Bright colors can further intensifythese feelings. You should now avoid intense shades and neon colors, as your mind will be overstimulated, and an overreaction might occur. Also avoid black as it could hinder your Vata too strongly. ,

Warm, earthy colors like honey yellow and beige as well as pastel shades have a positive effect on your Vata. Especially soothing and balancing are also greens like emerald: These harmonize the central nervous system and bring your Vata back into balance.

The Pitta Color Chart

The bioenergy Pitta is responsible for transformations and conversions in our body and has a strong influence on our digestion or the digestive fire Agni. Therefore, it will not surprise you that this dosha unites the elements fire and water. This results in properties such as hot, sharp, and penetrating, but also sour or somewhat oily. To these predominantly fiery attributes, Pitta also owes the color red.

If this impulsive dosha gets out of balance you are likely easily irritable, more frequently have heartburn and a strong feeling of heat. In this state, you should absolutely avoid bright or too intense colors like yellow or orange, as these would only exacerbate the imbalance of your Pitta. The same applies to deep black.

Instead, focus on cooling colors, to soothe your Pitta. Especially blues have a cooling and calming effect on your heated disposition. But also greens, which tend more towards blue than yellow, have this positive effect and can thus restore the harmony of your bioenergies.

The Kapha Color Chart

Kapha forms the foundation of our bioenergies and derives from the elements water and earth. Which of the Ayurvedic main colors would fit better here than green? After all, this dosha stands for stability and structure, but is also responsible for the moisture in our body. This results in attributes such as heavy, cool, or immobile.

If your Kapha gets out of balance, you probably feel lethargic, somehow heavy and frequently cold. Dark colors can now enhance this feeling even further . They dampen your spirit and diminish the warm light you now need so urgently. The same applies to cool colors like white, blue, or gray – you should avoid these.

Therefore, opt for invigorating and warm colors. Reds like purple or coral are best suited to restore the harmony of your Kapha. But also vibrant colors like sunflower yellow, gold, or a rich orange have a stimulating effect on this dosha.

Your Personal Color Check

You can already actively use colors in your environment to keep your bioenergies balanced. Do you want to incorporate the Ayurvedic color theory into your daily life ? Then consider your color world in these three areas:

Based on your answers, you will quickly be able to see in which areas you can change your color orientation. Then give yourself a few weeks to let these changes take effect and then reflect inward to find out how the new colors affect you.

Image credits:
© FollowTheFlow– istockphoto.com (File No.: 1470736937)
© Natalia Illarionova – istockphoto.com (File No.: 1170497958)