Sun provides one of the five elements of the body. It is the source of all life on earth. Sun-light is a combination of all colours of the spectrum, visible and invisible. Sun worship and sun bathing date back to antiquity. The love of basking in the sun seems to be common to all living creatures.

Sunlight has been recognised as a powerful factor in building and maintaining health. The system of building health with the help of the sun and its different rays is known as heliotherapy or solar therapy or chromo-therapy or colour therapy. It is a drugless system.

Light travels at 1,86,000 miles per second. The seven colours of the rainbow i.e. violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red (Vibgyor) are due to their different wave lengths. There are some invisible colour waves lengths also. Three colours on one extreme i.e. violet, indigo and blue are colours on the other extreme i.e. yellow, orange, and red are hot and stimulating in nature. The green colour of the spectrum is a harmonizing colour. It maintains balance between the hot and cooling colours.

The classic work "The Principles of Light and Colour" written by Dr. Edwin D. Babbitt, published in 1879, is one of the master pieces on colour therapy.

Recently Dr. Alexander Schauss, Director, The American Institute of Bio-social Research in Tacome, Washington has stated that "These bands of light energy stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands, regulate hormones and other physiological systems in the body." These findings have been consistent even in those with visual handicaps & blind. Colour is a form of energy that produces physiological or cultural factors." In one study in U.S.A. children prone to tantrums and aggressive behaviour become calmer after being with sight, reacted the same calm in the blue surroundings. These findings support Dr. Schauss’s theory that colour responses are physiological rather than psychological or cultural.

Pythogoras is said to have used colour therapeutically. In ancient India, colour halls are reported to have been used for healing. Linda Clark in her book "The Ancient Art of Colour Therapy" attributes the following colours to various vitamins:

Vitamin A Yellow
Vitamin D Violet
Vitamin B 12 Red
Vitamin K Indigo
Vitamin C Lemon
Vitamin E Scarlet
Other Vitamins B Red & Orange

Most yellow foods are rich in Vitamin A and Yellow and Green Foods rich in Vitamin C. Viability and effectiveness of colour therapy have been scientifically established and accepted.

There are various methods of using colour for health. Charging water/oil are two frequently used methods. Short time exposure of the body to the sun is another method. charging the air in coloured empty corked bottles and then inhaling the charged air (colour breathing) also helps. Visualisation of a particular colour during meditation is another method.

Lemon yellow is the colour of the pancreas. It is associated with bouyancy and it is used to control diabetes. Mainly green and orange colours are helpful in controlling diabetes.

Green is the Nature’s colour. It stimulates the pituitary gland which in turn stimulates the thyroid gland. It also stimulates the elimination of the toxic matter. Take green charged water in the morning on an empty stomach and before major meals. Also gargle with green charged water. Eyes should also be washed with green charged water.

Orange colour breathing may be done. Keep an orange empty corked bottle in the sun on a wooden piece for about an hour. Then take out the cork and put the mouth of the bottle for a few minutes. Repeat it thrice daily. A cup of sun charged orange water may be taken about 15/20 minutes after every major meal.

Rub sun charged orange water on the abdomen and cover it with red colour cellophine paper. Take early morning sunshine on the abdomen for about 15-20 minutes. Drops of perspiration are likely to appear.

Leaves of the jamun tree may be dried in shade and powdered. Two bottles, one green and one orange may be taken and filled half with that powder. These may be corked and placed on an unpolished wooden piece in an open place exposed to the rays of the sun. It will stand charged after 30 days. A teaspoon from each of those bottles may be taken with half a cup of orange charged water in the morning by diabetics.

Diabetes is generally caused by deficiency of orange and yellow colours in the body . Take fruits and vegetables which have these two colours in abundance.

For preparing green charged water, take a green bottle. Fill 3/4th of it with potable water. Cork it. Put it on an unpolished wooden piece in an open place exposed to the rays of the sun. Keep it in sun for a minimum of 8 hours. Green charged water is ready. This will be indicated by the appearance of droplets on the inside open surface of the bottle. For preparing orange charged water use an orange bottle.