Ever brought someone flowers?

Ever wondered what message you are sending to the person? Here is a guide to how different colours can stimulate emotions and even physical reactions even though the person may not be aware!

Chromotherapy also known as color therapy is an increasingly popular alternative medicine as it is relatively cheap and can be brought into our everyday lives without even realizing. There is an ever increasing science behind chromotherapy, the basis for this is the fact that light is the most basic of energy. Without sunlight plants can not grow, and it's the best source of Vitamin D for humans. Colours within the colour spectrum are energy fields that vibrate at different frequencies. Take the colour red for example - red has a wave length of 1/33,000 of an inch, about twice that of violet.

Humans need light to live as it provides food for them, however light therapists have taken it a step further saying that humans need light in different intensities and color ranges to regulate their biological clocks. There is a gland that acts as the body’s ‘light meter’ called the pineal gland which processes spectral differences which it then passes on to the brain. Different systems within the body can respond positively to different colors especially blood pressure.

Light is sensed visually and through the skin, so light therapists state that simply seeing different colors can be therapeutic. An example of this is in industry when items are being packaged for the public, colour is one of the essential credentials the consumer will look at. This therefore could be said for your garden, depending on the type of environment you are trying to create as well as when sending someone a bunch of flowers which isn’t only a thoughtful gift, but can also show hidden meanings.

This is a helpful hint for people who like sending flowers, a basic understanding of the meanings different colours convey and the reactions they can evoke:

• RED - aggressiveness, vitality, passion and excitement. Red increases respiration rates, stimulates the nerves and raises blood pressure. It is important to avoid reds for people who suffer from anxiety or high blood pressure.

• ORANGE - determination, enthusiasm, joy, ambition and excitement. Orange increases oxygen to the brain, produces an invigorating effect without raising blood pressure.

• YELLOW – energy, conveys warmth, sunshine and happiness. Yellow is said to stimulate mental activity including the motor nerves, which promotes the energy needed for muscles. The best color to send to cheer up someone.

• GREEN - freshness, harmony, suggests health and fertility. This is the most restful color; it lowers blood pressure and produces a sensation of warmth.

• BLUE - means authority, confidence, wisdom, security and is used to represent heaven. Blue is the second most powerful color, producing a calming, soothing effect.

• PURPLE – this combines the energy of red with the stability of blue, suggesting spirituality, sophistication, luxury, royalty and authority. In studies it has been found that nearly 75% of children prefer the colour purple and is one of the most liked colours by all ages.

• WHITE – this represents formality, purity, neutrality and elegance. This also represents a successful beginning as well as solemn peace, which is why is it used at births or christening and funerals.

• BLACK - elegance, embodies power, mystery, formality and death. Scientifically speaking, black is not a colour but a non-reflective absence of pigment that gives depth and power to other colors.

• BROWN - order, earth, dependability and convention. Associated with nature, brown complements other colors and conveys friendliness and simplicity.