SURYA CHIKITSA (COLOUR THERAPY)
First of all, we should know how to use colours, before we start with Surya Chikitsa. It is based on colours, the source of which is sun. As already mentioned sun rays consist of seven colours viz. (1) Red, (2) Yellow, (3) Orange, (4) Green, (5) Blue, (6) Sky-blue and (7) Indigo. Each colour has its individuals traits, effects and peculiarities. Hence all the colours need to be used severally in treatment. It has been generally observed that Surya therapists divide the seven colours into three categories, according to their convenience, for practising this therapy, because the effect of a group of colours is marginally at variance. The three groups are categorised as follows:
(1) Red, Yellow and Orange
(2) Green
(3) Blued, Sky-blue and Indigo
There is a principle colour in each group. i.e. orange in the first group, green in the second and indigo in the third group. That is to say that entire Surya Chikitsa is practised with the help of orange, green and indigo colours. A surya therapist will use the said three colours as per his experience and knowledge, in order to treat his patients. He considers other colour as subsidiary to main colours. For instance, by mixing blue and yellow colours green colour is processed, blending of red and yellow colours results in orange colours, and mixture sky-blue and indigo colours gives blue colour.
As far as my opinion and experience is concerned, I feel a therapist, even through he adheres to the basic theory of three colours, should also lease his practice on the three groups of colours combinations, of course in accordance with situation and time. For example, if a patient is to be treated with blue colour, he should also be served with skyblue and indigo colours, say after two hours of administration of blue colour. Similarly, if orange colour is being used for a patient, he should be given red and yellow colours by the therapist. It is my personal experience that, if the practitioner does, as stated above, he will get astounding results.
It has been mentioned in scriptures that sun rides on seven horse chariot. That is to say that seven horses and seven colours adore his chariot. It is a wonder that, even thousands of years ago, our preceptors knew that sun has seven colours, the reason being that righteousness was a supervening factor during earlier ages and people, being of religious conviction, easily understood it through religious view, that sun rides on seven horses which, in reality, are seven colours of the sun.
After attaining know-how of colour groups used in Surya Chikitsa the physician should acquaint himself with nature, trait and use of three colours but for all this there are chances of wrong and incomplete knowledge.
ORANGE COLOUR
Out of seven colours of sun, orange colour is an independent ray but is a blend of red and yellow colours.
Nature of Orange Colour: Its nature enhances actively exciting and expansive. It adds to self confidence and develops intellect, is warmer than yellow colour but less cold than red colour, that is, it is mid way colour between red and yellow colours, because it is a mixture of red and yellow colours. It is quite useful and utilitarian, and its effect is astounding.
Properties of Orange colour: This imparts heat. It is the hottest colour out of its group; hence it is used to quell ravages of cold and phlegmatic diseases, serves as a tonic for the debilitated and aged persons, pushes up blood circulation and, surprisingly, makes up for iodine deficiency. This colour removes torpidity of liver, stomach and weak functioning of kindneys and is particularly useful for the intestines, provides strength and alacrity, keeps muscles healthy by removing atrophy thereof. Adds of physical capacity, by eliminating indolence. It has excellent capacity to increase digestive power. It imparts strength to immobile and weak organs and also activates them.
EFFECTS OF ORANGE COLOUR ON MENTAL FACULTIES
The use of orange colour adds to mental faculty and willpower gets fortified which improves intellect. If willpower gets developed, desires surface and persons with diseases are egoistic. Use of orange colour instils unique courage and thrust—the people of firm belief have the courage to accept challenges. Since Surya Chikitsa is closely related to spiritualism, hence it is imperative to take into account mental sphere also.
THERAPEUTIC USES OF ORANGE COLOUR
Orange colour has been observed to more beneficial in phlegm-based diseases. It is useful to dispel disorders like: cough (of phlegmatic origin), influenza, fever, pneumonia, tuberculosis, gas, nervous diseases, lung-related problems, gout, anaemia, lassitude of RBCs in blood, nervous breakdown, respiration problems, paralysis, dyspepsia, anorexia (loss of appetite) etc. Its use also reduces fatness (obesity), removes debility and menstrual disorders in women.
CAUTIONS REGARDING USE OF ORANGE COLOUR
It should be used with utmost caution, as its trait/quality is hot/heat. Its prolonged use can be detrimental also. It should never be used on empty stomach, rather it should be used 20-30 minutes after meals/breakfast. If some illeffect/side-effect is observed, the same should be countered by using a green colour, because green colour is an antidote to orange colour, thus eliminating fall-out effect of overuse, if any.
GREEN COLOUR
In the second group ‘green’ is the only one colour present, though it can also be processed by blending blue and yellow colours. It is an independent colour in the sun-rays. Presence of green colour in nature is indicative of the fact that it is bestower of life force. It is generally believed that as long as there exist leaves on a tree, the latter is alive but when the leaves turn yellow, it is supposed that tree is dead (lifeless) except in autumn, or defoliation). Green colour is a favourite of all, as it is completely nearer to life.
TRAIT OF GREEN COLOUR
Its name is medium, balanced and blood purifier since it is processed by mixture of yellow and blue colours, it expels toxins from our body effectively. Undesirable elements are expelled though (and by production of) sweat, urine, phlegm, faeces etc. and also by melting hard matters. This colour, which imparts life force, is a wonder of the creator.
QUALITIES OF GREEN COLOUR
Its effective temperament is cold and this fact is taken into active consideration while treat in cases. Due to its peculiarity, it maintains balance between all functional activities and temperature, detoxifies blood, removes stomach related disorders. It imparts energy (to the body) fortifying muscles, keeps brain cool and imparts strength to brain. It does not let prosper contagious/ineffective bacteria. Its foremost prominence lies in its capacity to remove constipation. Due to its aforementioned qualities, it is the best colour among all the colours found in Surya Chikitsa (system). This colour maintains proper balance between lack and excess of various chemicals in the body. As this colour is pleasing to the eye, similarly green water is particularly useful for the eyes. In almost all the eye diseases, green coloured medicines are used.
EFFECTS OF GREEN COLOUR ON THE MIND
Being a colour of unfettered nature, it is nature’s most captivating colour. Green colour, resembling greenery, imparts peace and poise to mind, and its restivity, this colour spells wonders. It induces one to perform lofty deeds. This colour inculcates congenial and healthy atmosphere and keeps at bay jealousy, and selfish motives, by keeping mind and brain in good humour. No other colour can match it, in maintaining friendship and emotive contacts. It also induces to perform pious and noble deeds.
THERAPEUTIC USES OF GREEN COLOUR
It has proved to be a magic in removing rheumatic and related disorders. If used cautiously, it can cure cancer even and that is why, a cancer patient is advised to consume green grapes. In addition, it also is used to remove typhoid and malarial fevers, swelling of liver and kidney, headache, skin diseases, indigestion, constipation, small pox, pimples, ringworm (shingles), pruritis, gonorrohea, epilepsy, neuritis, intestinal complaints, eye troubles, ulcers, warts, syphilis, hypertension, hysteria, stone formation, dry cough etc. Being a source of life force, green colour is a panacea in Surya Chikitsa.
CAUTIONS ON USE OF GREEN COLOUR
Green colour medicine should always be ingested on empty stomach or half-an-hour prior to taking meals. Green colour has no side/bad effects, as its trait is ‘Cold’.
BLUE COLOUR
Of the three colour groups, it falls under third group, in which there are sky-blue and indigo colours also, because blue colour has composite properties of sky-blue and indigo colours also. Hence blue colour is utilised to make up for the deficiency of other two colours also. Trait of blue colour is coolness, imparts comfort, is constrictive, pacifying and wanders in dreamland. It generates love; hence indicative of beauty also, is a pointer of eternity, enlarges and enhances properties of heart. It is bactericide and an enemy of viruses. This colour destroys germs like electric waves, and gems cannot hatch for long period due to cold tendency of this colour.
Nature of Blue Colour: By nature blue colour imparts peace, gentleness and coolness, is constrictive and gives relief, is dispeller of all painful disorders, and provides instant relief.
QUALITIES OF BLUE COLOUR
It exerts effect over mouth, throat and upper portion of throat and heart, nullifies any type of burns, removes swelling due to rheumatic complaints, destroys bacteria, is pacifying to mind and imparts cool effect to body. If there is pus formation anywhere in the body, it magically ends the same, as it instantly destroys bacteria. During summer time, it destroys viruses born due to heat.
EFFECTS OF BLUE COLOUR ON THE MIND
Blue colour bestows celestial bless to mind, leads mental emotions to such fascinating avenues that they get convulsed. It remove mental agitation, relaxes and pacifies mind, leads one to spirituality, and helps in meditation. Blue colour is thought to be the best powerful colour out of the mass of splendour. If one uses this colour quite often, it will habituate a person to utter truth only.
USE OF BLUE COLOUR
It is used to quell diseases surfacing due to bile, in particular. Its medicine should be used when fever exceeds 101ºF. It is also used for headache, heat in/of body, heat stroke, and to get relief in bleeding (internal). Hysteria, mental diseases, mania, frenzy, lack of sleep and hypertension are also cured by this colour. In addition, it is also beneficial in diseases like inflammation of gums, toothache, tonsillitis, pyorrhoea, stomatitis, wounds, dysentery, vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, cholera also. Blue colour is a preventive and detoxifying colour, it inactivates ordinary poison. Experiments show that blue colour renders poison ineffective; that why in cases of snake-poison blue colour is extremely useful. There is no substitute of blue colour in relieving excessive bleeding of females, leucorrhoea, and on the body. It is more useful in heat, jaundice, excessive thirst etc.
CAUTIONS ON USE OF BLUE COLOUR
It should not be used in diseases born out of (or due to) phlegm and wind/gout and such diseases would be worsened if this colour is used. If, however there surfaces any symptom due to use of blue colour, it can be antidoted by orange colour, because orange colour is an antidote to blue colour.
In view of the foregoing, we can assert that seven sunrays and seven colours have been divided into three groups, out of which one colour is a leading colour which primarily used in Surya Chikitsa and it is necessary to know full detail thereof failing which chances of slip and miscalculation are bound to occur. Even otherwise, it is extremely important to fully know about various aspects of basic three colour, if one wishes to resort to Surya Chikitsa.
ELEMENTS INHERENT IN SUN COLOURS
For the sake of convenience , we have divided Surya Chikitsa into three groups. viz (1) Orange, (2) Green, (3) Blue—in fact all the said three colours be dormant within sun rays. Starting conclusions came to notice when sun rays were minutely analysed.
It is a well known fact that minuteness gives bright to enormity, as minute particles of atom are used in processing in atom bomb. Homeopathic medicine are also based/ processed on this principle. To further clarify our point we tender an example for instance. If homeopathic medicine ‘Arsenic Album’ is to be prepared, drop a droplet of arsenic in a drumful of water. Thereafter, take a drop out of the second drum and insert the same in another drum, so on and so forth. This how Arsenic Album is potencified. This basic theory applies equally in preparing other homeopathic medicines. (To clear the theory further as the potency of a medicine goes higher. Actual quantity of crude drug decreases lower the dose (Potency) quicker the effect, higher the potency (dose) later the effect—due to the fact that in higher potencies quantity of crude drugs gets tapered).
The effect of minuteness causes rapidity. That is why, as compared to other therapies, Surya Chikitsa is more effective as it is based on intrinsic and minute factors. When the scientists researched on sun-rays, they found following elements in colours which are being detached, hereunder, on the basis of colour groups:
When we let the sun rays pass through a white glass bottle with a coloured cellophane paper (as per particular colour in a particular colour group), and when such a (coloured) bottle is filled with pure water, the aforesaid elements are imbibed, with the help of vibration of rays. There is no need to mix any other solid element into such a (treated) water.
After carrying out hundreds of experiments in laboratories, the scientists have confirmed the results whose literature is also available in plenty. Even otherwise, the scientists have conclusively confirmed presence of vitamin ‘D’ in sun rays, and that too in plenty. It is a fact that medicines, in all other therapies, all prepared from combinations of various materials and allopathic injections and ayurvedic medicine, are also no exception to the said method, whether they are the combinations of chemicals or herbs.
If a bottle is filled with water and exposed to sunlight for eight hours, and after which period if it is drunk, you will yourself observe that its taste differs from ordinary tepid water whereas when water is consumed, after storing it in a pitcher or tepid water, there won’t be felt any difference between solar water and pitcher water. The difference has occurred due to sun rays. The said chemical reaction has occurred, actually, due to mixture of colour of rays and heat of colours/rays has transmitted to water.
Chemistry confirms that combination of heat and water induces (precipitates) chemical reaction. Such heat element caused precipitation between water and colour, as a result of which minute (subtle) elements were created in the water. Due to this principle and method, Surya Chikitsa medicine exhibits magical results on a disease.
COLOURS AND SUN RAYS
In order to know the relation between colours and sun rays, it is necessary to know what is meant by the word ‘colour’ and also why colour is perceived by us? The scientists, after making constant and lengthy discoveries, came to the conclusion that each object is vested with a specific colour. Further analysis revealed that all the colours could only be perceived in the sun-rays or artificial light. It was found that all the objects appear in black colour, when it was attempted to view the object in the thick darkness of night. An object which looked (like) red in the day light, looked dark in the darkness of night, and also that if the same looked white during day time (in the light) also looked black (dark) at night. Such a game of colours is visible in the light only but in the absence of light, all the colours looked black.
As soon as the scientists came to know of the said facts, they set upon analysing various colour rays of the sun. Their cardinal point of research and analysis revolved around two facets, viz (i) when colours are viewed in the light, why do they appear in various colour? and (ii) why all objects look black, when viewed in the absence of light. The scientists were of the view that there is some element of mystery inherent in the light which causes different objects to appear in varied colours.
To further the said concept, Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 A.D., let in the sun rays in a closed room, through a hole, and caused reflection there of on the room wall via a prism. The experiment, in question. showed a seven coloured strip on the wall, and the colours consisted of (1) Red, (2) Orange, (3) Green, (4) Blue, (5) Yellow, (6) Violet and (7) Indigo. This experiment proved that sun light is a resultant end of all the said (seven) colours combined together or we can say light consists of seven colours. In addition, it was also observed that white and black (shades) are no colours at all.
Actually, if the seven coloured sun rays fall upon an object (which is capable of absorbing all the seven colours), the same object appears in black colour. Conversely, if the said seven coloured rays fall on an object which, instead of absorbing, causes reflection of such colours, though not being colours in any sense of the term and also opposite to each other, all considered to be important/significant colours. The said observation is based on totally variable scientific principles; or it could be maintained that black colour absorbs all the seven colours whereas white colour reflects (or returns) all the seven colour. Observance and perception of black and white colours are governed by the aforesaid principals.
ACTIVE CENTRES AND COLOUR THERAPY
It may be noted active/conscious centres are actually glands but colour therapists should first of all take note of centres of conscious power. When we succeed in this step, then we should concentrate on relative colours and glands attached to them. Firstly, rays will reach centres of consciousness and thereafter would reach the glands by this way a patient will instantly recover.
Deed (Karma), Centre of consciousness (Chetan Kendra), Yogic cycle (Yoga-chakra) and each colour have been determined by specific which a physician should learn by heart , failing which it won’t be possible for him to practise Action (Deed) Therapy. Action Therapy is the most difficult one in colour therapy.
Benefits can be obtained and desired result obtained if one treats through Actions, Centres of power, and Glands and Colours (taking them as sources to treatment).
PREPARATION OF SURYA MEDICINES
Processing Medicine through water: Water is an ingredient of nature and any element combining with it has the earliest chemical reaction and if it (water) intermingles with heat, the process can be had instantly. Hence, water is the finest vehicle (source) for processing medicines in Surya Chikitsa.
First of all take a coloured bottle of same colour, of which medicine is to be prepared, The bottle should be completely washed from inside and outside so that there remains no trace/presence any spot, paper or dirt in and outside the bottle, removing even any label. If bottle of specific colour is not available, then the bottle should be wrapped with the cellophane paper of the desired colour, securely tied with a thread—this is how one can obtain a bottle of the desired colour. Now fill the bottle with drinking or distilled water. It should be borne in mind that water should be filled upto 3/4 capacity. Now close the mouth of bottle with a lid or else with a cork. The water filled bottle should be exposed to sun-rays for 6-8 hours. Now, the medicine is ready for use.
It is necessary to note that once a bottle has been removed from exposure to sun-rays, it should never be reexposed so as it will destroy good effects thereof. Further once a medicines has been processed, as described above, it should be utilised within 3-4 days. It is necessary to keep in mind the element of subtlety, since Surya Chikitsa is based on it.
CAUTIONS
• While keeping a bottle in sunlight, reflection of one bottle should not fall on another bottle, even both have the same colour, as reflection of another bottle can destroy effects of the medicine.
• Sunlight must remain for at least six to eight hours at the specified place where medicine is desired to be kept, so that there is no need to stir the bottles in between. If during the course of preparing medicines, bottles are whisked or stirred, then atoms inherent in the water and colour break up, and change will disturb the process, this adversely affecting efficacy of the medicine.
• Let the medicine remain stored in the same coloured bottle in which it had been processed and the medicated water should be used from the same bottle itself.
• Prepared water should be used within three days of the preparation, because after that it loses its efficacy.
• Colour therapy is based on subtlety, hence its dose should be used daily in proportionate quantity-tapered or excessive dose removes effect of medicine.
• If no relief follows after using a particular medicine for a few days, the medicine should be changed.
• Medicines of green and blue colours should be taken on empty stomach or half- an-hour before meals, and that of orange colour 15 minutes after the meals.
• Do not underrate these medicines, as they are not ordinary ones, hence never use unnecessarily for longer duration. These medicines, made minutely, can react or have adverse effects also, hence use them only as per a physician’s advice.
PREPARATION OF OIL
Due to its specific properties, our skin soaks and draws its inside; hence method of massage with oil is considered to be the best healing way in colour therapy. Fill the coloured bottle with oil to its 3/4 capacity (colour should of the same colour which is to be used for treatment) and securely tighten the mouth with a stopper/lid. Now take a wooden plank, place the oil-filled bottle thereon, exposing the same to sunlight for 6-8 hours daily, for a period of 2-3 months, as it takes 2-3 months to prepare such a medicine. This way your curative and magical medicine will be ready for application. This is a highly effective medicine. The patient can get relief within 4-5 days provided the physician uses a specific (medicated) oil for a specific ailment. Solar oil can be prepared by using linseed, mustard, castor, sesame or coconut oil. For preparing orange-colour oil, use til oil, for the blue oil coconut and for green oil use coconut and mustard oil.
CAUTIONS
• Try to ensure that bottle is regularly and daily kept under sunlight, without gap.
• Bottle should be securely tightened so as not to let in or let out air.
• Bottle should be dusted off at the top.
• Sun-heated oil should be used within two months of its processing, as its effect lasts upto two months only.
• If, due to oversight, oil has been processed in excessive quantity then, after a lapse of two month, the same efficacy can be had for further two months if the oil is exposed to sunlight for consecutively about ten days.