Just when does art cross the line into medicine? And vice versa? I had the opportunity to participate in a really neat workshop that was part art (painting) and part “medicine” (colors and chakras). I’ve not historically subscribed to what I affectionately call “the woo woo stuff”, but I tell you…this one, single Saturday really was just what the doctor ordered.
A good friend of mine, Sheila, recently found where her spirit belongs, and that’s in creating beauty through paint. I mean she truly radiates joy even talking about her new endeavor! So, she took a brave step and started her own business offering a variety of painting-based classes, and sells her pieces at local stores. She utilizes a variety of techniques and reclaimed items, and they’re beautiful. I’m so happy for her, and so very happy to see her smile once again. So, when the opportunity came to support her, I grabbed a couple of friends and said, “let’s go paint!”
For this particular class, Sheila partnered with a gal who knows a ton about color and how it impacts or influences mood and behavior. Together, they created a fun event where we learned about the seven chakras, or energy centers, of the body, the colors and emotions associated with each, and how bringing more chakra-balancing color into your life can improve your mental, emotional and physical well-being….and we created art! 
Chakras 101 for the Clueless
Insert disclaimer: This is my interpretation of what I’ve learned at
and since this workshop!
I have to admit while I’d heard the word “chakra” before, I had no idea what it was. Chakras originated in India and were found in Veda text dating back to 1500 to 500 BC. The idea is that the body has seven main chakras that originate down the center of the body. The health of each chakra directly attributes to the health and well-being. Chakras are said to spin, and are interconnected. When one or more is not spinning properly, your well-being is out of balance. Some sources say there are as many as 114 chakras…we’ll just stick with the seven for now!
So…here’s the rundown of the what, where, color and spirit or emotion associated with the seven main chakras:
- Sahasrara – crown of your head – VIOLET – divine spirit, gratitude, stress relief, respect for others
- Ajna – third eye (smack in the middle of your forehead!) – INDIGO – intuition, understand dreams, integrity, devotion, creativity
- Vessudha – throat – BLUE – stability, joy, worth, calm, stress relief
- Anahata – heart – GREEN – healing, balance, love, flow of money, emotional balance, harmony
- Manipura – solar plexus – YELLOW – attuned to self, wisdom, clarity, happiness, increased joy
- Sradhisthana – sacral – ORANGE – wisdom, energy, mental clarity, inspires joy, uplift and calm
- Medadhara – root – RED – receiving, motivation, creativity, action, vitality, discipline
We also talked about three others I thought were interesting…
- The Feminine – PINK – enhances heart center, calm, joyful, soften your heart, compassion, self-reliance
- The Cleanser – WHITE – purity, new experiences, clear thoughts, fresh starts. White cleanses your chakras.
- The Grounder – BLACK – earth energies, power, mystery, strength, remove illusions. Black enhances chakra movement.
Can I Influence Balance?
Once we reviewed these, we had a great discussion about everything from foods we eat to clothing colors and room paint. How could these choices be influencing our well-being? What was interesting is that as we talked, I began to contemplate how my wardrobe colors have evolved in recent years, how once I loved earth-tones and in fact most of my house is deep earth tones, but now I love blue and all its beautiful shades. Is this all a sign that I’m out of balance? If I change the colors that surround me, would I have more joy, calm and clarity, and less stress?
The Art of it All
The “fun” portion of our day entailed creating a piece of art reflective of what we want more of in our lives. After a delicious lunch (and a glass of wine, of course), we each decided on the paint colors we would use. My friend then taught us a really fun, and super simple, painting technique called “poured painting.” That’s right…you POUR the paint onto the canvas, swirl it around, and call it art. Can you say PERFECT?! 
So here’s how the painting works. Once you select your colors (we used acrylics) – base color plus two or three others, you slightly thin each into separate disposable cups. One by one, carefully add your selected colors to the base cup. You can create patterns as you’re pouring into the base but DO NOT MIX. Just let them fall where they choose in the cup. This isn’t about blending colors, it’s about creating patterns. Quickly flip the cup upside down on your canvas and leave it there. Once you start seeing paint begin to ooze out the bottom rim of the cup, quickly pick the cup straight up in the air. Now comes the fun…tilt your canvas in whichever direction makes your heart happy. Just tilt, and let your paint flow where it likes. You can influence patterns by the way you tilt, so have some fun!
I started with white as my base to, you know, cleanse the hell out of me. Then, I poured blue, indigo and orange as I aim for intuition, joy, stability, wisdom, energy, and mental clarity. One might think I’m a hot mess…which might be true. I am in a bit of a mid-life funk…so, I’ll take all the help I can get! As I tilted and swirled, I started seeing a really pretty pattern. Slowly, the colors came out of the white and made their own special appearance. Even with blue and indigo trying to dominate, pretty little orange stood up to attention! The result was this…
My work of art!
…and I just love it! Depending on which way I turn the piece, it can remind me of sunrise over the ocean, or sunset over the ocean (see a spirit theme??). The blues turned out pretty in their swirls, but orange, one of my newer favorite colors peeks out just enough to say HEY! Not only did I have a totally relaxing and fun time, I created something myself that frankly I think is just beautiful. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at it….and that’s just what the doctor ordered. And that, my friends, is when art turns into medicine.
Whether you believe in the what some think are “alternate” medicines or not, there’s no doubt that art is medicine for the soul. And I thank my friend Sheila for showing me the way.
If you’re interested in trying an art piece like this, contact my friend Sheila. She’s pretty clever and is designing remote workshops online for you! Click here to reach Sheila!
