For those of you who are just joining us, welcome to the University of Life. In the previous “classes” we laid the groundwork for this course—The Color of Wellness, and looked at the therapeutic properties of the colors red and orange. Today’s palette features the color Yellow.
Yellow is associated with self-definition, personal power, and social wellness. It enhances awareness, wisdom, and clarity. It’s the color of a shiny rain slicker. Think of the downy feathers on a prothonotary warbler, or the vibrant skin on a lemon or banana. It’s the lively color of daffodil bonnets that herald spring, and the dazzling color of finches at the feeder on an early summer morning. It’s the flamboyant color of bumble bees showing off as they dart from blossom to blossom.
The positive properties of yellow are expressed as motivational, happy, radiant, social, lighthearted, mental activity, clear thinking, rational, and detachment from negative emotions.
The negative properties of yellow are described as critical, argumentative, opinionated, evasive, and restless.
The healing properties of yellow are uplifting and supportive and can address physical symptoms that include intestinal and digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea and flatulence, water retention, skin problems, all mental processes, and negative states of mind such as depression, low self-esteem, short attention-span, “exam nerves,” and writer’s block. Yellow increases awareness, perception, and understanding. It also stimulates the appetite.
When you need a boost in the areas of personal power and self-definition, indulge yourself with this color. Its frequency resonates with the solar plexus chakra, the wellspring of our power—the hub, the very heart—of our body’s electrical system. It promotes vigor, and improves memory. Yellow energy stirs feelings of well-being, positive thinking, and triggers the outward expression of inner joy.
Closest to sunlight, pure yellow conveys hospitality and promotes deep feelings of well-being. The muted hues make quiet backgrounds for busy lives, while the shaded yellows have a soft, glowing presence which speaks of home, harvest, and abundance.
What we do with our physical environment—our personal space—speaks to our heart and helps us to flourish. Add a dash of yellow to your wardrobe. Wake up your bathroom with a dazzling yellow shower curtain. Cheer up your kitchen with a bright yellow cookie jar or ceramic teapot. Take advantage of the healing frequency of yellow crystals such as citrine, golden tiger eye, or imperial topaz.
A special thank you to Joseph’s Market for allowing me to take photographs in their produce department.
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
– Laurie Buchanan
Copyright © 2010 Laurie Buchanan — All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog post may be used in part, or in whole, without written permission from Laurie Buchanan.
Tuesdays with Laurie 
I’m hoping we see the yellow of the sun today as I’m finally able to get outside and garden!
Actually my bathroom is painted yellow. I was going to go with a toned down yellow but John liked the bright yellow I have. Go figure. And he’s color blind!
Have a great Sunday my friend. I’m sure your biking your butts off!
Enjoy
Beth – we saw lots of YELLOW sun yesterday, but it was through lots of cool wind, Wind, WIND! We rode our bicycles most of yesterday (Sunday) up in Wisconsin. The temperatures are really dropping. Fall isn’t kidding around anymore. The color in your bathroom sounds like a good way to wake up and greet the day 🙂
What immediately came to mind was The Yellow Submarine!
Oh Jeff, this is just PERFECT! Thank you.
We all live in a Yellow Submarine, Yellow Submarine, Yellow Submarine. We all live in a Yellow Submarine, Yellow Submarine, Yellow Submarine. And our friends are all aboard. Many more of them live next door. Sky of blue, sea of green, and our Yellow Submarine.
Now I am going to have that song in my head for the next three days . . . I may be forced to burst out in off-key lyrics.
It is a rainy, chilly day here in Maryland — a good time to break out some yellow and splash it around.
I already know my next project will be to collect a basket of items for all these colors so I can take them out to play anytime I feel the need. Thanks, Laurie!
Barbara – I’m glad I didn’t see the responses yesterday before we left on our Wisconsin bicycle ride or I would have had the lyrics to Yellow Submarine spinning through my head all day long! When I teach at HolEssence about color, I go the paint section and (asking permission first) get lots of those individual paint “swatch” samples. They’re clean, fun, and easy to use — plus they last a long time.
Laurie, I know that this beautiful color is connected with our solarplexus/third chakra but reading this really warmed my heart. Literally!! Have a feeling this is going to be a lovely yellow day.
Colleen – I love what you said, “I know that this beautiful color [yellow] is connected with our solar plexus/third chakra, but reading this really wamred my HEART.” That was fun for me to read this morning as I’m having a cuppa tea and enjoying yesterday’s responses (we were in Wisconsin most of the day riding our bicycles).
What I did was buy bandannas of many different colors, that I could use them when the color was called for, I also began to collect crystals, so I could wear or place in my pocket…
Jeff – Your BASKET OF BANDANAS idea is a wonderful idea! I’ve seen them 13 different colors at REI.
Hi, Laurie! What a grand day to pull out the Yellow! We have real rain for the first time in weeks so although the skies are gray, the mood is a chirpy yellow. Jeff, you put the Smile of the Day on my face, like Barbara, snippets of “Yellow Submarine” will bubble up at odd moments to give off sunshine vibrations and brighten the day. Grand post all the way around! BTW, my bedroom is painted a soft yellow so that I’ll always wake up to a sunshiny day.
Sandi – I’m glad that the state of Georgia was in a chirpy yellow mood yesterday due to the much-needed rain. I can well imagine that waking up in a soft yellow bedroom would be a tremendous way to jumpstart any day, regardless of the weather!
I have say By bedrrom and bath are painted yellow as well!
I love it when you share all the colors and their descriptions!
I hope you have more han your yellow shirts on today, its a bit nippy….58 on my car dash.
I am sitting in Norridge, I’ll right now waiting a meeting then a concert tonight at Allstate Arena…is free…
Kim – Gosh, but lots of folks in this conversation have yellow in their bathrooms and/or bedrooms. How cool is that?! We did have the ability to layer both up and down for yesterday’s ride — mostly we were layered up (due to a very brisk wind). I’ll be heading over to your blog shortly to see what I can see regarding the concert you attended at the Allstate Arena. And it was free? You can’t get a much better price than that!
I also have yellow Roses in my bathroom, fake of course.
Are those pictures of your own roses??
Yhey are beautifullll>>>>>>>>
I am thinking of your yellow colors as I deal with hubby coming homw yelling!…..You know what I just started yekking back and mimicing his beghavior and he backed off and went downstairs!
Yelling about something that he should be greatefuk, rather than not.
I had a Chiropractic Appt and was early so I just d,rove around some streets around there, Dole, Ridge, Woodstock streets by the animal shelter….I had my appt,then came home to a warm welcome of yelling, I guess it is a cousin of yellow! You never know!
(sigh)
Kim – I’m absolutely you took the high road in response to yelling 🙂
Giving you a yellow flower, teacher, and wishing you a sunny yellow day. We have lots of sun around these parts…hope you do, too. Thank you for this third chakra lesson.
Kathy – Accepting the yellow flower with delight, thank you. Even though we were waaaaaay north yesterday, we were still waaaaaaay south of you. And it was more than brisk where we were at. Up in your neck of the woods you guys have to be getting downright nippy. Brrrrrrrrrrrr
Just to inform you Laurie, when I went out last evening to Sorbet Heart Circle and Pot luck with the Faeries, I wore my new yellow T! The person who hosting the event at his home, who’s name is Jeff also, was by surprise, you guessed wearing a yellow team shirt!
We where both bright and cheery!!!
I am Love, Jeff
Jeff – Oh how fun! What dish did you take to pass? I’m good and hungry this morning and have food on the brain.
I suppose another negative property would be one suggestive of fear or cowardice as per the time-worn phrase. But by and large, as you have superbly established here in this admittedly fascinating post in the great series, the positive and healing aspects of this color are compelling.
Yellow Submarine indeed! I also remember the film Yellow Sky, which comes close to realized the pertinent themes.
Another long held theory concerns the healing properties of ‘mustard’ from the seed, my favorite condiment.
Yellow is a panacea for depression, and a synonym for bright, happy and effervesence.
Another incredible presentation. Loves all those alternating photos!
Sam – I was JUST AS WE SPEAK over on your blog leaving you a comment. Ships passing … Okay, now you’ve dropped another movie crumb that I must follow, “Yellow Sky.” We watched “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” last night when we returned from Wisconsin. I can’t beging to imagine why I didn’t see it in high school when it came out in 1973 — I really liked it — especially the cinematography (gorgeous Italian countryside).
Mustard has long been used in healing, especially in the form of a poultice because it draws out toxins. I’m glad you came to class today, Sam, thank you.
I am THRILLED to hear what you say here about BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON Laurie!! I agree that Ennio Guarriere’s cinematography was truly magnificent. The film appears to have been misunderstood upon release, and it tanked at the box office, only to gain respect years later as a cult film. The director Franco Zeffirelli, is opera’s most celebrated set designer and director, so his visual sense has always been exquisite.
Thanks so much for the comment Laurie, I’ll be checking it out shortly!
And then there’s that Donovan song “Mellow Yellow,” which is certainly lucid enough! Ha!
Oh Gosh, Sam – between “Yellow Submarine” and “Mellow Yellow” playing softly in the background of my head, I’m definitely going to lose my mind today!
When my energy is low, I eat a few sultanas. They look like sunshine!
Gil – Edible sunshine, I like it 🙂
Yesterday, I went shopping and bought (among a few other things) a bright orange writer’s book. Whose pages I will fill with purple ink.
In the grey rain-filled days of autumn I can get rather depressed. Maybe just maybe my verdict on yellow needs to be amended. Thank you for making sound so appealing.
Leanne – Ohhhhh, I love the sound of an orange writer’s book with purple ink. Mine is green with purple ink! And by the way, if you get a bit depressed with the rain-filled days of autumn and/or winter, make sure to take Vitamin D3 (not just plan D, but D3) — it’s wonderful for weather-related melancholy.
Laurie I love yellow… it warms my heart and for years now I have had big bath towels in yellow that gradually fade to a very light shade before they are warn out. I am due to get yet another one. I also grow a lot of yellow flowers. I often throw yellow calendula flower petals into my green salads. I always say to myself… “lets put a little sun in here.”
Oh… what a deightful series!
Terrill – I love the sound of your bath towels that fade over time (kind of turn to a soft inside-a-banana yellow). Every single wall in our home (with the exception of a gigantic sage green wall in the living room) are a soft, inside-a-banana yellow.
I dream of sitting in your home some day and drinking tea and eating sunshine in my salad 🙂 that’s a lovely picture I’ll hold onto.
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I so very much believe that colors are healing and meaningful. In fact just this past few months, I have bought yellow clothes for me to wear and a pair of yellow crocks. My office walls are yellow and so is our livingroom. I so enjoyed reading your intrepretation. Thanks for guiding me to this blopg.
Cee – I’m glad for your visit and comment. Here’s a yellow smile 🙂