I’m usually in one of three colors: pink, purple, or black–or some combo thereof. I try to fight it to avoid being the crazy lady who only wears three colors, but alas, the reds and the oranges and the greens mostly end up languishing on their hangers.

It’s so extreme that yesterday a co-worker pointed out that I was wearing blue, noting that I had probably gravitated toward it for medicinal purposes (the advantage of working somewhere like Beliefnet!). I’ve been fighting bronchitis for weeks. She said it was perfect because it’s the color of the throat chakra and I’m certainly using that to hack up all matters of stuff (sorry!). And I recalled that years ago a psychic told me to surround myself with as much indigo blue as possible–indigo-colored drinking glasses, indigo clothing, the blue chakra bath stuff, etc.–to balance my Aries tendency to over-heat in all matters. I never really followed up, but I’ve since heard other healers talk about the power of indigo especially, because it’s the color of the Medicine Buddha, a.k.a. Bhaisajyaguru, Menla, Medicine King, King of Lapis Lazuli, and a few more aliases (he’s a popular guy).

With Google as my guide, I can tell you that Tibetan Buddhists have been chanting the Medicine Buddha’s mantra for thousands of years, and one Lama says: “If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering.”

Works for me. I deliberately wore an indigo sweater today and I swear looking at it gives me a peaceful, balanced feeling–in a grounded, powerful way. I’ve been closing my eyes and imagining the Medicine Buddha sitting still and regal, emanating that rich color that you could fall into like a night sky.

I’m grateful; he seems to be helping. I may even start chanting his mantra for a while.

In Sanskrit it’s: Tayata, Om, Bhaishaye Bhaishaye Maha-Bhaishaye Raja Samudgate, Svaha

How do you use color?