I admit I’ve been called many things by many people, but I have never been called mellow.  Or yellow, come to think of it. As in, “You’re yellow. You’re chicken!” I never backed down from a dare, but it might have been smart if I had.

Yellow is the brightest and most luminous color in the spectrum. Think of all the things that are yellow, and I’ll bet they bring a smile to your face. Lemons, egg yolks, butter, Post-it notes, sunflowers, bees making honey. In almost every culture around the world, yellow represents sunshine, warmth, and happiness. The Japanese use yellow to represent courage. Here in America, we used to call dirty movies “blue movies,” but in China they call them “yellow movies.”

Yellow is the color of the 3rd of our seven chakras. Called Manipura, meaning “lustrous gem,” it is found in the area of the solar plexus; just below our ribs, and above our navel.  It is the seat of our strength, will, and personal power. Yellow represents happiness, optimism, wisdom and intellect. By tapping into your 3rd chakra, you find the fire that burns within you, and develop trust and self-esteem.

Physically a strong 3rd chakra gives us healthy digestion, a strong core, and mental courage – especially to go through changes. It provides the ability to assimilate knowledge. It also aids our pancreas and liver, helping heal skin problems. Ways to strengthen your 3rd chakra include: doing seated spinal twists during yoga, wearing the color yellow – but if yellow doesn’t look good on you, buy yourself some bright yellow flowers. And wear stones such as tiger eye, yellow topaz, citrine, and gold jewelry.

Yellow has also been associated with danger and madness. We use it as a warning, on caution signs, and safety packaging.  Vincent Van Gogh is often discussed in the same sentence as yellow and madness. He called yellow “a color that was capable of charming God,” and his paintings grew increasingly yellow toward the end of his life. Although he suffered greatly from an undiagnosed mental illness, when I look at his body of work what I see is strength, warmth, and optimism. His genius became even more evident as he tapped into our vibrant, golden world.

XO Donna