Are we all in mourning . . . in mourning for a happier, less stressful world?Look in the windows of clothes shops or department stores, it's black that dominates.
However, although we might be spurning colour, the natural world compensates for our drabness, particularly in the autumn.
So far this October we have been offered not only the brilliance of the turning leaves, but also a magnificent and totally unexpected tangerine sun . . . did you see it?All these thoughts came to mind the other day when I heard of a report published by The Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
Scientists at the Institute have been carrying out an intensive study into the power of colour. Not autumnal colour in this instance, but the power of the colour blue.
Their conclusions make interesting reading.
According to their research, 'outdoor blue spaces have potential benefits for health, particularly in terms of mental health, general well-being and physical activity.'
Why are we drawn to the sea for our holidays?
Yes, I know we enjoy swimming, and we also love to relax on a sunny beach, but has it occurred to you that we're also drawn by the colour of the sea itself, by the largely unrecognised benefits of blue?
It would seem that whilst we create the world's stress, colour holds the antidote.So, how better to alleviate the current sense of anxiety than by applying blue therapy?
We can't all look out of our windows at a natural source of water, but we can all look up at the sky.
True, there are times when it's cloudy and overcast . . . on such occasions photos like these will go part way to offering what we need.
May I recommend that you sit quietly for a moment looking at these two seascapes.
Relax into the depths of the blue sea, let your mind expand into the infinite brilliance of the blue sky.
Feeling better . . . ? I'm sure you are.
And if you are still troubled by a nagging unease, a sense that harmony and order are disappearing, then click here.However chaotic our world may appear at the moment, this video from Harvard University puts things into perspective.
We humans have created plenty of turbulence on the surface of life. In this video the scientists demonstrate how the underlying energy frequencies can reclaim order from chaos and maintain a beautifully harmonious, rhythmic pattern. A rhythm similar to the one we feel when gazing out to sea.
So, with the reassurance of the scientists from Harvard, and the recommendation of the scientists of Barcelona, let's relax, rethink our wardrobes . . . and bask in the blessings of the sky above us.
What if, instead of 'seeing red' when provoked, we consciously chose to 'see blue'?
Could blue-sky thinking help stabilise society . . . ?
Who knows . . . but let me leave you to be inspired by Stephen Caudel's beautiful music, 'Reflections in Blue'.
