In conversation with a Chinese peer, they mentioned that in their culture, red speaks for celebration, joy, victory, and power, for which the student highlighted the uplighting and vibrant effect of the color red. Therefore, red would be less effective for feeling calm and healing for them.
On the other hand, blue and green are soft colors which calm their mind, as they are less disturbing.
Purple finally gave them a mysterious feeling, which felt the most engaging as well as most appealing.
After showing the images from my mandala intervention they mentioned that looking at the green mandala was the most healing, and red the least healing. However, red gave them the most energy.
This short conversation about color again demonstrated to me how red usually feels too disturbing for people in general for relaxation and that blue and green, which I also used while doing my early intervention, succeeded in a healing process.
Since strokes can in many cases lead to a disability, patients often experience depression or/- and anxiety. Victims can feel frustrated, unhappy, powerless for which reason art therapy should be suggested in order to make their quality of life better and give them hope.
Colouring, sewing or knitting, painting, sketching, drawing, creating sculpture or collage, and doodling are just a few examples of what can support stroke patient’s healing processes.
In many cases people can express their thoughts and feelings better when creating rather than on a verbal level.
Art therapy also affects both hemispheres of the brain. When both hemispheres work intact with each other, the brain works properly.
Throughout the weeks I decided whether I should engage with the cancer, neurological or stroke ward and patients within a hospital, until I finally came to the decision to work with stroke patients. Choosing neurology was a field which I felt could fail very easily for this project, as neurology patients are very diverse and are affected differently. I came across articles that mentioned how light can positively affect stroke patients, therefore I made the decision to explore and expand this topic further.
I began to look into different forms of therapy, such as ”Chromotherapy”, which is a colour therapy in support of the healing process. This healing concept exists already for over thousands of years, in which coloured glasses have been used in combination of the sun to work towards benefits within the healing process. It has been reported, that especially with stroke patients and survivors, this kind of therapy works extremely well.
The rationale for it working is the fact that researchers have presented that specific colours can add balance to our physical and emotional schemes.
If you are familiar with Chinese acupuncture, it can be said that it achieves the same outcome.
Different type of colors indeed have diverse outcomes:
Green:
Takes action against depression, insomnia, nervous breakdowns and bulimia.
Blue:
Calms, relaxes and can lower blood pressure, as well as it can release tension and support breathing.
Red:
This colour on the other hand achieves a complete different effect, which is a higher pulse, more energy and a higher body temperature.
Yellow:
Supports the feeling of well-being and safety. It makes people feel happiness and has a cleansing outcome.
White:
Stimulates the production of serotine and can be energizing as well. It is able to balance out the hormonal system and is therefore being used for people who have to fight seasonal depression.
This immediately was a reminder of the anti-depressant light which I investigated in my earlier blogs and used myself before in the past.
Purple:
This high vibrational colour can work against headaches and works calming for the eyes and the nervous system. With this it also promotes sleep and takes away the feeling of being stressed emotionally and mentally.
As Yin colours are different from Yang, and one concentrates more on relaxation and the other on energy, I wanted to dwell deeper into the relaxing colours of the Yin, in order to investigate which colours would be suitable for a hospital room. Hence, I reached out again to the Feng-Shui expert to find out which Yin and Yang colours and textures were most suitable.
They explained that Yin related to soft textures and colours, and that earth tones are especially considerable for healing and the feeling of being grounded. Examples would be beige, dusty/dirty rose, smooth yellow and tan when thinking of colours.
Dusty rose
The usage of too much blue would make one feel too emotional, which should be avoided in a vulnerable environment, such as hospitals. This is interesting as most hospital rooms in the NHS specifically use blue bedding and interior colours. Nevertheless, seafoam green would increase growth and light blue can be soothing.
Seafoam green
Other colours, to refrain from are white and grey, as they feel too sterile and generate perfectionism. This would be fairly more part of the Yang, which is energizing and not necessary at hospitals. Finally, the expert described that the most important aspect for relaxation is having your bed in the command position.
This means the person should have a clear view of the door or entrance of the room, which will make them feel more powerful, safe and will make them feel in control.
The most healing mandala in general was number 3 (5 out of 10)
Question 2:
The least healing mandala was number 1 (7 out of 10)
Question 3:
The most energetic mandala was number 1 (5 out of 10)
Question 4:
The most engaging and appealing mandala was a close tie between 2 and 3
Mandala 2 (4 out of 10) and Mandala 3 (5 out of 10)
From general feedback and responses this intervention demonstrated how sound with the mandala was very collaborative. Participants also gave thorough feedback which showed that they were emotionally engaged in the exercise. The majority found a calming response with mandala number 3. Here, the colors felt very cool and soothing for some. This demonstrates how color affects the mind and well-being.
Along with this, the green mandala was not calming but peaceful for some. This highlights how color can be implemented to extract various emotions from people. In the responses, there were references to going into deeper connections, such as thoughts, mystery, and the depth of the sea. I felt this was interesting, as it highlighted how the combination of color, sound, and structure could connect to modes of the subconscious. Many referenced shapes, patterns, and florals, and how this imbibed responses of growth and flourishing. I realize from this study, that mandalas offer a progressive form of alternative healing and could be applied selectively within a hospital environment.
If I had to resubmit this intervention, I would improve it by adding more specific questions on color, shape, and pattern and how participants would feel regarding these.
I reached out to a Feng Shui expert and author. To my pleasant surprise, she responded to my questions with in-depth answers.
These were their following responses:
How could Feng Shui encourage spaces for healing within a hospital environment?
Feng shui translates into ‘wind and water.’ The water is the visible adjustments that can be seen in a physical space– moving a piece of furniture or adding a mirror or artwork. The wind is the invisible aspect of Feng-Shui, the energetic part we cannot see. There are many transcendental, or invisible adjustments that will alter the energy of a room, but it can only be felt and not seen.
Applying Feng-Shui to any environment, including hospitals, will create more harmony and ease for all who occupy the space. There are many aspects of Feng-Shui and ways to apply it, but the overall goal is the same for any method you use. The intention of Feng-Shui is to create a space that is supportive of your overall well-being.
How easy would it be to implement Feng-Shui on a low budget?
Feng-Shui can easily be applied on a low budget. Whenever I do a Feng-Shui consultation, I encourage my clients to ‘shop their homes’ first. Often, we already have decor or furniture that we need, but it simply needs to be shifted into a more auspicious location. Additionally, Feng-Shui is not always about adding ‘things’ to a space. The foundation of Feng-Shui is to clear stagnant energy and create space for newness. In other words, deep cleaning and decluttering will generate huge energetic results and those are low-budget aspects of Feng-Shui.
What are the key essential elements for relaxation in Feng-Shui?
I am certified in the BTB School of Feng-Shui which uses a tool called the Bagua map. The Bagua map is a nine-square grid that helps you identify which areas of your home – or a hospital building or room – represent different areas of life such as health, wealth, relationships, etc. Each of the nine areas is activated by a primary element. There are 5 elements in Feng-Shui. Optimal relaxation can be achieved when the 5 elements are working in harmony with each other. In addition, we consider the balance of yin and yang energy. Some colors, textures, and shapes enhance ‘yin’ energy which tends to be more relaxing and soothing. On the other hand, there are colors, textures, and shapes which enhance the ‘yang’ energy which will be more energizing. A bedroom or hospital room would benefit from more ‘yin’ decor to promote rest and relaxation; while a kitchen or the surgical space could benefit from more ‘yang’ enhancements to promote collaboration and alertness.
How does Feng-Shui affect physical and mental well-being?
Your environment is a reflection of your mind. Cluttered spaces create cluttered minds. The good news is you can change the narrative!
In addition, the center area of a home, hospital, and room would be considered the health area. There are ways to enhance the health area in order to support physical and mental well-being.
It also should be mentioned that there is something called the “Mystical Body” in Feng-Shui. Different parts of the home (or a building) and different areas of the Bagua map represent different areas of the body. For example, the front, and center area of a room is the career area and it connects to the ears, kidney, and bladder.
5. How soon could patients begin to see the effects of Feng Shui in their lives?
You can feel effects immediately upon shifting your immediate environment. I also like to take the approach that you could set your intention and manifest your dreams and desires through Feng-Shui. Manifestations could take time, but the feelings of more peace and ease will be felt almost instantly.
Analysis:
This interview was very informative and concise in defining the concept of Feng-Shui and its application as a science to hospital environments.
Relating to the first question, Feng-Shui methods do not just include building and buying furniture or plants to harmonize with wind and water elements of nature, but also the shifting of furniture in the correct spaces.
The findings from question two show that these methods can be implemented at a very low cost and within reasonable budgets within a hospital environment. The interviewee explains that the emphasis is more on decluttering and positioning furniture in a more auspicious space.
For question three, the interviewee gives a breakdown of the functionality of the Bagua map as a nine-square grid. They also explain the concept of the Yin and Yang components; Yin is for relaxation and soothing, whereas Yang is for energizing. Hence they explain why Yin elements would be more beneficial for hospital bedroom environments.
Feng-Shui Bagua map
Regarding question four, they explained how the significance of the center of the home represents health, and how this could be improved within a hospital environment to maximize the benefits of physical and mental well-being. The ‘mystical body’ is deconstructed to explain the different areas of a home. They highlight further how the Bagua map connects to various parts of the body. Changes applied here would impact the positive improvement for individuals in hospitals.
The last question informs us that the effects of Feng-Shui can take place immediately and feeling at peace and relaxation does occur which would be ideal for patients in the recovery process within hospitals.
I felt this was a very successful interview, as it was insightful and informative in how it could be applied to my project.
To improve the questionnaire, I could also request the interviewee to suggest colors and textures for the Yin elements which connect to relaxation and soothing in hospital spaces.
My findings were very positive. I received 34 responses which I felt gave me a variety of data to analyze my findings. 40% of the participants had stayed in a hospital for longer than two weeks.
70% of participants felt their stay was average in the hospital with nobody selecting ”excellent”, ”unpleasant” and ”very bad”. This demonstrates that the hospitals do not achieve an outstanding and ideal standard and neither does the experience hit a low wave.
40% of the participants had experienced alternative healing methods which meant they could relate to the impact of these strategies on wellbeing. 55.6% felt it had a positive impact on them. 80% of participants agreed that these strategies would have a positive impact within hospital spaces. This is double the figure even though only 40% actually stayed in a hospital.
All 34 participants believe that these strategies would also benefit hospital staff in creating a more relaxed environment for everybody. This again demonstrates how participants may not have experienced these healing methods, however, they appreciate the benefits of applying art forms to improve well-being.
Although my findings were very successful, it can be criticized that my data was from familiar sources, such as my peer group who are from a specific demographic (age and creative fields). The participants also know me well, hence this could also affect the output of the survey. A more anonymous approach with diverse participants would be more defined as a data outcome for the future.
This interviewee stayed in the hospital for about 4-5 days. She shared her experience with me and said that entertainment was not provided. The reason for her stay was due to a fracture after a fall. She was offered healing methods that were cooling and tablets against the pain of broken ribs. The hospital room in Germany was bright, and the bed was by the window. It wasn’t a single room, which meant you could talk to your fellow patients. Unfortunately, the fellow patient was disturbing her healing process as he was talking in his sleep and snoring loudly. Other distractions and offers, included television sets in the room and a vending machine for drinks and coffee in the hallway. Overall, this was not too exciting for her though, and being able to talk to other patients from other rooms would have been something she would have wished for. This again leads to the thought and confirms that an escape space when your neighbor is a disturbance or if you just want to chat with someone else would be supportive in the healing process and would avoid boredom, which often can lead to overthinking and anxiety. Alternative healing approaches were also not used as support in her time of healing.
This is what my interviewee described when talking about the reality of her hospital experience. Observing the first image, it is visible that this tv is tiny and therefore not made for the eyes of an elderly person, as well as it is extremely uncomfortable to view the tv in this position in which the man in the above example is forced to do so. For an elderly person, this angle of viewing is barely possible, as well as it does not support the healing process of younger patients. Observing how the patient in the hospital has to physically turn around, could lead to cause further pain.
What has been the longest period of time you have spent in hospital or visited a hospital? > 1 day, 2-5 days, 1 week, 2 weeks or more., other – Please describe how long your stay was if not mentioned above
What was your experience like with staff at the hospital? Excellent, very good, okay, unpleasant, very bad. Please describe if different.
Have you ever experienced alternative healing methods e.g. mandalas, nature therapy, light therapy, art rooms? Yes/NO
Did you find these healing methods to have a positive effect on you? YES/NO
Do you feel that these methods could be introduced into hospital spaces to have a positive impact on the healing stages? YES/NO. Please describe how/why.
Do you feel staff would be more relaxed and positive if patients were calmer with the effects of alternative healing methods? YES/NO
