SO HOW are you today? Do you find yourself tickled pink about something? Green with envy? Feeling blue or off-colour in some way?

The expression "showing your true colours" may be more than just a random term, if this week's subject -- colour therapy -- is to be believed.

Like many so-called new age treatments, colour therapy is actually an 'old age' technique.

The healing power of colour has been used since the days of ancient Greece and Egypt. Lists of colour 'cures' date to 1500BC when red was used in healing smallpox, and yellow for jaundice.

Today, colour therapy is a subtle therapy that harnesses the healing energy contained within the rays of colour.

Colour therapy pratitioner Marcia O'Regan is a former account manager who recovered from severe digestive problems in London through the use of colour.

She trained with colour therapy pioneer and author of Colours of the Soul, June McLeod.

As a resultMarcia has set up Colour Therapy Ireland.I go to visit her in Youghal, Co Cork where she is based.

"We all have seven major energy centres in the body, each one aligned with one of the seven prisms of light or colours of the rainbow," Marcia explains.

"These centres, or chakras as they are known, are like our batteries. If they become blocked or depleted, then our body cannot function properly. This can lead to a variety of problems on any level.

"Colours influence the way we think and feel, and more significantly from a therapist's point of view, the colours that attract us reveal our current health on an emotional, spiritual and physical level."

Having endured three hours on a train sitting beside someone watching DVDs without the use of headphones, I'm not feeling particularly relaxed!

Laid out on a bed are a selection of silk scarves of every colour in the rainbow, including white which contains all colours. I go for indigo, blue and white.

My choice of colours indicate to Marcia that my body is finding it hard to keep up with my mind and I need to look at why the latter is so busy.

She feels that I need to bring my thoughts to earth, write down what's in my head, burn it and bury the ashes in the ground. Clarity and ideas will replace some confusion that is there.

However, rather than adding more thoughts to my already over-active mind, she doesn't tell me any of this for now.

Instead, she places the indigo scarf at my forehead, the blue at my throat, the white one across my hips and adds a red one at my thighs to ground me and give me energy.

She then does a reiki style of healing followed by a hand, foot and head massage. I'm tense to begin with, but find myself drifting into slumber.

For me, the real benefit of the treatment comes more from Marcia's knowledge and advice on how to use specific colours in my everyday life, from what colour clothes you wear to the colours of your walls.

Armed with the information she gives, you can self-treat daily. You can try things like wearing red socks if you're lacking in energy or have cold feet.

Doctors' or dentists' waiting rooms are usually a pastel shade of blue, violet or lilac to calm patients' nerves.

And there are many ways to bring colour therapy into your home. Apparently Kylie Minogue painted her bedroom pink -- the colour of love -- to aid her recovery from cancer.

If you're not sure yet which colour you would like to paint a room, just buy yourself some fresh flowers in whatever colour appeals to you.

Verdict: As a treatment, it makes perfect sense. I don't need to be Einstein to know how much better I feel when wearing bright colours.

Now, with the knowledge about the effects of specific colours, I'm looking forward to playing with them in my wardrobe and at home.

A session with Marcia O'Regan costs €50. To make an appointment or for more details on her workshops in September and October, phone: 024 91777.

The facts

Although we perceive light as colourless, it is, in fact, composed of the seven colours of the rainbow.

Colour therapy uses the full spectrum of colours to help rebalance and energise the body on all levels -- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

A practitioner may use a variety of colour techniques such as silk scarfs, crystals, colour solarised water, visualisation and art therapy.

The evidence

Whether we are aware of it or not, colour affects us physcially, emotionally and spiritually. in everyday lives.

One of the more interesting studies conducted is into the effect of bubble gum pink.

Also known as 'drunk tank pink', it has been used to calm violent prisoners in jail.

According to Dr Alexander Schauss, director of the American Institute for Biosocial Research in Washington said: "Even if a person tries to be angry or aggressive in the presence of pink, he can't. the heart muscles won't race fast enough.

" It's a tranquilising colour that saps your energy."