Many of us feel drawn to one color over another. It’s a question that we learn to answer as preschoolers: What is your favorite color? Societally, people associate emotions with colors—blue is sullen or sad while yellow is happy and joyful. Many people also associate colors with how it makes them feel or look. For example, black is slimming while red is powerful.

TCM views colors from a completely different perspective. According to the Five Elements chart, color is one of the distinguishing factors that helps support the energetic function of an organ.

As shown in the chart above, green is associated with Liver function, red with Heart function, yellow with Stomach and Spleen function, white with Lung function, and blue and black with Kidney and Bladder function. So what does all of that mean? We are in the season of fall, which is supported by our Lung function. If during this season, we are energetically out of balance, and our Lung energy isn’t strong enough to support our bodies, we start seeing and feeling symptoms. We may experience fall allergies or heavy colds as the summer transitions into fall or as fall transitions into winter. We may also have asthma-like symptoms, itchy, dry skin, and constipation issues. All of these external, visible symptoms point to an internal, invisible imbalance in the body. The imbalance is invisible because it exists on the body’s energetic level.

Colors are a great way to support the organ function that needs a bit of a healing boost. For example, the color associated with Lung function is white. If you’re having a tough time adjusting to dropping fall temperatures, wear lots of white! Also, eat white foods, like daikon radish, bitter almond, white sesame seeds, and pears.

Take another look at the Five Element Chart above. Read the distinguishing factors of each organ. Is there a certain season where you feel continually out of balance? Is there a certain organ system that you relate closely to? Chances are, the color associated with the organ you named is the one you have liked since your preschool days. Incorporate that color into your daily routine. Wear it, eat it, and notice it all around you. You may just find that something inside you shifts when you do!