Light Therapy

When it comes to optimal health, an age-old practice may be light years ahead.

We all know sunlight in large doses is dangerous for your skin. But before you slather on the sunscreen, there is a school of thought that urges the importance of spending time in the sun daily, to trigger vitamin D production, regulate melatonin levels for better sleep, and combat myriad ailments. Some would argue we might be harming ourselves by avoiding it.

Sunlight is the most available and economical form of light therapy, but Leanne Venier, BSME, AOBTA-CP, has found that different mixtures of colored light can relieve a broad spectrum (no pun intended) of ailments, from skin conditions, muscle/joint pain and depression to signs of aging and many other conditions. She is an international award-winning artist, engineer and former submarine designer who has been praised by medical doctors as a visionary and leading expert in the world of light therapy. 24Life asked Venier about the science behind, and benefits of, light therapy.

24Life: How did you personally discover the benefits of light therapy?

Leanne Venier (LV): I learned about the benefits of light therapy while working as an engineer. My first exposure to the effect that color has on us was while I was taking a course on untapped aspects of the brain. In the class, the instructor put up different-colored panels around the room, and we were asked to stand near each one and see how we felt. Every time I would stand in front of a different color I had a different feeling or sensation. Some of them were very appealing and attractive, and others made me feel tense or agitated. That was the first time I realized how profoundly we are affected just by looking at different colors.

24Life: How does light therapy work?

LV: Different wavelengths of light have different healing properties. Color and light are energies that are along the electromagnetic spectrum. Sunlight is made up of colored wavelengths — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — and by definition is called light because it illuminates.

When you’re in sunlight, you receive all the healing properties of each color. We evolved to live and thrive under sunlight, and our cells are designed to be optimized when we are receiving sunlight. Red light — all the way into the near-infrared wavelengths — stimulates mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. And when mitochondria kick into gear, the cells renew themselves, boost immune function and can fight diseases and much more.

24Life: How can someone utilize color and light in daily life to be more productive or healthy?

LV: To be healthier in your daily life, you could use light therapy devices. [Ed. note: Venier recently launched a line of bio-photonic light therapy panels.] Skin exposure to strong LED lights, in the right wavelengths, elicits different healing properties.

For example, blue light can be used for overall health but also productivity. Most people have heard that smart phones give off blue light, which can be bad for your sleep cycle. In actuality, you need to have blue light during the day because it sets your circadian rhythm. When you see blue light, your body knows it needs to be awake and halts melatonin production. By reducing blue light exposure in the evening, you will sleep much better and as a result, your productivity will go up during the day. You can even use a small portable light in the morning that emits blue light to help set your circadian rhythm.

24Life: So, what are bio photons and how they are involved in your work?

LV: In the 1970s, Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp started the bio photonic movement. “Bio” means “living” and “photons” are light particles or waves, so bio photons are light energy coming from a living being. Biologists have continued doing research on the topic, and in 2009 at Kobayashi Lab at Kyoto University in Japan, they developed a CCD camera, sensitive enough to photograph bio-photon emissions from our bodies. All living things emit light, and the reason we crave colors and receive healing effects from light is because our bodies are designed to absorb and store those photons. Our cells actually use that for nourishment throughout the day.

24Life: What are some of the questions that remain to be answered about light therapy – the science or its application?

LV: My personal mission for the last seven years has been to validate this healing modality in the eyes of Western medical practitioners. I started right off the bat when I was first invited to teach at major medical centers, after I began sharing some of this information on my website. The more doctors and scientists that become aware of this healing modality and support it, the more lay people will be able to begin to use this healing modality for themselves in their own homes.

And as people become aware of the profound effects that light has upon us, home, school and business lighting systems will dramatically change for the better with adjustable LED lighting becoming the norm.

I envision that as people become more familiar and aware that this is a truly viable healing modality, supported by science, more people will feel self-empowered to take control, heal themselves and restore balance to their bodies and minds.