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The Benefits of Crystal Healing

From surface to soulful, read on to uncover the powerful healing properties of crystals.

Health
crystal healing
Graphic
Rachel Pickus
A brief anecdote: I began my research for this particular story as I was going through a transitional phase of my life. During the month of September, I was a nomad. I was moving over 1,000 miles away, with my entire life chaotically organized into my car, graciously hosted by friends and family along the way. On the very day I started this story, I was staying at my boyfriend’s cousin’s new home in St. Pete, Florida, on the final leg of my journey. The neighborhood is quaint—the type of community where everyone doesn’t just know your name; they care enough to smile, say hello, and pause to ask about your well-being. Case in point: Through sitting on the porch that evening, I met their neighbor, Sakina Manji, who happens to be a crystal healer and spiritual creatress. I asked myself what the chances were that I would meet Sakina on the same day of this assignment, but I realized it wasn’t a coincidence at all. It was energetic magnetism. It was fate.

Everything around us is energy, and crystals have become a popular tool to connect to the varying energies, understand them, and heal from them. Often referred to as “record keepers,” crystals are the tangible connection we have to earth’s natural elements and energy. While crystals and gemstones are pure and aesthetically pleasing in their form, their true beauty lies within their healing and cleansing properties. More than ever, we turn to alternative healing methods in this time of uncertainty, like crystal healing, to retreat to nature as a source of medicine and tapping into intuitive practices to self-heal. “Crystals are tools unearthed for a reason and here to serve,” explained Manji. “Crystals are there, divine in their chemical makeup—why not tap into an abundant source that is there to serve us? Crystals are already serving us, whether we want them to or not.” From surface to soulful, read on to uncover the powerful healing powers of crystals—and let’s be real, we all could use some good energy right now.

 

crystal healingPhoto: Courtesy of Amber Finney

What Is Crystal Healing?


“Crystal healing is quite literal in its name,” notes Manji, the founder of Nightbreed Creations. “It is using the energy of crystals and their healing modalities in practice, both on yourself and for others.” To break it down on a more scientific level, Manji further explains, “A crystal is a solid structure, and it’s composed of repeated, symmetrical structures that make up the crystal on a molecular level—we call that the crystal lattice. So crystals are purely themselves, in that sense. The lattice structure is usually just one mineral. For example, quartz is purely silicon dioxide—that’s it. Its chemical purity, combined with a crystalline lattice structure, allows the crystal to carry a higher, energetic frequency.” Crystals are the vehicle by which we experience these high frequencies and energies.

Spiritual practitioner and healer Amber Finney of Amber the Alchemist notes that crystals’ frequencies directly correlate to certain chakras, making crystal healing an extremely useful healing method. “Crystals are great for people that want to get their feet wet in energetic healing, as you don’t have to do too much work to feel the calming vibrations. There are so many unique paths to take when connecting with crystals and their vibrations,” Finney reveals.

crystal healingPhoto: Courtesy of Rashia Bell

What Happens in a Crystal Healing Session?


While there is no one-size-fits-all method for crystal healing, the process of healing comes from intention. Similar to a massage, crystal healing is a practice that is intended for relaxing, restoring, and renewing yourself, but on a much deeper, more connected level. Crystal healing—emphasis on the healing—is most effective when intentions are set and energy channels are open and susceptible to repairing the soul.

Crystal healer, energetic interior designer, and co-founder of The Cristalline Rashia Bell practices both private and group experience healing sessions. “In one crystal healing session, it is about allowing your energy to resonate with the energy of the stones. We do this by placing the stone on the body on the grounding points known as the chakra system,” Bell explains. During a typical crystal healing session, stones may be placed on the body’s seven chakras as one is guided through meditation and visualization to balance the body’s energy, allowing the energy to flow freely. “This allows you to connect to your third eye points, or your intuitive mind, and grants access to check in and see what is going on with the energetic body, which often translates into what’s going on with the physical body. For example, if one notices that they are constantly getting sore throats, but it’s the middle of summer, there might be a possibility that your throat chakra is blocked. This would be an opportunity to explore deeper questions like Where have I not been communicating fully?Is there something I have been holding in and not speaking up about? The intuitive self is the guide in this practice,” Bell adds.

Kia Condorousis of Massages by Kia is a licensed massage therapist who practices comprehensive and holistic bodywork. In addition to the stones’ placement on the body, she works with her clients through crystal grids. “Crystal grids use sacred geometry patterns and are superpowerful. If someone wants to work on communication or the feeling of letting go, you can make a crystal grid for them and leave it in the room right above their head throughout the session to allow for a deeper energy connection.

crystal healingPhoto: Courtesy of Kia Condorousis

What Are the Benefits of Turning to Crystals for Healing?


The last several months of the pandemic have undoubtedly led us into new wellness practices, whether it’s taking a few moments to meditate or actively unplugging from your phone during the evening. Now is the time to finally try those self-care rituals that seemed to fall to the bottom of your to-do list continuously. We are craving finding forms of healing that return to our natural practices and natural ways of being, with the mission to disconnect from the outside world and connect with your internal self. “As I meditated with the stone, holding them, I realized that they allowed me the ability actually to allow my brain to quiet; simultaneously, I also noticed that I was experiencing different sensations as I was holding different stones. Some clients may experience the benefit of a weight being lifted off of them, and other sessions can be very emotional because you are unearthing new things,” reveals Bell. “This time has allowed a lot of people to press pause, and that has made them more open to mindful practices. As a result of the crazy world right now and everything that is out of our control, people want to take ownership of their feelings and energy—it’s an empowering form of healing right now,” Bell states.

To gain the true benefits of crystal healing, Manji advises taking away the prescriptive element. A common health concern addressed in crystal healing is often fertility or hormonal imbalance. So rather than entering a session with a list of symptoms seeking an answer, crystal healing channels energies that help relax and ease the stresses, ultimately allowing your body to naturally understand itself and reveal the answer. Once you strip away those expectations, crystals can work to ground and balance, restore and energize, and purify and cleanse both the mind and body.

crystal healingPhoto: Courtesy of Sakina Manji

Beginner Crystals to Work With


“When you look at a crystal, you’re looking at a reflection of the divine mother, and that’s within you,” explains Manji. “It is beautiful and healing in itself to watch the person gravitate towards exactly what they need at that moment, and them picking it into a relaxed state and work with the [energy] of the crystal.” Understanding where to start in your crystal healing journey and finding the right crystal can be quite intimidating. Below, the experts reveal the best beginner crystals to acquaint yourself with.


Rhodonite


“One crystal I wish I could bathe everyone in is rhodonite. This crystal has incredible heart-healing abilities and provides stabilization. It is such a potent crystal to be working with in these times, as it mimics the way our body heals our wounds on a physical level. So on an energetic level, it provides stability around anxiety and phobias to ultimately provide clarity—which we need right now,” says Manji.


Shungite


“This is great to keep on you for protection from radiation, or you can even drop it in your water as a natural water purifier,” advises Manji.


Lapis & Labradorite


“These are my favorite crystals—they are both connecting to the third eye and crown chakra. That means they help us build our intuition and trust it. It’s also important to note that because crystals are connected to the chakras, certain colors represent different things. I have been gravitating toward blue and wearing lapis because it is connected to chakras throat, which is all about communication—whether that is communicating with others or your higher self and spiritual guides. Labradorite is helpful when you’re into mysticism and you want to kind of lift the veil and connect to the spiritual realm,” explains Finney.


Selenite


“The most practical crystals are selenite because it’s light energy embodied in a crystal. Even if you just look at it, it exudes an amazing light. Its vibration is also extremely high, so it clears your aura. It’s one of those crystals that you don’t have to do much work with—all you have to do is keep it in your space or meditate with it to infuse light energy into your life and body,” states Finney.

“Selenite is kind of like the master healer,” reveals Condorousis. “For instance, If you are experiencing a migraine, you can lie down and just put the selenite on you—it doesn’t matter if it’s your head or your chest—and it will just balance you out.”


Ocean Jasper


“This is a joy piece,” explains Finney. “I keep it in my living room or at my desk because it constantly reminds you to prioritize your joy and lean into those happy moments,” she adds.


Smoky Quartz


“I use this crystal in my meditation practice, as it is very grounding. I find that if you want to meditate but feel hindered by mental chatter, quartz helps aid in silencing that noise. It helps you acknowledge the thoughts, but allows them to pass by so you don’t become completely immersed in your thoughts while meditating,” explains Finney.


Tourmaline & Obsidian


“I always use a combination of crystals—use a grounding crystal, like tourmaline or obsidian, to anchor the energy. Once I sense that my clients are rooted and anchored, I can bring up their vibration safely. So the darker the crystals, the more they tend to ground the energy and absorb any negative energy,” states Condorousis.


Rose & Clear Quartz


“I am drawn to rose quartz because it deals with the heart chakra. All my healing is through unconditional love, universal love, and one love,” explains Condorousis.

crystal healingPhoto: Courtesy of Rashia Bell

How to Incorporate Crystals into Your Routine


“To connect with the crystal, I recommend just sitting down, closing your eyes, and putting the crystal in your hand and holding it, and intuitively seeing what you feel. Crystal vibrations are very powerful. Take away any stigma or language, and pay attention to the pulsating feel—almost like a heartbeat. It will be easier for you to connect with it. And ask yourself, how does it make you feel? Does it bring you ease? Is the vibration too powerful? Is it pulsating too much to the point where it’s giving you anxiety? It is an intuitive practice,” advises Finney. Aside from meditating, crystals can be held anytime throughout the day; Bell advises if you are feeling low energy in the afternoon, rather than going for a cup of coffee, try an energizing crystal and refocus your intention there.

Incorporating the healing energies of crystals may be as simple as integrating them into your home. Bell advises, “Energetic properties of stones is all about how one’s energy resonates with the stones. In spaces, you want to balance the energy. The ways that we bring them into the spaces can often be functional items, such as lighting, decoratively—in bowls and dishes or candle holders—or in places where they aren’t always on display, like closets or in planters. They don’t always have to be at the forefront of a space to still benefit from the energetic effects.” When crystals are in your space, they act as visual cues and reminders. For instance, if you see a crystal passing by your coffee table, that can remind you to take a deep breath.

“I think often people are intimidated because they have a perception that crystal healing has to be difficult or that they think that it has to be done in a certain way, but there are so many different ways in which you can integrate them into your lifestyle,” says Bell. “And even if you just admire the beauty, that’s automatically creating an emotional response—and that is a positive thing. The crystals will do the work, even if you don’t understand it.”


Crystal Care: Cleansing & Charging


Crystal healing is a sacred practice, and one that should always be kept sacred. “The first thing to do when you receive a crystal is to cleanse it,” advises Finney. “At first, you may not seem to resonate with the crystal, and that is because they are not cleaned, or they are not charged—this means that any person that has previously come into contact with that stone, their vibrations and energies are within that crystal, not the crystals pure energy,” she adds. “You can cleanse it through salt, as salt is a purifying agent. This is why we take salt baths, to release toxins from our bodies. You can also clean it with sacred smokes, whether that be palo santo or cedar,” Finney states. There are various ways to clean your crystals, but you want to be mindful of the mineral’s makeup and react to the cleansing modalities.

Like cleansing, charging crystals is another way to revive and restore the stone. Crystals receive charge through solar energy, lunar energy, or placing it back into the earth by burying it.

Crystal healing is a cathartic practice that relies on intuition as its medicine. Whether a spiritual healer is guiding you or you are healing from home, there is no right or wrong for the abundant healing properties of a crystal.

Shop Crystals:

Rose Quartz Tower

Amber the Alchemist
$15
[Editor’s Note: As ever, we are not doctors or medical know-it-alls. And everybody is different, so make sure to check with a doctor before trying anything new.]



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