Self-Care Sunday: Charge Up with Crystals!
Finding the tools that work for you in your self-care journey can seem like a daunting task, especially if you aren’t familiar with some of the metaphysical treasures at your disposal. If you haven’t personally experienced the healing power of crystals, you might even be thinking: “Can a rock really help me?” But getting into crystals can be not only helpful, but it can be a fun, new adventure into self-care!
Crystal healing is moderately mysterious, but there are many benefits to crystal healing. They act as an effective device for clearing negative energy from your own aura and the space around you, boosting physical stamina and the body’s restorative properties and calming an anxious mind, among so many other things.
But don’t fret if you aren’t yet familiar with mystical self-care technique of crystal healing, because this guide for beginners will tell you everything you need to know to begin your gemstone journey.
How Do Crystals Work?
Many, if not most, of the crystals used in crystal healing are ancient, possessing a certain energy of wisdom that seems to accompany spending thousands, sometimes millions, of years on this planet. Many schools of thought attribute a living energy to every natural thing on this planet, which would explain the palpable energy that crystals emit.
Have you ever taken a walk deep in the forest, high in the mountains, or stood in the presence of a waterfall and felt the spirit of nature surrounding you? A mountain may not be a living, breathing organism, but most would agree that it certainly has a powerful energy that seems to permeate our senses.
Crystals and stones are timeworn facets of nature that possess a similar energy, and part of the reason that crystal healing is sometimes overlooked is that the process is relatively mysterious.
Another aspect of crystal healing that makes it so powerful is that it helps you solidify and focus on your intentions. Other mysterious processes that cannot be easily explained by science – such as the Law of Attraction – often work so well because they are intent-based routines. Working with and meditating on certain crystals helps you focus on your intended outcome, boosting the motivation to achieve it.
Where Do I Start?
While there are only four types of crystals – covalent, metallic, molecular and ionic – these four types produce thousands of variants. Meaning there are a lot of crystals to choose from, which can feel overwhelming when you’re just beginning to work with them. But, like most self-care techniques, whether metaphysical in nature or not, the practice should bring you relaxation and a sense of joy – remember, crystal healing is certainly no joke, but it should be fun!
You might start off by narrowing down crystals based on their color, shape, size or finish. Chances are, if you are drawn to a certain crystal, it has something to offer you. You can also research crystals based on their properties and characteristics. There are many crystal guides on the internet, as well as many books that detail the traits of each crystal. If you’re looking for a stone that calms your nerves, a simple internet search – “Crystals for anxiety” – can return hundreds of valuable results.
There are no inherently bad or negative stones, so it’s nearly impossible to choose the “wrong” crystal. There are, however, a few crystals that are ideal to begin your work with:
Amethyst is a powerhouse of a stone and works for many ailments. This crystal is associated with sobriety and helps thwart addiction and addictive behaviors. It reduces depression, helps with grief, relieves emotional and physical pain and increases intuition, making it a must-have stone for any crystal collection.
One of the most loving stones, rose quartz promotes love and asks you to be gentle with yourself. It heals heartache and protects sensitive hearts.
Citrine is a super-positive stone that boosts moods and increases opportunity. Citrine is an excellent stone for manifesting fortunate circumstances and ample resources.
This stone is perfect for clearing negative energy and promoting mental focus and clarity. Clear quartz also amplifies the properties of other stones, making them more powerful and effective.
Most stones, especially smaller, more common ones, are very affordable, and once you begin working with crystals, your collection will probably continue to grow – so don’t worry too much about which stones to choose now.
Cleansing Your Stones
Before you begin working with your crystals, you’ll probably want to cleanse them of any stagnant or negative energy they’ve accumulated over the years. (With the exception of citrine, which is so powerful at clearing energy that it doesn’t need to be cleansed). There are a few methods that have proven most effective:
Sunlight: Place your crystals on a windowsill in direct sunlight for up to 12 hours to remove negative energy and charge your crystal (we’ll go over “charging” in just a minute). There are some crystals that will fade when exposed to sunlight, so it’s best to use another method when cleansing: aquamarine, aventurine, amethyst, citrine, beryl, kunzite, sapphire (all colors), rose quartz, fluorite, and smokey quartz.
Moonlight: The moon works to refresh and recharge many aspects of life, from the ocean tides to the waves of our own emotions, and crystals benefit from her cycles as well. The full moon provides the restorative energy needed to cleanse your stones – simply place them in a safe place under the light of the full moon overnight and wake to purified gemstones.
Earth: You can also bury your crystals in the soil overnight to cleanse them with the earthen element.
Smoke Cleanse: Also known as smudging, smoke cleansing works to clear negative energy from most everything it passes over. Simply light your smudge stick and pass the cleansing smoke over your crystals to thoroughly cleanse them.
You don’t have to follow a strict cleansing schedule, but if you notice the effect of your crystals is waning, it’s time to purify them. Aim to do it once a month!
Charging & Programming Your Stones
The process of charging and programming your crystals works to solidify your intent. Sunlight and moonlight work to charge your crystals, but you can also charge them by simply holding them – one at a time – in your palm and focusing on your energies blending. Imagine infusing your positive energy within the stone and accepting the energy it returns to you.
To program your stone, simply meditate on the effects you’d like to experience, and envision the situations you’d like to manifest. For instance, if you’re working with amethyst to calm your anxiety, imagine the energy of that stone traveling throughout your body and relaxing your nerves, or picture a tranquilizing energy spreading throughout the space you’re in. While crystals work well on their own, visualization and setting intentions boosts their healing properties even more.
How to Work with Crystals
So, you’ve chosen your stones, cleansed and charged them: What now? There are many ways to work with crystals, and you can get pretty creative with how you use them.
You can choose crystal jewelry and experience their healing characteristics all day long or place a crystal in your left pocket to allow its energy to penetrate the receiving side of your body. Many people distribute crystals throughout their home to set the tone of a room or keep negative energy out of their sacred space. You can place clean crystals in a glass of water and ingest their energy or meditate with a certain stone in the palm of your hand. Placing relaxing or intuitive crystals under your pillow can promote peaceful sleep and lucid dreams. In time, you’ll find the methods that work best for you.
It doesn’t matter how you work with crystals or which stones you choose, as long as you have some fun with it and enjoy the process.
Related Article: How to Make Decisions Using Your Intuition
