Although they are pretty rocks, they are more than that. (They’re technically minerals.) For many years crystals have been used in healing. The modern belief is that crystals have healing powers tracing back to Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome. In Chinese medicine as well, crystals are believed to contain "qi," or "life energy." In the Buddhist faith, crystals are used as messengers to transmit various energies.
There are those that believe that magic is nothing more than a shift in consciousness so if you want to experience the magic of crystals—you have to believe and be present.
How to Pick Crystals
It is best to pick crystals from a place of intuition. Have an open heart, an open mind when walking around a crystal shop. Allow the crystals to speak to you. They are all alive, listen and feel to the crystals. One of the great benefits of crystals, is that crystals can help us be more rooted and grounded in the moment by giving us a connection to earth.
Here are some specific crystals to start with and why you might choose them:
Clear quartz: A great introductory crystal. This stone is considered and referred as the “Universal Crystal” and “Master Healer”.
Amethyst: Used for mental clarity. The Amethyst brings tranquility, and calm and can help you become grounded.
Celestite: A great crystal for inner peace. Celestite is best used as a focus point of meditation, prayer, or mindfulness.
Celenite: Can clean other crystals and is very powerful for meditation. As far as high-level healing crystals go, the traditional form of Selenite is ever ready to clear out negative energy so you can reach for the angelic realm.
Peacock ore: Brings Joy and great happiness. Peacock Ore is the common name for the mineral Chalcopyrite. It is said to draw off inflammation, and is sometimes used to reduce fever. Peacock Ore is a stone of happiness and joy, it is said to turn you in positive directions, and help channel happiness to others; generally a stone of upliftment.
Petrified wood: Petrified wood can assist anyone who is feeling stuck or experiencing being frozen in time. It helps to create balance and offers a foundation from which to launch new goals or undertake a different path. Petrified wood is also a wonderful grounding stone. It helps to calm scattered energies and will also calm down fears about survival
Tigers eye: Good for finding courage and confidence, Clears negative e
nergy, builds confidence and self-worth. Tigers Eye Stone was traditionally carried or worn as an amulet against curses or ill-wishing. It aids harmony and balance, and is one of natural healing crystals for you to use to help to balance the brain. It stimulates taking action, and helps you to make decisions with discernment and understanding and unclouded by your emotions.
Mookaite: A nurturing stone that can be used when you are experiencing stress. Mookaite is a truly stunning stone with earthy hues of reds, yellows and purples.
Tourmaline: Tourmaline is believed to promote inspiration and happiness, reduce fear, and build self-confidence among its users. It's also used to balance yin-yang energies, as it's considered a physical bridge to the spiritual. Tourmaline comes in a variety of colors, the most common being black.
Rose quartz: Rose quartz is known as the crystal of unconditional love. It's said to boost feelings of self-love and foster loving relationships with others. Smoky quartz is considered a grounding stone and may help you feel rooted to planet earth. It's believed to be mood lifting and is used for protection.
If you find that a certain stone seems to be drawing you in, then that's the perfect stone to select.
Crystal Meditation
To begin there is no “wrong” way to meditate with crystals but if you need some guidance as to where to begin, here goes!
The most important thing is to
Focus on what you want while meditating. What are you hoping to feel? Select a crystal or crystals that you’re feeling drawn to for those reasons. Remember: there are no “wrong” crystals!
Make the room where you will be meditating as comfortable as possible. Turn off your cellphone. You may want to play some gentle music, or you might want to meditate in silence. Place them in your hand, feel its energy. If you would like place one in each hand.
Incorporate your body. You may want to lay stones on the body. Lay down and put on some meditation music and put them on areas of your body connected to different chakras, known as the energy centers in the body. Placing them on these parts of your body can help you use your intuition. A particularly nice one to start out with is placing a crystal on your third-eye chakra, which is located on your forehead between your eyes. This is said to assist in grounding you into the space you’re in.
Get comfortable. Find a relaxing space and listen to the messages the stones are sending you as you meditate.
Go slow. Take your time getting out of the meditation and take some time to process anything that might have come up during the meditation. You might want to take time to journal about anything that came up or what you think the crystals are trying to tell you.