Crystals and gemstones, when used correctly, can positively affect your body and mind while helping you connect with your spiritual self.
Yoga and meditation are two of the best practices to help you feel grounded and balanced. Once you make them a part of your routine, you’ll begin to notice profound positive changes in your life.
If you practice yoga or meditation, or if you just want to get more in touch with your spiritual side, then it’s time to introduce healing crystals and gemstones into your home. Healing stones and crystals harness the powerful energy forces around us, giving us physical contact to the healing energies of the sun, moon, and oceans.
You may feel skeptical and overwhelmed, and we get it. Having no experience with these powerful natural healers can seem a little confusing and overwhelming, as there are endless varieties to choose from. If crystals and gemstones are something you want to become more familiar with, then you’ll want to read these helpful tips to figure out which stones are best for your mind, body and spirit.
In this article, we’ll walk you through a beginner’s guide to crystals, so you can begin feeling the powerful spiritual effects of crystals and gemstones in your own home.
Crystals for beginners: What are Healing Gemstones and Crystals?
Crystals date back to ancient times.
“Huge quartz crystals are referred to in ancient Sanskrit writings,” says Patricia Bankins, founder of The Crystal Matrix Healing & Learning Center. In Egyptian times, stones and crystals were used in various ways, as beauty aids, for protection as well as for healing.
Yes, stones and crystals make beautiful centerpieces, but they are much more than pretty home decor. Did you know that each stone and crystal actually possesses its own individual energy? This natural power can affect you and your environment in an array of wonderful ways...some help to boost the mood and lift the spirits, some help to soothe and ease feelings of restlessness and anxiety, while others can even help us to feel more confident and attractive. When you bring intention crystals into your home or wear them close to your skin, you’re able to share in the powerful vibrations and better connect with the earth and the universe.
How to Use Healing Crystals and Gemstones
Starting with crystal basics, stones and crystals can serve as physical representations and manifestations of your intentions for your life. In order to harness the healing energies of crystals, you need to consciously set these intentions.
Setting intentions is a simple but incredibly powerful way to help us understand our values, dreams, and life aspirations. We can achieve overall well-being and piece by providing ourselves with a clear sense of intention and purpose.
In order to properly set an intention, you should create goals that match your values, hopes, and dreams in life.
How to set an intention for healing crystals
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Examine where you feel your life needs improvement. Can you set a goal that will improve aspects of your life that make you unhappy or unsatisfied?
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Self-reflect to determine what in your life is most important to you. Can you create and re-shift your current goals to center those elements of your life?
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Set specific intentions, big and small, to move you closer to those goals and overall way of being.
- Write down these intentions once you determine exactly what you want. Write them in the present tense, as if you are currently living them.
How to fill your crystals with your intentions
Hold your crystal or gemstone in your hands. Allow yourself to feel the weight of the crystal between your palms, close your eyes, and take three slow, deep breaths. As you do this, reflect on the things in life that make you feel most happy and connected. Reflect on the earth and your faith — religious and spiritual beliefs in a God or in a spiritual power that is greater than you.
The point is to create a space surrounding you and your crystal that is occupied by positive energy full of love and light, so that you can clear your crystal of negative and unwanted energy.
Once that is complete, state your intentions out loud or in your head so you put out the energies you wish your crystal to hold for you. When you are finished, make sure to say “thank you” out loud.
Physical differences between crystals and gemstones:
Crystals ( e.g., quartz, amethyst, and diamonds) are solid substances with a natural geometric form. They are usually shiny, translucent, angular and can sometimes even have jagged edges.
Stones ( e.g., rocks -like agates- and gemstones) are made up of several minerals combined in one mass and they tend to be rounder, smoother and denser.
Crystals and Stones Guide: Tips for Getting Started
✨ Let Your Crystal Choose You
This may sound a little strange, but the best way to find your first crystal is to find one that you are naturally drawn to. Find a crystal and gemstone shop close to where you live, and just take a walk around. Because crystals and gemstones give off physical vibrations, your own energy may be naturally attracted to one more than another.
Did you know that sometimes you can literally feel this physical energy when you hold the crystal or stone in your hand? You may feel a hot or cold sensation, tingling or a small electric pulse. You may even feel sensations in your third eye chakra! It’s also common to experience a strong, peaceful feeling when holding certain stones or crystals. Be sure to try out a few, and then choose the ones that feel right. Trust us when we say you’ll know.
✨ Invest in a Good Book
We suggest you start with around 5 different crystals or stones to really become familiar with them and their different positive influence on your emotional well-being. Naturally, you’ll want to expand your collection, and this is when an in-depth book on crystals and gemstones can come in handy.
✨ Crystals and Gemstones For Beginners
Amethyst: A great stone to use for home or office decor, amethyst boosts inner strength and offers spiritual protection. This also makes it great to use during meditation.
Clear quartz: An ideal crystal for beginners, clear quartz amplifies your intentions— making it a great starting point for setting intentions and living them each day. Quartz also amplifies the properties of other crystals around it, making it a must-have for any crystal collection.
Selenite: Considered a cleansing stone, selenite helps facilitate the positive flow of vibrations between you and your crystals. As you move selenite along your body to the top of your head to your feet, you can cleanse your body of negative energy.
Shungite: Shungite is packed with antioxidants, providing the stone with powerful healing properties. It offers your body of negative energies and speeds up the detox process in your body and home.
Citrine: Citrine harnesses the healing energies of the sun. Placing citrine in a spot filled with natural light will keep it infused with restorative vibrations. It is also considered a powerful stone for manifestation, making it great for beginners who are learning to set and manifest their intentions.
Ways To Incorporate Crystals and Gemstones into your Daily Life
Now that you have your hands on a few of these precious gems, we know you probably can’t wait to use them properly.
Crystals and gems can be used in a variety of valuable ways. You can simply place them in an area that you spend a lot of time in - such as your workspace - to create a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Another favorable spot to place your crystals could be around your bedroom to ensure you get a good night’s rest.
A few more (less obvious) ways you could use them include: placing them on a rug with some burning incense to enhance your meditation or yoga session, or you could simply carry them around to clear up stagnant energy and provide you with protection. You will benefit just by having them in your personal space.
Cleansing Your Crystals
Cleansing your crystals and gemstones on a regular basis is crucial in order to free them from any negative or stagnant energy they may have absorbed. This is why it’s especially important to cleanse your crystals when you first purchase them — after they’ve been sitting in a store for an indeterminable amount of time.
To cleanse your crystals and gemstones, try soaking them in water with some sea salt, or submerge them in fresh earth (e.g., under sand or soil). You can also leave them in direct sunlight or try some white light visualization techniques. Moonlight is another effective cleansing method as well!
We hope this beginner’s guide to crystals gives you the foundation you need to get started. The uplifting benefits of crystals and gemstones are quite incredible, and we can’t wait for you to experience them for yourself.