People often come across crystals on the recommendation of friends because of an illness or condition that they may have.

Crystals however can be used in conjunction with most Complementary Therapies to enhance the flow of energy.

They can be of benefit during a treatment to help to aid relaxation and the client can use them in between appointments to help them with a particular condition or to help them concentrate on relaxation.

There is an enormous array of crystals, minerals and healing stones that can be of benefit.  They all have healing properties that can help varying degrees of illness and stress etc.

How do I choose a Crystal/Gemstone/Mineral?

The best way to choose a crystal is by calling on your intuition.  If you are in Crystal shop, stand in front of the stones or crystals and close your eyes whilst thinking of why it is you want a crystal.  It could be that you have a particular condition or illness or that you are choosing it for someone else with a problem.  Stand and concentrate on the issue for a few minutes and when you open your eyes you will be drawn to the correct stone.  Most people have trouble believing in this method but when they have chosen a crystal/stone/gemstone and then look up the properties in a Crystal reference book they are inevitably surprised that the crystal is the correct one!

Or you could just read through a Crystal book and choose from the vast lists of Crystals and gemstones.

By allowing your intuition to guide you to the ones that you feel are right for you, you are instructing your sub-conscious to help with your healing.  It is more important for you to be comfortable with your stones instead of just following what is written in books.

Cleansing your Stone/ Crystal / Gemstone

Most Crystals or Gemstones should be cleansed on a regular basis to keep them working properly.  To do this you can hold them under the tap in running cold water and then allow them to air dry on paper OR if you have a clean running stream near you, you can hold them under the running water for a few minutes and then allow them to dry naturally.  Leaving them in natural sunlight for a short period or natural full moonlight can also cleanse stones.  Holding them and passing them through incense smoke is another method and also if you are attuned to Reiki, you can hold them in your hands and give them Reiki to cleanse them.

There are a few crystals that should not be cleansed in water such as Desert Rose as the water will break up the structure of the stone. Please consult a good Crystal book for more information.

Crystal Thoughts!

 Below is a selection of Crystals/ Gemstones that can be used for the seven basic chakras.  Crystals / Gemstones of the same colour i.e. blue, pink, green can be substituted for the ones listed.

Amethyst - Stills the mind during meditation and calms for sleep with inspired dreams.

Worn while sleeping or awake it will help to reduce anger, impatience, and nightmares. In meditation it helps with assimilation of new ideas. Physically good for headaches, eyes, scalp, hair aids blood sugar balance. Works on those suffering from addictions, clears energy blocks and eases arthritis.

Lapis Lazuli - Mental calming, connector of heart and mind.

In meditation Lapis opens the brow chakra for higher guidance, connection between the physical and celestial planes intuition, organises and quieting the mind. It opens the throat chakras for self expression, writing and creativity. It is good for anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, autism, shyness. Good for the nervous system, MS, speech, hearing inflammation, pain and headaches.

Malachite - Absorbs illness energies whether emotional or physical.

It is essential to cleanse this stone after each use as the stone will be buzzing with negative energy. It move energy from the higher planes and grounds it into the green earth. It encourages tolerance, flexibility, stability and alleviates impatience. Placed on the Solar Plexus chakra it helps the stomach, liver, lungs, immune system, MS, circulation. It protects against radiation and brings relief to those with kidney stones.

Quartz – Is the most versatile healing stone.  It is simple to cleanse.  It stores information and energy well. Amplifies draws and sends energy. Powerful clear stones open the brow and crown chakras for meditation and guidance. Quartz stimulates natural crystals in the body tissues and fluids to resonate at a new healing frequency. It is an easily programmable crystal. When using Quartz in conjunction with other crystals or gemstones it enhances the ability of the other stones.

Rose Quartz - Symbolic of warmth and Love. This is a stone of love, beauty, peacefulness, forgiveness, self love and emotional balance.

It gently soothes and warms the heart chakra, brings emotional healing eases loss, stress, hurt, fear, low self esteem, low confidence, resentment, anger and is good for expressing and soothing emotions.  This stone should be cleansed and recharged often especially if it fades.

Tigers Eye (Golden) - Works with the throat chakra to help self expression and verbal communication.

The gold implants confidence, willpower, clear thinking and speaking while helping to actualise personal power in life. It works with the solar plexus chakra although it is not as strong as Citrine or Topaz for this area. On a mental plane it amplifies thinking and manifesting what you think about, enhances psychic ability helps separate thoughts from feelings, centering us and making us less emotional.  This stone aids digestion, the stomach, ulcers (by reducing anxiety) and the skeletal system.  It helps with understanding mental and emotional balance when used in conjunction with malachite or pearl.

From reading the above you will have seen a pattern emerging where more than one stone or crystal can help with the same illness or condition.

This is where your intuition plays a large part in choosing which stone is the 'Right One' for you.

Above we have mentioned Chakras. Chakra means 'spinning wheel'. The body has hundreds of Chakras but the ones mentioned relate to the seven main Chakras along the bodies central meridian line.

Each chakra spins and resonates at a difference frequency. The slowest being the Base Chakra (no. 1), the highest being the Crown Chakra (no. 7) The Chakras draw their energy from the universal energy field and then it is distributed through the channels of the etheric body to the cells in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.  Energy is focused through the chakra points which interact to form a single holistic system enhancing and balancing mind, body and spirit.  If one of our chakras is out of line then it the others are put under pressure to ‘hold’ it up.

The seven Chakras with corresponding colours and Crystals / Gemstones are: