Following my amazing experience at the Wellness Center at Garden of the Gods Club & Resort in Colorado, I’ve become a bit obsessed with the healing energy of gemstones and crystals. The session I had with Charlene Wang reignited my passion for these fascinating rocks that had been abandoned along the way for the hectic lifestyle of single motherhood. It makes no sense to me that some of my most healthy habits fell by the wayside as I needed them most, but somehow that’s how it played out for me. It took a gentle nudge from a professional healer to get me back on track, and I am grateful.

 

 

I’m not one for whole a lot of woo, and I find it can be somewhat off-putting (I say this right before getting super woo on you). I’m more receptive when I approach these things pragmatically. But I can’t argue with what works, and crystals work. Since I was a little girl, I was captivated by gemstones, especially in a more rustic state. I’d rather have turquoise than diamonds. What makes them even more beguiling is that each one has its own specific healing properties. They also often have legend and lore associated with them that I find interesting. Since that trip, I’ve been finding different ways to get the energy and beauty of crystals and gemstones in my everyday life. Here are several easy ways to get a crystal fix on a daily basis.

Drink

Did you know that you can drink gemstone infused water? Vitajuwel makes gorgeous decanters and bottles with various gemstones enclosed in a blown glass wand that’s submerged in the water, allowing you to get the benefits of the crystals.

You can create this yourself by putting stones in water, allowing it to sit, then drinking it. It was recommend to me during my session at the wellness center to place Shungite in water and drink that to help me with EMF pollution. But it’s important to note that not all gemstones are safe to put directly in water, some stones are actually toxic.

The Vitajuwel takes the guesswork out of that and also presents a functional art piece for your home. I find it fascinating that you still get the benefits of the gemstones even though they are enclosed in glass. Have you ever heard of Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work with water crystal healing? He has discovered that water is influenced by vibrations and it changes form, developing complex crystals seen under microscope. The gemstones do the same thing to water. In the above image, you can see tap water on the left and water that has been infused with gemstones via Vitajuwel on the right. Isn’t that amazing?

 

 

I personally like to keep the Wellness decanter by my bed as an object d’art, for the benefits of Amethyst, Quartz and Rose Quartz which assists with peaceful sleep among other things. It’s also a convenient water source–I always have water on my nightstand anyway, why not make it beautiful and healing? For me, it adds to the bedtime ritual, and it imbues a certain sacred vibe which seems appropriate before entering the dream state. I’ve only tried Wellness so far, and I’m very curious to see if I could tell the difference between different blends. You can find a blend to suit whatever you are working on and change them out accordingly.

 

Bathe

In the same way you can drink gem infused water, you can bathe in it. All you need to do is grind up some gemstones with a mortar and pestle and add it to your bath salts. Another option is just to add large stones to the bath. You still have to make sure it’s a stone that is safe because your skin will absorb it.

Body Care

Gemstone Organic uses gemstones to infuse their body care with the healing qualities of gemstones and crystals. These products are also healthy with certified organic ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about absorbing any gnarly chemicals into your body. When you put something on your skin, it absorbs more readily than if you were to eat it, so this is very important, and I’m happy to see availability for healthy body care growing. I have never seen anything that incorporates gemstones though, so I am very excited about this brand, which goes above and beyond body care.

The founder, Debra, is a fellow traveler. She’s also a geological engineer who understands the science behind gemstones AND a Shamanic Reiki Practitioner who understands the spiritual side as well. I think that’s fabulous. All of her products are handcrafted and charged with healing, loving energy. So much care and love goes into these products that Debra even visits the farms where the botanicals are grown and deposits gemstones into the earth. Isn’t that amazing? It makes me feel like I am using something sacred when I’m using Gemstone Organics.

Check out this Forest Alchemy Gem Juice. I’ve long been a fan of essential oil mists, but I’ve never used one that had gemstones in it. Gem Juice is a Hydrosol, made by steam distilling plant matter, and drawing out that plant’s specific vibrations and healing intelligence, so it’s a little different from your average essential oil mist. Gems enhance the qualities of the plants adding more positive vibration and benefit to the hydrosol. Forest Alchemy  is a subtle, calming, earthy blend that smells like the woods. It’s wonderful and has a grounding vibe for me, transporting me instantly to an enchanted forest.

How would you like to put gold on your face? I love this Gold Créme Skin Cream that is infused with raw gold, pyrite and other crystals that create a healing blend meant to boost confidence and enhance personal power and strength. Organic essential oils stimulate your skin, increasing regeneration and helping to prevent aging. Gold is the color of the sun and your solar plexus chakra. Besides being a luxurious, healing face cream, I think it could be a useful tool in personal empowerment ritual. It’s nice going into winter with a jar of this sunshine nectar to get me through harsh weather and gray skies. Gemstone Organic is a fascinating, one of a kind brand. I’ve never seen anything like it out there and I can’t wait to explore more of these unique blends.

 

Adorn

I used to make gemstone jewelry all the time. Based on the properties of the stones, I’d design pieces according to whatever it was I was working on at the moment. Or whatever I needed at the time, such as a stone that was known for safety while traveling, or something that would help out with mediation or concentration for exams. If you don’t want to make your own, there are places online to find jewelry made for specific purposes like Satya which is pictured above. I think it’s better to make it yourself, so that you can infuse the piece with intention and make it your own, but sometimes time is short. You can still meditate with a piece that you bought and set your intention that way.

Design

Placing gemstones and crystals in your home can increase energy flow and help you work on your intentions and goals. They can create a sense of peace and they infuse the space with their specific healing qualities. Years ago I was having a lot of nightmares during a rough period. I read that sleeping with amethyst next to your bed wards off nightmares and helps you have peaceful sleep. So I got an amethyst cathedral and put it on my nightstand. It worked like a charm. Was it placebo? Maybe. But it worked. And it looked beautiful and I loved it. You can also sleep with crystals in your bed, I do it all the time.

Treat

How about a magical box that comes in the mail once a month to remind you to take a breath and connect with yourself and mother earth? Gaia Collective’s MoonBox is an exciting package to open. Featuring gemstones, hand crafted essential oil blends, teas, lip balm, a guided meditation, moon card and other spiritual delicacies that are in keeping with the specific month, this box is a wonderful way to treat yourself. I love that when I opened my box the card said to hold off and find some quiet before continuing.

It is so fun to open a package that has all these delightful goodies! My favorite thing was the amazonite necklace/bracelet. It is so strange how gemstones come to you. I have been wanting amazonite for a long time for its calming attributes. I’ve been holding out for the right piece, and here it was in the box. I also can’t get enough of the essential oil blends. The MoonBox is a spiritual care package lovingly put together to give inspiration and comfort, helping you stay on track with your positive intentions.

 

Meditate

One of the easiest and most satisfying ways to get a good dose of healing crystal energy is to meditate with stones in your hands. During my session with Charlene, she recommended black tourmaline for me and I now have a big chunk next to my bed, and a smaller piece for meditating with. Sometimes I use two different stones, sometimes two of the same stone, and sometimes several different stones. If you have two points, you can create an energy circuit with the points. You can also place stones on your body’s chakra centers to do a chakra meditation. There are all sorts of ways to incorporate crystals into your meditations. I find they really enhance my meditations, giving me an anchor or focal point.

 

 

Grid

I’d never heard of crystal grids until recently, though as a kid I did this all the time with my collection of rocks and gemstones. You just lay your crystals out in beautiful patterns, focusing your intentions and directing energy towards your goals. It’s a little bit meditation, a little sacred geometry, and a little bit crystal work. To me, the grids look like mandalas, and they are a good way to mediate when you need a physical focal point.

 

Read

When I am interested in something, I read every book I can get my hands on about the subject until I’m satisfied. There are some great new books out there about crystal healing and something I really like about a few books I’ve been reading is that they are less New Agey and more about practical application.

Crystal Muse by Askinosie and Jandro

Crystal Muse is a fresh, modern, beautifully illustrated book that offers information about specific stones and rituals to help you get the most out of them. I think I’ve read it more than twice by now I’ve referred back to it so much. Once cover to cover, then back several times while creating rituals. This is a fun book, and I don’t think you could read it without getting excited about your goals and feeling empowered to go after them. Even if your goal is just to create more peace in your home–here are concrete tools to help you do that. The physicality of working with stones really appeals to me in this way, it feels tangible.

Written in a conversational style, the authors make crystal ritual and spiritual practice accessible and visually gorgeous. Sometimes a little nutty, sometimes dead serious, these women get vulnerable with you, sharing some of the hardships they have been through and how they were able to come out of it stronger.

There’s a girlfriend’s guide vibe that makes you feel at ease. It’s like a recipe book for spiritual ritual. You can create your own rituals too, based on ideas in this book. The authors developed their rituals based on years of travel and immersion in various healing modalities and cultures. It’s one of those books you keep forever to reference again and again, learning something new each time because it evolves with you. You can check out the Energy Muse website for immediate inspiration.

Elemental Energy by Petrovich

Another book I like for its modern approach is Elemental Energy: Crystal and Gemstone Recipes for a Beautiful Life by Kristin Petrovich. This book resonated with me within the first few pages because the author talks about her skepticism. I have that too, so it hit home.

Nothing puts a stop to that faster than personal experience. If it works, it works. This book also offers “recipes” for ritual and also body care that’s infused with gemstones. This is a great book for people wanting to make their own body care using crystals.

The Book of Stones by Simmons    

An alphabetical reference book is a must. The Book of Stones Revised Edition: Who They Are and What They Teach by Robert Simmons is a must-have, go-to crystals bible for quickly understanding the healing properties of 455 crystals and gemstones. Each stone has a color photo and two entires by two different authors, Simmons and Naisha Ahsian, describing the physical and spiritual aspects of the stones. Ahsian’s entries end with an appropriate affirmation to use with the stone. This is quick reference, but with deep and thoughtful descriptions. It makes for pleasing browsing and help you to identify which stones are most appropriate for you at any given time.

This book comes in a portable travel size version called The Pocket Book of Stones that you can slip in your purse for when you go shopping. That way, as you purchase a palm stone, or gemstone jewelry, you can do it with intention.

Change Your Energy         

Change Your Energy: Healing Crystals of Health, Wealth, Love and Luck by Krista Mitchell is the kind of book you read cover to cover and it’s hard to put down. Known as the “Rock Wisperer,” Mitchell has an upbeat, conversational tone that’s easy to follow.

What’s nice about this book is that she approaches the topic from her personal experience in her practice. This gives the reader new information that might not be found in other books because it’s what works for her, and what she has come up with that works for her clients over the years. Pictures of stones with healing properties are in the back of the book.

The Ultimate Guide to Crystals & Stones: A Practical Path to Personal Power, Self-Development, and Healing 

The Ultimate Guide to Crystals & Stones: A Practical Path to Personal Power, Self-Development, and Healing by Uma Silby provides instruction for connecting with different crystals, how to choose which ones are best for what you are trying to accomplish, enhance meditation and utilize healing properties of different stones.

The author has studied with shamans, medicine people, and healers for over 35 years and shares her knowledge in these pages. I like the pragmatic, doable things everyone can do with crystals to enhance their quality of life. Silbey teaches us how to develop intuition and  sensitivity to energy and how to shield ourselves from negative energy. She shows you how to use crystals to cultivate levity in life, and who doesn’t need those skills? Most of us do, and it’s comforting that there are literally gifts from the earth to help us achieve what we need to create a healthy, balanced life.

 

 

• Images 1, 2, 7, 13, 14 courtesy of Energy Muse.