I'm Mary Jo Feeley,
And in this episode,
We are going to be taking a closer look at crystal healing.
And now if you're new to crystal healing,
Perhaps one of your first questions is,
Why would I want to work with a rock?
Well,
I think it's a great question,
And I hope to answer this question along with perhaps many of the other questions that are kicking around in your head as we move through this episode.
A little bit later,
I'm actually going to offer a guided meditation for you to experience.
It's a simple way to connect with crystal healing.
And through this meditation,
You can use it repeatedly with a variety of just different gemstones that you may be working with,
Or perhaps the same stone over and over to help you connect more deeply with the healing properties of the stone and how it can support the work that is arising for you.
But before I get too far ahead of myself,
I do want to take just a minute to talk about the history of crystal healing.
I think it's really important for us to understand the role that gemstones and crystals have played in healing over time.
And while crystal healing does seem to have become much more popular and gained a significant amount of focus and emphasis in recent years,
It's actually a very,
Very old practice.
And in fact,
For millennia,
Gemstones and crystals have been used to support healing.
We know that from our earliest ancestors,
While we may not understand how they used stone as medicine,
We do know that the stones and crystals were used as tools in shamanic traditions to heal those within the community.
Many cultures have healing traditions that are really steeped in the use of stones as supports for healing.
I have a couple of my favorite reference books that I like to revisit often that really bring this point home.
One of the books is called Stone Medicine.
It's written by Leslie J.
Franks,
And it is a book about,
It's a Chinese medical guide really to healing with gemstones and minerals.
And one of the other books that I like to visit from time to time to explore more deeply some of these older practices and traditions is a book entitled Hildegard of Bingham's Spiritual Remedies,
And it's written by Wighard Stradlow.
If you're not familiar with Hildegard of Bingham,
She was a 12th century nun.
She was an abbess,
A saint,
A mystic visionary,
A healer.
And so I really like looking at her work from time to time to help me get a broader understanding of how she worked with crystals and gemstones.
So just from those two references,
We can really get a sense that stone healing has been around for a very,
Very long time.
And of course,
As we have moved through the decades and the last couple of centuries,
We now have a much greater understanding about minerals and elements and how they're contained within gemstones.
And we have learned how those minerals influence health.
Additionally,
We have these amazing microscopes that can really super magnify structures.
And we're able now to begin to explore in new ways the unique crystalline structures contained within crystals.
You know,
There's so much to explore.
And while we may not understand just how crystals support healing,
We are learning that they do have a role in healing.
And I want to take just a minute and offer a quick reminder.
Please remember that crystal healing is considered complementary,
And it's not intended to replace conventional health care practices,
But rather work in a complementary and supportive fashion.
You know,
Gemstones and crystals,
There's nothing magical about them.
And we really do need to use common sense,
Knowledge,
Insight,
And discernment in accessing the appropriate health care when needs arise within our life.
Each gemstone or crystal has a unique energy signature,
Just like we each have a unique energy signature.
And the vibrational properties of stones really varies widely.
And because of this,
Each stone is unique in the role that it brings to us as we are working with gemstones and crystals to help perhaps clear and balance our energy field,
In some way calm our mind and be able to experience better and improved health and well-being.
The energetic frequency of specific crystals and our own personal energetic needs,
Whether it's a physical need or an emotional need or a mental or spiritual need,
It's really important that all of those aspects are considered together when working with gemstones.
For example,
Some crystals have minerals embedded within them that are well known for their healing properties.
Copper,
For example,
Reduces inflammation and swelling.
And so carrying or working with a gemstone such as malachite,
For example,
That has a high copper content could be a very appropriate and helpful gemstone to work with if that was an issue that was arising for you.
Some crystals heal really quickly,
Others are much more subtle,
And it takes a little bit of time for that shifting and balancing to address itself.
When I think about how do we work with crystals and gemstones,
And also to really make it really accessible,
I think there are a couple ways to bring this to mind.
One of the things that we can do when we're beginning to work with crystals and gemstones and we're not exactly sure how to start,
Is we can work with gemstones and crystals to help get us grounded and help us calm down.
When our energy field connects up with and resonates with the magnetic frequencies of the earth,
We feel grounded,
We feel safe,
And we feel balanced.
That's why we enjoy being outside and feel much better when we're out in the natural environment than if we have to be inside for long extended periods of time.
So that earth magnetics vibrations helps our energetic field,
Our biofield or our aura,
You may think of it that way too,
It helps it become stronger and we're able to calm down more easily.
And so if we want to kind of tap in with this energetic frequency of the earth of strong magnetic qualities,
We can work with stones that also resonate with the earth energy such as hematite or shungite or pyrite.
Jaspers are really helpful for this.
It could be that we want to work with septarian or tiger's iron.
So those are a few examples of how we could work with specific stones that do have that kind of more grounding quality.
Perhaps we are interested in bringing stones into our healing practice and our own self-care support to help us calm down.
Well,
In that case,
Perhaps we'd like to consider working with some rose quartz or some turquoise or emerald or perhaps lapidolite or chrysocolla.
So depending on what the need is,
We are able to take a look at the healing properties that some of these stones bring us and tap into that.
If on the other hand,
What we're really looking for is gaining some clarity and perhaps we feel like we're going through some transformation within our life,
Clearing our mind of unwanted and unneeded clutter can be really helpful and important.
And we could then work perhaps with some sodalite or blue lace agate.
It could be that we want to work with some lapis lazuli or amethyst or fluorite.
Those are some examples of stones that can really help with that clearing out.
And then if we take a look at transformational energies,
Working with clear quartz,
Working with kyanite or indigo gabbro or selenite,
Again,
Those are some examples of some stones that we could work with.
And over time,
I will be bringing some of these specific types of gemstones and crystals into the conversation in upcoming episodes as well.
So for now,
What I'd like to do is guide you through a very simple meditation that can help you connect with the gemstone or crystal that you may want to choose to work with.
Now if you don't actually have a crystal,
Perhaps you have no rocks at all and you really are curious about what this meditation can be like since you actually don't have one physically with you,
That's the beauty of working with crystals.
Just as we have an energetic signature and an energy body,
The stones and crystals do as well.
And so if you don't have a physical stone with you,
Perhaps you have one at home and you're not home right now as you're listening to this,
I would invite you to set the intention and focus your awareness as if you were holding that particular stone in your hand.
So go ahead and take a moment to place a stone in your hand and if you need to pause this recording this episode for just a moment while you do that,
Please go ahead and do that.
And placing the stone in one of your hands,
It does not matter which hand it is in,
Simply allow yourself to bring your awareness to your breath.
Allow yourself to begin to focus on the stone that's resting within your hand or focusing on the energy of the stone that is not physically present in the palm of your hand,
However nonetheless you are connecting with its vibrations.
And as you focus your awareness on your breath and bring your awareness to the stone,
Begin to bring your awareness now also to your heart center and allow yourself to breathe into your heart center a few times,
Helping you to settle and to calm your mind and enter into a space of present moment.
And with each breath you continue to draw in this very gentle present moment.
Begin to invite your awareness and the connection that you are making with the stone that you are holding or experiencing in your palm.
Invite that energetic signature of this stone into your heart space.
You may find that that stone energy is moving slowly through your hands and up your arms and shoulders and into your heart.
Or it may be that this stone signature simply shifts from your palm into your heart directly.
And allow yourself to connect with this signature,
With this energetic frequency and allow yourself to notice how is it that this energetic signature,
This healing property that this stone brings you,
How is it that you are experiencing it?
If your visual you may see an image or a shape or colors,
It could be that you have a feeling.
It could be that you're perhaps hearing words,
A message,
Sounds.
Perhaps you simply know what it is that this particular stone brings you.
Allow yourself to draw in this experience and this energetic connection between you and this stone in whatever way it arises.
All the while continuing to breathe in gently,
Allowing this flow of healing,
Of grace to gently move into your being.
And now very slowly allow this experience to begin to dissolve knowing that this connection that you have made with this stone,
This connection that is unique to you will continue to heal and transform you as you move forward.
Allow your breath now to help you begin to shift back into a more present moment state.
Begin to wiggle your fingers,
Your toes a bit if that helps you and slowly bring your awareness back to present moment.
And you may continue holding this stone if you have a physical stone with you or you may place it down.
And now more fully begin to become aware of your surroundings,
Begin to move your hands and fingers slightly and feel the weight of your body and slowly open your eyes.
So my question to you is what did you notice about that experience?
What was it like about having that stone resting in your hand or if you didn't have the physical stone in your hand,
What was it like when you connected with that energetic signature of the stone that you called forth?
You're going to want to notice shifting or changes that are taking place within you and allow yourself to notice the nuances of this experience.
You know,
That's really important that you pay attention to what's arising.
Begin to notice in the upcoming days as this crystal healing continues the kind of shifting that you're experiencing.
Now sometimes when we work with a gemstone or crystal it doesn't necessarily feel warm and fuzzy and that's okay.
Sometimes when we hold a gemstone and crystal and work with it,
It might bring a sense of a less comfortable experience.
It could be that maybe we have a little bit of a headache or we experience a little nausea or some tightness.
That's okay.
Whether we have an experience that's really nurturing or an experience that gives us some sensations that aren't quite so comfortable,
Those are indications that the stone is working for us.
So allow yourself to simply make note of what you're noticing and work with that same stone from time to time.
You know,
The beauty of this guided meditation is it reminds us that working with gemstones and crystals,
It's not a complicated process.
It's one that requires us to calm down and be still for a few minutes or longer and recognizing that each stone has a role to play within our healing life.
It could be that we might be looking for grounding or for clarity or for a sense of transformation or perhaps we're looking for a way to calm and settle down our nervous system.
There are gemstones and crystals that can help us to do that.
Remember,
You're in charge.
You're the healer.
So you get to decide which crystals and gemstones you want to work with,
How often you want to work with them,
And how you want to incorporate them into your healing practice.
So to recap what I've been talking about,
One,
Keep in mind that crystal healing,
It's a really ancient practice and it's re-emerging,
I believe,
To be able to help us in ways that we really could benefit from right now.
We understand it to be a simple process,
So we don't need to understand a lot in order to embark on this journey of healing and well-being with crystals.
And remember,
Trust your inner guidance.
You know,
The sky's the limit or perhaps I should say the earth's the limit because these beautiful stones and crystals and rocks come from the earth.
They're part of the earth.
They have the minerals within them that we have within our bodies.
And I think in some ways that perhaps is an ideal way to be able to explain how we can work with them so well.
Be well.
