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Crystal therapy is an ancient art, usually referred to as the laying-on of stones. It is an alternative medicine technique, and those that practice it believe that crystals and stones can cure ailments and other diseases. Crystal therapy was devised by the ancients to balance the chakras and transform the energy properties of the body, thereby resulting in a clear energy field. This natural form of healing is often used today to create relaxation and relieve stress.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Understanding Crystal Therapy

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  1. Crystal healing is believed to date back as far as 6,000 years ago, to the time of Sumerians in Mesopotamia. It is also believed that ancient Egyptians were some of the first to practice crystal healing.[1]
    • Today, crystal healing is predominantly based on traditional concepts in Asian cultures where some of the people believed in life-energy (chi or qi). Chakras, a part of modern crystal healing, also date back to traditional Asian cultures through Buddhism and Hinduism. These are said to connect the physical and supernatural elements of the body.
  2. Crystal healing is believed to be a natural form of medicine that receives its powers through different stones, which are assigned various properties. During a typical session, a healer may lay stones on the body in different areas, or may suggest that you wear certain stones to ward off sickness or absorb positive energy.[2]
    • Because each stone has a different power, it is believed that using these stones and crystals can restore balance and stability to the body's energy system, allowing natural healing processes to take place.
    • In crystal therapy, a therapist will use crystals to balance qualities and systems in the body, redirect unnecessary or unhealthy energy or enhance specific traits or qualities you may have deficiencies in.[3]
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  3. There are so many different crystals, so it would be difficult to memorize them all, but there are only seven chakras, and it can be helpful to learn them so you are aware of the imbalances you may be experiencing in your body.
    • Crown Chakra: Located at the top of your head, this chakra helps connect you to your spiritual self. It promotes imagination, inspiration, and positive thought.
    • Brow/Third Eye Chakra: Located just above the eyebrows, this chakra balances the glands in the endocrine system and so it affects vision, intuition, psychic abilities, concentration, self knowledge, and insight.
    • Throat Chakra: Located in the throat, this chakra helps you to connect to the world around you, affecting communication, self-expression, and sound.
    • Heart Chakra: Located in the center of the chest, this chakra deals with emotions and so it helps create compassion, love, understanding, sharing, and forgiveness.
    • Solar Plexus Chakra: Located between the naval and base of the rib cage, this chakra creates confidence, humour, personal power, authority, laughter and warmth, and also helps shape your identity and personality.
    • Sacral/Navel Chakra: Located between the naval and pubic pone, this chakra promotes physical force, vitality, and strength and also generates new ideas, creativity, passion, endurance, and sexual energy.
    • Base Chakra: Located at the base of the spine, this chakra promotes physical survival, vitality, stability, patience, and courage.
  4. While it is a traditional practice, many modern doctors and scientists do not support crystal healing as an adequate form of medicine, because there are no peer reviewed articles proving its capabilities. Often times when undergoing crystal therapy, participants experience positive feelings because of the placebo effect.
    • While it is okay to try out crystal healing, if you or someone you know is suffering from a dangerous or serious illness, you should consider visiting a doctor instead of a crystal therapist. Crystal therapy is an effective form of therapeutic medicine if you are looking to calm your mind and possibly alleviate depression.
  5. To practice crystal healing on others, many crystal therapy clinics require certification or a license through a university or school that practices natural medicinal techniques. Crystal therapy is not unlike massage or bodywork therapy, in that the therapists ultimately help their patients experience relaxation and stress relief.[4]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Using Crystals to Heal

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  1. A crystal therapist may take several different approaches to promote healing in the body. A common healing technique used by crystal therapists is to have their patient lie on a table and then the therapist will place certain crystals on specific parts of the body in hopes that healing and positive energy will flow to that part of the body.
    • Crystal therapists use crystals believed to help or promote certain things, but they also use chakra systems as points on the body in which to lay the crystals.
    • Therapists will usually place crystals on the part of the body that is suffering from a certain ailment, and will use a crystal that is supposed to cure or alleviate that symptom. If you are suffering from a headache a therapist may put a crystal that alleviates tension on or around your forehead.
    • Because there are a number of different types of crystals to be used on the body, it would be difficult to memorize them, so consult a therapist or visit a website like Crystal Well-being that lists the crystals and what they can be used for. Curing certain ailments with crystals is listed in part three.
  2. This form of crystal healing relies more on stabilizing the chakra systems, or energy points, in the body. There are seven chakras in the body, starting from the crown of your head and moving towards the base of your spine. You can wear chakra jewelry, purchased through a crystal therapy clinic or website, or you can wear crystal jewelry, targeting a specific ailment.
  3. Another way a crystal therapist may desire to heal someone is by using a pendulum with a crystal on the end, and gently swinging it over the body, moving from head to toe until all the swings are neutralized. This method is aimed at removing energy imbalances from the body.
    • A therapist will generally start at the feet of their patient and gently swing a pendulum, until they create a steady swing that is evenly balanced on both sides. Then, they will slowly move up the body, maintaining the same swing. Whenever the swing becomes unbalanced, a therapist will stay at that part of the body until the pendulum becomes neutralized again.
  4. These layouts are different patterns that are used when placing the stones around your body to promote a certain type of healing or rejuvenation. There are many different healing layouts, some specifically created for ailments while others are in place to improve emotional stability. You can often discover these different layouts online or by visiting a clinic.
  5. In order for crystal therapy to work, you must believe that the negative energies are flowing out of your body and positive energies are flowing into it. If you are doing therapy yourself or visiting a crystal therapist, allow yourself to lie down and relax, taking deep breaths and trying to rid your mind of distracting thoughts. Then, you may begin to experience positive feelings or relaxation.
    • Crystal therapy depends much upon the patient's belief in it. If you try to practice crystal therapy with little confidence, you may only continue to experience negative energy and emotions. Know also that crystal therapy may not be instantaneous -- it may take a while to calm your mind and from the energies to begin flowing through the crystals.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Curing Certain Ailments

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  1. Crystals can help cure or prevent many things, but a common ailment that crystals are used for are headaches. Depending on the type of headache will determine the type of crystal used to alleviate that headache.
    • Tension headaches: amethyst, amber, lapis lazuli, or turquoise can be placed on or around the head to help relieve symptoms.
    • Stress headaches: Citrine or moonstone can be used to balance the solar plexus of the body, which may experience an imbalance due to stress or unsuitable food. You can place this stone on or around your head or in the solar plexus area of your body. You can also wear it on a chain with the corresponding chakra jewelry,
  2. Crystals can also be used to calm the nerves, ease restlessness, or prevent nightmares while sleeping which may cause some sleepless nights. Again, there are different crystals for different symptoms you might be experiencing.
    • Sleeplessness due to tension or worrying: chrysoprase, rose quartz, citrine, or amethyst can be placed by the bed or under your pillow to calm and sooth you as you fall asleep.
    • Overeating causing sleeplessness: If you have had a day where you ate just a little too much and it's making it difficult to sleep, place moonstone or iron pyrite on your stomach before settling into bed.
    • Nightmares: If nightmares or negative dreams are keeping your from gaining a good night's rest, use a protective stone like tourmaline or a smoky quartz and place it at the foot of the bed. Labradorite is thought to chase away unwelcome thoughts or feelings, so it can also be used at the foot of your bed.
  3. Crystals with strong, bright colors can help increase energy or give you boosts throughout the day. Red garnet, golden amber, or golden-yellow topaz are most helpful in promoting an increase in energy.
    • For motivational energy, the energy that requires you to get up and do something productive, use crystals with deeper tones like tiger's eye, dark citrine, and jasper.
    • For a quick boost of energy, place citrine on the solar plexus, and hold a clear quartz crystal in each hand while also pointing upwards.
  4. Different crystals can be used to improve the balance of the Brow/Third Eye Chakra. If you are having trouble focusing, or need help in recalling something from memory you can place a crystal on your forehead, near the chakra center.
    • Quartz or carnelian can help improve mental clarity and clear extraneous thought. Amethyst can also promote mental clarity by helping you focus on realistic goals.
    • Fluorite and sodalite can aid in studying as they help balance the brain hemispheres and aid in communication to give you a better understanding of concepts and ideas.
    • Citrine and amber can help stimulate memory, while lapis lazuli amplifies thought.
  5. One of the major uses of crystals is to provide peace and tranquility to your body and mind. These stones aren't used in a one time setting, but should be worn on a necklace or kept near you at all times to prevent negative energies from affecting you. If you are experiencing uncommon distress, depression, or other mental ailments, you can place the crystals in a healing layout.
    • Green jade can be used to calm the nervous system, thus focusing the mind. In certain cultures, green is traditionally known as the healing color.
    • Rose quartz, opal, or blue lace agate can be used to cleanse your emotions and create emotional stability. Amethyst can also be used for emotional stability as well, helping to balance your hormones to prevent emotional highs or lows.
    • Amber can be used to balance underlying emotions or endocrine imbalance as well as neutralizing a negative state of mind.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you use crystals in a healing session?
    Emily Christensen
    Emily Christensen
    Crystal Healing Therapist & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
    Emily Christensen is a Shamanic Spiritual Advisor, Reiki Master, and the Founder of Rainbow Raaja based in Southern California and now King County, Washington. Emily has over six years of experience as a Massage Therapist and in using tarot cards, crystal therapy, light work (reiki, light codes, energy therapy), and shamanic healing. She received Reiki Master training from the Hands on Healing Institute. Emily is also a certified Bodywork Therapist by the California Massage Therapy Council and an Ordained Shamanic Minister with the Universal Life Church.
    Emily Christensen
    Crystal Healing Therapist & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
    Expert Answer
    Crystals balance systems and energy in the body through nearly undetectable vibrations in each different mineral and in the crystal's mineral and chemical components themselves. Some stones are more effective directly on the body, whereas some work best energetically through the vibrational frequency.
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References

  1. http://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html
  2. http://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html
  3. Emily Christensen. Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja. Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.
  4. http://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html
  5. Emily Christensen. Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja. Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.
  6. Emily Christensen. Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja. Expert Interview. 8 July 2020.

About This Article

Emily Christensen
Co-authored by:
Crystal Healing Therapist & Founder of Rainbow Raaja
This article was co-authored by Emily Christensen. Emily Christensen is a Shamanic Spiritual Advisor, Reiki Master, and the Founder of Rainbow Raaja based in Southern California and now King County, Washington. Emily has over six years of experience as a Massage Therapist and in using tarot cards, crystal therapy, light work (reiki, light codes, energy therapy), and shamanic healing. She received Reiki Master training from the Hands on Healing Institute. Emily is also a certified Bodywork Therapist by the California Massage Therapy Council and an Ordained Shamanic Minister with the Universal Life Church. This article has been viewed 80,782 times.
23 votes - 88%
Co-authors: 21
Updated: June 29, 2021
Views: 80,782
Categories: Alternative Health
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 80,782 times.

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