What is Crystal Therapy?

As people look towards complementary therapies more to enhance their well-being and support conventional medicine many new therapies have emerged including Crystal Therapy. In fact Crystal Therapy is not new at all, its origins can be traced back to many ancient civilisations including the Mayans, Native American Indians and Ancient Egyptians

Today Crystal Therapy has a somewhat “new age” reputation which is due to a large extent to the fact that there is a spiritual aspect to this exciting and adaptable therapy.

So what is Crystal Therapy and how does it work? Well, one theory is that crystals emit a small electrical pulse or charge called piezoelectricity, the body’s subtle energy field which includes the chakras, meridians and aura responds to this charge and when the correct crystal is selected, the energy system of the body is cleansed, rebalanced and energised.

THE CHAKRA SYSTEM

Chakras are intersections within the body which link with the Meridian systems and carry prana, chi or life-force energy throughout the body. A way of visualising them is to see the Chakras as roundabouts and the energy lines as motorways which flow in an out of the chakras. Although we have 7 major chakras - see diagram - there are many more minor chakras which are contained in the body such as in the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, tips of the fingers and so on. Chakras are described by clairvoyants who have the ability to see the energy field of the body as spinning wheels or vortexes of energy. The seven major chakras spin in alternate, opposite directions, taking in life-force energy and releasing this energy at the same time.

On a healthy person, these energy centres would be reasonably well balanced and aligned. Where there is an imbalance or misalignment, there may well be a physical manifestation of this as an illness. For this reason healers tend to focus a great deal on providing the necessary energy whether this be through providing spiritual healing, reiki, crystal healing or some of the more conventional therapies such as Acupuncture for example in order to bring about balance and clear chi flow through these centres.

It is important to note that these centres can be over-energised as well as under-energised. For the majority of healers who do not have the benefit of clairvoyance, it is possible to use methods such as dowsing, muscle testing, intuition, or simply feeling the energy flow in order to determine where to direct healing energy. These methods can be easily learnt by everyone.

Crystals are not necessarily expensive and small tumbled stones are cheap and very useful in crystal healing. Choose stones that are not too heavy to be placed on the body and not to small so that they are easily lost. Flatter stones will stay in place more easily.

For the beginner a chakra set is a good all-round starter “kit” to begin with. You can use these crystals to hold when meditating, to place on specific chakras which need rebalancing or simply to carry in your pocket to offer an energetic support throughout the day. For the therapist it is possible to incorporate crystals into your treatments in many ways but it is advisable to have some training – even if it is just a one day workshop before incorporating them into your therapies. Suggested crystals for a starter kit would be:

However, the combination chosen by the healer needs to be selected carefully. Many healers are guided by the traditional colours of the chakras and select crystals which represent the appropriate colour of the chakra such as:

• Base - Red Jasper, Haematite
• Sacral – Carnelian, Orange Calcite
• Solar Plexus - Yellow Tigers Eye, Yellow Jasper
• Heart – Aventurine, Rose Quartz
• Throat - Blue Lace Agate, Turqoise
• Brow – Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli
• Crown – Amethyst, Clear Quartz

Here is a basic list of the qualities of some crystals:

• Red Jasper – grounding, energising
• Haematite – Grounds and centres, encourages focus
• Carnelian – Soothing, energising and protective
• Orange Calcite – Aids detachment but uplifting
• Tigers Eye – Strengthens resolve and self confidence
• Yellow Jasper – Empowers and stimulated the intellect
• Aventurine – Aids release of emotional bonds
• Rose Quartz – Unconditional loving crystal, good for relationships but also raising self esteem
• Blue Lace Agate – Soothing and calming, stimulating creative flow and communication
• Turquoise – Good to support the immune system and carries a protective quality as well as enable one to “speak their truth”
• Sodalite – Good meditative stone, provides a sense of calmness and stillnss
• Lapis Lazuli – Encourages intuition and creative thinking
• Amethyst – Good all round crystal for aiding deep connection with one’s spiritual self, has protective and healing qualities
• Clear Quartz – Aids clarity of thought and perception.

Cleansing a crystal before use is important as you need to remove unwanted energy. Crystals will absorb energy from their environment and from anyone using the crystal. Uncleansed stones can become less effective and a build up of energetic static may occur. It is simple to cleanse a crystal, simply place out in the sunlight or hold under running water to clear an unwanted energy and to charge them up. However, it is important to check that your crystal will not be damaged by water, some crystals are soluble or may be pourous and soak up the water so it is sometimes advisable to use other less invasive methods such as smudging (holding incense over a crystal so that the smoke cleanses it), sound or simply visualising white light being drawn through the crystal and removing any energy which has been absorbed and is inappropriate.

Crystals are creative and adaptable and can be used in a number of ways. A qualified Crystal Therapist would place crystals on or around the body to form a “grid” which the patient lies in. Usually the patient experiences a profound and deep meditative state and in many cases is aware of the energy as it works with the subtle energy system.

Alternatively they can be used as follows:

• As an aid to meditation
• As environmental placements – as well as being a decorative focus, Rose Quartz for example is excellent in helping to reduce the effects of electro magnetic pollution when placed on or near computers, microwaves etc. Placing a large piece of Amethyst or Rose Quartz in the treatment room will help to keep the atmosphere light and positive.
• Wearing an appropriate crystal is a useful way of maintaining and protecting the body’s energy levels
• As an aid to concentration place a Citrine or Pyrite on the desk or in the office.
• Treating animals and children. This can be easily and simply done by charging up water simply by placing a crystal in some spring water and leaving it for a few minutes or overnight. If you can dowse you will be able to measure the increase in positive energy as the water absorbs the energy pattern of the crystal. The water can be drunk or used to water plants even. One word of caution always ensure that the crystals are not toxic or soluble in water. Any crystal belonging to the Quartz family e.g. Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Rose Quartz, Citrine etc will be fine.
• As an enhancement to other therapies. Crystals can be placed around the massage couch for example to promote a greater sense of relaxation.
  
  

Shirley O’Donoghue is Principal of Lucis College and teaches Crystal Therapy to practitioner level. She is also the author of Working with Natural Energy: A Beginner's Guide to Accessing and Working with Natural Energy Forces published by Capall Bann ISBN 186163154-5 and Working with Crystals: A Practical Guide also published by Capall Bann ISBN 186163191- X She runs workshops and full practitioner courses on crystals, flower essences, colour and stress management. For more information call 01306 882291 or look at the website www.lucisgroup.com. The Affiliation of Crystal Healing Organisations is the lead UK body for Crystal Healing and their website is www.crystal-healing.org Copyright Lucis College 2006



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