Things to Avoid When Working With Healing Crystals

Working With Crystals

Crystal healing is a safe, natural and holistic therapy that can help with a wide variety of difficulties in life. For example, crystals can be used in attracting luck and good fortune into your life, supporting you through times of stress, or in repelling negative aspects around us. You do not need to have any specific qualifications to begin enjoying the benefits of crystals, and this form of healing is suitable for all ages.

Crystal healing is a great tool for those new to natural therapies as it does not require lots of equipment or training and can be performed easily at home. You also do not need to worry about buying a massive collection of crystals at the start as these can be selected based on your needs, and over time you will build a set relevant to you. Buying lots of random stones can also mean that many of them will end up never being used as they will not fit in with your personal healing needs or intentions. Of course, there are many people who enjoy collecting crystals, and this can form a pleasing and beneficial hobby.

Introduction to Crystal Healing

Crystals are minerals that form underground in three-dimensional repeating patterns of atoms. The resulting crystal and its structure depend on the type of mineral and the conditions in which it grew. Some crystals grow under great pressure within the Earth, whereas others are created layer by layer over thousands of years. Each variety of crystal has its own personal formation and this is believed to give each a unique vibrational energy. It is this energy that is utilised and combined with our own energy when using crystals in healing.

The repeating structure of crystals is believed to create a form of memory that allows the stones to hold energy. This means that they can be programmed with your intentions and needs and this energy will be retained by the crystal. Once programmed, the crystal will carry the energy within itself and bring it to any environment in which it is placed. This means that we can benefit from the benefits of crystal healing in many ways, such as:

• Wearing crystals in jewellery
• Carrying crystals in your pocket or bag
• For women, carrying in your bra is a popular choice and places the stone in direct skin contact
• Placing crystals around your home or workplace
• Making crystal essences and gem waters (using the indirect method)
• Incorporating crystals into household items and décor: for example wind chimes and ornaments
• Sleeping with crystals by placing them under your pillow or mattress
• Combining crystal healing with other therapies such as reiki
• Sewing crystals into children’s soft toys
• Setting up crystal grids to work on a specific goal or intention
• Using crystals to work with the chakra symbol or individual chakras
• Meditating with crystals

Although a crystals ability to retain energy is this way is highly beneficial, there is also a down side to this. As well as being able to store our positive intentions and energy, crystals can also pick up and store negative energy. This can happen as part of the healing process: for example if a crystal is used to calm energy or anxiety it will retain some of that energy or it can happen if crystals are placed in an area that contains a lot of negative energy. Because of this crystals require cleansing to remove this and as a kind of reset for the stone. There are many methods that can be used in cleansing crystals and no specialist equipment or skills are required.

The Negative Opinions of Others

When you first begin working with crystal healing you may find that people have many opinions on this and that often these are negative in nature. Many people do not believe in the healing properties of crystals or in alternative and complementary therapies at all. This can be due to many things such as a lack of knowledge, a past bad experience, reading or hearing negative things about the therapy or mistrust or lack of belief in methods that may not be fully explained or provable by science. Sometimes learning a little more about crystals and how they heal or experiencing the benefits for themselves can help with this, but this is not always the case.

While people are free to have their own thoughts and opinions it can become difficult and disheartening when these are pushed on to you and others around them. If you have someone like this in your life try not to be influenced or upset by their comments and lack of belief. This can be difficult, particular in the beginning or if it is someone you live with or spend a lot of time around. You may find that it is easier to stop discussing crystals and to carry out your healing privately.

As you experience the benefits of crystal healing it will help to build your confidence and resistance to other people being negative towards it. Another option is to use crystal in less noticeable ways: for example as jewellery or to sleep will. This makes your work less noticeable to others and so they are unlikely to comment.

Self-Doubt

It can be easy to feel doubt regarding the effectiveness of crystal healing or in your ability to perform it well. This can be especially true if people around you are doubtful as well. Do not let this stop you from trying and if it helps you can start out small or with the more commonly known crystals that are easy to find lots of information on. Try incorporating crystals into your daily routine so that they and their individual energies become more familiar to you. Attempting to work on a large issue at the start may feel overwhelming or stressful so when possible build up to this. Ideas for some simple crystal exercise include short guided meditations, sleeping with crystals to enhance sleep or dreams or carrying crystals to help boost confidence, creativity or luck.

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Other People Touching Your Crystals

Opinions vary on this point so it is best to be guided by what feels right to you. Many believe that it is bad to let other people touch your stones due to the fact that this can cause their energy to transfer into the crystal. This then can affect the programming of a crystal or add energy where you do not want it. In contrast, other people believe that it does not matter who handles crystals as energy is only transferred to the stone when focus and intent are used to do so. Therefore someone simply handling a crystal to admire it will make no difference at all.

Crystals can be very attractive to adults and children alike, and children especially may feel they want to touch or hold them. If this becomes an issue it can be helpful to place crystals out of sight or reach or in closed-display cabinets. Alternatively, opt to carry them with you in these situations particularly if explaining why you do not want your crystals to be touched will be met with criticism or negativity.

Worrying That Your Crystals Aren't Good Enough

The size, shape and whether they are raw or tumbled stones do not affect the crystals' ability to heal. This is present in the structure of the atoms the crystal is made up of and is the same for all stones of that type. Do not feel that you have to spend large amounts of money on huge crystals or specifically shaped stones in order to be successful working with crystals, as this is unnecessary. There is some thoughts that a larger crystal contains more repetitions of the unique 3D structure and can be used for longer between cleansings but many people do not agree. There is certainly some logic to the idea that a larger crystal can hold more energy but in the case of lengthening times between cleansings, I would strongly consider the fact that the accumulated negative energy will be kept around you until you do cleanse the stone.

For general healing, any shape of crystal will be effective and can be used. However, there are certain times when a specific shape can be of benefit. Examples of this include using crystal points to direct energy to a specific point and using geodes in manifestation. More information on utilizing crystal shapes can be found in my article "Seven Healing Crystal Shapes and Their Uses."

Disappointment at Slow Progress

When you first become interested in crystals and their healing properties it can be easy to get carried away, not only with buy stones but with how much you use them and your expectations. For many people it takes time to develop skills that are used in crystal healing such as focus and meditation. It can be difficult to quiet thoughts and worries running through your head so do not feel discouraged by this. Developing these skills will not only help with your healing work but can also help in coping with the stresses and often rushed nature of modern life. Take your time and practice when you can and try to avoid feeling that you are not trying hard enough or doing enough. It is important to remember that some types of crystal work more slowly than others or heal best when used in certain ways. Slow acting crystals are great for wearing daily as jewellery allowing you to benefit from their gentle energy over time but less useful when healing needs to be quicker, for example in soothing headaches.

Feeling Deflated Over Lack of Intuition

This can be a common problem when first working with crystal healing or indeed any spiritual or intuition based practice. The truth is that some people are more naturally attuned to their intuition that others, but this does not mean that the skills cannot be developed with practice. Over time people have unfortunately become less aware of their intuition, have been taught to mistrust their inner guidance or even that it doesn’t exist. In these cases it will take time and practice to reconnect and understand the guidance provided through intuition.

Comparing Yourself to Others

Just as with all areas of life people learn and grow at their own pace and it is unhelpful to compare your journey to that of other people. Although someone else may seem to be better at crystal healing that you it may be the case that they have more time to dedicate to practice or started out with some knowledge or more intuitive. It is also possible that they have been practicing crystal healing and perhaps other forms of healing for a longer time. Your experiences are unique to you and you should not feel bad if others differ or feel you are less worth because of material reasons such as having fewer crystals, not working with rare crystals, dressing or looking a certain way or being able to remember the healing properties of vast numbers of crystals. The more effective way to develop intuition and your healing practice is to be true to your feelings and needs. There is no benefit to be gained from owning huge amounts of crystals that you never use or in dressing or acting in a way that does not suit or feel comfortable to you.

Feeling Guilty for Using Crystal Guide Books

There are many books that have been written about crystals and crystal healing and these can be of great benefit, especially when you are new to healing. However, you should feel bad if you continue to use these even as you develop or have been working with crystals for a long time. Not everyone has a great memory and can remember the properties of every or even some of the crystals they have read about or studied and this is fine. Like owning crystals, learning the properties of a great number of varieties is not always the most helpful way to work.

You may find it more beneficial to study a few commonly used and versatile crystals so you can know and use them well. An alternative method would be to research crystals as you need and use them slowly adding to your knowledge. In many cases adding physical practice in the use of a crystal can help you to remember at least some of its properties as you can associate it with the time/s you used it. This point also ties in with developing your intuition as at first, you may find it hard to sense crystals energy and properties well. This is not something to feel bad about and there is nothing wrong in use books or websites to help you select the right crystals for you. If you are part of any communities based around crystal healing for example on social media sites, there can also be some disagreement and even conflict over individual books or authors. Again do not feel bad if you feel drawn to a particular book or author or if what they write resonates with you strongly. Let this intuition guide you if you feel comfortable doing so.

Thinking That Crystal Healing Will Solve All Your Problems Instantly

Although crystal healing is an effective natural therapy is not a cure-all and sometimes it will not help or being enough for some issues. Crystal healing can be used safely alongside other complementary therapies or medical treatments and medications. If you have prescribed any medication or are receiving treatment it is important not to stop or reduce these without speaking to your doctor or other medication professional first. Not only may this have a negative or dangerous effect on your condition but there are many medications that must be stopped gradually for safety and well-being.

One important point to consider here is that healing can take time depending on the circumstances. Some crystals have a very gentle energy that works slowly over time or there may be further issues that need to be addressed before healing can take place. This can often be the case with emotional healing as this can have been contributed to by many factors and take time to work through. In can also be the case that you are not ready to face and heal issues and our subconscious minds can be very powerful in concealing what we are not ready to face. If you feel this may apply to you it can help to take a break and come back to the issues later or to think or meditate on other layers of the matter that may need to be addressed first. Sometimes trying another type of crystal or combination of crystal can also be helpful.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

© 2019 Claire

Comments

Claire (author) from Lincolnshire, UK on September 09, 2019:

I agree that it can be harder to recognise changes in ourselves or our lives. Often we are more critical of ourselves and our progress as well.

Maurice Glaude from Dallas, TX on September 07, 2019:

You are so correct that crystal energy takes time. Fast results are not always lasting. Fast results are possible but may be fleeting because it came to easy. My best results are ones that were slow to take root or manifest in my life. I also found that my results for others such as creating crystal grids for others are way more successful than those that I work for myself. I'm still unsure completely as to why but it could have to do more with my expectations and not recognizing the results for myself in my own life. What do you think?