Meadow's Guide to Healing Crystals

What are Healing Crystals?

I’ll be the first person to admit that the idea of healing crystals seems a little “New Age” and too mystical to be true. I mean when I think of healing crystals, I think about candy-colored bowls of rose quartz, amethyst, and citrine. Aesthetic Pinterest accounts full of monochromatic gems. Hidden boutiques with names like “Luna,” and “Celestial,” and “Harmony.” Not scientific studies, ions, or immunity. 

But in the last ten years and especially since the pandemic, I’ve read countless articles and seen countless Instagram posts about the power of healing crystals. And so many celebrities like Adele, Miranda Kerr, and Jenna Dewan rave about healing crystals. So are healing crystals all that they’re cracked up to be, or is it all a hoax. 

#selfcare

Health Benefits of Healing Crystals

Before I can begin to discuss the benefits of healing crystals, I have to say that I am not a medical professional, and if you are having health problems, the best thing to do is consult your doctor. 

But on the other hand, I can say that healing crystals work. They do have “powers,” and they can have a positive effect on your health...but not in the way that you might think.  

It’s true that there are no hard scientific studies that support the direct benefits of healing crystals. Healing crystals will not magically help you lose 20 pounds, cure your IBS, or improve your eyesight. However, healing crystals do heal. But the power of the healing isn’t physically within the crystal; it’s within you. Enter the placebo effect.

If you don’t know, the placebo effect is the idea that your brain can trick your body into thinking that a “fake treatment” is real. For example, in one pain management study, researchers randomly divided patients that had chronic pain into two groups. One group got an experimental pain drug, and the other got a sugar pill. However, both groups were told that they received the experimental drug. And after some time, patients from both groups reported that their chronic pain decreased. So, essentially by believing that they were receiving treatment, the group with the sugar pill (the fake treatment) actually got better.  

Healing crystals

But how does the placebo effect relate to crystals? Well, I’m getting there.  

If you really believe that your healing crystals work—or even sort of work—then you’re enacting the placebo effect. And you’re likely to feel some health benefits.  

And you might be thinking that how is this supposed to work if I don’t believe in the power of crystal? Well, you’re still likely to have some health benefits by carrying one around because Harvard Women’s Health Watch cited a study that stated that placebos still work even when you know you’re taking a placebo.  

But placebo isn’t the only way that crystals can improve your health. No, mindfulness also comes into play. 

Imagine you buy a healing crystal that’s supposed to decrease your stress. You carry it around all day, and when you get stressed, you take it out and hold it for a bit. The crystal is a reminder to stop and breathe. It’s a tool for you to recognize and acknowledge your stress. By carrying it around and holding it when you feel stressed, you’re being mindful of your physical state. You’re taking a moment for yourself to think about how you’re really feeling.  

#dailyrituals

And then all of the sudden, as you’re holding your crystal, you feel a little of the stress melt away. By inviting a moment of mindfulness, you’ve decreased your stress. And whether decreasing your stress was apart of the placebo effect or giving yourself a breather, you still decreased your stress. 

Types of Crystals

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz is one of the most well known healing crystals for its claimed ability to boost blood circulation, stimulate healing, improve complexion, and increase neuron activity, according to Healthline. Rose Quartz works best it’s used in a face roller with your normal skincare routine. And Rose Quartz is also said to work best when worn as pendant because it opens up your heart chakra.  

Amethyst

Amethyst is another popular healing crystal for its claimed abilities to help with digestion issues, soothe headaches, and regulate hormones, according to Healthline. Amethyst is known for its vibrant purple color and has been associated with improving mental clarity in many legends and myths. It is said that Amethyst works best during meditation practices and when placed around your home to clear negative energy.  

amethyst crystals

Selenite

Selenite is a beautiful crystal that’s claimed to boost mood, promote a sense of serenity, and remove blocked or negative energy according to Healthline. Selenite is commonly mistaken for moonstone crystal, but the two are distinct in their purported healing capabilities. Selenite doesn’t work like other crystals, and it functions best when it’s charged. For best use, charge Selenite by leaving out in sunlight or moonlight and then use in meditation and chakra cleansing. 

Clear Quartz

Similar to Rose Quartz, Clear Quartz has many of the same healing properties: improving blood flow, stimulating healing, and increasing neuron activity. However, Clear Quartz is often thought of as the “Master Healing Crystal” according to Healthline. Clear Quartz functions much like Rose Quartz, but Clear Quartz is also unique in its claimed ability to enhance the healing power of other crystals when used together. 

come by and check out all of our crystals!

Importance of Crystals

There are so many more crystals than the ones I mentioned above, and each is said to have a unique healing capability. Some cleanse your energy. Some combat headaches. Some help with chronic stress, and some aid in digestion. And whether you believe in the actual healing power of the crystal, isn’t important...because crystals act as something more than mystical New Age objects. They’re symbols of our own healing capabilities and power and serve as a reminder to practice mindfulness. And if not anything else—well, at least they’re pretty.