Gemstone Chakra Balancing

Gemstone Chakra Balancing / Laying on of Stones:

Before practicing this technique on yourself and others I recommend that you examine your relationship with nature. When we are working closely with nature and the cosmic forces that are constantly weaving subtle energies through the help of the stones, we bring balance and harmony into our lives. If your relationship with nature is irrelevant and distant, you will have difficulty in handling the energies that you will encounter in crystal balancing, or any other shamanic practice.

The laying on of stones is an ancient art and well worth researching. From Ancient Egypt to Africa, and later from Greece to the Americas there is extensive mention of the powers of stones, gemstones, crystals and minerals in their healing practices. Don’t take my word for it. Do the research for yourself. Also, there are many books on the market written by many talented crystal workers on how to work with gemstones and crystals. When selecting books, be selective trust your intuition and don’t believe everything you read. You are a unique one of a kind human being and you will find that every stone, crystal and mineral is as unique and as different as you are. Using established guidelines for the usage of certain stones, crystals, and minerals will be helpful, but you will always find exceptions to the rules.

The practice of using power stones for healing begins with believing in and loving the stones you work with. These power stones are the bones of the Mother Earth. When you work with a stone or crystal there is a blending, an interaction between the subtle energy of the stone and the subtle energy of your body. When working with others, this blending of subtle energies is extended between the parties involved. The Mother Earth’s bones may speak to you; listen quietly to the thoughts that come to you. Be witness to the unfolding of the powers of the Divine.

As with the experience of the Divine, each being will have their own individual experience with stones and crystals. Honor and treat yours and others experiences with respect. Just because you may have an uncomfortable experience with a particular stone or crystal does not mean someone else will have the same experience. Most of the time the discomfort arises from touching a power you do not understand as of yet. It does not mean that the stone or crystal is evil or negative. Power in itself is neutral, it is the intent of the user of that power that creates or destroys. A good cleansing should remove any unwanted energies. If a good cleansing does not remove the unwanted vibrations, you should then look inside of yourself for the cause of the discomfort. Why are you fearful? Each of the stones and crystals holds many energies, put there by nature and the people who have worked with them before. If all attempts at clearing the stone or crystal fail, then give it away or bury it. It is not meant for you. Never work with stones or crystals that you don’t feel good about or seem to be holding an unidentifiable energy.

How to select crystals & stones;

When selecting stones, crystals and minerals choose those that touch you in some way, pay close attention when holding it. Maybe it attracts you because of its beauty or shape. Does it touch something deep within you? Does it resonate well with you? Remember stones are like old friends, some bring in messages from the Divine, and others are transmitters of healing energies. Get to know the stone, experiment, and find out what it has to teach or share with you. Charge your stone or crystal with intent through meditation, prayer or ritual. It is the relationship with the stone or crystal that you are seeking. This is very important. Ask the Great Cosmic Mother for guidance, for the activation of the powers of the stones, for an open heart and permission to be of service in the healing process.

Preparing for a Crystal healing session;

Preparation before a crystal healing session is necessary. This preparation should include clearing one’s mind of all misconceptions that you know the reason or purpose for the person’s illness. You are not the healer, they are. The ability to heal or not lies with them. You are only the facilitator. You are there to listen, to witness and open the doors of communication between them and the Divine. As a guide you can ask them what do they need in order to heal, and then be witness to their truth. They always know the answer whether they acknowledge it or not. Stay clear and be careful not to judge. It is their choice if they choose life or death, not yours. This can be very difficult especially when a loved one is involved. Take the time that is needed to get clear of ego and preconceptions. Meditate and pray. As we clear our minds and hearts we make room for unconditional love to flow through us so that we may be of service to the Divine and those we love.

Always treat your selected stones and crystals with respect and love. They are living beings like you containing spirit. They are your brothers and sisters treat them as such by thanking them at the end of a healing. When you seek their help be humble and reverent. You are asking for the help of powerful forces made available to us through our brothers and sisters help. When working with stones and crystals we must let go of our own attachment for outcomes. When they are not in use you may keep them in a special bag, or simply cover them with a special cloth. I place my healing stones on my altar and also I place them in baskets lined with white sage. Some healers cover their stones with special natural fabrics using cotton or silk. Others use leather medicine bags. Being an herbalist I add herbs, leaves, roots, essential oils, feathers to my bags. I also use fabrics of cotton velvet, silk, natural woven fabrics, linen and wool. If you use leather or fur be sure to honor the spirit of the animal. I usually place an animal fetish in or on a leather or fur bag. Treat all animal fetishes with great respect. They are our teachers and our friends. Cleanse your stones between sessions. You may do this by smudging with white sage or sweet grass. You may wash them with spring water or clear them with a drop of your favorite essential oil. My favorite is vetivert essential oil. Many people prefer salt water. If you want to charge your crystals or stones with a very soothing gentle energy make a batch of lavender flower essence during the full moon and soak your crystals in this. If you want to try something really special make your flower essence in a crystal-singing bowl. The most powerful clearing and charging of crystals and stones is intent. Intent is holding in one’s mind the energy of the Divine, of love and good will to all other beings. While holding this intent simply breathe upon the stone or crystal. You will know when it is cleared or charged.

Creating Sacred Space;

Prepare the room you are going to use by smudging the area; place a rug or blanket on the floor for the person to lie on. I sometimes use a sleeping bag beneath the blanket to make the bed more comfortable. Make sure the room is warm, because a person’s body temperature tends to drop when they are lying still for long periods of time. Keep a soft throw blanket near just in case. I usually place an afghan over them and the stones if they start to feel cold. A nice quiet room is desirable. The person receiving the healing should be dressed in loose comfortable clothing and also have them remove all jewelry. Every healer has their own way of preparing the room for healing. Depending on the person, I sometimes use incense or my aromatherapy diffuser.

Background music is optional; I use soft relaxing soundscapes for my chakra balancingl session. My personal favorite is “Crystal Waves” by David Casper. I especially like side two which is created entirely with the vibrations of tuned crystals. Another favorite is Michael Hammer/Yahoel’s ” Music For Filling In The Frequencies”, along with Steven Halpern’s “Crystal Suite”. You will find that some people prefer not to have music playing, be attentive to their needs. Water fountains are wonderful for creating a relaxing tranquil atmosphere and can mask unwanted outside noises. Try experimenting on yourself first, then on a couple of close friends and then go from there. Keep an open mind and heart and listen to the wise one that resides within.

Begin by smudging yourself and friend with sage smoke; then do a centering and grounding exercise. You may also ground yourself and your friend by playing the first chakra singing crystal bowl. This is very powerful and may be done before  and at the end of the healing session. This helps the two of you to ground in the here and now. Now have them lie down on their back on the blanket, with the head straight and arms at their sides in a relaxed manner. Place a small cushion beneath the knees for comfort.

Placement of the crystals & stones;

Now place small clear quartz crystals around them, starting with the feet with crystals pointing towards their head. Move clockwise crystals pointing towards body. Use your intuition on the directions of these outside crystals or use all double terminated crystals. I tend to use both single terminated and double terminated crystals.

I often place a crystal facing towards the body in the left hand, as that is the receiving hand. Then I place a crystal facing away from the body in the right hand, this is the sending hand. This allows the energy to circulate within the body and outside of the body energizing and healing the body and aura. I have found this technique most beneficial.

Place the crystals above the head pointing away from their head or pointing towards it. Depending on which direction you want to draw the energy. If the person needs grounding then the crystals at their feet will be pointing towards their head and the crystals at their crown chakra will be pointing away from the body. Reverse the crystals at the feet and crown chakra if you want to draw the energy from the crown to the feet. Depending on how many crystals you have will determine how far apart you will be spacing them. If I see many holes or bulges in the aura, I will reinforce that area with more crystals spaced more closely than other areas. Use your intuition.

Now begin placing smoky quartz, black tourmaline, hematite, and black obsidian between the ankles on the floor. Place on their thighs working your way up to the pelvic area. Place a string of hematite and garnet beads across the first chakra. I sometimes place a small black agate geode with a rough red ruby in the center. Be very attentive to the person’s reaction to the stones if they feel uncomfortable then remove the stone and replace with another. The person receiving the healing is always right. Some stones may be contraindicated for some energy fields. The stones may cause discomfort if they are too energizing instead of creating a more calming, balancing effect.

Next is the second chakra, here we place carnelian, red coral, brown jasper, wulfenite, and xanthoconite. On the solar plexus, you may place golden calcite, citrine, topaz, tigers eye and malachite.

For the heart center I use pink and green kunzite, rose quartz, watermelon tourmaline and aventurine. I also use a rough-cut emerald. I use the emerald when there are deep emotional issues being worked on in this chakra. I find that it soothes and harmonizes the release of emotional energies in this chakra. Most people may experience vulnerability, regret, guilt, loss and pain in this chakra. Be kind, listen and witness their pain as they clear this chakra. There is nothing you can do except listen with an open, compassionate and caring heart, and let the stones do the work.

For the throat chakra, turquoise, aquamarine, chrysocolla, blue topaz and blue lace agate. Allow your friend some time to freely voice their thoughts and feelings. Most of us have closed off this chakra and it takes a little more time for the stones to penetrate the depths so we can express ourselves. I have been using a new stone called paraiba in this chakra; people are drawn to this stone and it has an all-healing energy. I have also used it in the third eye area with great results. I am currently working with a pair of these stones; we have found that they exhibit some of the same qualities of the larger boji stones.

On the brow chakra I use lapis, sodalite, sugilite, fluorite and a strand of amethyst with freshwater pearls. I usually place lapis directly over the third eye and then add the other stones across the forehead. I then gently drape a strand of amethyst and fresh water pearls across the upper part of the forehead. I explain to them that in the third eye chakra we receive guidance and information from our higher self.

For the crown chakra I place crystals above the head on the floor. I use clear quartz crystals, amethyst, tanzanite, violet tourmaline and fluorite. Always follow your intuition. In this chakra we experience our relationship with the divine. The life force flows into our bodies through this chakra. Allow the person time to release any fears of loss. Some encounter the “dark night of the soul”; others experience their reconnection with their perception of God.

I usually end the session with a visualization of brilliant white light flowing down through the crown chakra into the lower chakras, circulating this white light throughout the body and then shooting it back up through the crown chakra. Begin visualizing this light flowing up over the body and down around bringing the light back up through the feet and up through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and out through the crown chakra. A good representation of this action is a circulating pump. Do this as long as needed. Allow as much time as needed. Some people will fall asleep during the session. Whether they sleep or not, the healing will take place. My own experiences reveal that sometimes by falling asleep, we are able to integrate the healing on a much deeper level.

When the session has ended, remove the crystals and make sure your friend has returned to their normal state of consciousness. I usually spend some time answering any questions they may have and also show them the crystals and stones I used in the session. I find most people enjoy looking and handling the crystals. Always make sure they are well grounded before they leave, otherwise they will leave feeling spacey and unconnected. Placing a pair of Boji stones in their hands is a most effective grounding technique. Boji stones help to balance and align ones energy fields. Another great tool for grounding would be a crystal-singing bowl tuned to the root chakra. By playing this bowl for your friends, they will experience the grounding process through sound. I find most of my friends prefer this technique.

There are many different techniques for balancing and strengthening the chakras. We have only presented some of the very basic ones here. Below you will find a recommended reading list. The most important thing is the doing. Spend some time meditating with your stones or crystals, keep a journal and write down your impressions and insights.

Try your hand at blending some essential oils and make your own chakra oils. Sometimes when I am working on a particular chakra I will make a chakra bag. As an example, for the heart chakra bag, I would place a small tumbled stone of rose quartz and a small piece of moldavite, or raw emerald in a bag along with rose petals, sandalwood and linden flowers. I sometimes add a small folded picture of a white dove or some symbol that represents divine love. If I am going to wear the bag, I will make a necklace by stringing some beads with semi precious stones and chips and attach the bag securely to the strand of beads. Use your imagination and have fun.

How to make Chakra oils;

To make a chakra oil simply add a few drops of essential oil to carrier oil such as almond or jojoba oil. A favorite oil blend for the root chakra would be 1 drop of patchouli and vetivert oil, 2 drops of frankincense and lavender oil, and 1 drop of ginger oil. Add these to one ounce of almond oil. Blend well and let the mixture rest for a few days. Shake well before each use. Remember to use only essential oils and not fragrance oils in your chakra blends.

In closing I would like to also mention that during a chakra balancing you might notice feelings that may arise that were buried deep in the subconscious mind. Sometimes these may manifest as anger, sadness, joy or happiness. Whatever surfaces it is important to acknowledge these feelings and then release them. Sometimes we may experience fear when we encounter these emotions, but the very act of releasing and letting go of these feelings will bring a sense of inner peace and a connection with the divine.

Blessings, Rose

Recommended Reading List

Judith, Anodea: Wheels of Life. Llewellyn, 1987.
Leadbeater, C.W.: The Chakras. The western classic on chakras. Theosophical Publishing House, 1927.
Krishna, Gopi: Kundalini, The Evolutionary Energy in Man. Shambhala, 1970.
Ramacharaka, Yogi: The Science of Psychic Healing. Yogi Publications Society, 1937.
Ramacharaka, Yogi: Raja Yoga or Mental Development, 1934.
Radha, Swami Sivananda: Kundalini Yoga For the West. Shambhala, 1981.