I tried crystal healing to relieve stress.What happened

Deep into the hell of this past year, I am dealing with not only the sense of isolation and insurmountable collective loss brought on by the pandemic, but also the general expectation of being productive and carrying on with my days. I realized that things are more difficult than ever. Life as if everything was fine. Let’s be honest: Weekend walks in the park and Zoom happy hours aren’t monotonous anymore. So, in an attempt to find new ways to restore mental and physical health, I turned to an ancient practice that promises all this and more: crystal healing.

Although I have demonstrated a penchant for certain pseudosciences,Read: An unhealthy obsession with astrology), I’m still a skeptic in most senses when it comes to things outside the realm of experience (Exactly Virgo for me, I know). As a result, I had never really given much thought to this gorgeous little stone, which is said to have healing powers, let alone a proper session with a professional.

However, according to a 2016 study, my generation (I’m talking about millennials) is increasingly shunning traditional health options in favor of alternative therapies. In that spirit, and in search of all the respite this past year, I asked a local healer to help me see for myself if there is more power in these beautiful crystals than meets the eye. I received it.

Note: 5280 We encourage you to do your own research and consider consulting your doctor before practicing alternative medicine.

How does crystal healing work?

In crystal healing, gemstones are placed on and around a person to cleanse them of any negative energy that has entered their body. Yes, we have more than just the physical body. Crystal healing also works on our mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. And, as Natalie Franks, a certified healer and owner of Colorado-based Crystalline Collective, explains, the goal is to restore balance and harmony throughout the body. Ms. Franks, who will ultimately perform a healing session with me for this article, travels around the Front Range conducting this practice while working at her shop in Inglewood.

“Crystals have a scientifically measurable vibrational frequency that has many uses in today’s world,” Franks says. Taking quartz as an example, Franks points out that quartz is used in luxury watches to ensure accurate timekeeping and in microchips for its unparalleled memory capabilities. These unique inherent properties of different crystal structures are also utilized for healing. When the healer places his hands on these stones, the crystals are activated and the necessary energy or electricity is transferred from them to the client’s energy body, the energy field that surrounds each of us. It is invisible to our clairvoyant eyes.

Think of this process like tuning a musical instrument, or the way a masseuse works magic in massage therapy.

“When we massage the body, toxins and fluids are released from the muscles and connective tissue,” says Franks, noting that massage therapy is aimed at reducing tension and discomfort in the body. “The same goes for energy bodies. They accumulate as they walk around. [blockages] within our energy bodies. And crystal healing brings a state of relaxation and clarity to your energy body, allowing you to move forward with a clearer mind and clearer energy state. [to help us] In terms of how we navigate life. ”

Although there is little scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of crystal healing, some scientists suggest that the pleasant sensations experienced with crystal use are primarily the result of a placebo effect. Whether crystal healing is truly based on the power of science or the power of suggestion is unclear. consciousness As such, it appears to be a major factor dependent on this mode of healing. Franks points out this to skeptics: “A person can benefit from energy healing only to the extent that he or she is willing to accept it.”

Is crystal healing right for me?

First of all, I would like to clarify that (Sorry, I had to do it!) If you have any medical, mental, or emotional symptoms, you should consult a licensed health care provider. But if you’re open and willing to try something new, whether you’re looking for relief from physical pain or chronic inflammation, insomnia, anxiety, depression, or just being hyperactive, Whether you are seeking relief from mental and emotional ailments, Franks recommends crystal healing for a myriad of concerns. heart. She likens her crystal healing to other preventive care in that clients don’t just need to come in when something goes wrong.

But Franks points out that her mission doesn’t rely on intuition. “My outlook is holistic and I want to help you on your healing journey,” she says. “My goal is to teach people tools to heal themselves in these sessions.”

What is crystal healing?

Franks was very caring from the beginning of my session with her, asking for clear consent for specific aspects of the session when I arrived and making sure I knew exactly what I wanted her to talk about – physically, mentally and emotionally. He explained any issues in advance. I pointed out some of her physical pains and told Franks that she had been feeling tired, withdrawn, and depressed for some time. Some of these feelings remain from before the pandemic, but they’ve all gotten worse over the past year.

With that information in hand, Franks acted quickly. Lying on a table, my session began with some deep breathing exercises. During that time, she opened my chakras (major energy centers that correspond to specific nerve bundles and major organs of the body) and attuned to my energy. My only job was to keep focusing on my deep breathing, essentially entering a meditative state and naturally making the whole session a pretty relaxing process. She then began placing foundation stones in the areas of my seven chakras: crown of head, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacrum, and root chakra.

From here, Franks became familiar with my energy body around each of these different chakras and yelled out observations to me, including that I have a very open mind, among many other discoveries. I shared it with (Can I receive this in writing?), I am very methodical and perhaps overly analytical in the way I live my life (Can be confirmed) And I am storing up negative emotions to the extreme (It gets eerily accurate here.).

While Franks was busy pinpointing what was arousing me, I slipped into an even more relaxed state and she focused on these areas of my energy body, areas where blockages occur and need flow. I placed more stones around it. will be restored. (Consider the throat chakra. Consider speaking up more, holding back less, or the flow between your crown and heart chakras. This will help you find the balance between how to live your life with logic and emotion.) My hope is that by restoring the proper flow of your energy body, you will feel less withdrawn, your energy will come up again, and you will be able to live your life with a clear mental state where good energy flows in and negative energy flows out. It is to become.

While Franks was speaking, she provided lots of practical advice for some of the obstacles in my system. But I have to admit that whatever changes she was making in my energy body, they were almost imperceptible to my immature mind at the time. The only noticeable phenomenon occurred towards the end of the session when she hung her points of crystals over specific chakras. It immediately caused a warm vibrational sensation through the stones of my body – it was as if someone was starting to fry small eggs in my chest.

When Franks made the final adjustments to my energy body blocks and eased my exit from the session, I woke up feeling like my body had just woken up from a year-long slumber.

Was it worth it?

I don’t know if this session immediately improved my mental and physical troubles, but Franks said it may take some time for the changes to fully integrate. But if anything, I feel like this experience has made me more aware of myself and how I deal with stressors in my daily life. What’s more, I was able to get an unusually deep sleep after the session, which Franks says is common.

It’s hard to tell after just one session if crystal healing is worth it, but feeling seen and heard without saying a word is still very powerful. And if you remain open to the process, how this journey of practice will put you on the path to creating peace and happiness for yourself.

If you try: 3597 S Pearl St, Suite 101, Inglewood; Sessions start at $150. For an initial consultation or to learn more about Crystalline Collectives’ travel services, custom pendants, and more, please visit crystalline-collective.com.