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Thankfully, you do not have to practice any certain beliefs to reap the benefits of crystals. Anyone of any culture and religion can embrace their healing properties without going against their pre-existing beliefs. This sort of neutrality explains why crystals can now often be found in public spaces, like gas stations. However, the purest crystals are still most likely to be found in spiritual shops. 

There are at least 4,000 crystals in this world and each carries within it unique properties, including inner healing capabilities. If you have been searching for ways to expand or strengthen your self-care game, look no further.

What are Crystals Used For?

But first, you may be wondering what exactly it is that crystals do. Crystals are used most often as alternative medicine. How crystals work depends on the exact crystal and what you are looking to restore.

In most cases, the presence of a crystal alone is believed to emit strong healing energy that can impact all in the vicinity. It may be easier to think of crystals as energetic healing. Varying healing crystals may aid in resolving physical ailments, reducing stress and anxiety, generating creativity and focus, promoting love and optimism, facilitating rest and alleviating insomnia, and so much more. There truly is a crystal out there to assist with any issue you are facing.

How Do I Cleanse My Crystals?

If you’re unfamiliar with crystals, you may be wondering “Why do I need to cleanse my crystals?” Well, no crystal can properly channel its healing properties if it has not been cleansed. Cleansing keeps a crystal's energy pure. You want pure energy when using crystals so that no negative energy can interfere with your healing.

It is advised to cleanse your crystals before and after each use if you’re using them for things like tarot readings and meditation. However, other crystals only require regular cleansing. There are multiple ways to cleanse crystals. Here are just a few: 

The Full Moon

The full moon is one of the most influential natural forces we know. This could be why a full moon cleansing is quite popular. All you need is a clear sky on a full moon night. Place your crystals anywhere in the moon’s view from your windshield to your yard. Let them cleanse and recharge overnight, but try to bring them back inside as soon as you wake up. 

Smudging

Smudging is an ancient technique that has been popularized in modern trends. Smudging is the same thing as lighting sage to get rid of bad energy. Other healing herbs—like palo santo, cedar, or lavender—work wonders as well. Light your healing herb of preference and wave it over your crystals for at least 30 seconds. If you’re not known to wake up before the sun is beaming, this method will work better for your crystals as it will not damage their appearance as the bright sun could. 

Sound

Sound healing isn’t just for us; it can be for our crystals, too. Any type of sound bath that lasts for at least five minutes should do the trick. This could be chanting, sound bowls, or tuning forks.

Water

Although you could use tap water with some salt sprinkled in as a cleansing tool, using nature’s water (like rainfall or ocean water) is better. Remember, all things involved in crystal healing should be as pure as possible and this includes how we cleanse them. Anywhere from a couple of hours to a full day in a bowl of natural water will do wonders. This method, however, is not advised for softer crystals like selenite. 

Cleansing Crystals

Quartz and selenite are crystals with multiple properties including cleansing properties. You will want to use a large stone and place your smaller crystals on top of or around in close proximity to be cleansed. This method will take several hours or preferably overnight. 

Burial

The burial method is one of the most intensive, but it can really give your crystals a deep cleanse. Place your crystals only a few inches into the ground for at least 24 hours (but up to several days), allowing the earth to remove all negative energy. Some stones, such as tiger’s eye, recharge exquisitely with this method. 

Visualization

Your energy is more powerful than you know and can be used to cleanse and connect with your stones simultaneously. This highly energetic practice calls for cleansing one stone at a time, and you will need to be a in positive or clear energetic space to do it.

Place the crystal in your hands (or dominant alone) and begin breathing/meditating while visualizing a pure, radiant, white light. Breathe and visualize the light growing around and entering your stone as you feel the negative energy leave it. This method may take at least one minute, but could last several until you feel the stone has been restored. 

Once you’re certain your crystal is radiating pure energy, your self-care can begin! Here are five crystals ideal for self-care, how to use them, or where to put them. 

Amethysts

best crystal for spiritual healing

You’ll never enter a spiritual shop and not see amethysts. Amethysts are among the strongest spiritual gems. These crystals’ healing properties include: spiritual awareness, enhancement of physical ability, positive influence on creativity, strengthening the immune system, and so much more. It’s hard to rank crystals, but this gem is one of the best crystals for self-care. Amethysts are said to guard against negative influences, calm the mind, balance emotions, promote mental clarity, and decrease the chances of insomnia. This royally purple gem is a true stone of relaxation and connection to your spirit and mind.

Because of its relaxation and peaceful sleep-promoting qualities, it’s always a good idea to keep a cleansed amethyst by your bedside or under your pillows to help wake up with a clear mind and fight against night terrors.

Rose Quartz

Best Crystal For Love

Rose quartz is another popular crystal every spiritual shop is bound to carry. After all, this is the gem most often associated with unconditional love. Rose quartz gained popularity on social media with viral posts, indicating that the presence of this gem will ensure romantic love—whether the other person is aware or not. Although that’s not exactly true, this pretty pink crystal is the universal gem of love and compassion. While its presence can certainly enhance the bond within a romantic partnership, that is not its only usage. Rose quartz is the ideal stone for self-love. It is believed to purify the heart and promote all forms of love, connection, peace, and self-forgiveness, to name just a few.

There are a few places to put this gem. The loving nature and feminine aesthetic of this crystal make it perfect for jewelry, but it can also benefit your home. Placing rose quartz in the center of the home may promote household heart healing. Rose quartz placement in your bedroom is varied and depends on your end goal. For example, the southwest corner placement is believed to promote happiness in a couple, and placing it under or beside your bed or pillow may help with sleep.

Image: Etsy

Tiger’s Eye

Best Crystal for Confidence

Self-care is just as much about rejuvenation as internal empowerment; each self-care session should leave you feeling both relaxed and ready to conquer! This is why the tiger’s eye crystal is important—its name says it all. This crystal resembles the amber-like eyes of a tiger and embodies the power of the ferocious feline. Tiger’s eye is a protective amulet believed to greatly increase confidence, self-worth, attracting wealth, and overall personal growth. Its confidence-boosting nature also makes it one of the best crystals for anxiety. It is one of the crystals so powerful that it enhances the benefits of surrounding crystals. 

A tiger’s eye’s ability to remove blockages makes it the right gemstone to use on your chakras—especially the root, sacral, or solar plexus chakra. This striking crystal can also emit its properties while being worn as jewelry or under your mattress or pillow. 

Selenite

Best Crystal for Meditation

Each stone has its own unique beauty, but there is something about the appearance of selenite that makes it angelic. This gentle stone, light in color and weight, is a visual reminder of its calming properties. Selenite is most common in white or clear, but also in a few colors each with its own specific healing properties such as:

White: cleansing and connection to higher realms

Blue: increase intuition, decision-making, and wisdom

Peach: emotional transformation, such as healing self-worth and self-esteem

Green: promote rejuvenation and increase overall well-being; ideal for the heart chakra

Rose: manifestation, enhanced platonic love; ideal for the third-eye chakra

Overall, all selenites tend to hold detoxifying and emotional healing properties. These crystals are the perfect meditation crystals—especially in the white or color form. Given its expansive properties, selenite can be placed anywhere, but it is particularly beneficial when located by a front door.

Citrine

Best Crystal for Joy

What can be labeled as the most breathtaking crystal is debatable. However, the citrine crystal was adored as decoration in ancient Greece and Rome for a reason. A form of quartz, this gem ranges in color from shades of bright yellow to amber with hues of red in between. Its nickname of “sun stone” stems from the belief that it captures and energizes from sunlight.

Citrine crystals live up to their “sun stone” name by promoting all things associated with a happy summer afternoon. Joy, prosperity, inner connection, optimism, and energy are all healing properties of this gem.

Citrine is the ideal crystal for attracting wealth and other prosperity. As such, placing it in the southwest corner of your home—also called the “wealth corner”—can help magnify its properties. This is also a powerful stone to meditate with or wear as jewelry.

Always remember that every crystal needs to be regularly cleansed. There are many ways to cleanse crystals including leaving it them out under the full moon. 

Crystals are among the most natural ways to help your mind, body, and spirit with each boasting different healing properties. When it comes to self-care, the healing properties are as varied and individualized as you are. Adding crystals to your home or jewelry collection is a simple but impactful way to consistently promote self-care.