Crystals and Yoga: A Match Made in the Spiritual Realm

by Vickie Gould

Yoga and crystals both seek the same goal: to bring balance, healing, and harmony into our lives. Just as each yoga pose has its purpose—be it to instill peace, ignite strength, or foster flexibility—each crystal carries a specific energy that can help us tune into different aspects of our spiritual journey.

Now, before you envision yourself trying to balance in Tree Pose while juggling a handful of rocks, let me assure you, it's nothing like that. This unique blend of crystals and yoga is about leveraging the unique energies of crystals to enhance your practice, deepen your connection with your inner self, and balance your chakras.

Whether you're a seasoned yogi or someone who's just started unrolling the mat, using crystals can infuse a new energy into your practice. You can elevate the healing, transformative potential of yoga by mindfully incorporating crystals into your routine.

In this blog post, we'll explore different types of crystals, their unique properties, and practical ways you can integrate them into your yoga and meditation sessions.

But First, What Are Crystals?

Crystals are stones that are created from the earth. They're often colorful, sparkly, and beautiful to look at. Crystals vibrate at different frequencies that stay constant. Using different crystals can help us feel better, more energetic, or even more calm.

There are a variety of crystals that can complement your yoga practice by helping to align and balance the chakras, enhance meditation, and promote specific types of energy. Here are some great options:

Clear Quartz: Known as the "master healer," clear quartz is said to amplify energy and thought. It can be used to help clarify your intentions and goals in your practice.
Amethyst: Amethyst is renowned for promoting calmness and clarity. It's often used during meditation to help cultivate a deeper state of peace and balance.
Rose Quartz: This stone symbolizes love and harmony, making it ideal for heart-opening yoga poses. It can help to stimulate the heart chakra, promote self-love, and encourage forgiveness.
Citrine: Citrine is a crystal of joy and abundance. It can help to increase energy, self-confidence and personal power, making it a great companion for challenging yoga poses.
Selenite: Known for its cleansing properties, Selenite can help clear your mind of clutter and enable you to focus more intently on your practice.
Black Tourmaline: This stone is all about grounding and protection. It can be used to foster a feeling of being deeply rooted and secure during your yoga practice.
Lapis Lazuli: Lapis Lazuli helps with communication and self-expression. It’s excellent for throat chakra work and can enhance the ability to express oneself.
Carnelian: This vibrant stone is known for stimulating motivation and courage. It can energize the lower chakras and aid in building confidence in your practice.

How Can Crystals Help My Yoga Practice?

When you do yoga, you're not just stretching your body, you're also stretching your mind! Yoga helps us feel calm, balanced, and happy. But sometimes, we might need a little extra help to get in the right mood for our yoga practice. That's where crystals come in!

1. Crystals Can Set the Mood

Just looking at crystals can help you feel more calm and focused. Try setting a crystal by your yoga mat before you start your practice. Think of an intention, goal, or something you'd like to work on. Choose a crystal that calls to you. Maybe you think it's pretty or that makes you feel good when you look at it. This can help get you in the right mindset for your self-care time.

2. Crystals Can Help with Balance

Crystals can help balance your body's energy. Just like each yoga pose helps to balance your body, each crystal has its own special energy that can help balance your mind. For example, amethyst is a pretty purple crystal that can help you feel more peaceful and calm.

3. Crystals Can Boost Your Energy

Some crystals, like clear quartz or citrine (a sunny yellow crystal), are said to give you a boost of energy. If you're feeling a little tired before your yoga practice, try holding one of these crystals for a few minutes. You might just feel a little more pep in your step!

How Do I Use Crystals in My Yoga Practice?

It's easy to start using crystals in your yoga practice. Here are some steps you can try:

Choose Your Crystal: First, pick a crystal that you like. This can be any crystal that you think is pretty, or that you feel a connection with. Remember, it's not about picking the "right" crystal, it's about picking the one that feels right to you!
Set Your Crystal Near Your Mat: Before you start your yoga practice, set your crystal near your mat. This can help you focus and get in the right mindset for yoga.
Hold Your Crystal: Some people like to hold their crystals while they do certain yoga poses. This can help you feel more balanced and connected to the earth.
Meditate with Your Crystal: After your yoga practice, try sitting quietly with your crystal. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and focus on the feeling of the crystal in your hand.

Photo courtesy of Life Changing Energy certified healer Jude Weber

Cleansing Your Crystals

Cleansing and recharging your crystals is an essential part of using them in your yoga practice or in any spiritual or healing work. This is because crystals absorb, store, and emit energy, and over time, they can gather lower vibrational energies that you will want to clear. Here are a few simple methods:

1. Running Water: Running water can help cleanse your crystals. Hold them under the tap and allow cold water to run over them for a minute or two. This is a simple and quick way to clean your crystals, but it's important to note that not all crystals should be cleansed with water as they are sensitive to it (like Selenite and Malachite).

2. Moonlight: Recharge your crystals by placing them under moonlight, particularly during a full moon when the moon's energy is most potent. This method is safe for all crystals.

3. Sunlight: Some crystals can also be charged in the sunlight. However, be careful as some stones (like Amethyst and Rose Quartz) may fade with too much sun exposure.

4. Smoke Cleansing: Another method of cleansing your crystals is by using smoke from burning sage, a practice known as smudging. Light a sage bundle and pass your crystals through the smoke to cleanse the stored energies.

5. Sound: Sounds from singing bowls, tuning forks, or even a simple bell can also cleanse your crystals. The resonating frequency from these sources helps to realign the energy structure of your crystals.

Photo courtesy of Life Changing Energy certified healer Addie Gaines

Intention is key. As you cleanse your crystals, hold the intention that all negative energies are being washed away and the crystal is being cleansed and recharged. After cleansing your crystals, they are ready to be set with your intentions and used in your yoga practice!

Remember, there's no "right" way to use crystals in your yoga practice. It's all about what feels good to you. So why not give it a try? You might just find that crystals add a little extra sparkle to your yoga practice!

Let's keep stretching, breathing, and shining, young yogis!

If you'd like to find out more about crystal and chakra healing, check out our course HERE.