Why You Should Start Meditating Today
Meditation has roots in Hinduism and gradually became a prominent practice in Buddhism as well. However, in today's society, meditation has transcended religious context and is used in business and health contexts. Meditating is the act of using mindfulness to guide you in training your mind to focus and be more aware. Meditating helps people achieve mental clarity, emotional calmness, and a general sense of stability.
Why Should You Meditate?
Meditating has benefits beyond your mental state since a well-balanced mind is known to encourage and support a healthy emotional and physical state. Our being is not just a physical body or an emotional psyche; it is composed of these things and more. Aligning our body's energy centers, also known as chakras, is integral in creating balance in all aspects of our life. Healing crystals are a beneficial supplement to meditating and aligning our chakras.
When you feel centered and confident in yourself, it becomes easier to handle difficult situations. On the other hand, when we are feeling out of control or unbalanced, minor hiccups can seem insurmountable and increase our feelings of stress and anxiety. As a result, our overall health can decline. In addition, indicators of high-stress levels tend to be reflected in poor sleeping and eating habits, which negatively impact our physical health.
Immediate and long-term benefits of meditating:
- Decreased stress and anxiety
- Heightened ability to pay attention and concentrate
- Increased energy and productivity
- Improved memory
- Amplified patience, tolerance, and compassion
- Increased creativity
A study at UCLA discovered that those meditating for an average of 20 years have more well-preserved brains and higher grey matter volumes as they age, compared to those who do not meditate.
While a study at Yale University found mediating can decrease mind-wandering since the act of mediating revolves around focusing and centering the mind. Mind-wandering is associated with unhappiness, stressing out in regard to the past and future, and ruminating.
Current research shows that meditating can aid people in quitting smoking, even for those who do not have an express desire to quit. Meditating reduces stress and strengthens the self-control region of the brain; both of these factors can lead to recovery for many different types of addictions. Meditating with the assistance of healing crystals and focusing on the applicable chakras can be beneficial in the journey to an addiction-free lifestyle.
The Importance of the Seven Chakras
Chakra, the Sanskrit word meaning "wheel" or "disc," refers to energy centers throughout your body. Each chakra is connected to and associated with a bundle of nerves and bodily organs that affect our emotional and physical wellbeing.
An “open” chakra is a healthy, centered part of your body that allows energy to flow freely, producing good health. A "blocked" chakra is unbalanced with an obstructed energy flow, which manifests as mental, emotional, and physical ailments. Meditating and healing crystals are essential for balancing and unblocking chakras.
There are seven main chakras that cascade down our spinal column. Each chakra has a specific name, number, color, and associated healing crystals. The first chakra, root, is at the base of the spine and the seventh chakra, crown, is at the top of the spine.
The Seven Chakras
- Root
- Sacral
- Solar Plexus
- Heart
- Throat
- Third Eye
- Crown
1. Root Chakra:
The first chakra is associated with the color red and is located at the base of our spine; it is our foundation. It enables us to feel grounded, balanced, and stable. Signs of a blocked first chakra are sluggishness, lashing out, colon or bladder issues, inflammation, lower back problems, or issues with your left arm or leg.
The best healing crystals for a blocked root chakra are:
- Garnet
- Hematite
- Red Jasper
- Blood Stone
2. Sacral Chakra:
The orange chakra is located about two inches below the belly button in the lower abdomen. The sacral chakra is the sex chakra; it represents passion and leading a fulfilling life.
A blocked second chakra can lead to sexual issues of varying degrees, from a decreased sexual appetite to a sexual overdrive, both stemming from an imbalance. Talking to a therapist and releasing your emotions through laughing, crying, or screaming can be cathartic. In addition to therapy, meditation with healing crystals can help unblock the second chakra.
The most beneficial healing crystals for a blocked sacral chakra are:
- Tiger eye
- Moonstone
- Calcite
3. Solar Plexus Chakra:
The third chakra is all about our self-confidence and self-esteem. It is located in our upper abdomen, typically where we feel butterflies when we are unsure or nervous about a situation.
A blocked solar plexus chakra can physically manifest as digestive issues such as heartburn, ulcers, acid reflux, nausea, or lack of appetite. Mentally, a blocked third chakra can leave you feeling worthless, aimless, and unmotivated.
The color yellow is attributed to the solar plexus chakra due to its connection with the sun and fire. The healing crystals associated with the solar plexus chakra and that best aid in meditating reflect this yellow, fiery energy.
Healing crystals that help a blocked solar plexus chakra:
- Amber
- Citrine
- Yellow Jasper
4. Heart Chakra:
The green chakra is heavily associated with our emotional balance, desires, and ability to give and receive love and affection. A blocked heart chakra can present physically as restlessness that develops into insomnia.
A blocked heart chakra can cause a person to withdraw emotionally or appear as needing an uncomfortable amount of love and attention from other people. As a result, the ability to trust and forgive will be hindered.
The heart chakra is most associated with these healing crystals:
- Aventurine
- Emerald
- Rose Quartz
5. Throat Chakra:
The fifth chakra gets its name due to being located on the larynx on the base of the throat. Due to its location, it is the source of our ability to accurately express ourselves and communicate with others, and it develops between the ages of 29 and 35.
Communication is an integral part of interacting with others, making a balanced throat chakra incredibly important for our mental wellbeing. It affects relationships, how we view ourselves, and our ability to be true to who we are.
A blocked blue throat chakra can be treated by meditating, chanting, writing down our thoughts--especially the ones we do not feel comfortable saying out loud--and moving.
Healing crystals that aid in the treatment of a blocked throat chakra are:
- Aquamarine
- Amazonite
- Turquoise
6. Third Eye Chakra:
The most well-known chakra is in wisdom, intuition, clarity, and knowledge. The purple chakra is often connected with the feeling of a sixth sense since it is focused on looking inward.
A blocked sixth chakra can manifest as headaches, earaches, and vision troubles, as it is located on the forehead between our eyes. Mentally and emotionally, it can present as indecisiveness, high anxiety, or the inability to make progress.
Meditating is essential for any blocked chakra; however, it is incredibly beneficial in helping with the imbalance associated with the third eye chakra, especially when paired with healing crystals.
Best healing crystals for a blocked third eye chakra:
- Amethyst
- Labradorite
- Azurite
7. Crown Chakra:
The crown chakra, also known as Sahasrara, is located at the top of our spine and is our connection to higher consciousness, spirituality, and our life purpose. An open seventh chakra allows our body to fully connect with the universe. As a result, we are able to have a higher level of understanding and self-worth.
With a healthy and centered crown chakra, we develop true meaning in our life and understanding that we are a part of and connected to something bigger than ourselves. Achieving this level of self-awareness and life balance does not come without dedicated focus and effort through meditating.
Signs and symptoms of a blocked crown chakra are feeling disconnected from ourselves and those around us, depression, and either insomnia or hypersomnia. Meditating with proper healing crystals can create a renewed sense of connection to the celestial world and an increased ability to trust and see purpose in how everything around us is connected. Purple and white healing crystals are the best bet when it comes to opening your crown chakra.
These healing crystals help with a blocked crown chakra:
- Amethyst
- Clear Quartz
- Selenite
- Lepidolite
What are Healing Crystals?
Healing crystal practitioners are available to create personalized energy grids intended to balance out your energy field. If you would rather create your own healing crystal grid, you can do so by making a symmetrical shape. Or, you can purchase a grid board and display applicable healing crystals for the chakra you want to unblock while meditating.
The intention of healing crystals is to work with meditation to bring out the best version of yourself. Having a fully charged and clean healing crystal is necessary for its energy to align with your needs. Your healing crystal can pick up and absorb negative energy during its journey from the store to your home as well as with regular use.
Learning how to care for your healing crystals properly ensures the best outcome for your chakras.
The best ways to recharge your healing crystals for meditation:
- Saltwater
- Brown Rice
- Sunlight
- Sage
- Breathwork
- Visualization
Saltwater: For soft crystals such as amethyst and quartz, saltwater is fantastic for the cleansing process. If you live near the coast, fresh ocean water is ideal for soaking; if not, homemade saltwater will work as well. Soak crystals for a few hours or a few days.
Brown Rice: Much like how rice is used to absorb moisture from a phone that has been submerged in water, brown rice will work to absorb negative energy from healing crystals. This will work with any crystal buried in the rice for 24 hours. It's essential to discard the rice once you are done since the rice is now the carrier of the negative energy.
Sunlight: Allowing healing crystals to absorb natural light while being placed directly on the earth enables balance to be restored within the crystal. Placing the crystal outside at night and retrieving it in the morning exposes it to a complete cycle of moon and sun exposure. It is best to avoid this cleansing strategy on vibrant or soft stones.
Sage: Burning or smudging sage is a common practice in homes and businesses to release negative energy; in the same way, it can be used to cleanse healing crystals. The key to releasing the energy through sage is to do it outdoors or near a window, giving the negative energy a place to escape. This process takes approximately one minute per stone and can be used on any healing crystal.
Breathwork: For small stones, hold the healing crystal in your dominant hand and bring it close to your face. Exhale short, powerful breaths through your nose directly onto the healing crystal. The goal is to bring the stone to its highest vibration level. This process typically takes 30 seconds per stone. Be sure to focus and recite your intentions internally during this process.
Visualization: The act of meditating is intended to focus our mind, create clarity, and heal. Cleansing healing crystals through visualization can seem daunting and is typically reserved for more advanced practitioners. However, do not let that intimidate you from trying this technique.
Take time to center yourself and your intentions, then hold the stone and visualize a bright white light. Continue this until you can feel a shift in the energy of the stone. Spending a solid minute per healing crystal is ideal and is recommended for all healing crystals.
Meditating, Chakras, and Healing Crystals
Meditating, open chakras, and healing crystals are the trifecta for a happy, healthy, and well-balanced life. Discovering root causes for mental, emotional, or physical challenges in our life is freeing in the sense that we are then able to make corrections actively. On the journey to finding healing in one aspect of your life, you are setting yourself on a path to creating a life and world full of positive energy.