How to Choose and Use Healing Stones

When you first get a new healing stone you should clear any accumulated energy that it may have so that it is “clear” for you to use. A couple of ways to do this is to keep it in sea salt, smudge it with sage, or sometimes I just throw them in the bath tub while I’m taking a shower and let the water wash away the negative energy. Next, you need to program it so that the deva (essence) of the stone will work with you on any issues or problems you may have.

To program a particular healing stone, you need to first ask the stone if it will be a good healing stone for you and/or work with you. One way to do this is to hold the healing stone in your left hand, ask the stone, “Stone will you be a good healing stone for me”? (remember you have already intuitively picked the stone, and in most cases it picked you to, and is ready and willing to help). For me the stone “vibrates” in my hand, which tells me “yes”, yes I will work with you. For some people it may create a warming sensation in your hand. If the stone remains as still as a “stone”, that either means that it may have another use for you, as in some stones are for protection, or that it just is not the right healing stone for you at this time. Also if it creates a cooling sensation that would mean the same thing. For some people they need to use their right hand instead of their left. The left hand is your intuitive hand, and your right hand is your protective hand. If you are working with specific issues you can ask the healing stone more specifically what you wish it to do for you.

Now that you have your healing stone cleansed and programmed, how can you use it? I like to carry tumbled pieces in my pockets, I’ve even been known to put them in my bra (but you need to be careful they don’t fall out). I sleep with certain stones under my pillow to help heal and protect me in my nightly travels. Not all stones are good to sleep with as some cause some far out dreams. Some generally good stones to sleep with are Rose Quartz, Fluorite, Hematite, Smoky Quartz, and Amethyst. You can experiment and find out what works best for you. When my children were younger, I put a brown agate slice at the bottom of their bed, between the sheet and mattress, and what I found was that they had less nightmares and less disruptive nights. The agate I believe grounded them and protected them in their travels while sleeping and helped calm them while processing anything scary they might have encountered during the day at sleep time.

A basic way to start using them for healing yourself is to lie down somewhere quite, take 3 deep breaths, and hold clear quartz in both hands, place a clear quartz above your head and below your feet. Count your breaths, breath in 1, breath in 2, breath in 3 and so on up to 10, then start over at 1. This will help you to get rid of the chatter and miscellaneous thoughts that pop up in your head. Once you come to a place where you are more relaxed, you may have some thoughts or feelings come up to the surface that you need to release and let go, crying may be one emotion, let it surface, let it happen, and release it. This will help you to unblock issues and help to resolve old hurts. Or it just may end up being a session of deep relaxation from the day’s stress.

Healing stones absorb and balance the energy in your chakras. Working with healing stones may help you find the strength and courage to find the help you need for a physical or mental problem you may be experiencing. Sometimes you will loose them or they will break into pieces, all that means is that you are done with that particular stones healing properties, or it has absorbed too much negative energy. I do not believe that they can directly cure any diseases, but provide spiritual enlightenment to shine a light in the right direction, so that you may take steps towards a better you.

—Linda Foltyn, Author