love to use crystals and stones for meditation and for daily life. I am often found wearing different crystals on different days. When I was young, I was pulled to black onyx, hematite, sapphire, and any green stone from jade to emerald to aventurine. For that time in my life, this stone choice was absolutely fitting for the life events I was going through, from grief and sadness to pain and injuries that prevented me from fulfilling my life dreams.
My insights into the use of crystals and stones in yoga and meditation are based on personal experiences
and may not be universally applicable. There was little understanding of stones, what they did, and how they could be used back then. So, I practiced using the knowledge I had to begin building the foundation for the vast knowledge base of crystals and their use that I have today. I have shared my personal experiences and insights here, and I hope they can be helpful to you in your journey with crystals, gems, stones, and yoga.
Today, my stone choices change based on the season and how I feel when getting ready for the day. Depending on how the day has unfolded, I will also change them throughout the day. I love working with crystals and stones for the delicious reminders they provide. The ancient yoga masters also used crystals for various reasons and recommended using them as personal reminders for practice and taking good care of them.
Care of the stones:
You can wash most crystals, gems, and stones in a saltwater mixture to cleanse and purify them. Some crystals, like selenite, you'll want to set out in the moonlight for re-charging instead. Selenite dissolves in water, so we don't want to put that in a saltwater mixture.
Tip: All our bracelets currently sold at CPY can be soaked in saltwater.
The process of caring for crystals, gems, and stones:
I have a glass bowl I only use for cleansing purposes (you don't want to eat out of a bowl you use for cleansing). I fill it with a mixture of water and Himalayan rock salt. I place it in the sun for about 30-40 minutes. Then, I begin to add gemstones, bracelets, necklaces, and rocks one at a time. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes. Place them on a white towel in the sun to dry. To give them an extra boost, I usually do this routine on the day of the full moon, and I can leave my gemstones out all day, absorbing sunlight, sunset light, and moonlight. I often leave them out all night, absorbing the power of the night, and then let the power of sunrise invoke them to awaken. I like the feeling of the morning dew on them and wiping that off; it feels like a ritual of new beginnings. I find it very calming and uplifting.
After I dry them, I place them in their rightful spot in my home. It is a fun experience and always makes me appreciate the beauty of the crystals and stones even more. They are like friends when I wear or see them, giving me little daily reminders. And l love that feeling. :)
Use our quick reference guide about the stones we currently have at CPY and how they relate to yoga practice.
Mexican Onyx - The Fearless Stone
Color: Bright white with thin black lines that look like lines on a globe.
Its solid core bestows its wearer with stamina and strength. It has the remarkable ability to repel negative mindsets, guiding one through difficult situations towards a powerful experience of perseverance and determination, much like the transformative power of yoga breathing.
Perseverance and determination naturally lead to an uplifted mindset free from fears and worries. Through perseverance and determination, one also experiences the benefits of yoga. This stone also helps magnify the power of yoga meditation and its benefits.
Agate: Stone of Strength
Other meanings: protection and prosperity
Color: There are many variations. The ones at CPY are currently tan, pale turquoise, and dark grey; some have lovely copper-colored striations.
Agate, the Stone of Strength, embodies protection and prosperity. Its calming influence creates a strong, serene space for the wearer to navigate life's challenges. This sense of calmness also brings a feeling of protection, allowing prosperity to flow freely.
Pearl: Liquid Moon Pearl
Color: Iridescent white that has beautiful imperfections that remind the wearer that imperfections are perfect.
Its association with the moon and water elements allows its wearer to tune into all their emotions and navigate them like swimming through moonlit waters. Even though things may look dark in the distance, the pearl brightens the dark, removing obstacles and giving the wearer a feeling of freedom, joy, and floating.
Hmm, that sounds like the perfect savasana stone. :)
Labradorite: The Firestone
Color: There are many color variations. The ones at CPY are pale, smoky grey with tiny specks of blue shimmering through.
The guardian of ancestors and their knowledge, this stone allows the wearer to tap into the mysteries of the past, unravel them, and find the strength and wisdom to utilize ancient knowledge in today's world. It's an excellent stone for a yoga practitioner to wear while studying ancient yoga texts.
Quartz crystal: The Prana Rising Stone
Color: Clear crystal with cloud-like white formations. Each stone is different; some cloud formations are large and puffy, and some are like rocket clouds, and you have to look closely to see them.
In yoga, when one seeks upliftment, one has to go through various cleansing practices, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual, before one can experience an uplift from prana. The energy of this stone is similar. It takes emotions with a lower vibe and uplifts them into a high-vibing experience. This stone also has the power to cleanse rooms, other stones, and energy vibes that may vibe lower.
The yoga masters train that negative or downward-moving energy isn't bad; it's simply energy. It can be transformed. This crystal has similar benefits to the work one does in yoga. It shifts energy; it doesn't try to get rid of it.
And that is a powerful shift in perspective.
Selenite - The Yoga Stone
Color: Silky white with shimmering white striations. It looks like the full moon in a stone.
This magnificent iridescent stone can take anything negative, low, sad, angry, and complex, absorb it, transform it, and then reflect back a good vibration of peace, calmness, and joy. This is why we call it the yoga stone at CPY. The work of yoga does that, too. During the day, you take in all sorts of information, ideas, sights, and feelings. Instead of dissecting them into positive or negative experiences, we learn to take them as a whole of living life and work through them. Then, when we are done working through them, we end up with a calmer, more vibrant life experience.
The selenite stone helps tremendously with this process, being a huge reminder that we don't have to repel life, experiences, or energy, but we can go through it. The best way out of something is going through it. Like yoga practice, the best way to exit a yoga pose is to move through it.
Rose Quartz - The Compassion Stone
Color: Soft pink with cloudy white striations.
I love the work of compassion because it also reflects strength. To hold the space of compassion in yoga, one must process and reflect on the experience using the lenses of understanding and love.
It is also known as the relationship stone because it helps us navigate the challenges of relationships and reminds us to see others through the eyes of understanding, love, and strength.
Genuine compassion isn't falling into someone's sadness or emotions and agreeing with them but being calm and strong enough to help them overcome it. This stone helps one develop the energy needed to get up and move when life is challenging.
Oh! It's the crystal that reminds you to get up and go to yoga class! :)
Smoky Quartz: Abundantly Grounded Stone
Color: Smoky and transparent grey. Sometimes, they look like clear back stones. At CPY, we have both variations, and they are so beautifully different.
Like an asana, this stone places you upon the earth with great steadiness and power. It's a hugely powerful stone that can absorb negativity and give back steadiness and calmness. (YAY! Another stone reminding us what yoga does for us!) I love to remind students that you have to have strength before you open up and stretch, and this stone gives the wearer the strength to open up, stretch, and glide through life's situations with ease and support.
Green aventurine: The Confidence Stone
Color: Milky jade-like green.
The meaning of the word aventure - is to experience something by chance. We need confidence to work through risks, what-ifs, and anything that happens by chance. I love this stone because it's a reminder that life is unexpected, and in that unexpectedness is a beauty that radiates. A reminder that life is fun, adventurous, and prosperous. One can gain excellent clarity when the confidence is calm and genuine.
Yoga also gives us the power to be open to the unexpected and non-reactive, just moving through it.
This stone reminds you that you can attain a calm confidence that allows you to seize the doors of chance, aka doors of opportunity, and walk through them.
This stone beholds another great lesson we often teach at CPY: if you are still looking for a door of opportunity, build your own. This stone gives you the confidence and strength to build your own doorway of opportunity.
Rhodochrosite - Unconditional Love Rocks
Color: Pale magenta colored with smoky white clouds (often confused with rose quartz)
Yoga allows us to merge into a judgment-free zone; this crystal reminds us of that sacred space. This space will enable us to experience compassion for ourselves and others. The most underrated power is the power of deep, pure, unconditional love. Yoga gives us that power, and this stone accentuates it.
When we are judgment-free, we are fearless. This is also the stone of great courage and strength. It takes courage to be yourself and to fearlessly experience life through your own lens.
Hematite - The Magnet of The Earth
Color: Deep dark grey and silver.
This stone connects us to the earth like a magnet grabbing your legs and placing you on the earth, similar to how a standing asana presses your feet to the ground. It creates a surreal feeling of grounding and upliftment, causing the stone walls around your heart (and others) to fall open. It is a beautiful, selfless stone of support.
Pyrite - The Stone Of Enthusiasm
Color: Gold! Many thought this stone was pure gold. Its essence and energy values are similar to those of gold.
We could rename this stone the stone of CPY because of its deep relationship with happiness, enthusiasm, and joy. It also happens to represent wealth, not just material wealth. A wealth of health, good food, expanded lung capacity, friendships, and uplifting energy, prana! :)
If you want to complete a project and create many doors of opportunity, this stone will ensure you do so and prosper, too!
Obsidian and Black Onyx - The Decision Stone(s)
Color: Black. Learn More about the colors below.
I place these two stones together because they are similar, and most retailers mix them up anyway. The difference between them is that onyx cannot be shiny; it is a matte stone. And obsidian gleams and shines. Since so many retailers sell obsidian as onyx, I will place them under one umbrella because they hold very similar properties, and most people are wearing obsidian while looking up onyx and vice versa. LOL
If you feel like you are between a rock and a hard place, this stone is for you. This is the stone of clarity, decisiveness, and being able to see both sides of the coin and make a sound rational choice. Much like what yoga does to the mind and reactions! This stone quells emotional reactions to the world (pratyhara) and allows one space to think with a clear head and good conscience.
But wait, there is more!! I love this magical part of the stone —If a being in your life is causing you to feel uneasy, this stone will help soak up their uneasy vibes and offer you a storage house of massive protection.
Orthocerus: The Transformation Fossil
Color: Black with white fossils.
This is not a stone or crystal. It is a fossil; it's over 450 million years old!! It contains the fossils of ancient marine life (nautiloid cephalopods of the Paleozoic era - to be exact). Suppose you want to undergo a significant transformation, like how yoga transforms your life. In that case, this fossil will support your transition, giving you support, balance, and knowledge from the ancient masters. This beautiful rock fossil has intricate fossils that resemble etchings reminiscent of ancient writings. I love to use this stone to tap into the power and understanding of the world through the eyes of the ancient masters. This allows one to cut through the trends of today's era and get to the nitty-gritty of what creates a truly powerful transformation. According to the ancient yoga masters, the most long-lasting transformations come from a steady, well-balanced, determined state of being.
We hope you enjoyed our journey through "Crystals, gems, and stones—oh my"!
This is a living page updated frequently. Save this page to learn more about the vibes of stones, crystals, and gems and how they relate to you, life, and yoga!
With love and peace, C&T
