Crystal Muse Read online

  By the fifth day, I was over my frustration. Maybe I had surrendered to God. Or maybe it was the fact that I was trapped in this week of silence, in the middle of nowhere, with no way out, and I knew that I had to make the best of it. On that day, I closed my eyes and opened them 20 minutes later. This time, I said nothing. My teacher looked at me and said, “You’re there.”

  I have been a meditator ever since.

  WHY MEDITATE?

  ___________

  If you invest in meditation daily, it makes the journey of life easier. It’s a powerful tool that can help you handle life, instead of life handling you. In the silence of meditation, we can go into the deepest parts of ourselves and connect with something so powerful that it’s beyond words. It’s a place where we ask questions, knowing the answers will come to us at the perfect time. It’s a direct lifeline to the divine and the universe.

  Meditation can affect all aspects of your life, allowing you to reflect on how you are living in your world. If your negative thoughts control your mind, those thoughts also control your emotions. We radiate what’s inside of us, so those negative thoughts can affect your personality, and might even attract the wrong people to you. As your mind becomes clearer and more peaceful, you will radiate this same energy outward and be better able to attract more positive, uplifting people into your life.

  A daily practice of meditation will help you become less reactive. It’s empowering to take ownership of the words you say and the choices you make.

  We’ve heard lots of people say, “I can’t meditate because I’ll do it wrong.” But the only wrong way to meditate is to not do it. Of course, the most common excuse is, “I don’t have time.” There’s an old Zen saying: “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”

  Meditation actually gives you more time. It allows you to work smarter instead of harder. Once you stop pushing and trying to make things happen, you might find they suddenly just do—without all the stress.

  Shungite

  ___________

  WISDOM KEEPER:

  THE NEUTRALIZER

  COLOR: Black

  ORIGIN: Found only in the Karelia area in Russia

  HISTORY AND LORE: Touted as the miracle stone of the 21st century, Shungite has been around for an estimated two billion years. It wasn’t until the 1996 Nobel Prize–winning research that discovered antioxidant fullerenes within the stone, that people began to wake up to Shungite’s healing potential. In Russia, the only location where the stone is found, springs that pass over Shungite rocks were turned into natural spas in the time of Peter the Great. It was believed that Shungite purified the water long before we began using compressed charcoal or carbon blocks in water filters to do the same thing.

  HEALING PROPERTIES: Shungite absorbs and eliminates anything hazardous to your body. It is the go-to stone for electromagnetic frequency protection, purification, and detoxification of the body. It also provides a general sense of well-being. Prior to working with Shungite, it’s very important that you rinse it under water and place it outside in the Sun for two to four hours. This will clear and recharge its energy.

  THE MONKEY MIND RITUAL

  ___________

  TIME FRAME:

  11 minutes, as often as needed

  The “monkey mind” is a Buddhist metaphor that describes the natural, chaotic state of our untrained minds. The following ritual creates a visual representation of your mind to help you understand the difference between a calm mind and a chaotic one. When you’re learning to meditate, this visual helps you understand how easily the mind becomes distracted.

  WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  ___________

  1 small Mason jar filled with water

  1 spoonful of dirt

  RITUAL STEPS:

  ___________

  Observe the clarity of the water in the Mason jar. It’s clear and free, with nothing to muddy it.

  Add a small spoonful of dirt to the water. The dirt represents your thoughts, feelings, fears, and worries. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously. This represents how our thoughts and feelings are in a constant state of motion.

  Look at the water. Is it unclear, distorted, cloudy, and murky? Take a moment to reflect on how this jar is similar to the endless chatter and movement in your mind.

  Breathe. Watch the dirt slowly settle to the bottom. Breathe. Watch the dirt settle. Breathe. Watch the dirt settle. This is your focused point of attention—watching the dirt settle. Breathe. Watch the dirt settle.

  Every time your mind becomes hijacked by another thought, idea, or feeling, shake the Mason jar and start over. Go back to your point of attention, watching the dirt settle and breathing. If another thought, idea, or feeling comes into your mind, shake the Mason jar again.

  Continue this exercise for 11 minutes.

  Repeat steps 1 through 6 whenever you feel as if you’re in a state of chaos.

  MEDITATION VORTEX RITUAL

  ___________

  TIME FRAME:

  11 to 30 minutes first thing in the morning

  When you incorporate crystals into your meditation practice, you take it to the next level. Holding crystals in your hands and surrounding yourself with their energy deepens both your meditation and your connection with the Earth.

  Combining the energies of Shungite and Selenite with your daily meditation will create a harmonizing experience that’s both grounding and uplifting. As the Shungite works to detox your mind, body, and spirit, the Selenite will soothe and protect you, creating a perfect synergy.

  Selenite holds a yin energy of gentleness, softness, transformation, and femininity, while Shungite holds a yang energy of power, logic, control, knowledge, and masculinity. The duality of these energies forms a vortex around you as you meditate, bringing balance to your energy field.

  WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  ___________

  4 Shungite cubes to create a vortex of grounding and protective energy around you while you meditate

  2 Selenite crystals (a size that fits comfortably in your hands) to infuse your entire body with light energy

  A timer

  1 meditation pillow or chair

  1 sage stick

  1 feather

  1 abalone shell or fireproof container to catch ashes from the sage

  RITUAL STEPS:

  ___________

  Sage your environment, and cleanse your crystals.

  Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position on the floor with a meditation pillow or in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor.

  Hold the Shungite stones in your hands, close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Aloud or in your head, say the following: “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command these crystals to hold the intention of grounding my energy into the Earth. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  Put your Shungite crystals to the side, and hold the Selenite crystals in your hands. Close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Aloud or in your head, say the following: “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command these crystals to hold the intention of clearing my energy field and infusing my body, mind, and spirit with liquid light. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  Place 1 piece of Shungite directly in front of you and 1 behind you on the floor. Place another to the right and another to the left of you on the floor. This will create a diamond shape with the Shungite crystals as the points.

  Place a piece of Selenite in each hand.

  Set the timer for 11 minutes to 30 minutes—whatever time period feels most comfortable to you.

  Start to breathe in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth.

  Breathe out anything you no longer want to hold on to—fear, anger, stress, anxiety, and so on. Visualize the Sh
ungite absorbing all your unwanted energy.

  Imagine that you’re breathing in light. Visualize a ray of white light above your head, showering you with its beam. Visualize a column of white light coming out of the Selenite in each hand to protect each side of your body.

  Continue until the timer goes off. If other thoughts come into your mind, go back to breathing out unwanted energy and breathing in light.

  Once a week, cleanse your Shungite of all the unwanted energy it has absorbed during your meditation by running it under water and placing it in direct sunlight for 2 to 4 hours.

  Cleanse the Selenite every 2 weeks. For more information on how to cleanse your crystals.

  A MEDITATIVE PRAYER

  ___________

  Chaotic days were becoming the norm for my business partner and best friend, Timmi. On one of these typical days, the phone rang, and the day suddenly became even more chaotic. She heard the panicked voice of her husband: “I think I just blew out my Achilles tendon playing tennis. I need you to take me to the emergency room.” She quickly grabbed her kids and left the house, forgetting that she had lasagna baking in the oven.

  Several hours later, her phone rang again while she was in the waiting room of the hospital. This time it was her neighbor asking if she was home, because the smoke alarm had been going off continuously in her house. Her husband was being wheeled in for emergency surgery, but Timmi had to rush home to deal with the alarm.

  Opening the front door, she was greeted with black, billowing smoke from her now burned lasagna. She began frantically opening windows, and almost slipped on a pool of water on the floor. There was a leak coming from the laundry room!

  She stopped in her tracks and yelled at the top of her lungs, “God, what have I done to deserve this?!” Had God given her more than she could handle? The next night, her question was answered.

  Timmi and I were invited to a Catholic church to hear a woman named Immaculée Ilibagiza share her story of faith. During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, she had lost her entire family, except for one brother who was studying out of the country. For 91 days, she lived in hiding with seven other women in a bathroom no larger than 12 square feet. Her days were filled with the fear of being discovered. She remained in a state of constant prayer, reading the Bible and praying with her rosary from the moment she woke up until the moment she fell asleep at night.

  When she was finally able to escape, Immaculée encountered a man with a machete who threatened to kill her. She stared him down, and miraculously her energy caused him to spare her life. At another time, she came face-to-face with the man who had murdered her mother and brother. Rather than lash out or run in fear, she said, “I forgive you.” Immaculée credits her faith for her ability to handle these two situations with such strength and grace.

  Her tragic story touched the heart of every person in the church. Timmi looked at me with tears in her eyes and whispered, “I just realized that my faith isn’t as strong as I thought it was.” At that moment, Timmi knew in her heart that in order to get through the ups and downs of her own life, she needed a daily practice of prayer.

  PRAYER AND MIRACLES MEDITATION RITUAL

  TIME FRAME: 22 minutes daily

  You may be asking yourself: Are prayer and meditation the same? According to most major religions, the reason we’re here on Earth is to work toward the perfection of the soul. Thus the question becomes, how can we perfect our soul and understand life in the greatest way possible? For some, it isn’t about calming the mind, but being in a place of quiet contemplation with prayer. For others, it’s about the breath and letting thoughts fade away.

  For me, meditation and prayer are two different ways of attaining the same results—being centered, finding clarity, and having a deeper connection to a higher power.

  That said, many people use prayer as their preferred form of meditation. For some, it’s God’s prescription. Mindful meditation through prayer renders the best results when practiced on a daily basis for 40 days.

  As we’ve mentioned, it takes 40 days to change a habit and to retrain the mind and nervous system. The time you devote to your practice may be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or longer, but it should be for at least 40 days.

  The most important part of this ritual is consistency. If you can’t be consistent with yourself, how can you be consistent with anything else?

  WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  ___________

  2 Clear Quartz spheres to be held in your hands to help you focus more clearly and enter a deeper state of meditation

  1 meditation pillow or a comfortable chair

  1 picture that represents who you are praying or devoting the meditation to

  1 white candle as a symbolic way of letting spirit know you’re connecting

  1 Palo Santo wood stick to keep the energy grounded and clear while bringing blessings into your space

  A timer

  1 sage stick

  1 feather

  1 abalone shell or fireproof container to catch ashes from the sage

  RITUAL STEPS:

  ___________

  Sage your environment, and cleanse your crystals.

  Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position on the floor with a meditation pillow or in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

  Hold your Clear Quartz spheres in your hands, close your eyes, and take 3 deep breaths. Aloud or in your head, say the following: “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command these crystals to hold the intention that my prayers be answered and for miracles to come into my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  Put your Clear Quartz spheres to the side and light your white candle.

  Burn the Palo Santo, letting the scent fill the air. This infuses your space with blessings.

  With your chosen picture in front of you, deepen your meditation by dedicating your practice to that someone or something. (In this particular ritual, meditation and prayer are interchangeable.) This dedication can be said internally or stated aloud.

  Connect with your faith or spiritual practice by chanting or praying, or in some other way you prefer. Set the timer for 11 minutes.

  Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Begin your chanting, praying, or way of connecting with your faith. After the timer goes off, open your eyes and gently reacclimate to your surroundings. Then set the timer for 11 minutes again.

  Place a Clear Quartz sphere in each of your hands, and hold them throughout the remainder of the meditation. Having the crystals in your hands will bring you clarity. If you become distracted and your thoughts begin to wander, focus on the crystals. Feel their weight and energy, and use them as an anchor to shift your focus back to your meditation.

  Take 3 deep breaths in through your nose, exhaling through your mouth. This will set the stage for your meditation to begin.

  Practice deep, rhythmic breathing throughout the 11 minutes.

  When you’re finished, take a moment to give thanks for your practice. End your meditation by bowing down with your hands at your heart in prayer. Say “amen,” “thank you,” or “namaste” 3 times. By repeating any of these words 3 times, you solidify their energy.

  Now give thanks to yourself for taking the time to fill up your “spiritual gas tank.” By doing so, you’ll spread this energy of gratitude throughout your day, and it will affect everyone you meet.

  Repeat steps 1 through 13 as often as needed.

  COLOR ME PRETTY

  ___________

  Meditation can take many forms—prayer, walking in nature, or even washing the dishes. In fact, any activity can be a form of meditation if it is done with a conscious focus.

  Coloring can be an easy form of meditation. It allows you to connect with your inner child—the creative, open-minded, playful, and free-spirited part of you that often gets overlooked. Coloring also helps you organize you
r thoughts and focus on the task at hand, which encourages relaxation.

  The simple act of coloring forces you to focus on using your hands and eyes together, effectively eliminating the ability to multitask. After all, you can’t be typing on your computer or tablet while you’re coloring in patterns.

  Clear Quartz

  ___________

  WISDOM KEEPER:

  CRYSTAL CLEAR

  COLOR: Clear, colorless, transparent to translucent

  ORIGIN: Found worldwide but mostly in Brazil, India, and the U.S.

  HISTORY AND LORE: The Quartz family is full of high-frequency overachievers. Keeping up with the Quartzes can be like keeping up with the Joneses—it’s hard to match its universal power. One of the most iconic crystals, it’s also one of the most common. Clear Quartz, made up of silicon dioxide, can be found in every continent on Earth. Many of the ancient cultures from around the world have their own Clear Quartz myths. In the Middle Ages, Clear Quartz crystal balls were said to give clairvoyants amplified ability to predict the future. Native South American cultures believed the icy transparency of Clear Quartz crystals carved into skulls held the spirits of their ancestors. Ancient Japanese myths regarded Clear Quartz as a crystal of purification and endurance.

  HEALING PROPERTIES: Clear Quartz may be a rock star among crystals, but it’s no diva—it shares its spotlight. For those whose spirit needs illumination, clear quartz brings clarity to shadows within the mind. The reason there is so much lore surrounding it is because of how intensely it resonates with the body. A universal healer, it links to all chakras to provide balance and harmony. Its ability to be programmed for manifestation is unlike any other crystal. Clear Quartz is even used in electronics due to its ability to amplify and be programmed. If it works for your cell phone, imagine what it can do for your overall energy. By elevating thoughts and perspective, it will be able to manifest your intentions like never before.