BY ASHLEY NEQUEST
As time has gone on the world has seen a shift from holistic medicine to what is now referred to as mainstream medicine, though some people are trying to take us back.
“We’re like a stream,” said Christine Ball, an employee at The Rock Spa located at 396 Victoria St. in Kitchener. “Both our spiritual and physical selves need to flow freely. When we get all dammed up we have issues. That is what we do here, we help people flow freely.”
The Rock Spa is a stunning place, with a public showroom filled wall to wall with crystals. According to Ball, crystals have been used for thousands of years in ancient healing rituals.
Crystals can be used in a variety of ways – for some people having them in a bag on their bodies is enough, while others prefer more direct contact.
“Crystals have been part of my life for 30 years,” said 52-year-old Jenny Delaunt, who works in sales. “I have quite a collection now. I went through a dark time in my 20s and this was a way out for me. The energy the stones give off has always soothed me, so I always have them with me now.”
Delaunt carries a variety of stones with her throughout her day, a little baggie of mixed stones in the pocket of her smock at work, turquoise on her watch and an always changing pair of earrings that have some spiritual meaning.
‘’I wouldn’t call myself an expert,” said Delaunt. “I just know that when I am really struggling I feel better with these in my hands. They are always in my pocket, so if I have a particularly difficult client I can just reach in my pocket and feed off the positive energy from a crystal. Plus, they’re pretty. What other type of ‘medicine’ can you use to decorate?”
The fact that crystals are a “pretty” way of healing is something that is a relatively common statement. As customers pick up stones, turning them over in their hands, they once again comment on how pretty they are, esthetics usually being the main reason they reach for the stone they take home with them.
“That’s just as valid as using them for a healing purpose,” said Ball. “When you feel good your brain sends out good chemicals to your body. So when you look at something and you enjoy it, because it’s pretty, that’s also healing.”
According to Ball, crystals are a way of channelling energy. They are used in forms of spiritual therapy, such as reiki, as a means of focusing universal energy to deal with spiritual and physical ailments. The idea is that the universe is full of a variety of energies, so using crystals in day-to-day life can help pull those energies closer to you.
There are thousands of books about crystals and crystal healing, many with different ideas of what energies the stones are geared toward channeling. Many times the differences in the text is indicative of different experiences, but this type of healing is all about what feels right to the person involved.
“When I am doing some of my spiritual healing I often ask the person to walk around the store and pick up a stone that speaks to them. They bring that in and we use it as a grounding tool,” said Ball.
The advice Ball gave was quite simply to do what feels right. If you have decided to begin looking into options such as crystal healing, do what feels right to you. Pick up a stone, walk around with it and make sure it helps you feel good. There are “prescribed” uses for the crystals, but the most important part about it is how it makes you, specifically, feel.
Crystals can be used to help with a variety of issues, though Ball is careful to emphasize that it is not an alternative healing method, it is a supplementary healing method.
“People have walked in looking for a solution, they need help now,” said Ball. “We are here to help, we want to, but it needs to be safe. Sometimes the best way we can help is telling the person to see their doctor, then come back to us. They need to make sure they are safe, and we can help along with their physician.”
Both Delaunt and Ball spend their days encouraging others to give holistic healing a try.
As Ball said “the only time crystals hurt is when you throw them at someone.”
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