You may have heard about mindfulness and how learning to still your mind and live as much as possible in the present moment can help you to get more from each day and bring tranquillity, peace and joy into your life, as well as a real sense of wellbeing. You may have already tried to practise mindfulness, whether in formal meditation or simply by trying to be ‘present’ as you go about your everyday life, but perhaps have found, like many others before you, that this apparently simple concept can be surprisingly challenging. If you find it impossible to stay in the present moment and your head is full of ‘if onlys’ and ‘maybes’, you’ll always be somewhere else – perhaps worrying about the future or regretting the past. You may toss and turn at night, going over the events of the day, or wake up with thoughts racing. If any of this sounds familiar, then crystal mindfulness is just what you need. Crystals can help you to find physical, emotional, mental and spiritual calmness, simply letting the past and the future be. They anchor you in the present moment and help you to enjoy every minute of your life.
A softly attentive mind is an essential component of mindfulness. Compulsive obsessions and overthinking are common and breaking the cycle can be challenging. A state of what is known in Zen Buddhism as ‘no-mindness’, in which your mind is not fixed on any object, thought or emotion and so is open to everything, can be difficult to achieve without prolonged training. But mindfulness doesn’t mean having ‘no mind’. It is ‘awareness in the moment’ – a quiet mind rather than one that is full of background chatter. Lightly focusing your attention on a crystal or a ‘crystal reflection’ (see page 14) is an easy and effective way of instantly stilling your mind.
I sleep with an Auralite 23 under my pillow so that my chattering mind doesn’t kick in before I’ve opened my eyes. I cherish that moment of stillness when my brain wakes up clear and calm. That’s the moment of my greatest creativity. When ideas float in unannounced, I don’t judge them as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘stressful’ or ‘dynamic’, I simply observe them, flowing with awareness but no haste. It is a beautiful mindful moment that I enjoy daily.
Mindfulness is something that you are rather than something you strive to do. And your crystals can really help you as you try to be mindful in all things and live each moment in your daily life to the full before flowing on to the next. If we can live this way, unfettered by thoughts of the past or future, we begin to feel more peaceful and are more likely to notice those many small moments that bring joy: the fresh buds on a tree; a child’s smile; a phrase or sound that resonates with us. Mindfulness also brings increased creativity and more self-confidence, as increased awareness of the present moment replaces our autopilot. Ellen Langer, who has studied its impact on a range of fields from behavioural economics to psychology for over four decades said this about making decisions, ‘When you’re mindful, mistakes become friends.’1
Gently focusing on a beautiful, inspiring crystal, such as Spirit or Rose Quartz, gives the mind an opportunity to rest quietly in the moment.