Yoga is a philosophy and lifestyle that is intended to unite the mind, body, and soul. It includes a combination of practices, including Dhyana (meditation), Pranayama (breath work), and Asana (postures).
Different crystals can be used to enhance and deepen yoga practice and intentions. In this article, we explore what yoga crystals are and how to utilize these crystals within your practice.
Yoga crystals are essentially crystals that offer metaphysical properties that are well-suited to specific practices within yoga. Crystals can be used to deepen meditation, increase focus for breathwork sessions, and deepen the effects of specific yoga poses that are intended to balance our chakras.
Crystals are not traditionally a necessity for yogic practice, but you can experiment with including them in some of the ways we discuss in this article or in your intuitive ways. Yoga crystals can be a really powerful added element.
Looking into yoga stones and crystals can encourage us to gain a deeper understanding of the practices within yoga and how we can be supported by crystal energy to balance our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional systems.
Basics: Why Do Yoga With Crystals?
The practices and knowledge system that is yoga are ancient and has been passed down from teachers to students over many years. Yoga’s origins trace back over 5,000 years with the first mention of the word yoga in the ancient Sanskrit text, the Rig Veda.
Crystals have also been utilized by ancient civilizations for many reasons, including adornment, protection, and emotional and energy healing. Some of the first mentions of the use of crystals are from ancient Sumerians, China, and India.
A variety of crystals hold a vibration that can support us in experiencing unity, peace, and health in mind, body, and spirit. The practices of yoga share these ideals and intent.
You can get creative with how you include yoga crystals. They can simply be placed in the space where you practice yoga, or you can consider making a crystal grid or crystal altar. Yoga crystals may be held during savasana, meditation, and breathwork.
7 Best Crystals for Yoga Based on Chakras
According to yogic philosophy, chakras are the energy channels, or centers, within our bodies that prana (life force energy) flows through. Specific yoga poses and yoga crystals can be used to unblock, energize, and balance our 7 main chakras.
The following crystals, in combination with the relevant yoga poses, can be used for further empowering and energizing your yoga sessions.
Red Jasper Crystals for Root Chakra Poses
Root Chakra is all about our connection to the earth, grounding, fearlessness, and nourishing energy that, when in balance, allows us to experience stability, security, and contentment.
Red Jasper can have a positive energy activation for the root chakra, as it is a stone of grounding, focus, courage, strength, and stability
A suggested yoga posture for the Root Chakra that will benefit from the use of Red Jasper during yoga with crystals is Balasana (child’s pose).
You can simply keep a piece of Red Jasper in the space near you or place it at the base of your spine as you practice this asana for an extended period.
Carnelian Crystals for Sacral Chakra Poses
The Sacral Chakra is our energy channel of self-expression, emotion, creativity, and sexuality. This chakra bridges the spirit to mind and matter. Sacral energy is also about sexuality and our expression and experience within relationships.
Carnelian Crystals offer a warming energy that is great for stimulating and balancing the Sacral Chakra. This yoga crystal inspires emotional and physical healing. It can vitalize the body, helping with issues such as infertility, sexual anxiety, and jealousy.
When practicing Utkata Konasana (Goddess pose), it is a perfect time to work with Carnelian crystal for exercise to activate and balance your Sacral Chakra.
During this asana, you can place a piece of Carnelian on your mat between your legs, in line with the middle of your body, or front of you. With intention, keep a piece of Carnelian anywhere in the space where you practice the yoga Goddess pose.
Citrine Crystals for Solar Plexus Chakra Poses
The Solar Plexus Chakra is the energy center of self-confidence, self-control, and self-esteem. It is from the chakra that we can develop an aligned self-identity and energized willpower to achieve our goals.
Citrine is a crystal that resonates with balanced Solar Plexus energy, joyous ownership, and the experience of life. It is a useful stone for helping us transmute negative self-talk, thoughts, and emotions into more positive energy.
An activating yoga pose that can be used with Citrine crystals for the Solar Plexus Chakra is Dhanurasana (bow pose)
Citrine crystal can be used when practicing bow pose by intentionally keeping this yoga stone in your space. You can also take a moment to hold a piece of Citrine with presence before and after the bow pose.
Rose Quartz Crystals for Heart Chakra Poses
The Heart Chakra is our channel of deep love for ourselves, all other beings, and the Earth. This is an energy center of forgiveness, compassion, and empathy. An open and balanced Heart Chakra will allow you to feel connected to and joyful about life.
Rose Quartz is the perfect stone for the Heart Chakra, as it lovingly guides us to healing Heart Chakra imbalance and activating the energy of calm, loving, and harmonious relationships with yourself, others, and life.
You can wear Rose Quartz crystal jewelry around your neck, at the level of the Heart Chakra area, when practicing the camel pose. You can also take some time before and after this posture to hold and meditate with a piece of Rose Quartz crystal.
Aquamarine Crystals for Throat Chakra Poses
The Throat Chakra is our energy center of clear communication. In balance, it allows us to communicate our truth in a healthy and aligned manner. This chakra is how we speak concepts and manifestations into existence using the powerful energy of speech.
Aquamarine crystals are also associated with the power of energetically aligned words and expressions that are heart led. It is a cleansing and soothing stone that can also help with the expression of emotions.
I speak with integrity, My voice is valuable, I express my truth
One of the most suitable yoga poses to utilize with this crystal for exercise is Bhujangasana (baby cobra pose).
You can wear an Aquamarine crystal necklace that sits near your Throat Chakra while practicing the baby cobra posture. You may also meditate with this yoga stone and crystal before and after practicing this posture.
Labradorite Crystals for Third Eye Chakra Poses
The Third Eye Chakra is a point where we experience spiritual and extra-sensory awareness. This energy center, in a balanced state, allows us to access imagination and subconscious and intuitive realms.
Labradorite is a useful crystal to bring balance to the Third Eye Chakra. Labradorite is a magical stone known to be protective and supportive when working with spiritual divination and unseen dimensions that are part of the experience of an opened Third Eye Chakra.
Garudasana (eagle pose) can be practiced with Labradorite as a yoga crystal. This pose focuses your energy on the Third Eye Chakra which, along with the use of a Labradorite stone, can bring your body’s energy into harmony.
You can hold a small piece of Labradorite between your palms when practicing the eagle pose or simply place some of these crystals around you.
Amethyst Crystals for Crown Chakra Poses
The Crown Chakra is our connection to comic spiritual energy. The understanding and experience that manifests when your Crown Chakra is opened and balanced are of higher perspective, deep meditation, peace, bliss, and unity.
The crystal that is associated with balanced Crown Chakra energy is Amethyst. This crystal can help to clear mental noise so that you can experience the nonlinear and almost inexplicable energy of spiritual connection.
Amethyst is one of the best crystals for meditation as part of your yoga practice. Padmasana (lotus pose), or seated meditation pose, is the perfect time to hold a piece or two of Amethyst crystals.
You can also place large or smaller Amethyst crystals all around your studio or yoga mat during the lotus pose and in general during your yoga and meditation sessions.
Conclusion
As we have explored, yoga with crystals can offer an added energetically aligning element to your yoga practice. Yoga is intended to be a holistic practice and lifestyle that considers our mental, physical, and spiritual synergy.
Yoga in the modern day has sometimes focused more dominantly on the physical or exercise aspect of yoga. In this situation, crystals can also be a great way to refocus our awareness between emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical balancing.
Here is a summary of that includes the yoga crystals that you can include within your practice during relevant asanas: