There is no right or wrong way to use a crystal, and different crystals can often be used for similar things. So when choosing a crystal, regardless of whether it is your first or you've collected hundreds, go with whichever one you instinctively and aesthetically are drawn too. You'll often find when you read about the crystal that it is just the one you need. (interestingly enough - if you find a crystal you absolutely can't stand the look of - it may be telling you that there is something here you need to look at and work on). 

When you receive your crystals - it is important to first cleanse them and then "program it" to work in a specific way for you. You can cleanse your crystals in many ways. Simply place it on a Selenite crystal, light a Palo Santo stick and let the smoke envelop it, or rinse it in water and put it in a cup of salt overnight.

When your crystal is cleansed, hold it in your hands and say out loud; "I remove all past programming from this crystal". Then next set your own intention by saying out loud; "with love and light I program this crystal to ..." - insert what it is you would like it to help you with. An example of an intention could be "remind me to take a breath and relax" or "help me achieve my goals of ..." or "help me sleep better". 

The more you touch and use your crystal, the more regularly you'll want to cleanse it. (without needing to program it). And as crystals hold energy, place them by a window or outside every so often to "re-charge" them. 

Scroll down and find your favourite crystal(s), then read what it can do for you! 

Clear Quartz; Clear Quartz is known as the "master healer" because of its ability to create balance and harmony within our whole body. Besides being absolutely beautiful to look at, it is also said to bring clarity and focus, and be a powerful stone for manifesting your goals and dreams. 

Amethyst;Amethyst is a natural stress reliever that can encourage calm, peace, inner strength, spiritual growth, trusting your intuition and creativity. It attracts positive energy while clearing out and protects agains any negative energy. 

Selenite;Selenite is the perfect crystal to cleanse ourselves, our environment and other crystals. It is said to quickly unblock and remove any negative or stagnant energy, and can evoke a calming energy to bring deep peace and mental clarity. 

Rose Quartz;Rose Quartz opens the heart to all types of love including self-love. It is said to help to heal all aspects of the heart, balance our emotions, and restore passion and self-esteem.

Black Tourmaline;A powerful crystal for protection and elimination of negative energy around you. It is said to help ground you, re-balance and unblock any stagnant energy within your own body, help to neutralise negative thoughts, and absorb harmful electromagnetic energy. 

Smokey Quartz;Smokey Quartz is a grounding, centring and stabilising stone that makes it ideal for meditation. It it also said to help overcome negative emotions such as stress, fear, jealousy and frustration. 

Blue Lace Agate;This calming blue colour emits soothing vibrations that bring peace of mind and relaxation. One of the best crystals for stress, anxiety and sleep.

Botswana Agate;These pink and grey agate crystals (Botswana Agate) are said to be healing and grounding stones. The beautiful colours and patterns are comforting and soothing, reminding us that we sometimes need to take a step back to regain our balance and release stress and negativity. It can also help connect us to the feminine energy - the loving, nurturing, relaxing and creative. 

Crystals hold energy, and so ensuring that the crystals you buy are ethically sourced (with fair working conditions for those mining the crystals), is so important. All the crystals here at YinMama are guaranteed to be 1st grade quality (the best) and ethically sourced. You can shop your favourite ones here.

Have a wonderful day, Love

In an increasingly hectic everyday life where most of the things we do are by habit and often subconscious, taking some time to create our own rituals can be a lovely way to slow down, tune-in and care for ourselves. 

A simple everyday thing we do like drinking a cup of coffee, doing some stretching, taking a bath or putting on a face-mask, can be something that we just do out of habit and because we like it, we know it helps our body and it can give us a nice glow... For some taking time for self-care may even feel a bit indulgent, superficial or selfish. But the moment we add intention to what we are doing and slow down enough to do it with presence, it can change not only how we feel within ourselves but it can also help us to be more mindful in our everyday life.

Rituals and ceremonies have been practiced for hundreds of years and although for some it is connected to religion, it is actually a natural and for some a spiritual practice. Making and drinking tea in Japan is a sacred tea ritual where a great deal of time, presence and love is poured into it. Self-care practices using clay masks, baths and beauty products have been important rituals for women through centuries as a way to celebrate the feminine energy, and to take time to be thankful for and give back to our body's that do so much for us. 

A ritual, however big or small, can be about simply taking some time for yourself to nourish, nurture, love and care for yourself.

Having been fascinated by rituals and read a lot about why they can be beneficial to our well-being, I have learnt that rituals can help us to connect inward and access, honour and strengthen our own confidence and identity. It can make something ordinary feel meaningful, creating a sense of purpose and belonging. It can help us tune in to our needs and keep us focused on our goals. It can allow time and space to do something meaningful and to practice gratitude. And it can be a much needed break from all the business of life and simply be with yourself. 

I personally created a morning routine a few years ago that has adapted and evolved, and now become a sacred time for myself. I create a ritual where I start by moving and stretching my body to connect inwards. Then I light some Palo Santo to cleanse my energy and use essential oils to centre and calm myself, helping me to tune in to myself with meditation. Crystals are known to hold energy and so I love to them in different ways to strengthen my intention. Throughout the day I keep them with me as reminders to take a breath, release stress and tension, or simply to have something to hold and rest my eyes on when I need a moment of calm. 

By taking this time to myself I notice how much more aware I am of my own energy throughout the day, making it easier to check in more often, connect with my breathing and not do too much (leaving more energised in the evening rather than depleted). I notice how by taking the time to be grateful for and enjoy even the most simple everyday things, it makes me enjoy them so much more and I feel it helps to increase my overall health and well-being. 

Everyone is different so your needs might naturally differ from mine, which is why creating rituals is very personal. A few ways to help them become a natural part of your life is to;

- Take something you do everyday and incorporate more presence and love into doing it.

- When creating a new ritual like incorporating meditation into your day, try doing it at the same time every day and in the same place.

- Involve your senses by adding smells such as essential oils, something to hold and touch to help you connect with your body, and sight - something to rest your eyes on to help you stay present.

- "Open and close" your ritual. If you want to journal, opening your ritual could be clearing your table and making some tea, preparing you for what you're about to do. Closing it could be putting it back in its place and being grateful for having spent that time journaling. I personally love to meditate and so I open my ritual by burning Palo Santo, and close it by thinking of all that I am grateful for and putting everything neatly away in its place. 

I believe in these moments so deeply that when deciding to launch an online shop, I wanted to include a ritual kit that would contain what I personally use and find to be so helpful in my rituals. The YinMama Calm & Care Ritual Kit is perfect for creating your own self-care and meditation ritual to help you take moments out of your busy day to calm and care for your mind and body. It contains;

A beautiful essential oil roller with lavender, ylang ylang, sandalwood and frankincense essential oils in a base of organic coconut oil, infused with rose quartz crystals. It smells heavenly and can instantly help us feel more calm and grounded, with clear mind and increased sense of wellbeing.

3 palo santo sticks to cleanse and bless your space and yourself.

6 ethically sourced crystals;
〰 Selenite
〰 raw Amethyst
〰 Rose Quartz
〰 Smokey Quartz
〰 Black Tourmaline
〰 Blue lace agate

It comes beautifully wrapped in a re-usable box, with a "how to" card and a white linen pouch for your crystals.

It will be available next week and I'm so excited to share it with you! 

Wishing you a wonderful day, love