Although genuine gemstones are our bread and butter, the concept of crystals is one that fascinates us – which is why we were hugely excited to have a visit from crystal healer, writer and teacher Lauren d’Silva.
Lauren has been working with crystals for more than two decades, and is a friend of one of our presenters (and newly qualified crystal healer) Lynn Jinks. With the launch of Lynn’s new wellness collection, Sundar, coming up shortly, it was a privilege to speak to a long-time professional like Lauren to discover more about the work she does in the world of crystals.
So, read on for part one of our chat with Lauren about her work with crystals, which ones she would recommend to us and why more and more people are turning to them.
Hi Lauren, it’s so nice to meet you! First of all, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do as a crystal healer?
“I’m Lauren d’Silva, I’m a crystal therapist based in mid Wales, and I've been working with crystals for well over 20 years now. 25 years ago, I had a crystal healing that changed my life and opened my mind to the power of crystals, and it was so powerful that I went on to train as a crystal therapist myself.
“I started out as a secondary school teacher, and that stood me in good stead because people also want to learn about crystal therapy from me. So, I set up my own crystal therapy school and I also work online with people. I'm trained to diploma level, the highest accredited level recognized in the UK, but over those two decades I've gone beyond that and developed more techniques for myself as well.
“Now I work to enhance people's enjoyment of their crystals, and I train people everywhere from beginners to professional crystal therapists. I train all the way up to diploma level, and continue professional development for people that are already trained crystal therapists – because there's so much to crystal healing.
“I really love crystal therapy; it's something that's held my attention over the years because there's so much to it. I'm still learning about the crystals, though – there are so many crystals and new ones are appearing on the market all the time. It's really held a fascination for me, and I love to tell people about crystal therapy.
“You can carry on learning about crystals for a whole lifetime and you still won't know everything there is to know about them, and that's one of the joys of crystals for me.”
So, have you always been interested in crystals? How did you get into it initially?
“Although I've always appreciated how beautiful crystals are, I didn't understand how they could be healing for anyone until 25 years ago, when I was invited to be a case study for a lady training as a crystal therapist.
“I really was quite sceptical about it, but I thought ‘okay, give it a go, nothing to lose really’. So, I lay on her treatment couch and that first session absolutely blew my mind. I could feel energy moving around my body – at one point she was at my head, and I could feel the energy at my feet. I opened my eyes to have a look because I thought she might be touching me, but she wasn't, and during that session I had quite a big emotional release.
“Because I was a schoolteacher at that point, I kept my emotions really in check – then I found I was crying, and I thought ‘where's this coming from?’. Then I had the realisation; I was about six months pregnant with my second child, and I realised I was crying because I had been expected to go back to full-time teaching after he was born, and it became clear that I didn't want to. So, it was life changing for me because that realisation came out of nowhere.
“But once I recognised it, it was my truth. I went home and told my then husband ‘I'm going back part-time after this baby’, and that's what I did. So, I had more time with my baby (which was lovely), and it really fuelled my appetite for crystals because they had been therapeutic in a way nothing else had. After my baby was born, I did a night school course in crystal therapy and that was it – I was hooked. It's become my career from that first treatment, and it’s amazing.”
That’s such a beautiful story, Lauren! So, based on that, can you tell us a little bit about what crystal healing actually is?
“Crystal healing is a wide subject! To give you the bare bones of it, it’s a holistic therapy – though, as a crystal healer, I am looking at you as a whole person. I'm looking to treat the mind, body and spirit, and it's also seen as a complimentary therapy. Crystal healing doesn't replace conventional medicine, and it can work alongside medical treatment.
“Crystals hold specific vibrational energies, and when I pick the crystals up and place them on my clients I'm aiming to bring harmony to the body. I'm looking to bring balance, and I'm looking to clear the client's congested energies.
“If you go for crystal healing, the crystals will work through your clothing, so you don't need to get undressed. You might need to remove bulky jumpers perhaps, and you will usually lie on the treatment couch. Crystal healing is generally found to be relaxing, and the crystal therapist will place the crystals either on the body or sometimes around the body as well.”
It certainly does sound relaxing! So, what do you feel are the main benefits of crystal therapy?
“The benefits of crystal healing are so wide and varied, it's hard to sum them up! The main benefits tend to be stress relief; almost everybody that has a crystal healing talks about how relaxed and chilled out they feel afterwards. Often, my clients will get up from the couch and say it feels like a burden has lifted from them, which is lovely. But the benefits can go much deeper than that.
“Over the years, I've worked with clients who have turned their lives around; they've found new confidence and focus, they've discovered their own gifts and talents, and they've also sort of recovered from past traumas that were holding them back so they can move forward with their lives. I'm really proud that I can help people to do that with the crystals.
“A lot of people who have a crystal healing fall in love with crystals, which isn't surprising given how beautiful they are. It can create a new passion and hobby for people, and I've seen people go from healings with me to train as therapists and sell crystals, making their own careers around them.
“Some people also ask me whether crystals can have physical benefits for their wellbeing, and I would say yes, absolutely, because crystals work holistically. Because your mind, body and spirit are interwoven within the effect of stress relief, the effect of releasing congested energy can have some physical benefits.
“Lots of people suffer from stress-related ailments, such as a sensitive digestive system or a skin condition that gets worse with stress. So, if we're using crystals to find a place of calm and release some of that anxiety, the physical body can respond and heal.
“It's about allowing your own healing mechanism to kick in; if we give you the right conditions to heal, often you will get corresponding feelings of wellbeing in your physical body.”
That's so interesting to hear! It’s clear that so many people are now wanting to buy, use and understand crystals. Why do you think that is?
“I think there's a huge awakening going on in the world right now, and people are looking for alternative ways of staying healthy, feeling more confident and feeling calmer. Crystals, for many of us, fulfil that brief and people are turning to them in their droves.
“There's a real surge of interest in buying crystals, wearing crystals and learning to use them in healing. I think we've all been through quite a tough time in the last few years, and crystals give us a huge amount of comfort and enjoyment. They're just beautiful things to own, and when you realise that they've also got therapeutic benefits and have this positive impact, it's no wonder so many people are turning to them.”
These are such excellent points, and they must also apply to celebrities as well. Lots of celebrities are now using crystals – why do you think that is?
“Lots of celebrities are now turning to crystals, and I think the reason for that is they live such fast-paced lifestyles in the public eye. We all live more pressurised lifestyles these days, especially celebrities, and you must remember that just because they look glossy and have a lot of followers, they're not superhuman; they're still people with emotions and feelings like the rest of us, and I think that crystals give them a level of stability, confidence and focus, particularly when performing.
“It's been reported in the press that Adele is a huge fan of crystals, and even has one clutched in her hand when she takes to the stage. According to her, the one time she went on stage without her crystal it was the worst performance – in her opinion, of course. I think it's really telling that it gives someone who is so good at her job that extra bit of confidence, because anyone can get stage fright however talented they are.
“Also, crystals are beautiful, and of course celebrities wear crystal jewellery to make them ready for the red carpet. Plus, celebrities talking about crystals and their benefits are opening up the minds of their fans, because they've got such a huge influence. So, if they're prepared to say ‘crystals help me’, it’s really waking a lot of people up now.”
For those that haven't ever used or experienced crystal therapy before, is there a good starter kit of crystals to use to begin with?
“If you are new to crystals and wanting to build a collection, I would say build it mindfully and go with the crystals that are really calling to you.
“For example, if you are watching Gemporia and the jewellery and there's something that really stands out to you, that might be a good healing crystal for you. Yes, it's beautiful, but it may have healing properties for you as well – so it's a good place to start to be guided by your intuition.
“There are also some common crystals that everybody loves, like Amethyst, Rose Quartz and Moonstone; I would say they belong in anyone's toolkit, because they are so versatile and universally comforting and enjoyed. Also, if you are looking to build an array of crystals, you could look at the colours of the rainbow. Colour is one of the ways that crystals work, so you could think about having crystals that are red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet – and I would advise adding a pink and clear one to that.
“It's also recommended to choose something that's going to be grounding for you, which is your earth connection. You'll want a darker-coloured crystal to help keep you well-grounded because starting off with crystals can leave you a bit floaty and lightheaded sometimes. So, it's good to have a grounding crystal to bring you back to the present moment at the end.”
It's fascinating to learn what crystals are important for us – but there’s just so many to pick from! How do we choose which crystals to buy?
“When buying crystals, it's always good to go with your intuition, and one of the ways you can fine tune the crystals you want to help you is by setting an intention. Maybe you want a crystal to give you confidence on your wedding day or help you at a job interview - if you set that intention, the crystals that call to you are much more likely to be the ones that can help you with that life event.
“So, get clear about what you would like that crystal to help you with. There are also books you can look at; I've got my own book, Crystals. There are other great books and websites that you can turn to, but I think it's something that comes from you, and you should go towards the crystals that are saying ‘buy me, I want to help you’.
“There have been a few times where I've gone to a shop or seen something on the internet and thought ‘wow, I really want that crystal’ and then thought ‘well, I've got another priority for that money’ or whatever – and that crystal's almost haunted me afterwards. It would be in my mind for weeks afterwards, and I'd think ‘I wish I’d bought it; I know it really wanted to work with me’. So, if you can afford it, I would say if that crystal's calling to you, it's a great one to have in your collection.”
Clearly, Lauren’s knowledge of crystals and their properties has had huge benefits on her clients. In part two of our chat with Lauren, she talks about the best ways to care for your crystals once you have them, plus where to place them around your house. She also discusses how we can use crystals to help us as well as other people, and gives advice for those who may still be sceptical on whether they work or not.
READ PART TWO
