Lifestyle

8 Ways To Use Healing Stones To Spark Major Changes in Life

Want to know more about crystals? Here's how to use healing stones, and which crystals to get first, according to an expert.

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<a href="http://www.stocksy.com" target="_blank">Stocksy</a>/Chelsea Victoria
Published Nov 4, 2018

Written by 

Jessica Estrada

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

Long gone are the days when crystals were reserved for just yogis and spiritual gurus. Now, even celebrities like Bella Hadid and Miranda Kerr are harnessing the power of the shimmering stones.

Experts in This Article

Heather Askinosie

co-founder of Energy Muse and author of Crystal Muse

And it’s very easy to see why everyone is currently crushing on crystals. Beyond being pretty to look at, they’re also said to help with better sleep, channeling chill vibes, and attracting abundance, among just a few healing properties (despite their efficacy still being up for debate).

So, how exactly do these sacred stones heal us? “To heal is to feel,” says Energy Muse co-founder and Crystal Museauthor, Heather Askinosie. “Crystals are not these magical stones that are going to change your life. Crystals are tools to help you go to those deeper layers within yourself, but you still have to do the work.”

“Crystals are not these magical stones that are going to change your life. Crystals are tools to help you go to those deeper layers within yourself, but you still have to do the work.” —Heather Askinosie, Energy Muse co-founder

Below, the expert shares five healing stones and eight different ways to use them in your life to usher in healing vibrations.

5 healing stones to add to your starter pack

In essence, all crystals are healing stones—and choosing the right one for you is actually a very intuitive process.

“We know what’s good for us,” Askinosie says. “Go to what you’re attracted to, and trust that whatever you picked is exactly where you are at that moment and what you need. You are not going to make the wrong move.”

Blue lace agate

This crystal, with its dreamy powder blue hue and soothing stripes, is a popular healing stone for squelching anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Just by looking at it, you can absorb its gentle, calming energy.

Shop now: Tumbled Blue Lace Agate, $10

Selenite

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“Selenite helps to clear your energy field,” Askinosie says. If you’ve been around a lot of people and feel like you’ve been absorbing their vibe, she suggests laying a piece of it on your chest for three to five minutes before you go to bed to cleanse your aura.

Shop now: Selenite Healing Crystal, $5

Pyrite

Looking to heal your finances? Pyrite is a good stone for manifesting money. Put in your purse so that every time you look inside, you’re reminded of all the abundance in your life.

Shop now: Natural Pyrite Cluster, $14

Shungite

Although it hasn’t been scientifically proven, the black, glossy shungite stone is said to help neutralize the electromagnetic frequency from electronic devices. Askinosie suggests situating it next to your computer or other electronic devices for protection.

Shop now: Unpolished Shungite Power Pyramid, $13

Black tourmaline

This crystal is also great for an extra layer of spiritual protection. You can carry it in your pocket, wear it, or put it outside your home for an energy shield around your space.

Shop now: Black Tourmaline Crystals, $8

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Photo:Stocksy/Catherine MacBride

8 ways to use healing stones

“There is no right or wrong way [to use crystals],” Askinosie says. Still, it’s important to make crystals a part of your daily routine to reap all the benefits.

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1. Program your crystal with an intention

The first things to do when you’re working with a crystal is to program it with an intention. “The crystal wants to work for you, but you have to tell it what to do,” Askinosie says. It will then serve as a daily reminder of that goal.

To program it, “hold the crystal in your hands, close your eyes, and take three deep breaths,” she says. Then aloud or in your head, say “I ask that the highest vibration of love and light connect with my highest self to clear all unwanted energy and any previous programming. I command this crystal to hold the intention of [insert your intention here].”

End by saying thank you three times to “emphasize that what you’re asking for already exists in the universe,” she says.

2. Wear your crystals

The more you touch your precious stones, the more you can tap into their energy, so wearing them is a smart stategy. And these days, crystals are in literally everything: jewelry, beauty products, clothing—you name it. But if all else fails, tucking one into your bra will always do the trick.

3. Toss them into your purse or pocket

If wearing crystals isn’t your thing, or maybe you just want to start small on your gemstone journey, put one in your pocket or purse. Use it as a touchstone throughout the day to help ground you.

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4. Meditate with them

To up your dose of spiritual energy, meditate while holding your crystals to connect with their metaphysical powers. “You are not praying to the crystals,” Askinosie says. “You’re holding them as a source for you to get connected within yourself.”

5. Create a crystal layout

To mentally and energetically kick off your day right, Askinosie recommends creating a crystal layout in the morning before you get out of bed.

Simply lay down and place a few crystals on your body (i.e., a piece of rose quartz on your heart chakra or an amethyst over your third eye) and just breathe and marinate in the high-vibe energy of the stones. “After even just five minutes of laying there, you will feel a shift,” Askinosie says.

6. Put them in your bath

Make your bath time feel über fancy by throwing some gems in the water. (Not all crystals are meant to be in water though, so be sure to double check first). Askinosie recommends shungite for detoxing and rose quartz for some nurturing self-love.

7. Sprinkle them throughout your space

Cleansing the energy of your home is as easy as sprinkling a few stones throughout your space. Not only do they elevate the vibe, but they make for beautiful decor in every room, too. Place a crystal on your desk to give you good vibes while you work. Use a big geode as the centerpiece on your coffee table. Or, go all out and create an altar with all your crystals, tarot cards, and palo santo. 

8. Do a ritual with them

For some deep healing, a crystal ritual might be in order. Askinosie says malachite is a hot stone for transformation. So if you’re ready to heal emotional wounds, forgive yourself or others, or let go of beliefs that are no longer serving you, stock up on the gorgeous green gem, and hold it over your heart for 11 minutes and just feel, she says.

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LifestyleMindfulness

What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? The Power of Narrative Therapy

Psychologists say reflecting on and writing down your life experiences has unexpected mental health benefits

An older woman and younger women are seen running on a beach.
Stocksy / BONNINSTUDIO
Published Feb 20, 2025

Written by 

Hannah Yasharoff

What would you tell your younger self? And how would you reflect on your life so far?

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There's a new TikTok trend, inspired by a poem by writer Jennae Cecelia, where creators imagine they just got coffee with their younger selves. Each "version" takes turns expressing how they feel at their point in life. The younger version leaves the coffee date feeling the support and love they perhaps didn't have earlier, and the older version comes away with more clarity on how much they’ve grown, persevered, and learned.

"[My younger self] said she always felt like she made the wrong decision," wrote creator @hello.kelsie in a TikTok video that has amassed nearly two million views. "I told her I [now] never second-guessed myself." 

Even Barbara Corcoran got in on the TikTok trend, looking back on how she went from “scared” waitress to fearless real estate mogul. 

It may feel like a silly premise, but the trend actually mirrors a rising therapeutic technique: narrative therapy, which involves lots of self-reflection and putting on your creative writing cap.

The concept? Physically writing down your experiences or sharing stories of what happened in your life can help you break out of negative thought patterns, stereotypes, and other societal messaging. 

"The stories we tell ourselves can become self-fulfilling prophecies," therapist Jordan Madison, LCMFT, tells Well+Good. Narrative therapy is all about looking at the big picture from an outsider's perspective, which can help keep you from internalizing problems or focusing only on the negative. If you understand the story of your own life, you can better figure out how to rewrite the next chapter to your liking. 

Author your life story

There's some research to back up the benefits of narrative therapy. One study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology explored how a person's storytelling skills are related to their sense of meaning in life. Through a series of surveys, researchers found that across the board, test subjects who were dubbed better storytellers (by themselves, strangers, and those close to them) also had a stronger sense of purpose, meaning, and growth. 

Christine Pride, a longtime memoir publisher and author of the upcoming novel All the Men I’ve Loved Again, understands the power of someone writing down their story—both for the author and the readers. Pride jokes that she sometimes feels like a writer's therapist as they're working on a memoir together. And though being an author isn't quite the same as booking an appointment with a licensed professional, the steps of journaling for your mental health and writing a memoir for public consumption might be more similar than you'd think.

"There's a lot of personal writing that can be really helpful and therapeutic," Pride says, citing things like morning pages or writing letters you never intend to send in order to help yourself make sense of what you experienced. 

In narrative therapy, it's also helpful to get everything off your chest via journaling before pulling back to notice which storylines keep popping up. After that, there's something to be said for pretending to be an outside observer, reading someone else's story. What unhelpful thought patterns do you keep seeing?

"Reframing and noticing patterns are huge tools in boosting your mental health," Madison says. “When you realize patterns you’re participating in, and that you have the power to change them, it helps you to feel less stuck and work on small habits and changes in thoughts and behaviors to do things differently." 

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How to try narrative therapy techniques for yourself

So you're intrigued by the concept of narrative therapy—what's next? Book that coffee date, buy your younger self that Frappuccino they love, and get reflecting. (And, of course, you can also book an appointment with a licensed mental health professional who can help you work through your thoughts.) If you're flying solo, try these expert-approved tips to get started:

Ask yourself the right questions
When journaling, it may help to have specific prompts to guide you. Madison recommends implementing the following questions as you reflect: 

  • What is the narrative I have about this situation? 
  • How does this story affect my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors? 
  • Who are the characters in this story, and what are the roles they play? 
  • When was the first time I created this story, and what situation made it develop? 
  • What events or experiences contributed to this narrative? 
  • Have there been times when this story wasn't true? 
  • What is a more empowering narrative I can begin to tell myself instead?

Write like nobody will read it 
While editing memoirs, Pride sometimes notices writers holding back the real emotional crux of their story because they're worried about how those close to them might react. Whether you're writing for yourself or an audience, you won't find the true meaning of your story until you're 100% honest with yourself. 

"You can't write your story honestly if you're censoring yourself along the way based on fearing what your mom or cousin is going to say about it," she says. 

(However, if you're actually publishing your life story, those close to you are going to have opinions, which you may need to mentally prepare for.) 

Don't expect to fix everything right away
Writing the story of your life will take some time. Pride says that not only is that OK, but it's actually beneficial. More time means you might better understand the full arc of your story. 

"You have to have distance," Pride says. "I tell people they can't really be objective without some distance, and sometimes that distance equates to time."

When you hug your younger self goodbye at the end of your coffee date, promise to keep in touch—the more you two get to know each other, the better you'll feel in the long run. 

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Food

Food Trends Come and Go, But Kombucha Is Forever—Here’s Why, According to an RD

Here's what an RD has to say about the kombucha trend, why it's held such staying power, and what to look for when you're stocking up.

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Photo: W+G Creative
Published Feb 3, 2025

In Partnership With 

GT's Living Foods

Written by 

Well+Good Editors

There was the low-fat craze of the 1990s and 2000s. The ‘10s rolled in with celery juice, Impossible burgers, and truffle oil on everything—followed by whipped coffee, feta pasta, and the gazillion other viral #foodtok moments of the current decade. Try to keep up with the latest food trends, and you’re in for a quite a ride.

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There’s nothing wrong with opting into the (literal) flavor of the month—but when it comes to nutrition, it’s worth paying special attention to the foods and drinks that have lasted longer than a season. For registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, kombucha is high on that list of long-standing staples.

According to Google Trends, the kombucha trend entered the wellness mainstream around 2017—but Manaker notes that its history stretches back thousands of years, originating as a traditional fermented drink in East Asia. “What has given kombucha such remarkable staying power, compared to other fleeting food and beverage trends, lies in its unique combination of health benefits, historical significance, and overall appeal,” she says.

Back to the ’90s for a minute: That sacred, historical significance of kombucha is what inspired a California teenager named GT Dave to eschew the food trends of the day in favor of a—at the time—less popular way of supporting his and his family’s health. In 1995, Dave was gifted an heirloom Himalayan SCOBY (or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, the living culture used to ferment kombucha). He was intrigued by the healing effects he’d seen firsthand when his mother was sick, so he began crafting his own homemade kombucha. His at-home hobby turned into SYNERGY, The Real Kombucha, and a suite of other probiotic-rich, living foods.

This year, GT’s Living Foods celebrates 30 years of crafting kombucha the real way: traditionally fermented with heirloom cultures for billions of living probiotics. While other health trends have come and gone, it’s clear Dave was ahead of the curve all those years ago.

Here’s what Manaker has to say about why the kombucha trend is so much more than just a passing fad, the health benefits of the drink, and why it’s worthy of a forever spot in your daily wellness routine.

The health benefits of kombucha

The secret to foods that outlast all the fads? They strike the balance of nutritious, tasty, and generally low-effort. Done, done, and done: According to Manaker, the health benefits of kombucha are wide-ranging—and its delicious, tangy taste is the cherry (or guava, or pomelo, or strawberry) on top.

First and foremost, studies suggest that drinking kombucha may help boost your gut health, which has a major effect on your overall well-being. “Kombucha is a source of probiotics, which are beneficial microorganisms that support gut health by balancing the gut microbiome,” Manaker says. “A healthy gut microbiome is linked to improved digestion, immune health, and nutrient absorption.”

Some kombucha contains polyphenols and bioactive compounds, which Manaker says may help manage inflammation in the body, as well as antioxidants, which help combat oxidative stress by neutralizing harmful free radicals. “Data highlights that the consumption of antioxidant-rich beverages like kombucha can support overall cellular health and potentially reduce the risk of chronic diseases,” she says.

To reap its full benefits, Manaker recommends sipping kombucha daily. “Consistent consumption helps colonize the gut with the beneficial probiotics found in this fermented beverage, supporting a balanced and healthy microbiome over time,” she says—with the caveat that not all kombucha is created equal. Choose one that contains live probiotics and diverse strains (like SYNERGY, The Real Kombucha), she says, because these ingredients contribute more actively to gut health.

Why the kombucha trend has such staying power

From Manaker’s POV, the “kombucha trend” has withstood decades (correction, centuries) of changing food-and-beverage tides because it’s equal parts nutritious and delicious. “A growing awareness of gut health and its importance to overall well-being has kept kombucha in the spotlight,” she says. “Its natural probiotics and enzymes support a balanced microbiome, which in turn promotes digestion, immunity, and even potentially mental health.”

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And beyond its health benefits? “Kombucha’s distinct, tangy, and slightly effervescent flavor profile has helped it gain a loyal following as a delicious and refreshing alternative to sugary sodas or artificial drinks,” Manaker says.

What to look for in a quality kombucha

“When choosing a kombucha brand, it’s essential to prioritize quality, ingredients, and sourcing,” Manaker says. She looks for options that are raw, organic, unpasteurized (to help preserve the live probiotics and enzymes, she says), and grown by the traditional fermentation process. “Transparency about the ingredients and brewing process is another key factor,” she adds. “Opt for brands that list exactly what they use without hidden sugars or synthetic flavorings.”

GT’s SYNERGY checks every one of her kombucha boxes. She loves the small-batch brewing and weeks-long fermentation process, which separates GT’s from most other kombuchas on the market *and* boosts its nutritional value. “It’s clear [GT’s Living Foods] never cuts corners—each bottle is raw, unpasteurized, and free from artificial flavors, which only enhances the natural and refreshing experience. And since it is made with real tea, it naturally contains antioxidants to support my brain health.”

Manaker’s go-to for a little well-being boost is Pomelo Pink Lemonade, but you can’t go wrong with any of SYNERGY’s 23 fizzy flavors. Try them all and find your favorite—and then make kombucha a forever thing in your life.

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