Ahh, November. The time of year when gratitude abounds, along with pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. We spend our time focusing on what we’re thankful for and basking in the warmth of all the wonderful things we have in our lives, from our relationships to our fave fall sweaters.
We know there are so many spiritual benefits of gratitude, and our lives tend to become fuller and more fulfilling around this time of year when the focus is on being grateful for what we have rather than being worried about what we don’t.
At Smudge, our question is this: why not connect gratitude and spirituality year-round and reap those benefits from January through December?
Having a spiritual attitude of gratitude and building a solid gratitude practice integrated into your spiritual wellness keeps us basking in the warmth of Thanksgiving all year round, and as we know, the more we’re grateful for, the more things to be grateful for we attract.
Four Gratitude Practice Ideas Using Crystals
Morning Crystal Meditation
Morning is a perfect time to practice gratitude! Beginning your day with a meditation focused on what you’re thankful for can carry those good vibes into the rest of your activities and keep you in a positive mindset long after coffee.
Perfect crystals to add to your morning meditation practice:
- Amethyst
- Zircon
- Hiddenite (Hiddenite can be especially helpful if you’re having a hard time identifying things to be grateful for)
When you settle in for your AM meditation, place your crystal of choice in the palm of your right hand and rest it facing upward on your right thigh or knee. As you practice, allow your thoughts to drift to one or two things you have deep gratitude for.
Your crystal will amplify the energy you’re sending out into the universe. Truly feel your gratitude for one thing before allowing your thoughts to melt into the next.
Daily Crystal Check-ins
One of the best ways to incorporate crystals and gratitude into your spiritual practice is to set yourself up to check in throughout the day in order to keep your thankful thoughts flowing.
Perfect crystals for checking in with:
- Malachite
- Blue apatite
- Citrine
Set a few alarms on your phone throughout the day, even just a simple morning, afternoon, and evening check-in will have a powerful impact.
Carry your crystal of choice with you in a pocket or purse, and when your alarm reminds you, take your crystal into your hand and give yourself the gift of a “pause” to focus on something you’re grateful for.
If you’re having a hard time getting in the groove, focus on small things! We get it, and we’re here to tell you it’s okay to be grateful for your favorite coffee mug, or that you found matching socks while getting dressed this morning.
Gratitude Crystal Grid
Crystal grids are all the rage, and there’s a good reason why! This powerful network of crystals amplifies the intentions you set when you build it and surrounds you with the energies and properties of each crystal you place in your grid.
Perfect crystals to place in your grid for gratitude:
- Kyanite
- Emerald
- Aquamarine
Arrange your stones in a geometric shape that feels energetically pleasing to you.
It’s common to have a center stone, surrounding stones, and amplification stones, but most importantly? Your crystal grid should come from your intuition and your “spiritual attitude of gratitude,” so build from your heart and infuse intentions of gratitude as you do.
Lastly, activate your grid using another stone, a wand, a pendulum, or your bare hands to extend your energy into your grid.
Crystal Baths
The beautiful thing about adding crystal bathing into your spiritual practice is that you may already be a bath-lover, in which case, all you have to do is add some crystals and some gratitude!
Perfect crystals for crystal bathing:
- Rose Quartz
- Tiger’s Eye
- Clear Quartz
Water amplifies a crystal’s energetic properties and the intentions you set around it, creating a powerful surge when used in combination with your spiritual gratitude practice.
Run your bath as usual and introduce your crystals of choice into the water as you get into the tub.
Once settled, take a few deep breaths to ground and center yourself before bringing to mind two or three things you’re thankful for. Focus on finding the feelings of gratitude deep in your heart, allowing them to wash over you as you’re surrounded with the warmth of a thankful soul and the energy of the crystals.
(As a rule of thumb, any crystal with a Mohs hardness scale rating of five or below shouldn’t get wet, due to the risk of cracking, dissolving, or leaving toxins in the water. Check that the stones you’re wanting to use for your crystal bathing are okay to get wet first by heading over to this article.)
Each of these ideas for adding gratitude into your spiritual practice using crystals comes with its own set of benefits.
One of the goals when adding to your spiritual practice is to make sure what you’re adding compliments your life and your practice, rather than adding stress to them! Choose the idea above that feels easiest for you to fit into your existing practice.
If you already meditate every morning, choose to add a gratitude crystal and a few moments of thankfulness into your meditation.
If you’re a regular bathing beauty, pick up a few water-safe crystals and take some quiet moments in the tub to practice your gratitude.
Don’t forget to share which crystals you’re trying out and which gratitude practice you’re loving with us at @SmudgeWellness! We love the power of gratitude and can’t wait to see how you bring it on board year-round!
