Lying flat on my back in the middle of an empty room with my eyes closed, I half-dreamed that I was in some primordial forest, tigers or maybe even dinosaurs just out of sight. I imagined I was on an empty beach watching cresting gray waves, gulls screaming overhead. I pictured myself floating in space, watching a galaxy spiral out ahead of me.
Then, the music in the background stopped. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and sat up.
I’d just had my first sound bath — or to be specific, an Alchemy Crystal Bowl Experience, part of the Four Seasons’ new Daily Discoveries program. The series encourages guests to dip their toes into unique wellness trends, from a Dead Sea Salt Scrub spa treatment at the Four Seasons Hotel Amman to meditation at the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery, near the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. My crystal sound bath was at the Four Seasons New York Downtown, just a few blocks from Refinery29’s office.
As I lay there, a sound healer played instruments, many of them made from crystals, to create a meditative soundscape. Proponents of sound baths say they promote relaxation, ease stress, and boost creativity — and can even kill cancer cells and heal chronic illness. Although there’s not much science to back up the last two claims, studies have indicated that patients who listen to certain types of sounds experience reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure, and increased “divergent thinking” (the ability to come up with multiple answers to a problem, a measure of creativity). These studies are limited and more research is needed, but hey, listening to music can’t hurt, can it?
Although I’d gone into the sound bath something of a skeptic, it turned out that I loved it — along with my vivid half-dreams, half-imaginings, I felt totally de-stressed as I rode the crowded J train back to my apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and that night, I slept like a baby. I felt like I’d had a massage or been to a spa — and all I’d done was lie there and listen.
After my sound bath, I decided to see if I’d notice the effects of any other crystal experiences. From a crystal water bottle to a magic spell, here’s what I tried.
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Glacce Rose Quartz Water Bottle
I usually have no problem staying hydrated during the day, but would adding a crystal to my work water bottle clear my skin and boost my traffic? From a few different options, I chose a rose quartz water bottle from Glacce.
Championed by Goop, Glacce water bottles are supposed to transfer the crystals’ energies to your body. In the case of rose quartz, those energies promote compassion, peace, love, and healing. While this water bottle didn’t make me more compassionate — yes, I asked my coworkers — I did get a ton of compliments on it, and gazing at the pretty pink stone was much more calming than looking at any old plastic water bottle.
Glacce Rose Quartz Bottle, $, available at Glacce
Amethyst Cluster
Besides looking really cool, amethyst is believed to purify the mind of negative thoughts, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote a good night’s sleep. It’s even recommended as a home remedy for insomnia.
I received a giant amethyst cluster from the Hoodwitch and placed it right next to my bed. Like the crystal water bottle, if it made a difference, I didn’t notice it. I generally fall asleep relatively quickly, but there’s usually a night or two a month when I’m tossing and turning for some reason, whether that’s stress or too much caffeine. The amethyst didn’t make those nights go away. However, it looked so gorgeous that I was glad to have it anyway, and I plan to keep it right where it is.
The Hoodwitch Unique large Amethyst Cluster, $, available at The Hoodwitch
Dick Crystals
While browsing at a local store, Cult Party, I saw some teeny-tiny, dick-shaped crystals. So of course I had to buy one. I emailed asking for advice on how, exactly, to use it, and got these instructions: Write the name of the person you want to have sex with on a scrap of paper, and put that paper under the crystal dick on the new moon. To get rid of an annoying ex, do the same on a full moon.
I don’t have anyone I need to banish right now, but I tried the new moon trick twice, with the name of a crush, and then the name of an ex from ages ago who’d recently reached out before abruptly disappearing again (a cut-and-dry example of paperclipping) — but no late-night “U up?” texts graced my phone. I guess if I want to seduce someone, I have to actually text them first.
Cult Party https://cultpartynyc.com/collections/witchcraft/product, $, available at Cult Party
Bed Of Roses Ritual
I received a copy of The Spells Deck by Cat Cabral, a selection of 74 rituals and remedies. I don’t consider myself a witch but I have a few friends who practice some form of Wicca, and I’ve joined them for rituals on occasion, when invited. So I decided to give one crystal-heavy ritual a try.
Called the Bed of Roses, it’s described as “a spell to mend a broken heart, release trauma, and reinvigorate the heart chakra.” (I might have been having some feelings about that paperclipping ex.) The spell was similar to a meditation: You lay on your bed and cover yourself in rose petals, with a rose quartz crystal over your heart, an amethyst on your forehead, and a carnelian on your solar plexus. As you breathe in, you visualize the petals healing your body, and as you breathe out, you imagine your tears being absorbed by the crystals.
I usually find it hard to stay in the moment during meditation, but having the physical crystals on my body helped me stay focused. And the rose petals felt very luxurious — especially because I timed this right after a shower, and before bed.
Chronicle Books The Spells Deck: 78 Charms, Remedies, and Rituals for the Modern Mystic, $, available at Amazon
Clear Quartz Cluster
At the recommendation of Krystal Smith, founder of Spirit Astro, I carried a small clear quartz cluster with me as I went about my day. Known as the “master healer,” this crystal purifies and cleanses your environment; Smith says that it’s “great for keeping next to your computer, work space, or the room you spend the most time in,” or carrying around in your purse, pocket, or even bra.
The cluster was the perfect size to fit in the palm of my hand, and I found myself playing with it throughout the day — like a fidget spinner or worry stone. I get antsy often, and it was helpful to have something to do with my hands besides biting my nails or tapping on my desk, though I did have a moment where I sat down and couldn’t figure out what was poking into my leg (it was the crystal in my pocket).
Spirit Astro Clear Quartz Cluster, $, available at Spirit Astro
House of Intuition TV Tutorial
Next, I checked out House of Intuition TV. Described as “Spiritual Netflix,” the streaming service offers tutorials on everything from chakras to tarot cards for $4.99/month (with some free videos, too). I browsed the crystal section and selecting a guided meditation video with rose quartz.
Like with the spell, I found that having something to physically touch helped me stay focused — and the visuals of the video made me feel like I was in a sunlit meadow instead of sitting on my bedroom floor. If nothing else, I learned that having a crystal to hold onto can help curb my fidgeting tendencies — and that they look really, really cool.
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