I was very pleasantly surprised to receive Healing with Crystals and Gemstones by Daya Saria Chocron in my mailbox and eagerly looked forward to reading it. I had actually just been saying to myself that I wanted to learn more about using crystals for healing, so it was right on time.

I admit that at first it was a bit difficult to get into it because of its scholarly feel. However once I got over that, I began to actually appreciate the thoroughness of this book, which to me is what gives it this feel.

Daya starts with making sure her readers understand the underlying philosophies that form the framework of her work and teachings about crystals. One thing I really enjoyed was how, even in these early sections, she encased her words in how that particular thing related to healing uses of the crystals. This was nice to have from the very beginning, as it helped to keep me focused on relating all I was reading to healing pursuits.

Another aspect of the book I appreciate is how practical it stays. Even though she presents her information in a scholastic manner, the information she gives is extremely useful to everyday situations and concerns. She interlaces the book with meditations and even includes an entire chapter devoted to the specifics of healing methods using the stones.

In another chapter, she divides a number of stones into their color categories and gives immediately useful and empowering information on how and when to use each one. This ties in very well with the first few sections of the book in which she talks extensively about color therapy and the Chakras in relation to crystal healing.

This book has been an excellent addition to my library and I think for holistic practitioners especially, this book is a great find. I am a holistic esthetician and I feel very confident solely from reading this book, to begin working with crystals therapeutically in my skin care practice.

If you’re looking for a book to help you get started with crystal work and give you a solid background in the practice’s philosophy as well, I highly recommend Healing with Crystals and Gemstones. It serves as a great introductory hands-on course. Enjoy!