“Allah created man from an extract of clay. Allah breathed into the body of man part of his spirit called ruh [soul]. Our bodies are full of energy. We only use three per cent of our potential and capabilities,” says Faten Saadallah, an Egyptian jewellery designer and crystal healer expert. Saadallah began her career in 2007 after following a quite different path in the Faculty of Law at Cairo University. “I am a craftsperson. I love handicrafts,” she says, smiling. Her story began when she travelled to America where she discovered crystal healing and other practices that have to do with healing such as reiki, bio-geometry, colour therapy, and enneagram. She had a passion to know more about crystal healing, so she went to London to study with well-known crystal healer Philip Permutt. “I put all these things together and made something new, something that had not been found before in Egypt and the Middle East,” Saadallah adds. Permutt is the author of The Crystal Healer, a book that has sold over 50,000 copies worldwide, and The Little Book of Crystal Tips and Cures. He says that he discovered crystals 15 years ago after a severe illness. Ever since, he has worked as a crystal healer and teacher. “Everything in the universe has its own energy and external halo. The halo of human beings is affected by the energy of other humans or surroundings,” Saadallah explains, summarising some of what she has learned. According to this type of therapy, everyone has seven main energy centres or chakras within his body in which energy flows in and out. We are born with all our chakras balanced, but they can become unbalanced later in life, causing various forms of malaise. “It depends mainly on the experiences we go through in life and the environment we live in,” Saadallah comments. As long as we are alive we encounter a wide range of energies, both positive and negative, every day. But “we need to know how to get rid of negative energies, which means being more aware of ourselves and our bodies. We should know which is the weakest chakra and how to protect it and which is the strongest chakra and how to use it,” she says. There is a difference between healing and curing. Curing is what the doctor tries to do through medication or surgery to remedy a disease. On the other hand, healing is a natural process and within the power of everyone. “It is a way of stimulating the divine energy you naturally have inside you to act in better way,” Saadallah says. “Crystal healing doesn't replace medication or medical advice. It goes side by side with medical treatment.” She continues, “At first, I give patients four sessions of crystal healing. After the four sessions, the seven chakras of the patient become balanced. I then give maintenance therapy once every month for the first two months, or more if there is something the patient cannot maintain alone. People differ from one another, however. Some people became balanced after just three sessions.” Says Saadallah, “Human being must develop their perceptions and be accepting and realistic. These are the three essential things for any healing to move on rapidly.” All the gemstones she uses for therapy need regular cleansing and recharging, except for the amethyst, which self-cleanses and never needs to be cleaned by a practitioner. “The seven stones I use recharge every month, either in the middle of the Al-Hijri month, when the moon is full at night, or at the beginning of the Al-Hijri month, in the morning,” Saadallah says. Crystal healing can be used on people of all ages and even on animals and children. “The stones are affordable and inexpensive. Everyone can buy them. But the healing gemstones must be very pure and undamaged,” Saadallah adds. Nazli Fahmi, 38, works in sales in Cairo and has had nine sessions of crystal healing. “I feel much better now. All those negative things I suffered from — I could get irritated, nervous, anxious and annoyed — have ended and are under control,” she says. Fahmi became interested in the field after it had an impact on her life, and she began to read books about the different types of gemstones and how they affect human energy. Her favourite stones are amethyst and citrine.
Knowing your chakras The crown chakra is located at the top of the head and is associated with spiritual energy, divine wisdom, enlightenment, connection to the universe, imagination, awareness and optimism. The colour linked to it is violet. If it is unbalanced it can affect mental, physical and spiritual health. Healing stones for this chakra are amethyst and clear quartz. The third-eye chakra is located on the forehead between the eyes. It is the eye of insight and is related to the ability to perceive clearly. It is connected to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively, and it tunes into psychic abilities. An unbalanced chakra may cause physical symptoms such as eye problems, ear problems, hearing difficulties and migraines. It is linked to the colour indigo, and the healing stones are lapis lazuli, sodalite and labradorite. The throat chakra is located in the throat area (the thyroid gland). It is associated with the colour sky-blue and communication and self-expression. Common physical symptoms of an unbalanced chakra are thyroid problems, shortness of breath, a sore throat and voice loss. Healing stones are moss agate, aquamarine and turquoise. The heart chakra is located in the centre of the chest. It is the centre of the spirit as well as the centre of all the other chakras. It is associated with love, self-acceptance, understanding, empathy and forgiveness. It is green in colour. The heart chakra should be worked on first if it is unbalanced. Balancing and opening it enhances love for self and others. It is associated with the heart, the circulatory system, lungs, chest, arms and hands. Healing stones are rose quartz, cherry quartz, ruby, garnet, jade hematite, amazonite, malachite and green aventurine. The solar plexus chakra is positioned above the abdomen under the rib cage, about an inch or two above the navel. It is yellow in colour. It focusses on feelings and emotions, the sense of power, ego, desire, joy, happiness and anger. The psychological symptoms of an unbalanced chakra are arrogance and selfishness. The physical symptoms are found in the spleen, colon, pancreas and stomach. Healing stones are citrine, amber and tiger's eye. The sacral chakra is located at the centre of the navel and is associated with the colour orange. It is mainly responsible for producing joy, ambition, love for yourself, a healthy sexual life and creativity. It is responsible for the power of human beings, including financial security and self-satisfaction. The psychological sign of an unbalanced chakra is a fear of the future. The physical symptoms are hormone disorders, gynecological problems in women, kidney stones, uterine or urinary problems, colon and liver diseases. Healing stones are moonstone, coral, moss agate, malachite and agate carnelian. The root chakra is situated at the base of the spine in the perineum. It is related to birth issues, grounding, realism and being down to earth, survival and generational patterns. This chakra is responsible for the blood, bones, muscles, skin, hair and nails. It is also responsible for self-confidence, being realistic, and groundedness. Some psychological symptoms of an unbalanced chakra include sad childhood memories, lack of joy in sexual relations and low self-confidence. Physical symptoms include a lack of energy and vigour, low blood pressure and laziness. Healing stones are red jasper, smoky quartz, tourmaline and black onyx.
