Black obsidian healing can harmonize and tonify. It also proves useful for grounding and centering someone after experiencing shock. You might be surprised that just holding black obsidian can warm your hands! Keep reading to learn more.
Reading time: 4 Minutes
Background
Black obsidian has no crystal structure. When it is broken or chipped, even the chipped areas shine and have ripples like water.
The stone contains small amounts of water, gases, and other minerals, in addition to silica dioxide chemical composition. The water content helps black obsidian conduct qi, especially for emotional balancing. For example, the stone’s water content helps support intention and mindset.
Healing properties
Black obsidian’s main healing properties come from its affinity for the spleen, stomach, heart, and lung.
As you read, it harmonizes qi, which means that qi can move smoothly throughout your body, keeping you healthy and calm.
Black obsidian harmonizes Qi.
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You can also watch and listen to our video about the healing properties of black obsidian .
Functions and uses of black obsidian
Chinese medicine emphasizes healing from the inside out. Regardless of whether you suffer from emotional or physical problems, addictions, or more, healing your internal organs will cure the root of the problem.
Therefore, you will learn two things in this article: 1) which organ system problems the stone can help treat, and 2) how to apply it for the best effect. You can also read our articles on other healing gemstones.
Black obsidian healing accesses defensive or wei qi, as well as congenital or yuan qi for healing; removes excess heat. This characteristic helps treat:
- Acute childhood seizures
- Shock
Stimulates defensive qi and bladder points to promote the movement of congenital or jing essence throughout the body to enhance mental awareness. Effective at addressing:
- Depression because it “brings light where there is darkness”
- Low blood pressure
Regulates qi and blood to harmonize and tonify qi and blood. This healing trait of black obsidian eases:
- Pain and tension
- Adhesions, wounds, sores
- Digestive problems
- Rashes and other skin problems resulting from allergies
Relaxes the diaphragm, especially when constricted from anxiety. Also allows wei qi to flow to the four limbs of the body. Helps treat:
- Cold hands and feet, a common symptom of qi deficiency and yang deficiency body types
- Raynaud’s syndrome
- Restlessness
- Irritability, a common symptom of a hot constitution
Take the free My Body Type Quiz to discover your body type.
Enhances the body’s protective barrier. Effective for:
- Blocking external pathogens
- Protecting against electromagnetic radiation
Promotes emotional courage. Indicated for:
- Anxiety
- Lack of courage, more along the lines of “cold feet”
How to use black obsidian
Chinese medicine doctors use both topical (on the skin) and, very rarely, internal (drinking elixirs) methods of application for black obsidian. You will see below topical applications that are easy for you to do on your own.
Before getting into the topical healing applications, please note the following cautions.
Cautions
Do not place this stone on the stomach or the center of the chest if you have anxiety.
Black obsidian can cause a healing crisis, which means you may feel worse before you feel better.
Topical applications for black obsidian
Gaze on a black obsidian ball to find inner peace
Hold a black obsidian ball in your hands. The darkness of the stone helps you find inner peace, or inner light, and promotes communication between your heart and kidney.
Move warmth and heat
When held in or place on the hands and feet, obsidian draws heat from the center of the body to the extremities. Hold to warm the hands, for Raynaud’s syndrome.
When placed more in the center of the body, black obsidian is warming and draws warmth to the core.
Break up scar tissue
Black obsidian will also break up accumulations, so it is effective in breaking up scar tissue. Place on scar tissue as needed.
Energize your day
Rub on the body after a hot shower in the morning to help yang qi rise up to energize your day. Black obsidian will also help release an excess of yang qi and draw yang qi to areas that may need more.
Release repressed emotions with black obsidian healing
Place on the navel to release repressed emotions, to see your “shadow.” From here, you can move into a lighter emotional space.
Clear qi stagnation
Massaging with black obsidian will allow your qi to move freely through your body. It clears stagnation, much like clearing muck on the top of a pond or fallen trees that block a stream.
Clear excess and tonify by stroking with a black obsidan gua sha stone
Use to massage the Bladder Shu points your can reach, scraping upward laterally to the spine. (Bladder points 19-30). Make sure to apply a light sheen of oil or do over a shirt.
If done on the skin with oil, redness will demonstrate excess in the body. If there is no skin reaction, it indicates a deficiency of yang qi. This treatment helps when you have many different symptoms and problems.
Support the movement of qi in your body
Wear black obsidian at the center of your chest, CV-17 during qigong or taiji to support the movement of qi in your body.
Additional applications for black obsidian
Place in the north or northeast section of your home to “cultivate knowledge or wisdom.”
Cleansing and charging your stone
Clean in warm, running water for twenty minutes. Charge in the sunlight for one day.
Black Obsidian Healing References
Franks, L.J. (2016). Stone Medicine: A Chinese Medical Guide to Healing with Gems and Minderals
Smarter Healing for images used with permission
