Cleaning my crystals

A fellow energy healer recently inquired about my preference for clearing and energizing crystals. The following is a sum-up. I'd love to hear your favorite techniques...

As soon as I get them home I ALWAYS hold and handle them under running water before I do anything else. Always. It may just be related to the particular stones I am attracted to, but they seem to get a real kick out of it and it almost feels like a light switch effect for waking them up and connecting to them.

While I run them under the water, I usually feel compelled to run my fingers gently around, down, across or in whatever direction seems most loving. I think the combination of being under running water and being simultaneously rubbed clear of any physical dirt or other debris does wonders for lightening their energy. While I'm doing this, since the Reiki attunements, I also speak aloud the Reiki symbols several times.

That is probably enough to complete the cleansing, but for me, it is usually just the first step. After that, I will use either sea salt or sunlight for anywhere between a few hours or a few days to further cleanse any prior programming or particularly energetic debris.

If I do use the sea salt, I still let the crystals sit outside, usually overnight, before I program it. As for dedication-asking that the crystal be used only for good of all-I do that anytime between the running water and just prior to actual programming. I start with Dai Ko Myo for a general healing and then follow the intuitive guidance on adding Sei He Ki or the other two.

Most of the reading has suggested Sei He Ki as ideal for crystal clearing, so I almost always end up sending that energy to or through the crystal as well. Recently I purchased a fairly large rose quartz chunk. The energy was pretty powerful. On this one I actually embedded the Sei He Ki symbol into its center. Part of the motivation had to do with the power of the energy, and partly because I was so excited when I got it home, that I didn't want to wait a whole day to bring it inside from the sunlight. Mostly,though, I keep crystals outdoors in the path of direct sunlight at least 24 hours.