Secrets of Mexico: How Opal Healing Properties Helped Me to Relax

The healing properties of opal came to my rescue during the pandemic, through the three extremely healing creative offerings of Jesus and Alejandra of Teokari Jewelers. Take a minute to watch healing and transformation through the properties of Mexican opals.

Opal Healing Properties and Ladders Expanded Me During COVID

I’ve never been very fond of ladders.
As a kid, they made me feel unsteady and unsafe. .
As a teen, I didn’t like having to count others holding the ladder for me.
And as an adult (during a self improvement seminar ropes course), I felt ashamed of how vulnerable I felt around letting people help me.  So instead, I stuck to other things … bypassing exciting adventures which would require me to climb up or down a ladder which required other people’s help. My healing with opal crystals was about to change all that.

What is the meaning of opal?

Opal meaning is amplification, hope, and purity. Opal is a gem formed from silica-rich waters. It takes its name from the Sanskrit word Upala which means precious and healing.

My first silver ring making workshop made me want to visit the mines.  Jesus said he would ask his friend. My inquiry planted a seed to return to San Miguel. The healing benefits of opal, silica rich water seeped into my soul, strengthened my desire to return.

Summer was over, our Therapeutic Singing Certifcation course successfully completed and I returned to Mexico to rest, rejuvenate and scout out experiences for next year’s Creative Art to Thrive Through Uncertainty retreat.

Maybe we go to the mines?  I hoped to be the first guinea pig, should the journey come to fruition.

They agreed and said “Yes!”

UP the mountain with NO paved road (but we had a baby and stroller :-)…

Alejandra, Jesus and their 10 month old baby Alia and me, left at the break of dawn for the few hour journey to the home of Ernesto, his brothers and his wife Virginia.

My heart beated anxiously as we hopped onto the back of an open pick-up truck and embarked upon the worlds bumpiest 25 minute journey straight up the mountain (with no paved road).

I took a few deep breaths and centered myself with the intention to emerge from this experience, triumphant. Being above the clouds at the top of the mountain took my breath away.

Ernesto led us deep into the belly of the earth, where opals are mined.

Descending into the belly of the earth

We arrived to a ricketly old ladder.  Ernesto descended quickly and effortlessly.  Was I about to be swallowed into the dark womb of mother earth? Terror struck within the belly of my soul.

 

I felt like Jonah, being swallowed by the whale.

I promised myself when I started the journey, that I would go with the flow. I could go down as slowly as possible, or reconnect, recenter  and rest on each rung… but I wasn’t allowed to quit and escape the powerful healing of opal experience, just because of my lack of confidence.

Comida casera was our reward!

Hand made stone ground corn gorditas and cocina casera.

• Sometimes the hardest part of any activity is overcoming the fear of trying something new. Not knowing what was going to happen, and fearing for my life (when it wasn’t life threatening – even though it FELT like it),  was holding me back from getting good at something that I enjoy, that’s inspiring to me.
• We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to start. It’s easy for me to psych myself up about all the things that could go wrong and talk myself out of even starting, instead of thinking about what feels good and ALLOWING myself to feel good.
• Be persistent, not consistent. I don’t need to get up every day and climb that mountain, and descend that rickety ladder (and climb it) to get better. I’m never going to be an opal miner. I don’t want to be. I just want to feel good inside myself.