to rage or to sage? Only in LA is wellness while in transit a viable topic. Navigating the 405 or the PCH is no small feat. Saturday Night Live’s portrayal of freeway-fixated Californians is farer closer to reality than we’d like to admit. To throw fuel to the fire on those LA cliches, we’re sharing these tips from resident crystal healer Heather Askinose of Energy Muse. Hit the car wash, light that sage and try these crystals for the car…

Before we can talk about which are the best crystals for the car, we have to talk about the energy that you’ve already cultivated in your ride. Where I live in LA especially, your car becomes a second home. You spend a lot of time in it driving from place to place, or stuck in traffic. These moments are often a time of reflection. It’s when you think about your day, have revelations about your life, and come up with new ideas. Your car can be a wonderfully sacred space, but if you’re not cleansing it, your car can collect negative energy, too.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how getting cut off in traffic, or getting into an argument with your favorite backseat driver can bring about negative energy. So instead of allowing your car to collect the energy of clutter and road rage, ride in the cleansed and uplifted energy of crystals!

Step 1: Clean Your Car

This step is crucial. Like I said, when you have wrappers on your floors and a veritable closet piling up in your backseat, throwing crystals in your car isn’t going to do much to create the vibe you want. So first things first, you’ve got to clean. Don’t worry, the next steps are more fun.

Step 2: Cleanse the Energy of Your Space

For this step, you’re either going to need a stick of sage, or to download some healing chants to play in the car. Of course, I do both. Saging your car is the best way to cleanse its energy. Fair warning, people will think you’re crazy. Personally, I could care less. So if you can get past that, you’ll need a stick of sage, a lighter, and fireproof container. Make sure to open all the windows and doors of your car first. Then light your sage stick, wait for the fire to burn out into a simmer, and set it into your fireproof container. Aloud or in your head, say: I ask that the plant-medicine spirit of the sage guide me in purifying and cleansing my space. Waft the sage smoke into all the areas of your car, careful not to miss overlooked spots like underneath seats, the dashboard, and the trunk.

If you don’t have sage, you can also play healing chants like OM, The Divine Sound from Master Choa Kok Sui. This is also helpful when you need to cool your emotions in traffic.

Step 3: Bring in the Crystals

After cleansing your stones in the smoke of sage, you’ll need to set an intention with them. For each stone you bring in your car, hold it in your hands, and state aloud or in your head: I ask that the highest vibrations of [name of crystal] protect, calm and guide my journeys. The top four crystals I never drive without, are:

Black tourmaline — Black tourmaline is a protection stone. It’s all about absorbing your negative energy. It creates a sort of protective shield by radiating back out a positive, stabilizing energy. In my car, I keep black tourmaline in the trunk and underneath my seat so that I’m protected at both ends.

Carnelian — A lot of people don’t realize this, but carnelian is another great crystal for protection. That’s why I hang a piece of carnelian of every doorknob in my house. I have a carnelian stone in my car to protect against theft. And since it’s one of the best stones for creativity, it doesn’t hurt those stuck-in-traffic ruminations either.

Selenite — To bring light and joy to my journeys, I keep a piece of selenite under my driver’s seat. It helps me to feel shielded, and stay positive even on long roadtrips.

Shungite — We bring our phones with us into the car, which means we’re bringing their EMFs along too. To minimize the effect, set a shungite by your phone. It helps to absorb the EMFs, and adds a grounding effect to your space.

There you have it! If you want to ride around in style surrounded by calming, protective and uplifting energy, implementing these three tips will help you to transform your space.