Just a couple questions...

[€]

I haven't ever been attuned, a friend once tried to open my chakras, but I don't think he did anything, I didn't feel any different.  

- Does this mean I can't channel energy?  

- Can I tune myself?

When I try to create a ball of energy with my hands, I can feel a little tingling, but I'm not sure if I'm actually doing anything.  I practiced it for a couple months,  but it didn't seem to improve.

Does anyone here use crystals?  I had a friend who used crystals, and he said he could feel the energy whenever he was near one, even the tiny pieces of quartz people's watches.  I have lots of quartz and amethyst crystals, but I can never feel anything in any of them.  

- Can anyone tell me a good way to use crystals, and what I need to do to be able to feel energy?

[CaCoDeMoN]

Why do you need some kind of attunement at all?
About chakras: the best way of opening them is energywork, you don't need the help of other persons to open them. For the beginners the best system of energy work is Robert Bruce's New Energy Ways.

[Wizard of Light]

Hi there!  

Anyone can channel energy so don't discount yourself so quickly!

You mention that a friend tried to open your chakras, have you ever tried working with your chakras yourself?  If you want to do energy work, this is an effect way to begin!  You will find that any energy blocks in your chakras will stop you feeling as much, or being aware of as much.  I find that working with your chakras yourself is much more efficient and beneficial than having someone else do it for you.

A lot of people go looking for the bells and whistles, when they start doing this stuff, and it is generally not the case - at least not when you are first beginning!  You need to look for the subtle, remember that this is a muscle that you haven't used for a long time, you need to tune yourself back into the energies and sensations.  I guess it is like turning up the volume slowly - if it were to hit you all at once you would likely be given a huge jolt/shock and be hesitant to go back for another try.

I use crystals myself and find them a great companion in any kind of work.  Have you woken your crystals up?  They may be sleeping and therefore won't be emanating as much energy as if they were awake.  This is done easily by using bells, or a gong, or a Tibetan singing bowl.  You sound the bells (or whatever item you use) over your crystals, and the vibrations wakes them up.  Do it while holding one in your hand, and see what you can feel!

I'd recommend a meditation working with and aligning the chakras - and you can even use your crystals while meditating.

There are also some basic exercises that you can do to start to be more aware of the energies around you - rub your hands together for like thirty seconds and then hold your hands facing each other about a body width apart. Then slowly bring your hands in towards each other and see when you can feel some resistance, or force between your hands.  This is your energy field!  You can do this same exercise with plants and crystals, to see when you become aware of the chosen item's energy.  These are just basic ideas to get you started, and begin to notice the stuff we usually only unconsciously register.

Hope this helps!

[€]

Thanks Wizard of Light, I didn't know about waking crystals up, I'll try that.

I've done meditations with and without crystals, but I never felt the crystals doing anything, like I said, i'll try waking them up.

The thing that concerns me is that I don't feel anything...

Is there something I should feel when I open a chakra or send energy to an area?  I can feel energy in my hands (I think) when I try something similar to what you described, I don't feel it going where I try to send it, it just tingles the same way, should I feel more than this?  How do I know I'm making progress?

I'll keep trying, thanks for the reply.

[Wizard of Light]

As I said, often it is subtle.  When you start to notice the subtle stuff, that's when more things start to happen.  (you'll probably be rolling your eyes and groaning at this, sorry )

I know that sometimes I only experience a warmth, or a light tingling sensation at each chakra point.  I've had times when I don't experience anything at all, and then gotten to my crown chakra and felt light headed.  At times it can just be a wondrous sense of deep relaxation, and nothing more.  You need to be open to anything, and try to not force things to happen (when we want things so badly, we usually miss the little stuff because we're so hell bent on how we want it to come in!).  Be thankful for whatever you get - even if it seems to be nothing at all.

You might even find that it isn't the chakra point itself that you experience something at all - it may be a related body part which feels light, heavy, warm, cold, etc.

Good luck!