When was the last time you can say that you were truly relaxed? Even when we think we're relaxing there's often something in the background distracting us, whether it be our phone, a partner or children. 

The ancient Indians however really knew a thing or two about relaxing. According to ancient Indian medicine we have seven main energy centres in our body known as chakras. In order for our body to be able to work and heal itself, our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies need to be able to flow freely through these chakras. 

Before a recent visit to a healing sanctuary I had no idea what a chakra was or whether mine were aligned to allow my energies to 'flow freely.' All I knew was that I was eager to try a new relaxation technique and enjoy an afternoon out with a friend. 

Spiritual healing is not something I've learnt about before or even believed in but on a visit to The Sanctuary of Healing, near Blackburn, I decided to give crystal light therapy a try. 

The treatment lasts for 30 minutes, although there is a one hour option, and uses chakra crystals and colour which are said to radiate energy to each chakra in your body. You have seven lights pointing to the main seven chakras in the body. 

The Sanctuary told us that crystal light therapy 'combines natural healing frequencies with the use of precious gem stones to bring balance and harmony' to both body and mind. 

A treatment is said to help correct imbalances in the body which can manifest as an illness; in particular IBS, joint pain and sciatica to name a few. It also claims to help with Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and asthma. 

Thoroughly informed about the treatment it was time to get started. After getting settled on to a chakra healing bed while the therapist adjusted the lights to align with our chakras you then get the option of having the lights dimmed and whether you want soft music on. I opted for both. Then it's time to relax for 30 minutes and it's up to you whether you stay awake and watch the lights or go to sleep and let the crystals do the work.

Afterwards people are said to feel more energised, enjoy a better nights sleep, feel less stressed and more relaxed. I can definitely say that I felt more relaxed but I'm dubious as to whether the crystals had anything to do with that. I think I felt refreshed from the brief power nap although I know people who come out and say they feel revitalised. 

One thing I did take away from the experience though was the importance of relaxation. These days I think many of us are guilty of not taking enough time to relax. The benefits of making a conscious effort to relax properly are numerous, particularly before going to sleep at night. So instead of making regular trips to the sanctuary I plan on turning my bedroom in to a phone free zone, maybe with the addition of some soft music too in a bid to discover my own methods of relaxation. 

- Hannah Bryan is a journalist and writes a lifestyle blog at www.hannahshappypace.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @hannahbryan91