Smudging: Everything You Need to Know

Have you ever walked into a room and just felt a bad energy?

Maybe you get an eerie feeling or just don’t feel quite comfortable. That’s not something to pass off; you could actually be detecting an output of negative energy!

So, what do you do when you get this hunch? Enter stage left: smudging!

What’s smudging?

Smudging is a technique used in ancestral, healing and mystical practices that involves burning herbs to cleanse the negative energy in a room. This is usually done with sage, however, palo santo (technically wood, not an herb) is also commonly burned for its cleansing smoke.

This is pretty much a necessity before setting up any kind of sacred space and is also great to cleanse your own aura or the energy of your crystals. Just circulate the smoke around your room, your body and your pretty precious crystals to rid any negative energy. Introducing smudging into your morning routine is also an amazing way to clear the energy at the start of your day. Remember, everything in this life, even smudging, requires intention!

If you’re the type that needs facts to bring belief, then check out this study that proves the effectiveness of smudging. After burning “medicinal herbs” for an hour, there was a 94% reduction of bacteria in the air. Yeah, we’re not witches for no reason!

So, how do I smudge?

First, you need to find sage, palo santo or any other cleansing herb that speaks to you. This is pretty easy to find at a holistic store or yoga studio in your area. If you don’t have any luck, then you can always order it online. Remember, buying ethically sourced sage or palo santo is always the way to go.

Before you begin your smudging, connect with the spirit of your medicinal herb. Burning sage and palo santo are ancestral practices, so giving them the utmost respect and gratitude is important during this ritual. Before you begin, close your eyes and honor their spirit. Breath in, breath out, focus on your third eye and gives thanks for the powers of your medicinal herb.

After you have paid your respects, light your sage with a lighter or match. Blow on the flames gently to get the smoke flowing. Then, circulate the sacred smoke around whatever needs cleansing--your room, your aura, your crystals. This is perfect to do before your meditation to cleanse yourself and your space, which can set the stage for a clear and mindful meditation.

When you are done circulating the smoke, lay it on a fireproof glass plate. If you have a more sacred object to lay it on, then use that instead. Just make sure it is fireproof!