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The Art of Energy Cleansing: Exploring the Practice of Smudging


As everyone and everything is energy, you may collect other people’s energy and not even know it. You can be in a store, or at work, and maybe feel the chaos that others are going through. It may (or may not) hold onto your energy field. Have you ever had people over to your home or office and when they leave you just feel like hosing down the room and getting rid of whatever energy they brought in with them? This is energy you don’t need holding onto your personal field. That’s where smudging can help.


What is Smudging?

Smudging is a sacred practice or ceremony. Smudging is what you may call a “smoke bath”, using specific herbs and slowly burning them, in a safe environment, creating smoke and “washing” it over you and your space.


It is believed that the smoke is a spiritual cleansing tool which calls upon the spirits of the plants that can drive out or restore positive energy. Smudging can cleanse emotional and spiritual negativity that has gathered around you. This in turn leaves you and your cleansed space a peaceful area with positive juju.


Brief History

Smudging has been an essential part of rituals dating back thousands of years and has been linked to all traditional cultures, in one form or another: Native Americans, Andeans, Mayans, to Chinese, Druids, European, etc. … you get the idea. In practice, our ancestors used plants as medicine like incense, smoke at ceremonies, and different purification rituals. Some cultures believed that the smoke was symbolic to ascend to heaven bringing prayers and intentions to the Gods. While others may have used it to cast away insects, or in healing rituals cleansing disease, illness, etc.


Smudging with Different Herbs, Plants, and Where to Get Them

While sage or white sage are most known for smudging (which is a fabulous herb for cleansing), there are many other herbs and plants that you can use. Here are just a few:


Rosemary – is known for soothing and creating a peaceful environment. It helps remove negative energy. Rosemary is also great for inflammation, anxiety, stress, and mental focus. Lemongrass – is known to purify and cleanse as well as help with clarity and focus. Cedar – may help with renewal, positive energy as well as protect and ground.

Lavender – helps with rest and peace of mind.

Thyme – may help remove mild blocks and negative feelings.

Rue (Ruda) – assists in removal of dark energy and helps with protection.

Aspen – is known to help with anxiety and protection.

Mugwort – can be used for dream work and divination.


These are just a few but there are SO MANY! Many of these can be burned with sage or by themselves. You really have an endless mixture. Now, NOT all plants are meant to be burned, so definitely do your homework.


Be wary, some smudge sticks you buy on Amazon or big marketplaces may have been grown in areas that aren’t best for plant life let alone people. They may have contaminated fertilizer, and pesticides that are harmful to breathe when burned.


Growing your own is best because you know exactly how the plants have been cared for, the soil, cleaning, feeding, pesticides, etc. If you don’t have a green thumb or don’t have space to grow your own, then please find a reputable retailer. I recommend staying local and looking for an herbalist, or finding a plant shop, metaphysical store, healing, or essential oil store. Ask the questions. Look at tags and labels.

The Smudging

  1. Whether you are smudging in a personal ceremony indoors or smudging a space - open the windows. This helps to release negativity, or bad juju, and clear your home of smoke.

  2. Find a bowl. I use an abalone shell. You can use other shells, a rock mortar, clay bowl, or something fireproof.

  3. Ground yourself and set your intention. Setting an intention is NECESSARY to smudge otherwise you are just burning plants. Do you want to cleanse the home? Cleanse you? Bring peace? Protect? What are your intentions for this smudge.

  4. Light your plant bundle or small loose leaves in your bowl, and let it burn until you see the orange embers, then blow it out. You may have to continue to light it throughout your smudge. It’s ok.

  5. Smudge. To each their own. I use a feather given to me from a Cherokee clan member, but if you don’t have one, it’s ok, your intention is there. Gently fan the smoke where you wish it to go. If it’s a personal ceremony and you are seated, bring the smoke up and around you, envision its power moving over you. If it’s for a space, or home, walk around fanning the smoke around the area, always keeping your intentions in mind or out loud. If you pray, this is a great time.

  6. Don’t forget to extinguish. You can dip your bundle in some dirt or a fireproof container. If its loose leaves, cover it or stamp it out safely.


The Takeaway

You can smudge WHENEVER you choose to. If you feel the need to cleanse you or an area, then make it happen. Whether you need to “wash away” the day, or your space, or you need to release fears, concerns, etc., allow the gentle smoke to wash over you, always keeping in mind your intention. This is your sacred personal ceremony.  

Happy smudging.


 -Jennifer


*Jennifer Izaguirre is the owner of A Balanced Life. Check out www.ABalancedLife.org for information, courses, freebies, and more.

**All statements presented here are my personal beliefs.

Photo credit: Jennifer Izaguirre, and Unsplash.com

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