Your Guide to Smudging Your Home

Have you ever walked into your home after a long, hard day only to realize that the energy doesn’t feel quite right? Our homes should be a place of sanctuary, a place where the energy feels safe and alive with joy and balance.

Unfortunately, our homes and the belongings inside of them can pick up on and even absorb our energy, meaning that you might walk into your home only to pick up on the vibrations left over from the last time you had an unpleasant dinner guest or the last moment you cried out of frustration and pain.

Your house can hold onto certain energies long after they’ve gone, making it difficult for you to move on from a painful or upsetting experience – because that energy is still surrounding your spirit.

That’s why it’s so important to cleanse the space around you from time to time to restore that feeling of sacredness and safety that your home should provide you. While there are many ways to cleanse your sanctuary today, we’re going to talk about the benefits of smudging.

So, if you want to learn about using the power of herbs and smoke to rid your home of any negative or unwanted vibrations, keep reading to find out what smudging can do for you!

What is Smudging?

Smudging involves lighting a certain type of herb, plant, or wood on fire and allowing the sacred smoke created to cleanse the energy of everything it touches.

Many different types of sacred smoke vary by the plant used to produce it, from white sage to Palo Santo and many in between. And each plant used when smudging creates a different effect.

For instance, white sage clears all the energy from your surroundings, both positive and negative. Therefore, it’s important to remember to infuse your home with positivity after you’ve smudged with white sage. On the other hand, Palo Santo only clears away negative energy – leaving any positive energy intact.

Why Would I Smudge My Home?

The biggest reason to smudge your surroundings is to clear the sacred space around you from any negative energy it may have absorbed in the past. Clearing this energy makes space for positive energy to flow in and replace any negativity you may pick up on.

Our home acts as our escape from the outside world. It’s the one place that we can feel safe and comfortable being ourselves. You don’t have to dress up or put on a metaphorical mask when you’re at home.

However, when your space is filled with stagnant, flat, or negative energy, it can be hard to allow your body and mind to relax fully. That’s why we must clear our space now and then make sure that any stress we might be dealing with isn’t coming from our surroundings.

You will also want to read: 10 Tips for Growing Your Own Herb Garden

Controversies Around Smudging

While smudging is not considered controversial in itself, the smudging of white sage, in particular, has been popping up in the spotlight lately. White sage and Palo Santo are traditionally the items thought of as controversial – and they also happen to be the most popular tools for smudging.

White sage is historically and traditionally associated with Indigenous people and Native tribes of North America.

Many Native tribes cultivate and provide these sage bundles for those interested as a way to not only share their traditions but also bring money into their community. Many people believe that white sage should only be used by Indigenous people, but the truth is that plants of any kind are meant for all people.

That being said, it’s important to procure your white sage from Indigenous communities to give back to those who help to provide us with this herb and share the beauty of smudging with us.

Palo Santo is a type of wood from trees found only in certain countries, like Peru, Ecuador, and other South American countries. We must buy our Palo Santo from these sources to ensure that our money is going towards these communities, rather than to corporations trying to benefit from them.

It’s important to follow your intuition regarding the type of herb, plant, or substance you choose to smudge at the end of the day.

I am personally part Native (Oglala Sioux) myself, and I believe that everyone should be able to embrace the healing wonders of nature and would never discourage anyone from using white sage, as long as it is responsibly sourced.

Diving into smudging with pure intentions and a desire to help the communities around you is the way to embrace this mystical activity fully.

Keep in mind that to be respectful to these different cultures and traditions, you can also use other materials such as pine and cinnamon or harvest your own sage and herbs rather than utilizing something such as white sage.

You might also be interested in: How to Activate Positive Emotions With Aromatherapy

How to Smudge

Start by gathering your supplies. Common items for smudging include:

• Sage
• Rosemary
• Lemongrass
• Lavender
• Peppermint

It’s all about your personal preference, as well as the energy you want to bring into your home.

You’ll start with your bundle of smudging herbs. Take a lighter and light the end of your smudging stick. Once it’s burning properly, it’s time to let the smoke fill every corner of your room.

You’ll want to make sure that the smoke reaches every single corner of your home – both those near the ceiling and those near the floor – as well as each doorway. This allows the smoke to fill and cleanse each area of your home.

You can also take your smudging stick and let the healing smoke flow all over your body.

Take your burning wand and bend down at the waist, bringing the smudging stick to your feet. Now, move that bundle up and towards your head, allowing the smoke to pass over each part of your being. Take the burning stick with one hand and run it down your backside, clearing energy from all sides of your body.

You may choose to work with an abalone shell, which can catch the ashes of whatever it is that you’re smudging.

Cleansing your space of negative energy helps you feel and practice gratitude every day. Let’s face it; we all experience negative emotions from time to time. We don’t need those emotions barging in on everything you do!

Remember: choose your sage and herbs respectfully, and purchase from Indigenous communities and the correct sources!

Related article: How to Use Essential Oils in Your Daily Life