Smudging is a spiritual hygiene practice of cleansing the energy of a physical space, object or a person through the burning of sacred herbs. Smudging has been used throughout history in many cultures and religions around the globe, such as: in First Nation Tribes, Celtic Druids, Taoism, Buddhism, Christians, and Shinto, just to name a few who use smoke cleansing in their ceremonies and rituals.
It is important to honor the origins and ancestry of the sacred practice of burning herbs. When utilizing this practice, the intentions are vital, so you need to make sure that you are very specific with your energy. What is your specific reason for smudging? What energy are you trying to welcome in or remove/release? This is a practice that really requires you to harness your inner power, while honoring a sacred tradition and making room for the energy that you are trying to welcome into your body, mind, spirit, and space.
Smudging incorporates all four elements, as in many traditional practices, a shell is used to catch ash, but the shell itself represents the element of water. The dried herbs of the smudge stick represent Earth. The flame that is used to light the herbs incorporates the element of fire, while the smoke represents the air. You can also utilize a feather in your practice to assist in fanning the smoke throughout the given area. Along with loose and bundled herbs, resins can also be used in smudging practices. They can be incorporated by burning the resin on a charcoal disk and utilizing the smoke to cleanse.
Smudging can help cleanse and ward off negativity (both energy and entities). It can assist in clearing energy within your energetic field, whether that be your physical body, your mind, or your spirit.
Herbs that are commonly used in Smudging Practices are:
Sage- clear, cleanse, heal and protect, helps dispel negative energy, it can also increase your clarity and awareness
Cedar- used for an overall blessing, to clear or banish away bad energies, can be used to cleanse energy where there has been illness, promotes peaceful thoughts, evokes positive emotions, and is a grounding herb as well
Sweetgrass- draws in positive energy, purifies auras, cleanses thoughts as well as objects and physical space of negative energies; promotes harmony, open heartedness, and attracts positive light energy
Lavender- restores emotional balance, cleanses and purifies spaces of harmful spirits and intentions, assists in opening the heart chakra, provides psychic protection, and improves mental clarity and awareness
Yerba Mansa- protection, clearing of negative energy, and emotional healing
Resins that are commonly used are:
Frankincense- provides protection, purification, strength, spiritual awareness and assists in cleansing, and realigning your chakras
Myrrh- clearing purification, protection, spiritual connection, and healing
Dragon’s Blood- Provides protection, negativity clearing, and productivity
Copal- Provides spiritual cleansing, and connection to spirit realm.
As a reminder, these are only tools to incorporate into your own individual practices and assist you on your spiritual journey. As always, intention and energy is everything in good spiritual hygiene practices.