What is smudging?
Smudging, or cleansing your house of negative energy, is an ancient Native American tradition. It's often done by burning a smudge stick - a bundle of dried herbs tied together - in a specific pattern around the perimeter of a room or home. The purpose of this practice is to cleanse bad vibes from your space so that fresh air can come in and new good energy can enter.
Other ways to smudge include burning incense sticks or even just lighting sage leaves on fire and fanning the smoke around with your hand.
The traditional way to do this is clockwise: start with the east side first then move counter-clockwise through all four cardinal directions before finishing up with an upward motion toward heaven (or God). This helps ensure that all corners are covered thoroughly when purifying your environment.
Why Sage?
Sage is a wonderful herb that has been used for centuries to purify the air and cleanse energies. Sage also cleanses your mind and body, helping you to feel more peaceful and grounded.
Smudging step 1: Open the windows
Smudging is a ceremony that cleanses, refreshes and calms you. It's important to take safety precautions when doing this in your home, especially if you have asthma or other breathing problems. If you want to keep your house clean while cleansing it with sage, open the windows so that any lingering smoke can escape easily without being trapped. inside. If there's no wind outside, fan around the room with a piece of cardboard or paper towel until all of the sage has dispersed (or at least enough to not bother anyone).
Smudging step 2: Light the sage
The next step is lighting the sage. Take a match and light one end of it while holding the other end in your fingers. Be careful of where you're holding it! You don't want to accidentally burn yourself or set anything else on fire. Once you have a flame going, hold the lit end of the stick over your bowl for about 5 seconds before moving to smudge different areas of your house or apartment. Smudging is not a quick process; you may need multiple sticks if you have a large space like an entire house! Always blow out all flames before leaving them unattended.
Step 3: Start at the front door
Now, you're going to start at the front door. Smudge the main entrance of your home and all of the windows. Then move on to the doors throughout your house-bedroom doors, bathroom doors, closets, etc.
When you're done smudging everything in sight in every room where you spend most of your time (and if there are any spots that haven't been mentioned yet), then take a moment and sit down somewhere quiet in your home and reflect on what has just happened: how many rooms have been cleansed?
Step 4: Work your way through your home
As you work your way through every room in your house, be sure to smudge the corners of each room. It's also important to smudge all mirrors and any furniture that is present in the room.
Step 5: Put out the flames
Now you're done! You can put out the flames by either pressing the burnt tip into an abalone shell, into a sink or other non-flammable container, or simply blowing on them until they go out. Don't use water to extinguish the flames, as it will make it harder to light next time.
How often should you smudge?
Smudging your home once a month is a good idea, but if you're experiencing negative energy in your home, you may want to smudge more often-maybe every week or two.
Other Options:
You can use Palo Santo sticks in place of Sage, and/or use a Smudging Candle that has all the essences of the herbs for a fun way to energetically cleanse and clear a smaller space. Be as creative as you like!
Takeaway
Smudging is a great way to cleanse your house of negativity and energetic clutter. It's also a good idea to smudge your space regularly, whether you live by yourself or with other people (it can still be beneficial even if no one else is home).
And finally, don't forget that the act of smudging itself can be very relaxing. If you've got time on your hands and want to unwind from a busy day, try lighting some incense or sage and taking some deep breaths in sync with the rhythm of your breath as it burns away. You might find that it helps clear your mind so that you can better focus on things like cooking or studying for an exam.
