Smudging is a spiritually cleaning technique that originates from North America and has been around for generations.  There are many misconceptions about smudging, but it is an amazing process, and anyone can do it. Smudging consists of burning herbs and sacred plants, usually sage, sweet grass, lavender, or cedar to spread smoke in the rooms of your home to cleanse the space and remove negative thoughts and energy. The smoke, when wafted over a person, heals the mind, heart and body. The idea is that energies impact your overall wellness.  The process produces a tremendous amount of positive energy, and, like stated above, energies impact your overall wellness, so the goal is to make it positive whenever possible.

How do I Smudge?

Firstly, you’ll need a smudge stick. A smudge stick is dried herbs bundled together to make one solid stick (usually sweet grass, sage, cedar, or lavender) tied together with hide or a piece of thread.  My favorite is Sage with Palo Santo.  A smudge stick is similar to incense, whereas there is ash that develops as a byproduct. Make sure that you have a suitable container to catch the ash in.

Then light the smudge stick with wooden matches. Don’t worry about how you light the stick, because the smoke is what makes the smudging effective. So as long as you have smoke, don’t try to keep a flame going.   You can find or purchase each item individually.  Personally, I am a big fan of smudge kits that you can easily find with a quick internet search.

You may smudge a loved one to change their energy to a more positive one to help them with physical, mental, or spiritual ailments. You may also want to smudge secondhand items to clear out the old energy and renew the item. Perhaps most important and most common is smudging your home.  Houses can be smudged to rid the home of negative energy and impurities, bring in positive energy, and force out spirits.

Smudging Your Home

Smudging your home is easy and especially rewarding.  First, make sure that the negative energy has a path to escape, because the purpose of the smoke is to drive them out of your living spaces. Pick a room to smudge first and light the smudge stick or herbs. Don’t worry about the order that you smudge the rooms, it will not affect the process negatively. Then, move the stick around the room, and make sure you get each and every corner. Make sure that you don’t miss any areas that are easily forgotten, such as under sofas, attics or rarely used closets. In addition, trust your intuition guide you as to smudging areas that may need a little more positive energy.

After smudging, add a bit of Zen to your home to preserve the tranquility and positive energy.  Positive signs and sayings, Himalayan salt rock, aromatherapy, and tabletop fountains are great ideas for Zen Home Décor.  You may smudge again whenever you feel it is necessary. You can smudge on a regular schedule (ex. every month, season, etc.). Or, you can smudge when you feel that negative energy sneaking in or after a big life change.