December 04, 2014
Smudging is something I do on a regular basis to clear and cleanse my energy field and the environment around me. If you haven’t heard of the word smudging, it is the term used by North American Indians to clear unwanted or negative energies through the burning of specialized herbs like sage, cedar and sweetgrass.
Why do we want to smudge?
We are in constant contact with other people and their energies, which are often not the kind of energies that we want to take home with us. Smudging is an effective way to literally clean these energies from ourselves and our space. To read more about the effects of negative energies you can read my blog post (link).
Smudging can be used to clear energy from a person, place or object. Smudging is also an effective way to clear unwanted energy from crystals and gemstones, and it can be used to bless and energize as well. As an added bonus, it smells wonderful.
How to smudge?
There are many different ways to smudge and there is no right or wrong way, what is important is the intention behind the smudging ceremony. Although – as mentioned above – a variety of different herbs can be used, my favorite happens to be sage, as this seems to be the herb that clears the most energy and smells the best (at least from my practices).
We have everything you need to get started with your Smudging Practice! (here)
Instructions on how to smudge:
1) Using an abalone shell, place some dried sage leaves inside.
2) Hold your intention in your thoughts for a minute or two (cleansing negative or unwanted energies, bringing positivity, removing doubts, eliminating negative thoughts, etc).
3) Light the sage while holding your intention and let it burn for about 30 seconds, then carefully blow out the flame.
4) Use a feather to fan the smoke over your body (or someone else’s body) starting above the head and slowly moving down the body to the bottom of the feet, covering all your chakras and don’t forget about your hand and feet chakras (as in smudging underneath each foot).
5) To smudge a home or space, walk around the perimeter of the space all the while fanning the smoke with the feather. Make sure you get into all corners. Have a window open and allow the smoke to blow out the window, as the smoke carries the unwanted energies along with it.
6) Discard of the ashes by returning them to the earth - don’t forget to give thanks and express gratitude.
Burning the sage inside a shell combines all four elements – the sage representing the earth, the shell representing water, the flame representing fire, and the smoke representing air.
We have everything you need to get started with your Smudging Practice! (here)
When is it best to smudge?Because I am often in the hospital seeing sick patients, I like to smudge ever day after work. If you are a healer, caregiver, nurse, practitioner, medical professional, work in hospitals or high stress jobs, I would smudge daily. Other times to smudge are after an argument, if you are feeling sick or off, if you are experiencing anxiety or any negative moods. You should also smudge when moving into a new home. Your home and car should be smudged on a regular basis.
Smudging can be performed anytime and anywhere you feel the need to clear the energy. Before you know it, you will know exactly when a smudging is needed. Clearing the air of unwanted energies will help you feel lighter, brighter and happier!
Our jewelry line is handcrafted with black tourmaline, a powerful protective gemstone that transmutes all negative energy into positive energy. Each and every piece is smudged and charged with healing energy before they are shipped them.
See our Jewelry designs (here).
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Blessings!
