A Simple Guide To Smudging

Smudging is the common name given to the indigenous American tradition known as the Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing. This is a powerful spiritual cleansing technique which calls upon the spirits of various sacred plants to drive away negative energy and to restore balance to an individual, a group, a space, or all three.

This tradition has been a part of the spirituality of indigenous Americans for thousands of years, and now this cleansing ritual is available to anyone who is willing to give it a try.  The ritual is very simple and very empowering, and you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to start doing it in your own home.

Smudging is effective because it allows you to effect the world of subtle spiritual energies using the spirits of various powerful, healing plants.  If you have ever worked with yoga or meditation, you will understand that your body, and indeed, the spaces that you occupy, vibrate with invisible energy currents that can be strongly effected by outside forces, both physical and spiritual.

Smudging allows you to wash away all the emotional and spiritual negativity that gathers in your body and your space over time.  It’s a little bit like taking a spiritual shower!  The effects of smudging can be very effective, often banishing stress almost instantly and providing energy and peace.  Smudging can also help your body and space to adjust to the healing rhythms of the seasonal cycle.  More than anything, though, smudging can turn your space, and your body, into a peaceful, beautiful temple in which you can rejuvenate yourself and fine happiness.

The smoke from dried sage actually changes the ionic composition of the air, and can have a direct effect on reducing our stress response, and for those who  aren’t into the woo woo side of things, recent research has shed light on the popularity of smudging, revealing that burning certain plant matter actually clears harmful bacteria. So whether you want to de-stress or simply just disinfect your space, light up that smudge stick and get to smudging!

BASIC SMUDGING FOR SELF-CLEARING

There are many ways to use smudging. I suggest this as a simple way to get started. As you become more proficient, you may well find you want to use different words or actions. That’s fine – just be guided by your intuition. But always treat smudge with great respect.

YOU WILL NEED: smudge stick, matches, a small ceramic or stone bowl, or a large shell (a saucer will do), a large feather.

INSTRUCTIONS:

USING SMUDGING FOR SPACE CLEARING

Smudging not only cleanses people: it can also clear a room or area of any old or stagnant energy. All rooms need cleansing – just as much as they need physical cleaning. If your life feels stuck or things just aren’t going according to plan, you may just find that simple space clearing solves the problem. Clearing the space around you is also an important part of most rituals and ceremonies.

YOU WILL NEED: smudge stick, bowl or shell, feather, matches.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Happy Smudging!