To smudge or not to smudge
Smudging is definitely a ‘thing’ at the moment and it’s true that we’ve been doing lots of it at Place Eight Wellness. But what is it exactly and is there any science behind the practice or are we all just making our spaces smell of old leaves for nothing and looking a bit daft doing it?
Smudging is the practice of burning herbs, in this case sage, to cleanse or purify a space or person from negative energy. It’s often carried out in spaces that see lots of human ‘traffic’, such as a party or work space, or indeed around a person where there has been lots of physical contact with others or where there is considered to be lots of spiritual ‘activity.’
For those who regularly smudge, it appears to be perfectly logical to want to take care of their spiritual or energetic hygiene in the same way as people are happy to look after their physical bodies with exercise and diet, and clean their homes.
Burning plants for their medicinal qualities, including the prevention of disease, is a practice that goes back thousands of years by people and cultures across the world. The Latin word for sage ‘Salvia’ stems form the word ‘heal’. As well as its ‘cleansing’ properties, sage is also thought to have the ability to improve intuition, mental alertness and mood.
So, what about the science?
We know sage has many positive medicinal qualities being researched by scientists. One of the most interesting in relation to smudging are the herb’s antimicrobial effects. As a Naturopath I use sage for this purpose. Scientists have proven the ability of sage to clear airborne bacteria in a space by up to 94%, therefore literally disinfecting the air. We also know that sage smoke is delivered very quickly to the brain and is absorbed quickly by the body. More recently, scientists have been able to confirm that sage does indeed improve memory and clarity of thought. When sage is burned, it also releases negative ions, which is linked to the lifting of mood.
It makes sense to me, that where the physical qualities of a plant can work on the physical level, the energetic qualities of the plant can work on the energy level. If I can improve my mood, my memory and clear the ‘spiritual air’ at the same time then it’s definitely something that will be happening more regularly around here!
Smudging Tips
California White Sage smudge sticks are really what you’re looking for, not the five year old sage from your spice shelf in the kitchen! It should be high-quality and ethically grown. Cheaper isn’t always better. In most cases you’ll buy a smudge stick already bundled up and ready to use.
Light the sage, let it burn for 30 seconds or so and then carefully blow out any flame. What you should be left with is just the glow of the embers on the end.
Use the back of your hand to waft the smoke around into the areas you want to cleanse. Don’t forget corners of rooms. If you are smudging a person, start from above the head and work down. No need to get too close. It’s the smoke that’s doing the work.
Don’t forget to open a door or window to allow fresh air in and unwanted energy out. There’s no point trying to cleanse a space if there’s nowhere for the bad stuff to go!
Happy smudging! x