Candles and a bowl of sage have become staples in my home office, and I am so grateful for these “tools.”

I refer to incense, crystals, sage, pendulums, and other typical “hippy” accessories as tools, because that is the way I access them.

We are here on earth as humans to get stuff done. To do this, we need to clear old energy, pain, trauma, soul patterns, and karma that no longer serve us.

The tricky thing is that in our systems, we have both old karma that needs clearing and freshly attained energies that aren’t particularly healthy for us.

All of this needs to be cleared.

That is why the affirmation: “I am free, I am free, I am free,” is so powerful. Perhaps, the only thing we need to do as humans is to become free of all the negative stuff attached to us that we no longer need.

When we think of our journey in this way, what we need to do in life becomes quite simplified.

That is why I love smudging. Clearing negative energy, energy that isn’t ours, and old energy that has attached to us from the past can take effort. It takes intention, focus, concentration, and willingness.

Smudging can be helpful. We can light the sage and set the intention that the smoke created is gathering up everything we don’t need and lifting it up to the sky like a helium balloon drifting away from us.

In this way, we let the smudge do the heavy lifting for us.

Being human is difficult. There are currents of energy and intentions circling around us that we will never fully understand. That is why we need the earth to help us with our journey.

Accessing tools from the earth to aid us on our path is not being gullible or naive—it is being smart.

Smudge and incense can lift the heaviness from our hearts and auras and help it travel away from us. Recently, I had an energy clearing from an indigenous-made rattle which broke up energies I no longer need with sound and helped them dissolve away. It felt amazing. My energy felt so free!

Still, I always say that we don’t want to turn meditation or healing into just another shopping trip. However, if there are tools that are going to aid us on our human transformational journey, then let’s use them.

Using smudging in ceremony, ritual, or just as a daily self-care energy clearing tool is a gift we can give ourselves.

In my opinion, it is fine to be playful and experimental with these earth tools. Just use your awareness to help you learn what works. Notice how you feel before you smudge your body or a room—and then, notice how you feel after.

Your own awareness is your greatest teacher, and there are tools such as sage that we can use to help open our awareness and bring greater healing into our lives.

Happy smudging to you all!

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Relephant:

Scientific Facts that Make me want to start Smudging right Now.

A Beginner’s Guide to Herbs & Smudging.

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**Relephant warning: Uh-oh, keep in mind that burning sage can be as much of a carcinogen as burning incense or smoking! But, these tips could be helpful.

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Mindful Bonus:

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Author: Ruth Lera
Image: Instagram @katarrrrina
Editor: Yoli Ramazzina
Copy Editor: Catherine Monkman
Social Editor: Waylon Lewis