Smudging

“~ Truth ~ Gratitude ~ Wisdom ~”

This Native American ritual is for purifying, cleansing and clearing any negative energy out of an area, person, place or thing. Smudging the body and its aura, removes any negative energy from within the person, leaving a more positive mood, with the feeling of wholeness throughout the entire body and restoring harmony in life.

The traditional ceremonial ways can vary widely based on individual tribes, clans and bands. Smoke from sacred plants such as Sage, Cedar, Sweetgrass, Sagebrush and Lavender are a few different types to be used for smudging rituals. The stages of Grandmother Moon and the four seasons, also hold an important part of our beliefs during different ceremonies and rituals.

This form of spiritual healing is Native American medicine, that uses help and guidance from the spirit world in traditional rituals, effected by a healer to produce natural healing energy to treat the whole person – body, mind and spirit.

Because physical and spiritual health are intimately connected, both the body and spirit must heal together. Treatments are thus an integral part of health promotion and healing in Native American culture. These rituals are used when there are feelings of being stuck, negative, sluggish or even downright depressed due to having stagnant energy in the body’s fields. The field can include emotional, energetic, mental, spiritual or physical space. Stagnant or negative energy can have extremely detrimental effects on the mental and physical state of the body and is believed to manifest into lack of happiness and success including pain and disease.

Smudging Benefits:

“Purifying Life”

The ancient Native American practice of Smudging has many wonderous benefits. Here are a few that have been said to be helpful:

  • Decreases stress
  • Increases well-being
  • Can alleviate pain
  • Improves sleep
  • Helps anxiety
  • Improves mental focus
  • Has antidepressant properties
  • Uplifting
  • Promotes relaxation
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Banishes negativity
  • Has anti-inflammatory properties
  • Repels insects
  • Clears bacteria from air
  • Has antimicrobial properties for purifying air
  • Neutralizes allergens like:
    • Pet dander
    • dust
    • pollen
    • pollution
  • Improves raspatory conditions
    • note: Inhalation of smoke will aggravate these conditions. Have someone else smudge for you and do not enter the area until smoke has cleared completely.
  • removes negative energy
  • Boosts energy
  • Improves mood
  • Reduces infectious bacteria, viruses, and fungi
  • Enhances intuition
  • Dispels spiritual impurities
  • Creates positivity

There are still scientific studies being done on smudging and its benefits today. It is recommended to consult your doctor or health care provider about your own health before you decide to try this practice on your own.

Frequently Asked Questions about Smudging:

“Finding the Path”

  • What is Smudging? Smudging is an ancient Native American ritual used in ceremonies, healings and other aspects of the culture.
  • Where do I get sage? The best way to get sage is to grow it yourself. Although sage can be purchased in health food stores, farmers markets, or on the internet.
  • Is smudging a type of religion? Smudging is a sacred spiritual ritual used for different things in the Native American culture. It is spiritual, not religious.
  • How does smudging work? The properties of the sacred plants and herbs used, change the positive and negative fields in the area it is being burned, causing a shift in the energy to a positive state. This shift purifies the surrounding air, lifts the mood, and activates the intention sets, by removing all negative energy.
  • What kind of plants are used for smudging? The most popular and commonly used for smudging is white sage. Although there are different types of sage and other plants that can be used, such as cedar.
  • How do I burn sage? To burn sage, you simply light the end of the sage stick or the leaves inside the shell, if using lose sage. After lighting the sage, gently shake it so the flames go out and the sacred plant is smoking. (Note: never blow the flame out).
  • How often should I smudge? The frequency of smudging depends on multiple things but at the minimum you should smudge with each season (four times a year). Then smudge again if you begin to feel negative vibes in between the seasons. You can also smudge on a weekly basis if you prefer. Due to the number of clients, we care for, we smudge Healing Feather once a month.
  • Can I have someone come smudge my home? Absolutely. If you don’t know how to do it correctly or you can’t be around the smoke because of health reasons, it’s better and advised to have it done for you. Healing Feather has clients we smudge for, both homes and businesses on a regular basis.
  • What can be smudged? Just about anything can be smudged. Your living space, vehicles, offices, people, and objects. Obviously if you have health issues and can’t be around smoke then get someone else to smudge for you and don’t return until the smoke has cleared completely. Speaking first with your doctor or health care provider is always advisable.
  • How does smudging remove negativity? Smudging changes the properties of the positive and negative particles in the air, eliminating the negativity in the area.
  • Can burning sage clean the air? Yes. The properties of the sacred plants can neutralize the air causing removal of hazardous airborne particles along with pollen, mold spores, pet dander, odors, bacteria, viruses, and dust. Thus, purifying the air.

“Smudge for Positivity”

Smudging is the Native American ritual for purifying and clearing negative energy from a person or space with the smoke from sacred herbs. The ritual of smudging leaves a more positive mood for the person as it releases and clears any negativity (mental, emotional, or spiritual) from the energy field that is receiving it. Smudging has been scientifically proven to lower negative ions in the air creating room for positivity.

Smudging Rates:

Smudging is a modality that can be added to our other services. Smudging rituals remove the negative energy from the person leaving them feeling a more balanced with a positive mood (mental, emotional, or spiritual) as the smoke of sacred herbs clears and purifies their energy field.

Smudging Session Add-on: $15 / session

Body Smudging is a quick uplifting moment for any day! Turn a negative moment into a positive one by feeling more balanced with an improved mood.

Body Smudging: $25 / session (between 5 – 15 minutes)

Home, Office or Business Smudging can purify and clear negative energy from the space with smoke of sacred herbs. The positive ions these plants release during the ritual neutralizes the negative energy in the room or space, providing a more pleasant and calm feeling for those who enter. This is why people may feel more at easy when entering one place over another without knowing why. It’s because the energy will be more positive or negative in the area. Having a positive energy field in the home, office, or business can lead to happier people and customers. Travel fees may be applied for locations over a 15-mile radius from Healing Feather’s home office.

Home, Office, or Business Smudging: $150. / First hour

(+$75. / Hour after and +$5. / Bag of sage used).