Smudging After the Holidays!
Were all geared up with the holiday season. We made it through that wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with relatives that come from all over which you only see this time of year and/or taking that perfect dish to pass around another person’s home with people you may or may not even be acquainted with.
As we all know well, with this joyful season there always comes that survival of the crazy negative family member (or two) that we all endure each year for the holidays. We all have them and like every year we are relieved after dinner when they all leave or we can go home. But, either way, it’s not over yet! It’s just begun because now there’s only a few weeks left until Christmas and let’s face it; the stress is becoming overwhelming. The negativity from the multiple people is still there lingering, now the stress from the stores and shopping for that perfect gift, along with spending too much money, starts feeding that negativity and it begins festering and growing around you and your home. Even if you enjoy the holiday season and all the people that common go, there’s still that negativity that they bring, from their own lives, into your home by either entering themselves or transferring their negativity on to you for you to carry home yourself.
The feelings of things being off, things not quite right, your mood being different, or your home now feeling wrong, stuffy, or stale. We all get to have these feelings after the holidays. It’s typically when we start to think about how grate it would feel to open up the windows in the spring and “air the house out”. Sounds familiar? This is when it’s a great time to smudge your home and yourself, along with everyone who lives there.
Smudging is an ancient Native American traditional ritual that will purify your home, space and body, clearing out the negative energies that are lingering around, no matter how they got there. It will leave a feeling of positive relaxation and soothing throughout the home. There is a calming peacefulness every time you enter a room and it feels refreshing after the hectic schedule of the holidays. All the different types of peoples personalities with the combination of their negativity that you have been subject to the last few months will be cleansed away.
The Native American ritual wards off all the bad, darkness, and negative energies that was absorbed by you, your home, and your space. Any conflict, anger, illness, or darkness, that was absorbed is banished. The sacred space, such as your home, office, vehicle, and even your body, are purified, cleansed, cleared, and protected.
This Native American ceremony have been studied and the benefits are proven in science. When burned, sage and other sacred herbs release negative ions, which studies have linked to more positive moods along with other health benefits.
The scientific explanation of smudging is a cleansing with an energetic or roaming smoke that releases negative ions, which, research has found that burning these sacred plants has the ability to cleanse the surrounding air from harmful bacteria. Such as, mold spores, pollen, pet orders, cigarette smoke, bacteria, viruses, dust, and other hazardous airborne particles.
The negative ions clear the air by attaching to positively charged particles in large numbers causing the germs, mold, pollen, and other allergens, to become too heavy to stay airborne, ultimately removing them from the air you breathe.
For Native American culture smudging calls on the spirits of sacred plants to drive away negative energy and put you back into a state of balance, peace, and harmony. It’s another form of ancient holistic healing.
The benefits of smudging are:
- increasing your sense of well-being. – Smudging normalize that well-known feel-good hormone, serotonin, with the negative ions which create a more positive outlook and better moods.
- Improves mental focus. – Smudging removes the debilitating effects of excess positive ions in the air producing a joyful feeling.
- Clears negative energy. – Smudging is very effective for combating feelings of anger, fear, anxiety, grief, and depression.
- Natural antidepressant. – The negative ions produced from smudging offers serious antidepressant effects.
- Relaxing effects. – Smudging can offer calming, relaxing feelings that are known to help lower blood pressure, relieve stress and tension, and normalize breathing rates.
- Increased energy. – Studies have found that there are positive effects on regulating serotonin production. Improving different areas of function which helps improve energy levels.
- Improved sleep. – Studies show the negative ions from smudging can help improve sleep patterns.
- Clearing the air. – Smudging can help clear the air of pollen, pet dander, and other potential allergens to improve allergy symptoms.
- Cleansing objects. – Like antiques that have been exposed to negative energy over the years, so it doesn’t affect you or your environment.
- And so much more!
Smudging is a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition and culture. It’s the art of cleansing yourself and your environment, using simple rituals and ceremonies. Smudging clears away all the emotional and psychic “darkness” that may have gathered since birth. Think of it as a spiritual spring cleaning as well as a way to clear one’s energetic field and aura.
Smudging can be done on a daily basis or reserved for special occasions. It’s whenever you feel the need to clean your environment. If you’re unsure how to do it correctly there are places, like Healing Feather, that provide the service along with other modalities which you may find helpful.
let’s bring in the new year, with a positive energy of smudging, it’s a great start to a beautiful thing!
~Best of Health & Positive Energy, ~ Healing Feather Wellness ~ “Balancing Body, Mind & Spirit” ~ ©2017
