It is about time that we do this smudging guide on how and when to smudge as there has been many requests by our customers about this cleansing procedure.

As you may or may not know, the term smudging comes fro the Native American term of cleansing and purifying a person, room, home or space, which dates back over four hundred years.

Before you continue, you should know that smudging can be done with herbs and also resins: the most popular being white sage and other types of sages.

You can also use Frankincense, Myrrh or Dragon’s Blood resin to perform smudging and cleansing, while some even use palo santo raw sticks or incense to do this.

How and When to Smudge?

1. The best time to smudge is in the morning and with a clear, focused mind.
2. Make sure you open all doors and windows before you start smudging.
3. Put off all distractions like smartphones, radio and make sure the area is quiet.
4. Light the tip of the smudge bundle over an open flame while holding it at an angle for 20 to 30sec.
5. Once you have good light, waft the flame out, leaving only the burning hot embers of the
6. Starting from the front entrance of your home, room, office or business, walk in a clockwise manner and take your time.
7. Make sure to pass the smoke over the door frames, windows, mirrors, antiques, dark corners and closets where negative energy can linger.
8. Pass the smoke along the walls’ boundaries with thoughts or intentions of releasing the negative energies or spirits and sending them away.
9. Depending on your religion, you can say a prayer, chant a mantra or have positive thoughts when doing this.
10. You can also fan the smoke in a particular direction and can be done with a smudge fan made of feathers or using your own hand like a fan.
11. Once you are finished, put the smudge bundle out in a fire-safe bowl.

When to Smudge?

• There is no set rule to this, but you can do it anytime you like or feel you need to.
• Some people like to smudge once a month during the full moon, while some like to do it weekly.
• Some do it frequently when they feel a shift in energies around them.

Three Ways to Smudge:

1. By burning the smudge bundle like a cigar. Please be careful of falling ash when doing this way.
2. By breaking up the herbs and using an Abalone Shell or fireproof container to burn the herbs inside and carry them around. This is a much safer and cleaner way.
3. The third way is by using a gold charcoal tablet where you place the herbs or resins on top of the burning tablet.

What Else do I Need to Know?

• Smudging will create a lot of smoke; hence please make sure you are comfortable when doing this.
• Smudging requires time; therefore, do not rush doing this.
• People with breathing problems or asthma should avoid smudging and use our ‘Smudging Spray’ instead.
• When smudging, please remove pets, kids and the elderly from the area you are working on.

Additional Notes:

• If you have a double-storey house, you can start on the ground floor and then move up to the 1^st  floor. In each area or room, walk clockwise from the main door.
• If you have a small apartment or studio unit, start from your main entrance, then go room by room in the same format as above.
• If you have an office or large space, you can start at the main entrance and walk clockwise around the area. Best to do this early in the morning before anyone comes to work.

Conclusion

There you have it, a simple guide to how and when to smudge for the first-time user. Please note that there are various other ways of doing this, which is available online, and we choose the most simple and standard way.

Smudging a person, space or area can be done with California White Sage and any other native herbs that you may see us selling in our shop.

If you would like to know more or even smell what sage smells like, please visit our new age shop in Damansara Perdana, PJ.

Note that because of marketing, the White Sage is known to be one of the most popular smudging tools, but in reality, there are other items like Frankincense resin or Palo Santo that provide the same functions or better.