WHAT IS SMUDGING?

Smudging is an ancient indigenous ceremonial spiritual + purifying ritual prayer, considered very sacred in many Indigenous cultures around the world.

Scientifically, when sage is burned, it releases negative ions, which is linked to putting people into a positive mood.

A Practice so Ancient + potent that The Latin word for sage salvia stems form the word heal.

Spiritually, In traditional Native American culture, burning sage is also thought to cleanse people of negativity + promote healing, wisdom + longevity.

When someone "clears the air" with burning sage, it turns out they aren't just clearing it of spirits or stale emotions; research has proven that burning sage can actually remove a shocking 94% of bacteria from the air (via Lifehack.org). It's important to note, though, that the sage smoke needs at least an hour to achieve this level of air purification, so waving your smudge stick once or twice in the corner of the room won't cut it for this purpose.

Read More: https://www.thelist.com/261455/heres-what-really-happens-when-you-burn-sage/?utm_campaign=clip

Before Smudging was “woke” it was actually illegal for Indigenous Cultures to Smudge.

Can you believe that their one Prayer Ritual was taken from them, deemed illegal to practice, up until 1978, that’s right alot of us were alive when it was still illegal for indigenous cultures to smudge and here we are only 46 years on, instagram feeds are torching sage, waving it around like wands with no recognition or care in the world, of what previous cultures have endured, sacrificed and lost, not to mention the deaths + killings that took place trying to save the sacred act of what we call smudging today.

Smudging sage has nothing to do with the magical room-cleansing nonsense, tells lakota, tate walker

“Smudging has nothing to do with the “Magical room- cleansing nonsense” tells Taté Walker, Mniconjou Lakota + a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

"Speaking for myself + what I've been taught about my Lakota culture, sage is a critical component within Lakota medicinal + ceremonial knowledge." he notes that not all Native cultures burn sage for prayer, which is known as smudging.

"Smudging is very specific to prayer, so you can burn sage without smudging + you can smudge without needing to light sage on fire."

It is well known that many tribe people have been jailed + killed for smudging, as smudging was part of those banned religious practices. Imagine !

You may now begin to resonate with the importance of honoring the lineages and bloodlines whom derived this ritual + choose to reflect for those whom sacrificed their lives + gifted us this medicinal practice, before torching our sage going forward.

Furthermore, Over the last couple of years, indigenous people are still fighting to be able to embody these important ceremonies in hospitals for their sick loved ones, just like they did for thousands of years prior + with this in mind, smudging is not to be taken or embodied lightly.

Because of all the history before us, when non-indigenous people burn “white sage” to smudge their homes + other spaces, it could minimise + display insensitivity for the cultural importance of this ritual.

However this doesn’t mean sage-ing + smudging are not allowed for non-Indigenous peoples, if practiced intentionally + mindfully.

Having spent 4 years under a North American Shaman, witnessing the devotion they have to these practices, along with the tenderness those lineages can still carry due to the inhumane acts of violence toward them for smudging, certainly inspires integrity when moving toward the practice.

We should know better by now, consider this information your official notice, that It's time to stop burning sage on Instagram.

BENEFITS OF SMUDGING + SAGE

Within some Native cultures, varieties of sage have different uses. For instance, it helps with constipation, menstruation, pregnancy, anxiety, sore throats, repelling insects and more, It's more commonly known for its ceremonial purposes with prayer, sweat lodge + sundance.

She points to a number of studies that have shown that medicinal smokes such as sage have powerful antimicrobial and antibacterialqualities, can improve mood and cognition, can serve as an insect repellent, and can even help with sleep quality by easing insomnia.

In traditional Native American culture, burning sage is also thought to cleanse people of negativity + promote healing, wisdom, and longevity.

When someone "clears the air" with burning sage, it turns out they aren't just clearing it of spirits or stale emotions; research has proven that burning sage can actually remove a shocking 94% of bacteria from the air (via Lifehack.org). It's important to note, though, that the sage smoke needs at least an hour to achieve this level of air purification, so waving your smudge stick once or twice in the corner of the room won't cut it for this purpose.

Read More: https://www.thelist.com/261455/heres-what-really-happens-when-you-burn-sage/?utm_campaign=clip

And when people say they can "feel" healthier energy in a room after it has been smudged, there may be scientific reason for that, too.

Research has shown that negative ions and positive ions have noticeable effects on the well being of human beings. Specifically, positively-charged ions in the air, which are often created in artificial environments and environments that house electronic devices [like our homes and offices] can increase stress + trigger allergies + other ailments, while negative ions, which are naturally high at places like a beach or a park, have an antidepressant and healing effect. Interestingly, burning sage increases negative ions and reduces positive ions in the air.

Further, a 2016 University of Mississippi thesis suggested that white sage is rich in compounds that activate certain receptors in the brain responsible for elevating mood levels, reducing stress, and even alleviating pain (via Healthline). No wonder a room "feels better" when you're done burning sage!

Read More: https://www.thelist.com/261455/heres-what-really-happens-when-you-burn-sage/?utm_campaign=clip

+ That doesn't mean that if you're a non-Native person who is interesting in tapping into sage's healing powers that the idea has completely gone up in smoke. It just means that you shouldn't go striking up a match just yet. "Listening to Indigenous people and what this ceremony means to them is the first step in using sage for all people," the Cliffords explain.

Interested in learning more? Here's everything you need to know about how to clear the air responsibly and respectfully.

learning to welcome in the positive is an important part of modern world healing

"What a lot of people misunderstand about the purpose of smudging is that it helps us to welcome good spirits and positive energy back into our lives," Leader "It’s not so much about removing the negative, because that will always be there. Too often, we forget that instead of searching on social media or in a book to feel better, we can welcome goodness into our lives." - Lakota spiritual leader Warfield Moose, Jr.

What are the other benefits of burning sage?

The benefits of sage-ing your home aren’t just spiritual. Sage is considered incredibly purifying + is able to clear away many of the toxins you breathe every day, including fumes from paint, chemicals, and cleaning supplies.

1. It's antibacterial. A 2007 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacol linked burning sage to reducing airborne bacteria, meaning it can help you get a fresh start in more ways than one.

2. It helps you feel less stressed. A University of Mississippi research projectdiscovered white sage was rich with the compounds that activate the brain's receptors that are responsible for reducing stress.

3. It can help you sleep better. Studies have shown that sage might help ease insomnia, which is definitely another way to help improve that positive energy.

4. It can improve your mood. In 2014, researchers found that white sage has been used to treat anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.

5. It can help you think better. While more research is needed, a 2016 reviewfound that sage might enhance cognition functions and may even be useful as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

You don't have to use white sage to cleanse your home, but, considering the over-harvesting of white sage in recent years, if you do choose to go with sage, it's incredibly important to buy from a supplier that is sourcing ethically.

If things like candles are no-nos in your apartment building, or if you're just a little fire-adverse, there are also several smudge sprays currently on the market that will give you all the benefits with none of the flame.

Once you're ready, the first step is to set an intention. Think about the energy you want to surround yourself with + what you want to create + cultivate in your space.

When you’re ready, light the sage. Just make sure to blow out the flame once the bundle starts smoking. You’re looking for a steady smolder, not a wildfire.

Start with smudging yourself by trailing the smoke down your body before moving on to each room. Waft the smoke from corner to corner, before eventually making your way back to the front of the house. Be sure to open all windows to allow for the cleansing to occur as well as the intention setting + smudging.

How often should I sage smudge my place?

Personally I practice smudging daily, for me its like havinga shower, yet, for my spirit and emotional body, Elders I have been initiated under also adopt this practice daily, others do it when they can, or when they are called too, it's also personal + something you can do whenever you want to feel a little more calm and protected in your life.

Just moved to a new place?

Sage.

Had a huge argument with a friend?

Sage.

Looking to switch your perspective after some setback at work?

Sage.

“No matter when you smudge, it's important that it's done with the appropriate intentions.” in order to receive the healing that comes from the practice.

It can’t be used on a surface level, to make your house smell good. Nothing healing comes from that.

How exactly does sage welcome positive energy?

The power of sage comes from its spirit. Since sage is a plant, it—like all living things—has a spirit, and sage perfectly embodies its name by offering a wise, protective energy to the world.

"For us, the lakota people, the spiritual + health benefits cannot be separated, Sage is a living being that we take from the earth, which means that we are connected to it. When we make a sage bundle + burn it, we are taking its breath +purifying ourselves with it."

Is burning sage cultural appropriation?

You may remember a few years ago Sephora announced it was launching a product called the "Starter Witch Kit" that included a bundle of white sage. The kit was later pulled after the brand received a swift and a large amount of backlash. This is just one of several instances of the commercialisation of aspects of Indigenous spirituality without recognising the heritage and history of the practices—practices that were illegal in the U.S. until the 1978 Freedom of Religion Act. And despite this, many risked punishment in order to keep their culture's practices alive.

"Many Native people have fought their whole lives to retain their culture, language, and way of life while experiencing hardships doing so," say the Cliffords. "So, to go through all of that pain just to have your ceremonies + culture taken and turned into something meaningless is what needs to be acknowledged + understood."

That being said, the Cliffords do believe it is important to share Native religious practices with non-Native people, and it's important that non-Native people do their homework before trying practices like smudging themselves. Honor the ceremony's intentions and learn the history behind it.

"We are more than willing to teach people, to show people our ways," the Cliffords say. "We are just not willing to give others the keys and have them drive away with what is ours. They have to respect that."

This content was not soley written by her calm space, and was collectively created by multiple parties, for educational reasons to provide ethical and sustainable sacred art practices for all beings

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