Hey, Curlies!
Some time ago I talked about meditating and how overall, it has helped make me a happier person. This was a piece of content that I honestly was worried about. While meditation fits under our Healthy Living section, it was also a topic very different than my norm.
You know what happened after the blog post and podcast episode were published? They blew up!
People wanted to know more about mediation and specifically why I use sage during this ritual. So, here we are!
Just to recap a little, I try to meditate at least twice per week. I notice when I do, I feel much calmer and am able to better handle the obstacles life throws my way.
Typically, the session begins with me lighting a sage bunch (also known as a smudging stick) and letting it burn around my house. You can see a photo above.
So why sage?
Sage is an aromatic herb with many uses. Some people use it to cook and for cleansing. Burning sage is one of the oldest ancient methods of cleansing a space, person or group of negative energy. Many cultures around the world hold sage burning ceremonies.
Normally when people want to calm themselves, they burn something that smells good, like a candle or incense stick. Sage is actually the opposite. It doesn’t smell as great but comes with cleansing properties.
When would you want to burn sage?
You can light sage to cleanse a room where something unpleasant happened – maybe an argument that you want to move past. Many people burn sage right before they move into a new home or apartment to cleanse the air. High traffic areas around the home are also good places. Any place with negative energy.
In my case, I use sage to cleanse the room where I’m meditating.
How to burn sage
If you’ve lit an incense before, burning sage will be similar except one big thing to remember – Intention. You must have an intention set of why you are burning the sage before you start the flame. This is very important.
It could be because you want to cleanse the room of all bad energy and emotions before you meditate. It could also be because your kid threw a temper tantrum in the bathroom last night and you don’t want that negative energy to latch on to anyone else who may enter that room.
- Set your intention
- Place the sage into a heatproof bowl
- Add a flame to your sage
- Blow out the flame once the herb starts to burn
- You’re left with light smoke as the herb continues to burn
- Once done, burn an incense for a more pleasant smell (optional)
What type of sage should you burn?
Typically, people use white sage but you are welcome to use sage from a garden – just make sure it’s dried.
You can find sage in many health food stores and online. I got three smudging sticks from Whole Foods for about $5. I would avoid Amazon as many of the sage sold isn’t high quality and won’t do the trick.
When I burn sage while meditating, the smell reminds me that I’m “getting rid of bad energy, and welcoming positive energy.”
You can listen to the Curly Conversations Podcast episode on meditation below:
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