Yesterday, I performed my first smudging ceremony with two friends of mine from yoga teacher training. I felt it was important for me to do the smudging as I recently moved into a new home and sensed that the energy of the previous owners still lingered there. I’m not talking about sensing ghostly auras here. The previous owners left behind many items (a piano, a wicker chair, a vacuum, etc.) so their presence & energy literally continued to fill the space. While I did not want to toss the items they so generously left behind, I did need to do something that would allow me to feel as if this was now my space and not theirs.
Then I began to think…what’s the connection between smudging and yoga? Why is it that so many yogis practice smudging? It makes perfect sense to me now. The goal of both practices is detoxification & purification of the space (e.g., house, body). The result of both is peace and balance. Through smudging, we allow for negativity to move out of our space and for positivity to move in. In the same way, the practice of yoga and meditation teaches us how to train the physical and emotional body to expel any unnecessary negative energy weighing us down so that we can make room for positivity, balance, and an overall sense of calm.
Try smudging and see if it works for you. I recommend using white sage smudge sticks from Whole Foods. The smell they leave behind is wonderful.
Meditate with Maeve 