Have you ever entered into a building or someone’s home and felt that it was heavy, depressing, or too dense?
This has much more to do with than the furniture or decor. Energy follows thought. Buildings and rooms hold energy just as much and just as well as they hold physical objects. As we go through the hard knocks of everyday life, negative energies can accumulate. Space clearing is a great way to remove these stagnant, negative energies from your home, office, treatment room, or even your car!
Space clearing is a simple and powerful modality to bring in uplifting, positive, cleansing and loving energies into your environment. It has been practiced traditionally throughout all cultures of the world. Native Americans used smudging rituals for healing, cleansing one’s aura and space clearing with sage, sweetgrass and cedar. Asian traditions use gongs, bells, and incenses for space clearing. Throughout the Middle East incenses and resins have been used for centuries to cleanse a space and bring in higher energies, such as myrrh, frankincense, and copal. In South America Shamans have used Palo Santo Wood and Incense for healing, clearing, and bringing in positive energy.
There are additional methods and tools for how to do space clearing, such as using essential oils, sea salt, crystals, intention and prayer, Ho’oponopono, and Reiki to name a few. You can follow your intuition and explore different options until you find what works best for you and for the space you are clearing.
There are many times when it is beneficial to do a space clearing, such as when you move into a new office or living space, purchase a new or used car, after having arguments, and when there is illness or depression.
How to Do Space Clearing with Palo Santo
1. Clean your space!
The first step is cleaning the space physically. Leaving clutter, dust and dirt around does not help the energy flow. Start by picking up clutter, dusting, vacuuming, washing bedding, curtains, etc. and even washing the windows. Windows let light in and stagnant air out. They play a vital role in the energy of one’s home that is often over-looked.
2. Be relaxed and well grounded
Next, make sure you are relaxed, clean, calm, and well grounded. Your personal energy and intentions matter! Take a few moments to be mentally focused on releasing negative energies and bringing in positive energies. What is it you wish to manifest? What positive energies do you wish to have more of in your life?
Drink plenty of water, eat some healthy food, or do some yoga, qigong, or stretching to really get into your body. Remove any jewelry or watches. It is great to wear any crystals that you have an affinity for and use regularly for healing or doing a space clearing…
3. Get your tools ready
Have your Palo Santo and a fire-proof bowl ready. I like to use a metal bowl with sand, or a ceramic bowl with rocks to bring in the earth element. You may need 3 or more sticks of Palo Santo to do a deep cleanse on an averaged sized room. It will be easier to keep the sticks burning if you have a candle lit to re-light the sticks as needed and keep them burning for longer amounts of time.
In addition to the Palo Santo, crystals may be used for space clearing and energetic support, but are not necessary. Follow your intuition and notice what you are attracted to in order to determine which tools will work best for you. A few crystals that are beneficial for space clearings are; amethyst, black tourmaline, halite, hanksite, obsidian, and smokey quartz.
4. Invocation
Take a moment to call in your spirit guides, angels, animal totems, or divine beings of your personal faith.
5. Smudging with Palo Santo
Take a moment to smudge yourself first with the Palo Santo smoke and clear your own energy. Then begin smudging the room in a clockwise direction, stopping in every corner, (of the floor and ceiling), gently fanning the smoke around the space.
Focus on any areas that intuitively feel particularly dense or stagnant. When you are met with a dense or heavy energy, you can create a phrase or prayer of your choice, to help you stay focused on the positive intent; “Return to the source from which you came”, or “I send you to the light for your highest and best. This space is filled with love, light, and laughter”. You can choose words that resonate with you and the positive intention for the space.
For a deep cleanse, leave the lit Palo Santo sticks burning in the room for 15 to 20 minutes. (Always use extreme caution and fire safety practices by using a bowl that cannot break or burn!) If there are closets in the room, leave the closet doors open. Close all of the windows and doors for the 20 minute duration.
6. Let the fresh air in
After smudging or a 20 minute deep cleanse, open all the doors and windows to let the smoke out and fresh air in.
The benefits of space clearing are many, most notably are a sense of uplifting and joy upon entering the space, colors and details appearing brighter and more clear, pleasant aromas, improved mental clarity, focus, motivation, and emotional well being.
What are some of your favorite space clearing rituals?
Enjoy the good vibes!
Sara
