The Difficulties With Traditional Smudging

For most people, smudging means clearing energy with traditional dried-herb smudge sticks or smoldering resins. (For more on What is Smudging, link to my blog post.) Unfortunately, these common practices are associated with some health risks and discomfort due to the associated smoke. As smudging grows in popularity, so does the need for smoke-free smudges for people with respiratory conditions and allergies to smoke. Fortunately, there are some excellent smoke-free smudge options. Here will look at three wonderful alternatives.

For more on traditional and new plant-based methods of smudging, see my eBook Clearing Energy With Smudging).

3 Smoke-Free Smudges

Plants and their healing properties are the foundational ingredients of most smudging because they have so many different potent healing and energetic properties.

Depending on your preferences and needs, you can choose among these three easy alternative options to smokey methods.

1. Essential Oil Diffusion
2. Liquid Smudge Spray
3. Sound

1. Smoke-Free Essential Oils Diffusion

Essential oils are a good alternative to smudge sticks and incense. You can control scent intensity if you use just a few drops, e.g., only 3-4 drops for a 12 ft x 12 ft room. When working with energy less is best.

When essential oils are diffused, the plant material isn’t burnt, hence there’s less health risk. Even people with perfume allergies, like myself, can use natural quality essential oils without irritation or discomfort. In fact, as compared to dried-plant smudges, much more of the plant’s beautiful and unique scent is captured in the oil.

Most common smudge plant species such as white sage (Salvia apiana) and sagebrush (Artemisia californica) are available as essential oils. Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) is an exception because it doesn’t yield oil. In fact, there are hundreds of plant species available in the form of oils, which means plenty of opportunities to incorporate many additional spiritual and healing properties and design your own special blends.

Many diffusers depend on candles for heat and mood, which does introduce a fire hazard. However, there are so many varieties of nebulizers and electric diffusers, eliminating that risk.

2. Liquid Smudge

Liquid smudge is just a smudge that can be sprayed like mist, but it’s smoke free. The best liquid smudge is made from hydrosols, the water-based by-product of distillation. These by-products are different from floral water or mixing essential oils in water. They possess more vibrational and healing properties.

The scent is extremely light and short-lasting. The mist dissipates quickly and becomes almost imperceptible a few minutes after application. Yet, the highly vibrational and energetic properties linger much longer than the scent. Given these characteristics, they’re ideal for healing centers or practitioners who see clients one after the other.

To apply the liquid smudge, use just two or three squirts and move the smudge around the space or person with a fan, feather, hand, or some other object of choice. Since there’s no fire involved, there’s no threat of fire.

Some Additional Intentions Available With  Oil and Hydrosols Smudge

Many ancient and traditional cultures also used smudge to disinfect and fumigate. It was also diffused to welcome guests, call in guides, and make a spiritual connection.

To purify and disinfect a space, add plants with antiseptic properties such as clove (Eugenia caryophyllata), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata), and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).

To expand the energy field and raise the vibration consider using frankincense (Boswellia cateri), myrrh (ommiphora myrrha), or basil (Ocimum basilicum).

3.

Smoke-Free Sound Smudge

Rattles, drums, and singing bowls produce sound, which is vibration. The vibration can also serve as a form of smudging. Rattles and drums break up and clear energy, particularly dense or heavy energy. They can clear a space or a person’s aura and other energy aspects. To clear a space simply move through it while rattling or drumming.

Singing bowls can create clearing vibrational tones as well as entrain a person’s energy to a particular soothing or healing vibration.

How Do You Know It’s Time To Smudge

Energy is natural and everywhere. In fact, everything is made of energy. It flows in and around everything, including our bodies.

What Is Clear, Clean Energy Like

An energetically clear space is clean, light, bright, spacious, and refreshing. It feels calm, uncluttered, and balanced.

Clear, flowing, open energy provides a supportive atmosphere for work and interactions with others. Communication is easier and more fluid. There’s less distraction, resistance, and suspicion, and more cooperation and harmony.

Energy Can Accumulate and Create Harm

While some energy can be harmful, and even life-threatening, most negative energy is more like noise: unsettling and distracting.

For example, maybe you’ve had lingering bad feelings or thoughts associated with an uncomfortable interaction or experience at work or at home. Or, maybe you walked into a room and immediately knew, without one word uttered, that something was wrong. It felt icky.

Although energetic “noise” is somewhat innocuous at first, it tends to accumulate and become more disruptive, disturbing, and worrisome. It can generate a somewhat nagging or clawing atmosphere where negative patterns and events seem to multiply or replay over and over again.

Persistent negative energy can eventually create imbalance and even dis-ease. Its effects can become noticeably problematic and harmful. For example, it can induce chronic stress and any of the associated symptoms like irritability, headaches, anxiety, depression, etc.

That’s why it’s a good idea to periodically clear your space before it gets to the point that it has “bad vibes” or even worse, some unhealthy consequences.

For more information on Smoke-Free Smudges, See:

See my eBook Clearing Energy With Smudging. It’s informative and provides an extensive list of common smudging plants.

Join one of my virtual and in-person personal growth, natural healing, and wellness workshops, in particular “Smudging For Creating A Clear and Protected Space,” and Essential Oils for Energy Clearing And Spiritual Healing.” Check my Eventbrite page for scheduled events.:

Additional blog posts on smudging and clearing:

• Juniper Berry in Smudge Creates a Positive and Protected Space
• 3 Ways Clearing Your Energy Can Shift Your Mood
• How to Clear Your Energy, Gain Clarity, and Create Flow
• 4 Ways to Clear Negative Energy
• Clearing Negative Office Energy
• Releasing Limiting Beliefs
• Relax, Ground, and Clear the Mind Guided Meditation

Or, Contact Me