Defining Energy
Everything is energy. Energy is in a constant flow around and within us. You know the feeling when you walk into a space and something just feels off? Maybe you feel uneasy or there’s a heaviness in the air that’s hard for you to explain. Is there a particular friend or family member that leaves you feeling drained after spending time with them? What you’re feeling is energy.
The uneasy symptoms you experience during times like this are a result of your intuition telling you something or someone’s energy is off or heavy. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a place is bad or someone is bad. It could mean that particular place had a negative event take place and hasn’t been cleansed- or maybe someone you’ve been in contact with is carrying around heavy energy from a wound that hasn’t fully healed.
This page includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I trust and have personally used.
Why Energetic Cleansing is Important
Whatever the situation may be, that energy can become attached to you and ultimately your space. Because everything is energy and energy is everywhere we’re in this constant dance with the flow of energy that surrounds us. If we aren’t self-aware energetically we can mesh together to absorb everything we consume and interact with throughout the day. Ever notice how you feel after interacting with a particularly negative person, or reading heavy news articles. It can consume you and ruin your day sometimes, right?
Cleansing your energy and the energy of your space is like taking an energetic bath and constructing a force field of protection at the same time. When you cleanse your personal energy you’re also helping others. Everyone carries around darker energy at times. Cleansing your energy is a responsible way to ensure whatever heavy energy you may be carrying doesn’t attach to someone else.
What Should I Cleanse?
Your intuition is going to play a big role when preforming a cleanse. When cleansing your body really listen to your intuition about what areas might need more attention. Maybe you’ve had to shake a lot of hands a work lately. Perhaps you’ve have to have a difficult conversation. In this case I would focus on the hands and throat a bit more. Do what feels right for you.
Be courteous when it comes to cleansing other people in your home. Politely explain what a cleanse is if they aren’t aware, and ask before bombarding their energy with a sound bowl or smoke. If they decline on the cleanse you can simply say a silent prayer that loving, peaceful energy surround them and guide them throughout their day.
Take note of how certain places in your life make you feel. Where do you spend the most time? Where you spend the most time will often be where you need to cleanse. I recommend your home, car, and office when it comes to cleansing spaces. Though I wouldn’t recommend walking through your office building with a prayer candle and a bundle of burning herbs (your boss might not be too thrilled). There are other ways to cleanse in public spaces that we’ll discuss later.
How to Preform an Energy Cleanse
There are many ways to preform a cleanse. Some dating back thousands of years. Use your intuition to decipher which method feels right for you. While you can work to perfect these methods of energy cleansing, the most important aspect of a cleanse is intention.
Before beginning any cleanse whether it be on yourself or your space, close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, and set an intention for the cleanse you are about to preform. Energy work is all about respect and intention. Without these two your cleanse will be less effective, and merely superficial.
Cleansing With Smoke
Cleansing with the smoke of herbs, incense, and resin is one of the more well known methods of energy cleansing. This method dates back thousands of years to many Indigenous and Aboriginal peoples.
When cleansing with smoke always use fire precautions. Light your herbs, resins, or incense and let the smoke guide you. Open windows and doors to allow any heavy energy to leave the space. Walk the space and use a feather to move the smoke throughout each room. I personally like to use a feather I’ve found in nature to ensure ethical practice.
If you’re smudging yourself or someone else, move the smoke around the body making sure not to forget the area above your head (crown). If there are certain areas of the body you’d like to focus on stay there for a second and set an intention for that area.
Smudging Herbs
Certain herbs like white sage and palo santo that are sacred to Indigenous peoples are being overharvested and the possibility of becoming endangered is very high. This is all due to the high demands from toxic and trendy spiritual consumerism.
There are so many other herbs you can use for smudge bundles. If you do so choose to use white sage or palo santo please make sure you are buying from a sustainably harvested source- one that preferably comes directly from a business owned by an Indigenous person. It’s also very important to give respect and gratitude to these sacred plants.
If you’re a gardener you can grow your own herbs like rosemary, lavender and garden sage. After harvesting, hang them to dry and bundle them together before wrapping with a string. If you’re not into gardening you can find plenty of gardeners on Etsy who grow and bundle their own smudging herbs.
Herbs to use other than white sage & palo santo:
- Rosemary
- Garden Sage/ Common Sage
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
- Eucalyptus
- Cedar
- Mint
- Bay Leaves
- Rose Buds
- Cinnamon Sticks
Burning Resins
Resins have been used since biblical times for healing and cleansing. Plant resin is derived from the sap of trees. They are like the essence of a plant that’s been crystalized.
Working with resin is a bit different than herbs. Because resin needs to have a much higher heat to burn. You’ll need a resin burner made from brass or cast iron and charcoal tablets to properly burn resin.
Types of resin for cleansing:
- Frankincense
- Myrrh
- Copal
- Pinion Pine
- Benzoin
- Dragon’s Blood
- Amber
Burning Incense
If smidge sticks and resins seem too out of your comfort zone you can smoke cleanse with incense. Using incense to cleanse your space is a little easier than the two methods above. Light your incense of choice and set an intention for clearing any heavy or dark energy. You can choose to walk around your space with a lit stick or light a stick for each large room in your space.
Using incense is a good way to preform a daily cleanse of your space. I usually light an incense or two in the afternoon to clear anything from the day. I also like to light one in the morning right after waking up with a quick prayer of gratitude for the day ahead.
Cleansing With Essential Oils
Using essential oils for an energetic cleanse is much like using smoke. If you are someone who has a sensitivity to smoke, essential oils are a great alternative. You can simply diffuse cleansing oils like rosemary, lavender, frankincense, and myrrh in the air. Always make sure you’re using high quality oils to ensure safety and sustainable harvesting. I use Eden’s Garden Meditation Blend or Frankincense & Myrrh Blend to cleanse my home and body.
To cleanse your body with essential oils you can place a few drops in your bath and envision the water washing away any heavy energy from the day. For energetic protection throughout the day I like to carry a bottle of the above blends and place them on my wrists and the back of my neck as needed through the day. If you have sensitive skin make sure to mix essential oils with a carrier oil before placing on the skin to avoid irritation.
Essential oils are also an incredible way to cleanse the space of your office. Your boss will probably just think you have a new great smelling air freshener.
Cleansing With Sound
Sound is made up of vibrations. Certain pitches can be used to breakup and cleanse energy in the body and in a space. Think of how you feel after listening to a positive song when you’re having a bad day.
Sound has been used for centuries to cleanse and heal the body. The use of drums, chimes, singing bowls and bells are popular tools for cleansing rituals. Cleansing sound baths are incredible meditations for cleanings emotional energy. You can listen to one of my free sound baths on Insight Timer.
To cleanse your space with sound you simply walk through each area of your space ringing a chime, bell, or singing bowl. Make sure to open a window so any heavy built up energy can move out.
Cleansing With Candles
Prayer candles have been used in many religious ceremonies for centuries. You can use a white candle to light your smudge bundles or incense for cleansing. You can also use a white candle alone for cleansing. When burning prayer candles for cleansing I like to sit quietly in the room and visualize a radiant bright light filling the entire space. This is a sort of visualization meditation.
Cleansing Prayer
No matter your method of cleansing, I encourage you to create a cleansing prayer for your ritual. If you aren’t religious you can create an affirmation around your intention. This prayer can be silent, whispered, or spoken as you walk throughout your space.
During times throughout the day where you may need a quick cleanse you can simply take a few breathes, recite your cleansing prayer, and envision a vibrant light surrounding your body.
How Often Should You Cleanse?
Again, your intuition will come into play here. Most people who work with energy suggest cleansing your space once a week to once a month. If you regularly have guests over it’s a good idea to cleanse when your company leaves.
Maintaining Energy Wellness
Movement
Maintaining energy wellness on a daily basis is an important part of spiritual hygiene. Exercises like yoga, running, walking and dancing can help to keep energy vibrant. Working out helps to breakup energy blockages and move stagnant energy.
Nutrition
Since energy is also in the food we consume it’s important to eat a balanced diet full of rich and brightly colored fruits and vegetables. The standard American diet contains a lot of highly processed foods pumped full of preservatives. Many of these foods are simply food-like products that lack in nutrients. Real food is from the earth and full of vibrant energy to help maintain wellness.
Crystals
Because crystals vibrate at such a high frequency, carrying or wearing crystals is another way to balance energy in between cleansing. My favorite stones to cleanse and protect energy daily are clear quartz, smokey quartz, and onyx.
Cultivating awareness around the things we consume physically, emotionally, and mentally can help us maintain energy wellness. Minimizing consumption of the tv, media, music, and food that makes you feel drained is the best way to protect your energy and stay balanced.
