Knowing what to say when smudging yourself can be just as important as the smudging process itself. Saying something when smudging has great importance as it helps to set your intention and focus the energy. It can also be a way of expressing gratitude for its healing power, as well as any other aspirations that you may have. Putting positive affirmations into words or using words from an ancient language can add to the ritual’s power and help to create sacred space. Saying something aloud when smudging can also serve as an affirmation for you personally, allowing you to take part in this spiritual practice more actively.
What is Smudging and How Does it Work?
Smudging is an ancient spiritual practice that has been around for centuries and remains popular to this day. It involves burning certain herbs, plants, or a smudge stick to create a fragrant smoke from a sacred plant which is then used to cleanse a space of negative energies and ward off any negative influences.
Traditionally indigenous people used essential oils and plants to create a powerful smudging stick. The indigenous cultures of North America used four different herbs to create a powerful blend for smudging: white sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and juniper during this ancient ceremony. The sacred herb white sage is the most common herb and is used to purify and cleanse a space, cedar for protection, sweet grass for blessings, and juniper for healing. Native Americans believed that the sacred smoke from these herbs could help create a powerful connection between the physical and spiritual realms.
The primary goal of smudging is to bring peace, clarity, and balance back into your life. This form of energy healing can be used in many different ways and is believed to be very powerful and effective at cleansing an environment. While these simple steps are easy to understand, incorporating a smudging prayer into your smudging rituals can bring about even more profound benefits and results.
When To Smudge
Here are some occasions when a smudging ritual is beneficial:
- Before a ceremony or ritual
- When moving into a new home, or for the purpose of purifying existing space
- Before and after visitors arrive at your home
- After a heated argument, or to clear away negative energies in the air
- Before embarking on a journey or when trying to break a bad habit
- Before meditation, yoga, or other spiritual practice
- When bad energy has been present or in the case of illness
- If your physical body or emotional state has been under strain
The health benefits of smudging are also being studied and many people believe that it can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
How to Perform a Smudging Ceremony
If it is your first time smudging, here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform this ancient spiritual ritual. You will need the following items in order to smudge perform this ancient practice:
- Dried herbs or plants (most common herbs in a smudge bundle are sage, cedar, sweetgrass, copal)
- Matches or a lighter
- An abalone shell or fireproof container
- A feather (optional)
Before you start, the first step is to take a few deep breaths and set a clear intention. Think about what you want from the sacred ceremony. Light one of the matches and use it to set the dried herbs on fire. Once they are smoking, blow out the flame so that only smoke is coming from them. You might need to relight the bundle a few times during the ritual if it goes out.
Now that your herbs are burning, walk around each room in a clockwise direction holding your sage bundle or burning herbs at a 45-degree angle. In a mindful manner, imagine any negative energies being pushed away from you. At doorways and windows, pause for a moment so that no negativity escapes when you clear it out of your home or office space. While you are doing this, be sure to open windows so that any unwanted energies can be released outside into nature. Say a blessing, prayer, or anything else that feels natural and spiritually meaningful to you as you go.
After you have smudged the whole space, let the herbs burn out in a safe container. Thank the energy of the herbs and ask it to only leave good vibes behind. When done, extinguish your bundle’s ashes by pressing them into an ashtray or heatproof dish with another item such as sea salt; dispose of these ashes afterward in accordance with local regulations
Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Smudging
What To Say When Smudging Yourself
During smudging, there are a variety of things that can be said such as prayers, mantras, affirmations, and other spiritual teachings.
- Prayers are usually simple requests to higher powers for protection, guidance, or healing.
- Mantras are often repeated words in a foreign language that carry powerful meanings. Affirmations are short positive statements about yourself or the universe which help to create change in your life.
- Other spiritual teachings may also be used during the smudging ritual depending on its purpose and your own beliefs.
Depending on the intention of your smudging ritual and your individual spiritual convictions, the words you choose to recite will vary greatly.
If you want to remove negative energy from yourself…
Prayers or mantras work well because they help to direct the unwanted energy away from yourself and into a higher power.
If you want to manifest something positive for yourself…
Affirmations work well because they are short, positive statements that can be repeated often to focus and direct the energy in a particular direction.
If you want to strengthen your connection with the spiritual realm…
Mantras are great for this as they can help to open up the energy channels and allow you to access spiritual energies more easily.
No matter what words you choose, it’s important that they come from a place of sincerity and truth. It is also essential that you say your chosen words with conviction in order for them to be effective. The most important aspect of smudging is that you believe in the power of your words.
You may also find interest in:
- A Beginners Guide To Smudging
- How To Make Your Own Smudge Sticks
- 15 Simple Smudging Prayers to Purify and Protect Your Home
- 21 Smudging Prayers To Remove Negative Energy From Home
Whether you practice a certain faith or have adopted a more abstract spiritual outlook, allowing yourself to reach out for help from divine sources through prayer can provide an invaluable connection. When smudging yourself, the words used are entirely up to you – take advantage of this opportunity and speak openly with your chosen god or spiritual source. To help you get started smudging, here are 21 statements that you can use when smudging yourself:
Prayers To Say When Smudging Yourself
1. I ask the Universe to take away all negativity from my life and allow me to be filled with positivity and light. I am thankful for this cleansing ritual and all of its healing powers.
2. Dear Universe, please cleanse my energy of all negativity and help me to find balance. May I be surrounded by light and love that brings me peace.
3. I send out blessings and intentions of love, peace, and harmony. I ask that any negative energies trapped in my body, mind, or spirit be released and replaced with lightness and positivity.
4. May this smudging ritual clear my mind and body of all that is not serving me and erase the imprints from any energetic trauma.
5. I ask for healing and protection from any negative energies that may be lingering in my body and space.
6. May the cleansing smoke of this smudging ritual protect me from harm and fill my life with love, joy, peace, and prosperity.
7. I release all that does not serve me so that I can open space up to new beginnings filled with divine grace and abundance.
8. I clear my energy of any blocks, pain, or anger and replace it with love, joy, and peace.
9. I ask that my spirit be cleansed and purified so that the light within me can shine brightly to all who encounter me.
10. May this smudging ritual bring healing to my body, mind, and soul so that I can live in harmony with myself and the world around me.
11. I ask for blessings and guidance to help me make decisions that are for my highest good.
12. Dear Universe, please take away all negative energies from my life and replace them with divine love and light.
13. May the smoke of this smudging ritual bring me peace and clarity in times of confusion.
14. I call on the elements of Nature to cleanse my energy of any blocks or stagnant energy so that I can move forward with ease.
15. As I smudge myself, I open up to new possibilities filled with abundance, joy, and prosperity.
16. I release any fears or worries that are preventing me from finding inner peace and trust in the universe’s plan for me.
17. I ask for a shield of protection from any negative energies that may be affecting me and my loved ones.
18. As I smudge myself, I ask for divine guidance to help me find clarity and focus in my life.
19. May the smoke of this smudging ritual bring me to balance and harmony on every level of my being so that I can live with integrity and purpose.
20. I call upon the light within me to shine brightly as a beacon of hope for all those around me who are struggling or in need.
Mantras To Say When Smudging Yourself
21. Om Namah Shivaya – “I bow to Shiva” (A Hindu mantra)
22. Om Mani Padme Hum – “Hail the jewel in the lotus” (A Buddhist mantra)
23. Om Ah Hum – “I am connected to the Universe” (A Tibetan mantra)
24. Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha – “Salutations to Lord Ganesha who removes obstacles” (A Hindu mantra)
25. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti – “Peace, peace, peace” (A Sanskrit mantra)
26. Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo – “I bow to the creative wisdom within me and all around me” (A Kundalini yoga mantra)
27. God is love with me – (A Christian mantra)
28. I am safe and protected at all times – (A Universal mantra)
29. Om Dum Durgayei Namaha – “Salutations to the Divine Mother of protection and grace” (A Hindu mantra)
30. Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha – “May I be liberated from suffering, obstacles, and confusion” (A Tibetan mantra)
31. May I be filled with divine light and love – (A Universal mantra)
32. All is well in my world – (A Universal mantra)
33. Om Hraum Mitraya Namaha – “Salutations to the friend of all beings” (A Hindu mantra)
34. I am connected to the higher power within me – (A Universal mantra)
35. May divine blessings flow through me into this world – (A Universal mantra)
36. Om Namo Narayanaya – “Salutations to the Lord of compassion and love” (A Hindu mantra)
37. Om Sri Rama Jaya Rama – “Victory to Rama, the embodiment of all virtues” (A Hindu mantra)
38. I am strong and powerful – (A Universal Mantra)
39. May I be open to unlimited joy and abundance – (A Universal Mantra)
40. Om Aim Saraswatiyei Namaha – “Salutations to the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom” (A Hindu Mantra)
Affirmations To Say When Smudging Yourself
41. I am surrounded by love and light, which brings me joy and peace.
42. I am filled with positive energy that radiates to all around me.
43. My aura is bright and beautiful, inviting in only positive energies.
44. I am protected by angels and divine beings who keep me safe and secure.
45. Every day I affirm my own power to create the life of my dreams.
46. I fill myself with love and acceptance, allowing my true self to shine through with confidence and strength.
47. My soul is pure, radiant, healed, strong, and empowered.
48. I forgive myself for all my past mistakes and release any self-doubt that may be holding me back.
49. I am connected to the divine source of power, which guides me on my journey.
50. I let go of any pain or suffering from the past and move forward in peace and joy.
51. My inner spirit is strong, resilient, and unlimited in its potential for growth and expansion.
52. All of my actions are guided by truth, compassion, and understanding for everyone around me.
53. I accept who I am without judgment or expectation so that I can live to my fullest potential each day.
54. My presence brings healing energy to those around me and makes a positive impact in the world.
55. I am free to be my true self, to express my creativity, and to explore all of life’s possibilities joyfully.
56. I attract only those things that are for my highest good into my life.
57. I open myself up to receive love and guidance from the divine intelligence that surrounds me always.
58. Every breath brings me closer to higher consciousness, understanding, balance, and peace of mind.
59. I am in harmony with the Universe – every thought and action radiates outwards in a ripple effect of positivity and healing energy.
60. May this smudging ritual bring me clarity, focus, insight, and strength as I move forward in life.
Final Thoughts
When smudging, it is important to maintain a mindful and positive attitude. These affirmations can help you stay focused on the moment while connecting with your inner spirit. During the practice of smudging, with each breath, let go of any stress or anxiety and be in harmony with yourself and the universe around you. Smudging yourself can be an incredibly powerful practice for self-reflection and healing. Give yourself some time and space to connect deeply with your true self and reignite your passion for life.