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mood and cognition, repel insects, and even help with insomnia. 3 No matter what herb you choose, this is a powerful cleansing tradition and technique that utilizes the medicinal properties of plants to deflect and deter acquired energy, and aid in restoring feelings of balance to an individual, a group, a space, or all three. How to Smudge 1. Gather your supplies: • A vessel for burning herbs, like a nonflammable small bowl, ashtray, or shell • An herb bundle or stick (white sage, palo santo, and sweet grass are among our favorites) • A match or lighter • A fanning tool (optional; for example, your hand, a fan, or a feather) 2. Set and say your intention. We often use the affirmation, "I release any energy that does not belong to me. Send it back to its source [and with an emphatic deep breath, we exhale] NOW!" Another simpler version might sound like, "I let go and release what no longer serves me" or "And that's over!" or generate any other intention that resonates with you. 3. Use your match or lighter to light the bundle or stick at a 45-degree angle and let it burn for about 20 seconds. Gently blow out the flame so you see orange embers on one end and get the herb to smoke. 4. Sage yourself. Waft the smoke toward your belly, head, heart, or any area that could use some TLC with your fanning tool while repeating your intention. 5. Repeat your intentions. Do this several times until you feel a shift in your body, mind, and heart. L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 21 Epsom Salt Bath Epsom salts have been used as a home remedy for hundreds of years to ease all kinds of aches, pains, and skin troubles. Epsom salts come from a naturally occurring mineral spring in Surrey, England, known for its compound of magnesium and sulfate. To create a nice Epsom salt bath: • Put 1 cup of Epsom salt into a bathtub (or half that for a foot bath). If you like, include several drops of your favorite essential oil, and for further detoxing benefit add 1 cup of baking soda. • Fill with hot water and soak away worries, tensions, and the accumulated stress from the day. As you fill your tub or foot bath and add your salts of choice, state your intention several times. • Soak for at least 15–20 minutes. Some of the body sensations we feel that let us know the smudging is complete present as feeling goosebumps, expanding into a relaxing yawn, belching up a burp, or noticing our breathing pace slows. Imagine the smoke lifting away any thoughts, emotions, or energies that feel dense, restrictive, or burdensome, or that are bogging you down. CLEANSE WITH SALT CRYSTALS Salt crystals like Himalayan, Dead Sea, or Epsom salts anecdotally can protect, cleanse, and recharge our energy. In traditional African spiritual communities, salt has been used to absorb and repel unwanted energy. If you're lucky enough to live near a warm ocean, get yourself into the water on a regular basis. If that's not an option, depending on how much time you have, try a daily salt scrub in the shower or a salt bath for the whole body (or just your feet). ENERGY HYGIENE Every day we interact with a myriad of energies—from the foods we eat, the thoughts we think, the emotions we feel, and the people we touch. Some of these energies come from us and some are picked up from other people, places, and things. MONSTERA/PEXELS.COM