I hope that you are fully enjoying your Spring cleaning, both in your home and work space as well as for your body. I have already written about spring cleaning your body (and I’m still super excited that I did the Blessed Herb cleanse), and now  I want to share a few helpful ideas on how to clear out old, musty, dense and/or negative energy from your home, office and any other space that you occupy during the day.

Have you heard of smudging? Smudging involves burning herbs to cleanse the environment of negative or unwanted energy. The herbs commonly used are sage (to drive out bad spirits), cedar (for purification and prayer), or sweetgrass (used afterwards to bring in good spirits). You can either grow your own herbs and burn them, or purchase them at natural food or metaphysical stores. If the herbs are wrapped in a bundle, you can simply light the end and let it smolder and smoke. Then walk throughout the space you desire to cleanse and let the smoke seep into all corners (and don’t forget closets). Say a little prayer or set an intention for cleansing as you smudge the space. I especially like to wave the smoke around doorways and windows (where energy from the outside can enter). Or you can snip off a piece of the herb and place it in a fire-safe bowl or abalone shell. After lighting the herb, use your hands or a feather to waft the smoke over you and around the space you wish to clear. Most people will notice an immediate change in the energy.

I smudge my house a few times a year, or after a person with negative energy or a negative situation enters a space. I also smudge new work spaces. I do this especially in the Spring when I can open the windows and let the stagnant energy and smudge smoke escape through the windows. When my dear cat Sammy passed away on February 24^th, the energy in the room where he passed was deeply melancholy. I smudge the space heavily a few days later to lift the melancholy and allow Sammy’s pure spirit to reside in the space and it really made a difference.

When you burn herbs to smudge, it will leave a smoky scent behind for an hour or so (less if you can open a window). So if you are not fond of the scent or do not want smoke left behind in a work space (causing rumors of what you might be smoking!!), I recommend Smudge in Spray. Created by Margaret Ann Lembo with The Crystal Garden, this is a spray that you can use to clear negative energy and replace it with love, light and well-being. I use this spray in my work space everyday and I really do feel a difference. I also spritz myself each morning.

Another method to clear out negative energy is with sound. Bells, chimes (wind chimes or Tingshas Tibetan chimes), singing bowls (Crystalsinging bowls, Tibetan signing bowls), drumming, rattles send off a high vibration and will clear a room of lower energy. When you are clearing a space of energy through sound, remember to send sound into corners and closets where stagnant and old energy likes to linger. Placing high-vibration crystals around a space, such as Celestite, Danburite, Elestial Quartz, Moldavite, or Selenite, will also help to clear out old energy.

So as you continue your Spring cleaning, give your home, office and your body a good dose of smudging or sound cleaning and you will immediately notice that the air and energy around you feels lighter and more joyful. Happy Good Friday and Passover!