Help You Get A Good Nights Sleep
It makes sense that if your bedroom is charged with negative energy, it will disrupt your sleep. Many people find relief from occasional insomnia by using sage in their room before bedtime. After the sage embers have died into cool ash, the smoke lingers in a soothing perfume that can help you relax, fall asleep, and awaken refreshed.
May Dispel Residual Negativity Of The Past
Have you ever walked into a room that youve never visited before and felt a heaviness you couldnt explain? Some spiritual practitioners believe that apartments, houses, and even land can harbor negative energy from past traumatic events. Maybe youve experienced trauma or other negative experiences, and it still lingers in your shadow.
Burning sage in this spiritually heavy room may dispel residual negativity and replace it with a positive glow. Along with the smudge, the ceremony must come to the positive intentions and affirmations that your cleansing ceremony will work to your good. It may be a tool to cleanse your heart and spirit from past hurts and open your eyes to the beauty of the present.
Bundles Using Other Herbs And Plants
Most non-poisonous herbs can be dried and bundled just like white sage, and used for cleansing in much the same way. This includes other varieties of sage which are not endangered, like cooking sage.
If you are inclined to grow an herb garden, it may be worth your while to grow herbs you want to use to make your own bundles. Many herbs, like rosemary and thyme, can even do double-duty for cooking, smoke cleansing, and other assorted magical uses.
Making the bundles is simple. You just gather the herbs and plants you want to use, and tie them into a tight bundle using cotton, hemp, or linen string or twine. Do not use synthetic string, or when you burn your bundle it will melt and give off noxious smoke you do not want to breath. Dry it out by setting or hanging your bundle somewhere warm and dry, putting it in your dehydrator if you have one, or popping it in your oven on low for a day or so. When it has dried completely, it is ready to use.
If you do not want to make your own, bundles using alternate plants have become easier to find in recent years. Many occult shops, online sellers, and even organic grocery stores will carry some options other than white sage. Truly ethical shops not associated with a native tribe will only sell alternatives to white sage. You can also look for local or online independent crafters who are making and selling bundles from their own gardens.
Don’t Miss: Allergic Reaction To Pine Nuts
What Should You Do After Burning The Sage
Make sure that the sage bundle is completely extinguished and that no twigs are left to burn. You can then store it in a safe, dry place.
The ritual of burning sage is safe, but remember to be careful when the bundle is lit and open a window when the smoke is abundant, as inhaling it can be harmful to your health.
What Is White Sage
White sage is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in the world of natural healing. It belongs to the family of the Lamiaceae and in many cultures, it has been considered sacred for hundreds of years thanks to its many properties. It grows mainly in Mexico and the south-west of the United States, in California.
Recommended Reading: Can Allergies Make You Throw Up
What Are The Health Benefits Of Sage Top 6 Sage Benefits
1. Helps with Alzheimers and Dementia Symptoms
Traditional medicine has long recommended common sage , Spanish sage and Chinese sage to treat declining mental functions and memory loss associated with conditions such as Alzheimers disease. Researchers from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at theUniversity of Otago in New Zealand conducted clinical trials using the extract of Spanish sage. In vivo and participant studies using both rats and humans with Alzheimers were examined, and in a study in healthy volunteers essential oil administration produced significant effects on cognition. Participants in the study experienced a reduction in neuropsychiatric symptoms and an overall increase in mental attention. This lends credence to the claim that sage benefits include its ability to help improve mental capacities associated with dementia and Alzheimers disease.
2. Treats Diabetes Symptoms
3. Balances Cholesterol
4. Combats Obesity
5. Treats Menopausal Symptoms
Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, nighttime sweating and occasional palpitations. These symptoms arise from hormonal imbalances, namely lowered estrogen levels.
6. Anti-Diarrheal Activity
Types Of Sage + Sage Vs Clary Sage
Sage has many different varieties and cultivars. In total, there are more than 500 different types of sage. Some of these varieties produce different colored leaves, different shaped or colored flowers, or a different flavor. Common sage varietals include:
- Golden Sage
- Dwarf Sage
- Greek Sage
One common question is the distinction between common sage and clary sage. Both types of sage are often found as essential oils and used in aromatherapy practices. However, their chemical components are quite different.
Clary sage oil is made from the buds and he leaves of the clary sage plant . Common sage essential oil is primarily composed of ketones, whereas clary sage is composed of esters. In effect, this means that common sage oil is more reactive than clary sage oil.
Related: Red Sage: A TCM Herb that Boosts Heart Health & More
Don’t Miss: Can You Develop Allergies As An Adult
Is Burning Sagesafe For Dogs
Using sage in your dogs food is one thing, burning it is entirely another.
Unfortunately, smoke of any kind is generally harmful to dogs. When burning sage to remove the energy out, people often open the doors and windows. This is fine for the most part.
However, if you are doing it for the scent, the smoke can rise to toxic levels. This can irritate your dogs lungs. If he has a pre-existing respiratory illness such as bronchitis and asthma, the smoke may irritate his system.
Although rare, too much smoke can also build up in a dogs ears and lead to an infection. This is especially true for dog breeds with floppy ears.
Besides, smoke can damage a dogs sense of smell. Ideally, a dog has a very sensitive sense of smell, which may get damaged when over-stimulated.
When all is said and done, sage is beneficial for dogs. However, when smudging, you might want to keep the smoke away from your pup.
In other words, it is only safe to burn sage around your dog in an open area that is well ventilated.
And simply use some common sense while at it. For instance, if the smoke is somehow irritating to you or your family members, it is also very likely to irritate or even harm your dog.
Whats more, if your dog starts sneezing or having watery eyes, quickly move him to a well-ventilated room.
How Exactly Does Sage Cleanse Negative Energy
According to Hanekamp, the power of sage comes from its spirit. Since sage is a plant, it like all living thingshas a spirit, and sage perfectly embodies its name by offering a wise, protective energy to the world.
“Sage shifts us into a place of awareness that comes from wisdom, paying attention, knowing, and resetting ourselves, ultimately bringing ourselves more into the present moment,” Hanekamp explains. “That way, negative energy cant attach itself to us because theres nowhere for the negative energy to go around us. So it kind of has to go out the window.”
And you can agreethat’s the only place negative energy needs to be.
Read Also: Does A Gluten Allergy Cause A Rash
Is It Safe To Burn Sage
Breathing in smoke carries some possible risks, Fleg says. Although researchers haven’t studied sage burning specifically, burning incense has been linked to lung problems and allergies.
As long as you burn sage for only short periods of time, it’s unlikely to cause problems, Fleg adds. But if you have asthma or other lung problems, check with your doctor before using it.
When Yeager has a patient with lung problems, she won’t burn sage with the person in the room. “I might sage the room prior to them getting there to make sure it’s not smoky, or I might not use it at all,” she says. Sage essential oils are an alternative when burning the herb might not be safe.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said a study had shown that burning sage could remove bacteria from the air in a room. That study, however, was of an Indian mixture of dried herbs, roots and leaves that does not include sage.
How To Prepare For A Smudge
Before burning sage, some recommend setting intentions if smudging for spiritual, energetic, and negativity clearing purposes. Remove animals or people from the room.
Its also important to leave a window open before, during, and after smudging. This allows smoke to escape.
Some believe smoke also takes impurities and negative energy with it so dont skip this step.
You May Like: Does A Gluten Allergy Cause A Rash
Faqs About Burning Sage
If you make your own coffee in the morning, chances are youre only making the same boring kind everyday. Now its time to put an end to the cynical habit and turn you into an instant coffee connoisseur.
For those who dont know, there are officially 38 different ways to make coffee. All, except decaffeinated versions will give you the same buzz that can either make you extremely productive or give you anxiety.
The only difference here is taste. And when it comes to coffee, taste matters. A lot.
Most of the methods and ingredients from the chart above dates back hundreds of years and have been traditionally passed down from generation to generation. Hence, its actually possible to tell where a person came from based on the type of coffee he or she drinks!
Origins Of Burning Sage
White sage, Salvia apiana, is a species that is native to the western part of the United States. For many Native American cultures, white sage is considered a sacred herb used for cleansing and spiritual ceremonies. For generations, some indigenous Americans dried white sage, tied it into small bundles, and burned it a service called smudging.
Burning sage or other herbs has become a popular tradition in New Age and other spiritual practices. Many cultures around the world have observed some form of this cleansing ceremony. If you watch any television shows about physics or paranormal investigations, youll often see spiritual practitioners burning sage to clear the area of harmful or malevolent energies.
You May Like: Allergy Skin Test Results Chart Numbers
Using Sage For Mental Health
Overall, not enough research has been conducted on the use of sage for its proposed mental health benefits. However, based on preliminary research, there may be support for the use of sage for mood and memory.
A 2005 study showed that common sage oil improved memory and cognition . In addition, increased dosages were related to improvements in mood and feeling alert, calm, and content. Other research suggests that active compounds in sage protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
The Issue Of Allergies
People have allergies. Smoke travels, so if you insist on using a particular herb in communal settings, you are potentially going to force someone with allergies to leave. No, it isnt funny, and it doesnt prove that they were holding negative energy.
Allergies cannot be helped, and allergy medication is not sufficient for all people and all situations. Even if allergy medication was sufficient for all people, it is beyond rude to be so callous to a member of your own community and their medical needs. My partner is so allergic to white sage smoke that it poses a genuine risk of sending her to the hospital with a severe asthma attack. I do take it as a hostile act when people dismiss her medical issue out of some pretentious need to use white sage no matter what.
Regardless of which method of smoke cleansing you choose, or which herbs you prefer, if you are going to smoke cleanse in a public area around other people, be sure to have at least one alternative. Ask those present if they are allergic to the ingredients in you first choice, and move on to the other choices if anyone present has allergies. There are always an assortment of herbs applicable to any purpose, or you can just go with something you find pleasant, so it should be easy to find multiple options.
Read Also: What Allergy Medicine Is Stronger Than Zyrtec
Install An Air Purifier
When choosing to install an air purifier, it is important to remember the device is not considered a complete solution. An air purifier may help reduce chronic symptoms of rhinitis that have not improved with other environmental methods. Air purifiers can be purchased as a single unit or a filtration system added to a home’s heating and cooling system. There are many factors to be considered when determining the type of device needed.
Air purifiers may vary in price, ability to reduce certain allergens, and filter type. It is vital to learn the cost and labor needed to maintain an air purifier. Units that are not properly kept clean and maintained can cause additional rhinitis symptoms. A schedule must be kept for changing filters for all air purifier systems.
What Is Sage Used For Sage Benefits & Uses For Skin Memory & More
For many Americans, the aroma of cooked sage evokes memories of holiday meals everything from Thanksgiving, Christmas, roasted turkeys, baked chickens and, most of all, sage dressing. But this popular herb has long been used for far more than its distinctive flavor. For centuries sage has been one of the most popular ingredients for herbal medicines around the world. In fact, sage benefits range from improving memory to combating obesity and balancing cholesterol and thats not all.
Below, well take a closer look at the amazing sage plant not to be confused with clary sage and reveal some of its more uncommon applications, as well as discuss the top six sage benefits along with eight more uses that provide even further sage benefits.
Don’t Miss: Allergy Pills Side Effects
Smudge Your Home Or Living Space
In this instance, direct sage smoke over all surfaces and spaces in your home or living area. Be thorough.
Some recommend working in a clockwise direction around your home, ending back where you started, especially for spiritual purposes. Others recommend counterclockwise.
Do what feels best for your situation and follow your intuition.
Is Sage Safe Fordogs
As aforementioned, sage has anti-microbial properties. It is a great herb for infections of the skin, mouth, and digestive tract.
If you are wondering whether you can use it to prepare your dogs food, its totally safe.
Adding sage in your dogs diet may help with allergies, inflammation, indigestion, and arthritis. The best way to use sage is to mix dried or fresh leaves in your dogs food.
You can also make a sage application by boiling the leaves and Epsom salts in a water bath then applying the mixture to your dogs infections.
Finally, sage can also be baked into homemade treats.
Read Also: Is Twix Peanut Free
Alternatives To Smoke Cleansing
There are innumerable alternatives to using smoke for cleansing and clearing an area. If you do not want to use smoke, or burning things is inconvenient or problematic, you do have other options which are just as effective!
These are just some of the possible alternatives.
- Sprinkle salt water you have consecrated.
- Spritz all-natural air freshener which you have consecrated.
Do You Open Windows When Smudging
It is a really smart idea to have your windows or doors open while smudging. This is because the negative energy needs to have a place to go. If the window or door isnt open, the negativity wont leave. It will simply find some cozy place to hide and later come back. Another reason to perform smudging in a well-ventilated room is to keep anyone in your home with breathing issues safe.
Read Also: What Kind Of Carpet Is Best For Allergies
The Importance Of Clean Air
There are many reasons why people are concerned about the air quality in their homes. The primary reason is health related. Poor air quality can cause:
- lung cancer
- heart problems
Dont panic just yet! The chronic health issues mentioned happen as a result of long term exposure to polluted air. But, some of the health issues you or your family are currently experiencing could be a result of the poor air quality in your home. Burning sage is a cost effective and natural way to clean the air and put your worries to rest.
