Choose a stick of palo santo wood from your bundle and hold one end of the stick over a flame until it begins to burn. Stay a few moments with the flame as it grows. Rattle the stick gently in a back-and-forth motion and let the cleansing smoke rise through the air. If the smoke shrinks, blow a little until the ember regains its deepest glow.

You can use palo santo wood to cleanse your space with a lit stick in your hands, moving the smoke around until its restful scent fills the room.

 

Practice smudging by tying a handful of palo santo sticks together in a fire-safe bowl, then ignite gently in a closed-off room to burn for fifteen or so minutes. Return to the room and pitch open the windows to its wholly purified and renewed space. Let your palo santo wood burn off on its own, or stamp out into a metal dish of sand for a quick extinguish.

 

A 3-Step Guide to Unleashing the Power of Palo Santo Wood

The mystical powers of Palo Santo may seem like something only a few can master, but in reality, the holy wood with extraordinary healing properties is very easy to use. Skeptical? Let us show you how.

Step 1: Light the stick

Palo santo wood is easy to light. Hold the stick in a flame (a lighter, campfire, or even the gas element on your stove will do – just remember to turn the gas off after!) until it’s fully lit. You’ll know it’s lit when the stick is creating a mini-flame of its own. Allow it to burn for approximately one minute.

Step 2: Let the stick extinguish itself

That’s right, in step two you don't even need to do anything, just watch as the wood naturally extinguishes itself after a minute or so. Please do not blow out the flame. 

Step 3: Unleash the power

Hold the stick in your hands, visualize your intentions and fill your space with sacred smoke. The short burn will smoke for quite a while, delivering an incredible scent and cleansing the energy around you, restoring peace and calm. When you’re done with your stick, put it on a fireproof surface (one good option is a metal fireproof bowl with a bit of sand in the bottom) and it’s ready for the next time you want to smudge.

Thanks to the slow-burning nature of palo santo wood, the sticks can be lit and relit many times, so don’t be shy, spread the love.

Use it for spiritual purification, to inspire creativity, good fortune, and positivity. Use it to deepen your connection to the divine source, to protect you from negativity, and to heal yourself from all manner of physical and spiritual ailments. Follow these easy steps and you’ll be feeling the magic faster than you can say, “Namaste.” Go forth and experience the joy!

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Palo Santo Supply Co. works in partnership with sustainable farming organizations in Peru to package and distribute palo santo wood products, ensuring a renewable venture that will keep palo santo wood accessible for as long as the earth rolls on. For more ideas and products, find our blog.

Learn more about palo santo.