Sage Smudging 101

Sage is a sacred plant that was widely used among Indigenous Americans in spirit and energy practices over 2,000 years ago. I always heard of sage and its uses to clear out negative energies and set intentions for positives energies to flow into a space and after doing some research I decided to do a sage smudging of my own. From my research, I learned that the burning of the sage sticks and the smoke it creates acts as a vacuum to dispel and release negative energy from a home, office or intended creative space. I purchased my sage from The Phoenix and the Dragon bookstore here in Atlanta. The shop is a good resource for beginners and the employee who checked me out noted that after I burn the sage I should do something I enjoy because this invites in the positive energies I wanted to create. There are different types of sage and each is said to be used for different purposes and I chose the white sage. The most interesting fact I learned about sage smudging was from a Chopra.com article revealing that the goal of the ceremony is to clear the space of lingering energy that is "different from what you may be intending for that space." That confirmed that a sage smudging was a good way to kick off my new year and new outlook on how I will reach all my goals this year.

A Quick Personal Story ...

If I had to say the one thing I learned in 2017 was the power of intention. I faced some difficult situations over the year that lead me to assess my personal growth and it boiled down to me not acting from a true place of intention. The intention meter needed attention in every area of my life from the way I needed to change how I was proactive in my career & finances, to my relationship, and even my friendships. I applied pressure in every way and saw the effects of being intentional flourish over the course of the year. An example of me being more intentional is the idea and creation behind this blog. I kept saying I want to write more or that I want to create more and always daydreamed of: what if I could make what I love doing into a full-time career? I was asking all this of myself and even writing down goals related to exploring them but never accomplishing anything cause why? I had no intention. This didn't mean that I lacked passion, but I was just manifesting all of these things I wanted into my life but not setting intentions to lead me to these manifestations. Relating back to the sage smudging, I knew it was a good option to help clear out any negative energy related to procrastination and excuses I make up of not hitting my personal goals each year. 2018 is the continuation of the life of intention I started in 2017 and I've shared some of my intentions below:

• I intend to nurture my creative pursuits in hopes of turning them into my livelihood
• I intend to focus on the abundance I do have instead of what I lack
• I intend to be consistent in leading a healthier and more active life to reach my fitness goals
• I intend to be compassionate and thoughtful in my friendships and relationships
• I intend to be more confident in my ability to create the life of my dreams