Smudging Prayer - How to smudge with sage and what should you say when you're smudging

If you have no idea how to smudge with intention or what that even means, or what you should say while smudging, you will soon know exactly what to say when smudging, how to smudge with intention. We’re here to share these 5 simple steps for learning to smudge intentionally, so you can use smudging to transform your life.

#1 UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE MEAN BY "INTENTION"

Intention means you have a plan or a direction in what you are doing. In other words, you have a purpose and an aim for doing your smudge.

For example, if I’ve been having a bad day or am feeling lost, or maybe I am down on myself, then my intention for smudging might be to let those bad and negative feelings go, and to make myself feel better. So I am intending on feeling good about myself, that is my aim, my purpose is to set myself up to have a great day moving forward.

It is so important to know what our intention is with smudging or with anything. Understand what are we trying to do, and WHY are we trying to do it? These simple questions are so important and can really help us find clarity in our lives especially when we’re feeling stuck and unsure.

#2 DO A QUICK CHECK ON YOUR THOUGHTS

Before you start your smudge, have an awareness about what you are thinking. Are you thinking positive thoughts or negative thoughts? If we know we want to feel better we first have to start with our thoughts because whatever we are thinking about, that’s what we’re going to feel. When you're thinking of negative things, you’re going to feel bad, and when you're thinking of good things you feel good.

This exercise alone can help you figure out why you're feeling bad - because maybe all you’re thinking about is negative things. You can’t change how you feel and get to where you want to be if you are not even aware of your starting point, so as you become more aware of what you are thinking about and how its making you feel,  you will then be able to have more control of it.

#3 THINK & FEEL POSITIVELY, THINK UPLIFTING THOUGHTS AND EMPOWERING THOUGHTS

You want to feel what you're thinking about, and what you are intending to start feeling right? But why do some people have success with this and not others? It's because they are not focusing on it. For example if you are smudging to feel happier because you have been really depressed and sad, thinking about the thing that makes you feel depressed and sad isn’t going to change how you feel at all. You need to think and focus on things that make you feel amazing.

The good thing here is that you can control what you are focusing on, and make sure that you are focusing on empowering thoughts, and feeling only good thoughts by saying certain things when you are smudging. More specifically - asking ourselves empowering questions and then answering those empowering questions

The one great way to utilize this is in our next step, which is what you're thinking and saying when you are smudging

#4 ask empowering questions during your smudge?

Empowering questions are questions with answers that are positive and can influence you to look for the good in your situation.

Asking yourself empowering questions and actually answering them can both help you to focus on manifesting positivity, and help you to connect the smudging ceremony with those empowering answers.

Some examples of empowering questions you could ask yourself include:

• “What am I grateful for?”
• “What was successful about today?”
• “What have I done recently that I am proud of?”
• “How do I help make the lives of others better and more positive?”
• “Who do I have in my corner? Who loves and supports me?”
• “What is something I am excited about?”
• “What is something positive I want to achieve?”

Each time you answer one of these questions, you will reaffirm within yourself that you are powerful and able to create change.

By simply acknowledging your own accomplishments and focusing on the positive things in your life, you can change your overall mindset, and help yourself to move forward productively. 

Smudge Prayer Examples:

Not quite ready to try creating your own personal smudging prayer? No worries - we have plenty of examples to help get you started! First, I often begins my smudge:

“Chi-miigwech to the Creator for giving us this beautiful life. Thank you for these sacred medicines to help protect us, heal us, to feel good, and to live a good life.”

#5 WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU SMUDGE

AND HOW TO CARRY GOOD INTENTIONs WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THE REST OF YOUR DAY

The good thing about smudging is that its an experience, and it leaves a mark, it stays with you when you smell the scent of the smudging medicine afterwards. So those thoughts and feelings that you experience while smudging, your mind will naturally have a subconscious association with the smell that will be with you the rest of the day - and the feelings that you felt during the smudge.

So in a way, your smudge intentions and feelings will naturally carry on and stick with you for a while after even after your done smudging.