I had my first real-life experience with smudging last summer in my yoga teacher training program. One of my fellow students was really into New Age practices and wove that perspective into her teaching. At the end of one of our very long training days, she offered to burn some palo santo as an energy-clearing tool before we began our meditation. I had heard about this practice before and was intrigued. As she walked, the sweet-spicy wood aroma filled our studio and imbued the room with a peaceful vibe.

When I got home, I thought I’d like to order some for myself, and I promptly asked good old Google to help me find some. I got schooled.

Turns out, many indigenous people and intercultural scholars believe the recent Western obsession with smudging amounts to cultural appropriation. Smudging with white sage or palo santo is a religious practice specific to certain indigenous people of North America. It belongs to them.

These two plants in particular have captured the attention of the wellness world in recent years, and more recently, mainstream commercial culture has picked up on the trend. Whether you’re buying your sage bundles or palo santo sticks at your local New Age store or Anthropologie, your dollar isn’t helping indigenous folks (instead it’s being funneled into the white patriarchal capitalist machine), and it’s probably hurting the environment too.

Many environmentalists and indigenous groups are concerned about the illegal harvesting of white sage on indigenous land, and palo santo is being unethically overharvested in Peru. Even if your sage bundle says “responsibly sourced” on the label, it can be really hard to know for sure.

Regardless of how it’s sourced, the truth is that (unless you’re indigenous) burning white sage or palo santo in a smudging ceremony is cultural appropriation. If you do it, you might be stealing an indigenous religious practice that isn’t yours to take. Until recently, Indigenous Americans had no choice but to practice their religious and spiritual rites and customs in secret. Congress did not pass a law granting them religious freedom until 1978 (only 42 years ago). Consider how it must feel to finally receive your legal right to religious freedom, only to have mainstream culture commercialize one of your sacred rituals.

Not cool.

But Sara, I like burning these plants in my own spiritual practice!

White sage and palo santo are sacred plants of Indigenous American people. If that isn’t your cultural background, you might want to ask yourself why you want to use it. Is it because someone you admire was using it on Instagram? Maybe your yoga teacher used it in her studio? Maybe you didn’t realize you could use something else? Take a careful look at your motivation – it might be a little uncomfortable, and that’s okay.

The point is, if you don’t have a legitimate connection to an indigenous culture, I encourage you not to burn palo santo or white sage in your spiritual practices or label your spiritual practice as “smudging”. Remember, smudging is a spiritual practice of a particular group of people.

Could I burn other herbs or aromatic plants in my spiritual practice?

Yes! Burning herbs and aromatic plants for spiritual or energetic cleansing is a practice found in many cultures throughout the world. Since most cultures have a history of burning herbs, plants, or plant resins for spiritual or energetic clearing, anyone can adapt this practice for themselves. If you are interested in incorporating this into your practice, rather than spending your dollar feeding the capitalist machine, just make your own at home. All you need are fresh herbs or other aromatic plants and some twine.

Not indigenous and need help figuring out what plants to use? Find out what plants or herbs your ancestors would have honored and used for spiritual clearing. My ancestors came from the British Isles, Germany, and Norway. In their spiritual and healing practices, they likely used herbs like mugwort, chamomile, fennel, and nettle, and other plants like oak, willow, and evergreen trees.

One of the first plants I noticed at my new home was mugwort. I felt drawn to it right away, and was delighted to discover that my ancestors likely had a special connection with it too. Mugwort is known for spiritual protection, healing, dreamwork, and harnessing the feminine energy of the moon. I love seeing her growing near my front door. I encourage you to get to know the plants that grow around your home.

Also notice the plants that you are drawn to. Rosemary is one of my very favorite scents and I always have it growing in my home. Of course it was no surprise to me to read that rosemary is associated with feminine energy, creativity, and heart opening. Think about what plants you enjoy the most and consider what medicine they may hold for you. This is a great option if you aren’t sure about your ancestry or don’t feel a connection with the culture of your ancestors.

If you are interested in burning herbs or aromatic plants as part of your spiritual practice, it’s very easy to do it yourself!

Cut your herbs or other plant materials into strips about 12 inches long. Bundle them together and then wrap with twine. Hang them upside down to dry for at least one week. It’s that easy!

When you are ready to use them, simply light the end of the bundle and let it burn for a few seconds. Blow out the flame and allow the plants to smolder. Move with the smoke around your space as you see fit. You might want to carry a match or lighter with you as sometimes it’s helpful to relight your plants. I like to start at the front door and move throughout the house, finishing at the back door. Do this any time you feel called – after moving into a new space, after a bad day, after a fight at home, after giving your house a thorough cleaning, or even at the New Moon. I recommend setting an intention for your practice before you begin.

Before I lit my mugwort and rosemary bundle yesterday evening (which smelled amazing by the way), I said a brief prayer for peace in my home and in myself, for our cats, and of course for my husband too. I carried that intention with me as I moved throughout my home with the aromatic smoke.

Using smoke from herbs and aromatic plants is a great way to clear unwanted energy and to welcome peace and love into your energetic space. I highly recommend you give it a try. Just do it in a way that doesn’t steal from indigenous cultures. And, if you think you have been guilty of cultural appropriation in this way, know you aren’t alone. Now that you know better you can make a different choice.

Tell me, do you burn herbs or aromatic plants as part of your spiritual practice? Thinking about giving it a try? Or maybe you honor plants in other ways, like using essential oils or meditating with a plant? Let me know in the comments below!

The Stain of Cultural Appropriation Isn’t Worth the Smudge