New year, clean start

Judging by my social feed, it seems everyone’s well settled into the new year. You’ve made your vision boards, done your manifestation work and are raring to go. I’ll be honest – I’ve made a vision board that truly, only my pre-schoolers’ teacher could appreciate, and needless to say, it’s far from Instagram-able. Either way, I’ve done it. So I suppose by 2024 social media standards (resolutions are out and manifestations are in), that qualifies me ready for the year.

Out of the main things on my board is about keeping a high-energy space to support my commitment to high-energy living and thinking. For me, high-energy living looks like mindful eating, self-love and care, letting go, open communication and meditation. As well as acting on my ideas, journaling, harnessing my inner cheerleader and helping others. What supports this is how I feel in the spaces I spend most of my time in – my home and my office.

I’m not so spiritually evolved to say my surroundings don’t effect me, because they do! They effect both the way I feel and my productivity in huge ways. So if you’re like me, you have to make these spaces work for you.

Smudging to purify

The way we can make our spaces work for us is to keep them clutter-free and dust-free, but most importantly, we need to dust off that stale energy. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to do this as it sets the tone for the year ahead. Even though we’re half way through the month, it’s never too late. Ideally, you want to do this once a month anyway.

The way to do this is by an ancient purification ritual called ‘smudging’.

Smudging is a way of removing negative vibrations. This stale, negative energy is undoubtedly harmful to us and can often be the reason for anxiety; poor sleep, lack of motivation, having unnecessary arguments within your household and just not feeling as comfortable as you should within your own space.

You can do this using your favourite incense, but if you want a full-on big cleanse using traditional resins and herbs that have been used for centuries for this purpose, then consider our New Year, Clean Start collection or our Cleanse Box. All of these make a great gift too for any time of the year.

How to smudge your space:

Set your intention. Use a mantra of choice or simply feel calm and ready to welcome in positive energy.
Light your herb or incense of choice then blow out the flame. You always want the smoke, NOT the flame.
Clear your body and space. Wave the smoke under your feet to the top of your head.
Fan the smoke clockwise around each room with your hand or a feather, into every corner, making sure the smoke touches the walls.
With each step feel all negative energies attach and disappear with the smoke as it vanishes.
Thank the Creator and Mother Earth for bringing peace to your home and the people within it.
After cleansing, open the windows (preferably in the East) to let in new, rejuvenating light and air.
Remember- don’t get hung up on how long you’re taking or whether you’re doing it right- just concentrate on the movement of negative energy to make space for positive.