How to Smudge Your Home + A Simple Smudging Prayer for Protection
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Updated Feb 12, 2026, Published Jan 15, 2022
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Have you ever felt like your home needed a reset — not just a deep clean, but an energetic one? If you’ve been searching for how to smudge your home or looking for a meaningful smudging prayer to say while you cleanse your space, you’re in the right place. In this post, I’ll walk you through what smudging is, when to do it, how to do it properly, and share a beautiful smudging prayer you can use during your ritual. For me, this practice is about intention, peace, and starting fresh — especially at the beginning of a new year.
Table of Contents
- How to Smudge Your Home (Step-by-Step Guide)
- A Simple Smudging Prayer for Your Home
- What Is Smudging?
- When Is the Best Time to Smudge Your Home?
- Supplies You’ll Need
- How to smudge your home
- Tips for a Successful Smudging Ritual
- A Note About the Origins of Smudging
- Frequently Asked Questions About Smudging Prayer
How to Smudge Your Home (Step-by-Step Guide)
- Declutter your space.
- Open windows and doors.
- Light your sage.
- Set your intention or say a smudging prayer.
- Walk clockwise through your home.
- Focus on corners and doorways.
- Safely extinguish your smudge stick.
A Simple Smudging Prayer for Your Home
Being that I am of Catholic faith, I often pray the Hail Mary or the Our Father while smudging my home.
Just as a priest blesses a church with aromatics like frankincense and myrrh, I remind myself that the burning incense is a symbol of prayer and that the smoke is rising to heaven.
If you’re looking for a smudging prayer to say while cleansing your home, here is a beautiful one you can use:
“May your hands be cleansed, that they create beautiful things.
May your feet be cleansed, that they might take you where you most need to be.
May your heart be cleansed, that you might hear its messages clearly.
May your throat be cleansed, that you might speak rightly when words are needed.
May your eyes be cleansed, that you might see the signs and wonders of the world.
May this person and space be washed clean by the smoke of these fragrant plants.
And may that same smoke carry our prayers, spiraling, to the heavens.”
The smudging prayer above is adapted from Deepak Chopra’s teachings. Check out this post for more smudging prayers.
What Is Smudging?
Smudging is an ancient ceremonial practice that involves burning sacred plants such as sage, palo santo, sweetgrass, or copal. The smoke is believed to help clear stagnant or negative energy from a space.
Think of it like energetic decluttering.
We’ve all had those days when we wake up feeling off. Low energy. Irritable. Overwhelmed. While stress and lack of sleep are very real causes, sometimes a physical reset of your space can help shift your mindset.
Smudging is not about anything spooky. For me, it’s about intention, prayer, and creating a peaceful environment.
When Is the Best Time to Smudge Your Home?
The first time I saw someone smudge a space, I was at a sales conference. A Native American woman was burning sage in the conference room before the event began. At first I was confused, but she explained that smudging clears lingering energy and sets a new intention for the space.
Now I smudge my home two to three times a year:
- At the start of the New Year
- After spring cleaning
- After illness or stressful seasons
- Before beginning a new chapter
Supplies You’ll Need
- A ceramic bowl or abalone shell (represents water)
- Sage smudge sticks (earth and air elements)
- Matches or lighter (fire element)
If you don’t like the smell of sage, you can use palo santo, sweetgrass, or copal instead.
If you want to make your own smudge tools, check out my DIY Homemade Smudge Sticks post.
How to smudge your home
First, let’s start with the supplies. In order to smudge your home, you’ll need:
- Ceramic bowl or an abalone shell to hold and burn the plants. An abalone shell represents the water element.
- Sage smudge sticks. Sage represents the earth element and when burned, the smoke from it represents the air.
- If you’re not into the smell of sage, you can also use palo santo, sweetgrass, or copal.
- Matches or a lighter. These represent the fire element.
Tips for a Successful Smudging Ritual
- Clear clutter beforehand.
- Open windows and curtains.
- Turn off your phone.
- Stay present and focused.
- Breathe deeply.
- Move through every room, including closets and corners.
- I personally treat this as a quiet moment of prayer.
A Note About the Origins of Smudging
Smudging has deep roots in Indigenous traditions and is considered sacred in many Native communities. If you choose to incorporate this ritual into your home, approach it with respect and gratitude for its cultural origins.
For me, this practice is about prayer, reflection, and creating peace in my home.
Frequently Asked Questions About Smudging Prayer
A smudging prayer is a spoken intention, blessing, or spiritual affirmation said while burning sacred plants like sage, palo santo, or copal. The prayer helps focus your thoughts and set a clear intention for cleansing your home.
You can recite a traditional smudging prayer or speak from the heart. Many people pray for protection, peace, clarity, and positive energy. As a Catholic, I often pray the Hail Mary or the Our Father while smudging.
No. While many people find it meaningful to say a smudging prayer, simply setting a clear intention is enough. The most important part of smudging is being present and intentional.
Yes. In fact, a personal prayer can feel even more powerful. You can ask for your home to be filled with light, love, protection, and calm energy.
Most people smudge seasonally, during major life transitions, after illness, or when their home feels heavy or stagnant. I personally smudge two to three times per year.
Yes. Opening windows allows stagnant energy and smoke to leave your home and fresh air to circulate.
Photography: Jenna Sparks
Hi my name is Tammy my father passed away January 1st .I have a sister that is making my life hell I am his executor of his will and she has removed everything from home all but roof floor and walls .any ways I have been praying smudge myself trying to get the bad energy off me looking for positive energy.but so hard when she tried to put me in jail yes I have a lawyer…any extra prayers or anything else I can do to help the stress need help thank you Tammy
Hello,
My name is Miranda. I have 2 children and i care for my 76 year old mother who has had depression and substance abuse my whole life, also both verbally and mentally abusive. My fiance also lives here and we have a dog. We moved in 9 months ago, and in the past couple days, I know for sure I saw a shadow person in my bathroom darting from one side to the other and the bathroom was well lighted. I was laying in bed. My 5 yr old said she saw one but idk if that is imagination. I plan on smudging. Waiting on your reply. my cell if needed is301-476-3287. please reply soon. thank you.
Only wood or paper matches should be used, not a butane or other type lighter.
I like to use aromatic incense Cedar, some call it Juniper.
BTW – I like that you’ve included this here on your cooking and recipe website. I’ve been using cedar for cleansing for 40 years. Sage is used for healing, cedar for cleansing. I leaned this from my Native american friends . Regular home cleansing is very useful. People often clean their home and their cloths etc.. But our psychic or energetic health should also be maintained.
I was told that you don’t buy your own sage to do a cleansing, that it should be given to you, what are your thoughts on this and this comes from a person that cleanses her home.
Need to learn new things
Hi, Is there an attribution for the Smudging Prayer?
Thanks for pointing out that smudging can help clear negative energy from your home. My wife and I just moved into a new apartment, so I’m thinking about buying some smudge sticks that we can burn to cleanse it. I’m going to search for a reputable business that can sell use some smudge sticks.
Smudge sticks can be purchased on Etsy. You intention while cleansing and moving from the innermost part of your home to the outer, make sure you smudge around windows and door frames open windows so the bad energy can be expelled.
I’m a firm believer in smudging. Since I work from home, I especially concentrate on my home office. It’s amazing how much negativity can be transmitted via email and phone calls!
I believe in this, plus makes the house smell good. Its a good thing.