If you’ve been with us for a while, you know our philosophy on wellness extends beyond just nutrition and good food. Whole-body wellness includes your mental well-being, moving your body, and feeling safe and nurtured in the spaces you spend the most time. Given the state of the news, we thought this week might be a good time to reflect on some ways you can focus on that last point. Here are some ways you can rest and heal your spirit through clearing your space so you can step into each day with a centered mind and powerful intentions.

The importance of your space.

Your space does not necessarily mean your home, your room, or your living area. Your space is an area that you claim as your sanctuary, where you have the room you need to breathe, relax, and express yourself fully. Maybe this is just your desk, maybe it’s your patio, a garden, or even a moment alone in your car on your morning commute.

Often times the rooms and spaces we spend the most time in are both reflections of our inner wellbeing, and hold influence over our inner dialogue and moods. By respecting these spaces, you are also respecting yourself.

Clutter and organization

A ‘perfect’ space looks different to everyone, but I think something we all share is that cleanliness and our preferred methods of organization matter a lot. And sure, it’s common sense that keeping your space clean is important for a number of good reasons. By keeping your space physically clean, you are allowing more freedom of movement and fewer visual distractions. This allows you to focus more on cultivating the things you care about.

You may not notice a little clutter, but when you stop paying attention, it starts to add up. Soon enough, you’re having trouble finding the things you need or things may be in the way when you’re trying to do the things you need to do. But this physical clutter leads to mental clutter as well. Subconsciously you’re spending mental energy to work around the clutter.

Get in the habit of taking that extra 5 seconds or 5 minutes to tidy up every day. Make your bed, pick up the clothes around the hamper, wipe the counters, clean out the trash from your car, and throw out or file any papers taking up room on your desk. These

Leaves to lift you up

Adding a little greenery to your spaces can do wonders for improving your mood, especially if you don’t have regular access to outdoor public green spaces such as parks or gardens. Not only have house plants been shown to reduce stress and improve focus, but they also literally help to purify the air around them. And it’s not just the leaves that are responsible for this, the microorganisms in the soil play an important role in removing airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

If you do decide to purchase houseplants to freshen the air naturally, these are several of the species shownTrusted Source to be most effective:

• Areca, lady, dwarf date, and bamboo palms
• Boston fern
• Rubber tree
• Spider plant
• Ficus tree

Energetic clearing

Maintaining your energetic peace is possibly the most important item on this list. Cleaning your space, and investing in some greenery can certainly make it easier to balance your energy, but sometimes you need to take it a step further.

Negative energy can settle in a room, or space, like a fog that clouds your vision, and your thoughts, and it can consume your mental focus to the point where you don’t even feel like yourself anymore.

One of the most common ways to clean your space energetically is to ‘smudge’, or burn medicinal herbs. This tradition stems from the Indigenous cultures of North America, but similar practices can be found in many places around the world. Dried white sage bundles, often called “Smudge sticks” are a common herb to use for this practice. But other herbs or flowers can be added such as lavender, Rose petals, or Rosemary for added benefits. Recent studies have found evidence that burning certain herbs can improve air quality. Beyond just clearing out bad energy, it actually purifies the air. Smudging with Palo Santo sticks and essential oil sprays are also common ways to clear out negative energy and help to purify a space.

We feel it’s important to note that WHERE you get your Smudge sticks and Palo Santo matters. The popularity of these practices has led to mass production and unethical harvesting of these plants. Be sure the items you buy are sourced sustainably, or purchase them directly from First Nation’s people who use sustainable practices.

How to smudge

1. To burn a smudge stick just light the tip
2. Blow it out and either wave in air or place in a glass or metal container (one that will not burn) with sand or salt placed therein to hold the smudge bundle upright.
3. Then wave the smoke around whatever it is you’d like to purify. A feather or group of feathers is a traditional way to do this.
4. As the smoke moves around and up to the sky, imagine releasing whatever is not in your best interests. Let it go on the smoke. The sacred smoke will take these energies back to the Source, where they will be transformed into positive energy again.
5. To extinguish, invert smudge into the sand or salt to smother. Smudges put out a lot of soothing smoke.

If you’re interested in adding smudging to your wellness routine, we offer a selection of smudge sticks, herbs, and Palo Santo in our store. We encourage you to stop by and pick one that suits your needs best.

As a woman-owned business, our heart goes out to all of the women that are, and the generations of women that will be effected by the recent news. We urge you to take time to care for yourself this week and reflect on ways you can still take ownership of your wellbeing and your energy. When we take action from a centered mind, we allow ourselves to use all of our power and energy as a singular focus. We believe It’s important in these times to cultivate a community that supports one another, and connect with each other so we can work towards solutions for a brighter and more equitable future.