The magic of Palo Santo
Palo Santo, also referred to as holy wood, grows on the coast of South America and has been burned for centuries by indigenous healers as a means to cleanse and purify. Smudging, the art of using smoke to clear energy, is something that we’ve adopted into both our wellness and family’s daily practice - here’s why.
It Promotes Health & Well-being
Long before antibiotics and cough suppressants, Palo Santo was the traditional medicine used as a remedy for colds, flus, and seasonal allergies. Just a few deep inhalations the smoke will open airways and instantly eliminate symptoms of asthma and allergies. Best of all? Palo Santo emits a sweet smell that is both calming and grounding for our entire nervous system. Being in this parasympathetic state is where we heal and it’s how we support our immune system in speeding up recovery time from illness. Holy wood is known to reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of overwhelm. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better we discovered that the holy wood also contains a high concentration of a compound called d-limonene which has been proved to aid in the prevention of cancer.
It’s Cleansing
Similar to Sage and Cedar, we use Palo Santo smoke for purification and home cleansing. As the wood sticks are burned, the smoke bellows and clears away negative energy to restore tranquility amidst people, places, and things. In our home, we burn Palo Santo wood to cultivate optimism, enhance creativity, and clear the space between clients. Our summer tip: fresh smoke works miracles in warding off mosquitoes and other insects.
It Offers Reverence to Our Practice
Each morning before our practice, we light a stick of Palo Santo to unwind, relax, and connect. The lovely earthy, sweet and citrusy smell literally changes the energy inside our home and sets the tone for the practice and day ahead.
How to Use Palo Santo
We recommend using a candle each time you ignite a stick of Palo Santo. Hold the wood at about a 45-degree angle and point the tip down toward the flame of your candle. Once ignited, permit the stick to burn for about 30 seconds and then gently wave it out. A steady stream of smoke will rise from the embers and spread into the environment. You don’t need any special experience to smudge your own home or office! Slowly and intentionally move throughout your living space or office and, with the intention in mind to clear, allow the smoke to migrate around corners, doorways, and objects. Be sure not to leave burning wood unattended.
How We Source Our Palo Santo
We work with a family-owned company to sustainably source and import ethically harvested Palo Santo for ourselves and our community. All our Palo Santo products are derived solely from naturally fallen Bursera Graveolens trees that rested and aged in the forest for close to 100 years before collection. Each purchase help sustain dozens of families in Ecuador and gives back to the land through reforestation programs conducted in collaboration with our supplying partners.
