A Guide to Energy Cleansing

When I realized I was an empath and highly sensitive person, I learned the importance of cleansing my energy and the energy of spaces I’m in. Our aura is like a sponge, picking up on the energies and emotions of everyone and everything around us. I still find myself in situations where I’m like why do I feel so irritated or stressed out when I was feeling great all day? To then realize that I was talking to someone earlier or on social media and picked up their energy. Sometimes it’s our own thoughts and emotions that get us into a funk and we need an energetic reset. Protecting your energy is important (hint at what next week’s blog post will be about) but for now let’s talk about cleansing your energy.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s my hope that you’ll learn a variety of techniques and determine what works best for you in different scenarios. Some of the suggestions require purchasing objects that you may not already have, but there are also a lot of suggestions that don’t require spending any money.

Like anything, the intention you go into something with is everything. If you’re just using different products or techniques willy-nilly without taking a moment to ground yourself and set your intention, it may not work as well as you’d like (or at all). At the end, I’ll include the intentions I like to set when I’m clearing energies.

Finally, we’ll talk about when the best time to cleanse energies is. Let’s get into it!

Smoke

The ritual of using smoke to cleanse energies is an ancient one used across many religions and cultures over time. It requires burning herbs, plants, resins, or wood and allowing the smoke to fill the air or surround a person. Some examples include sage, palo Santo, and incense. Sage and palo Santo have become particularly mainstream over the last few years, and it’s important to remember the sacredness of using these items and borrowing these rituals from other cultures. Like cooking, the quality of the meal heavily depends on the quality of the products you’re using, and the concept is the same here. Do your research to source from places that genuinely care, that grow or process the plants organically or authentically. Supporting local or indigenous businesses is your best bet.

While they all have purification properties, generally speaking, burning sage is excellent for clearing negative and stagnant energies while palo Santo adds a positive and peaceful energy. If you want to use both, use the sage to clear away the negative energy first, and then use the palo Santo to add positive energy back into the space.

It’s important to keep the windows open when you’re using smoke to cleanse because the smoke carrying the energy needs a place to exit. It goes without saying to be careful if you’re burning anything. Use a receptacle to hold the lit object, or place it underneath. I have a metal hamsa incense holder that I use. I used to have an abalone shell for these purposes as well, which are traditionally used because they’re extremely durable. Abalone are faced with extinction due to overfishing, so it’s an ethical and moral decision to use one.

In terms of incense, there’s no shortage of options to use. Some are labelled and sold according to popular uses, such as Abundance, Love, Money, etc. Or you can stick to the basic (but many) scents and resins that are used. Do your research to find out which would be best for your needs. Incense isn’t just for clearing energy, but it adds energy to a space as well. For example, I use white sage incense to cleanse my space and lavender incense to promote relaxation and peace.

Crystals

Crystals are another tool that have gone mainstream but have roots in ancient practices and cultures. There are thousands of types of crystals which each have their own properties, specific benefits, and unique energies. Two of my favourite crystals for energy clearing are selenite and black tourmaline.

Selenite is the ultimate to-go for energy cleansing. Some believe that certain crystals don’t need to be cleansed, and selenite is one of them (personally, I still regularly cleanse all of my crystals). It has other benefits as well, such as promoting peace, calm, and positive energy. In that way, I find it to be gentle but powerful. Selenite is very affordable and widely available. I have multiple pieces in different shapes and sizes for different purposes. I like to use smaller pieces above doorframes or near windows to cleanse any energies entering the space. Plates or bowls can hold other crystals or objects like jewelry and cleanse them. Palm stones are smooth ovals that are comfortable to hold in meditation (or in general). Selenite is very fragile, especially if it’s in a raw form, so be gentle when using it. You can also use a piece of selenite and wipe it over your energy body from head to foot, brushing away any lingering energies (similar to how those hand-held metal detectors are used by security personnel).

Black tourmaline is a powerful crystal that absorbs negative energy and is also very protective against negative energies. I go through different phases with the crystals I use depending on what I need, but black tourmaline has always been one of my absolute favourites. It’s incredibly grounding as well. Keep a small piece of it in your pocket, purse, or backpack while you’re out for the day. You can also find black tourmaline jewelry, like necklaces, that you can wear. Place pieces of it by your front door to filter any energy entering your home or next to your bed for peaceful sleep.

Similarly to the purchase of sage and palo Santo, I recommend finding sources that mine crystals ethically and sustainably. Unfortunately there are a lot of places and people that sell fake crystals, but oftentimes you can tell based on the price (if it’s super cheap for a large or rare crystal, it’s likely fake) or the way it looks and feels. If you’re shopping in person, the crystal should have some weight to it (it’s a rock after all) and most crystals are naturally cold to the touch. Real crystals often have colour variations, inclusions, and imperfections. There are real crystals that are “perfect”— meaning it has no imperfections, but these are often more expensive, which should reflect in its price tag.

Water

Water has always been an element linked to healing, cleansing, and purification. There are incredible experiments and scientific studies that show that water holds memory. Considering we’re about 60% water, working with this element can bring significant results. Bathing is a simple and effective way to not just clean our bodies, but to cleanse our energy as well. You can turn your daily shower or bath into an opportunity to wash away any negative energies from the day.

Another method is filling a cup of water and leaving it wherever you feel like the energy needs to be cleansed. You can put it in the kitchen, bathroom, office, bedroom, etc. Placing it next to your bed can help with nightmares and bad dreams. Do not drink this water. Its purpose is to absorb negative energies. In the morning or 24 hours later, dump the water (either down the drain or ask the Earth to transmute the energy from it into love before pouring it into the land).

Salt

Salt is a powerful cleanser, as it draws out negative energies and is also used to protect energy.

Use a salt scrub in the shower or add Epsom or sea salt to your bath for extra purification.

Like the water cup method, you can fill a small bowl with salt and leave it in a space (like by the front door or in the kitchen) to purify energy. I recommend using sea salt or a higher quality salt. Seeing it will also act as a visual reminder that energy is being cleansed. You can add other things to the salt bowl, like oils and herbs, to give it a boost. It can be left for longer than the water cup method. Intuitively you will know when it begins to feel stale. Discard the salt by throwing it out or if you have a patch of weeds in your lawn or garden, you can sprinkle the salt there (if you do this, be careful of where you put it because the salt can kill plants and void the soil of nutrients).

Nature

Spending time in nature is an easy way to cleanse your energy, since nature is a naturally healing place (sounds obvious, right?) Get outside and have a mindful moment— feel the air on your skin, the warmth of the sun, listen to the sounds of the birds, watch the clouds roll by, notice the plants swaying in the breeze. Go to a local park or beach, your favourite outdoor space surrounded by nature, or explore a new place. Ask the earth and the elements to cleanse any negative, stagnant, or unwanted energies and to transmute them into love.

Start a garden or tend to one you already have. Getting your hands in the soil actually has health benefits. Similarly, grounding yourself in the earth is an excellent way to cleanse your energy. Barefoot, stand or walk in grass, sand, dirt, rocks, etc. You can read all about the incredible healing of earthing from a quick internet search. As a tree-lover and -hugger myself, I can tell you that hugging a tree, leaning against one, sitting under one, placing your hands on one, or talking to one is incredibly healing to your energy field.

Bring the outdoors in! Open the blinds in your office or house to let in natural light. Open windows in your room or house to let the fresh air in. Buy fresh flowers to brighten up your space. Get some potted plants to put around your home or workspace to filter the energy (and air).

Light

Light is a powerful energy source. Spending time in the sun has many benefits (always wear SPF and stay hydrated and safe). Drink your morning coffee while soaking in the rays or read a chapter of your book while sitting outside. The sun literally gives energy to plants to grow, and you can feel the energy it gives too (that’s why life always feels better in the summer, doesn’t it?)  That doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down though. Basking under the light of the moon and stars has its own healing energy too. Connect to the cosmos by identifying stars, planets, and constellations you can see without a telescope. Ask the luminaries to cleanse any negative, stagnant, or unwanted energies and to transmute them into love.

Movement

Physical movement is another easy way to release any negative or stagnant energy. Walk, hike, bike, run, swim, dance, box, lift weights, yoga, tai chi, you name it. Even jumping up and down, shaking out your limbs, or dancing to your favourite song for a few minutes can release energy and shift your mood. Bonus points if you do it outside!

Sound

We’ve all had the experience of hearing a song that completely moves us and shifts our energy. Music is like light energy we can hear. It emits a frequency that resonates with our energy. That’s why listening to sad music can make us sad if we’re happy, or feel cathartic if we’re feeling sad. Putting on your favourite song when you’re in a slump can put you back on course to having a great day.

I learned about solfeggio frequencies some years ago and it’s become a cornerstone in my healing rituals. You can read in depth about it and its healing benefits online. There are plenty of free videos on Youtube or playlists on Spotify that you can listen to in meditation, while you sleep, or at any point in time really.

Singing bowls and tuning forks can be used to clear energies, promote relaxation, and deeper focus in meditation. Each singing bowl and tuning fork is tuned to a certain note or frequency, each having their own specific benefit. If you don’t have one or can’t purchase one, you can also find free videos on Youtube or playlists on Spotify to listen to them.

Visualization

There’s great power in visualization, and I’ve already talked about it multiple times here on my blog (I’m sure I’ll continue to talk about it). There are many ways you can use visualization to cleanse energy so I’ll give you a few of examples of some of my favourite methods.

We always start the same way, by taking a few grounding deep breaths with our eyes closed.

• A common practice is to envision a white or golden light surrounding you and filling your body. As it envelops you, imagine it dissolving any negative energies and filling you with peace. You can take this to the next level by imagine that glowing white or golden light expanding outside of you and filling the room you’re in. Keep zooming out and see this light filling the house or building you’re in, filling the street, the neighbourhood, the city, the country, until the whole earth is glowing in this white or golden energy.

• If you are seated or standing, you can visualize roots growing from your body’s contact point with the earth (for example, growing from your the base of your spine or the soles of your feet). From these long roots, envision pulling up positive white-light energy from the earth and returning any negative, black energy to the earth to be transmuted into love.

• Sit with your eyes closed. With every breath you exhale through your mouth, envision black energy being released (representing negative energies). With every breath you inhale through your nose, envision white energy filling you up (representing positive energies), starting at your feet. Continue to breathe and visualize in this way until your whole body is filled with white light and you no longer see any black energy being released with your breath.

• This last example is one of my favourites to do in large spaces or where there are a lot of people, like concert venues or on a plane. Close your eyes and take grounding deep breaths, focusing on your heart space. Feel yourself fill up with love and peace— you might envision this energy to be white, golden, green, or pink. Tuned in to the frequency of unconditional love and peace, project this energy outside of you until it grows enough to encompass the whole space and everyone in it. Being able to project your energy out in this example and in the first example is a bit more advanced and can take some practice but it’s incredibly powerful.

Intentions

In the intro, I mentioned that intention is everything. It’s like the software that tells the hardware what to do. In other words, intention is the code or guide that directs energy and tells it what to do. Without intention, energy just exists as a potential.

When I’m cleansing energy, whether it’s my own energy field or a space like the energy of a room or house, I have a go-to intention that I’ve crafted over time that works for me. Feel free to use this as it is, make your own edits to it, or use it as inspiration to create your own intention. My intentions have two parts, an energy-clearing section and an energy-adding section (kind of like the distinction between sage and palo Santo). Depending on the circumstance, I may just use the first part or both, or alter them slightly.

Remember to first take a moment to ground yourself to the present through a few deep breaths. You can say your intentions out loud or to yourself in your mind.

I set the intention to cleanse, purify, and clear away:

All negative energies,

All blocked, stagnant, and toxic energies,

All energies that don’t belong to me,

All energies that I’m holding onto or that are holding on to me that don’t serve my highest good.

I direct all these energies that are being cleansed and cleared away to exit through the open window.*

So it is.

I set the intention to transmute these energies into:**  OR

I set the intention to vibrate on the frequencies of:**

Unconditional love

Divine light

Gratitude

Peace

Joy

Health

Abundance

Harmony

Balance

Fulfillment

Comfort

Relief

Etc.

So it is.

* I only add this sentence if I’m cleansing via smoke (sage or incense).

** You can make this entirely your own, whatever feelings or energies you want to experience.

After setting your intention, proceed with whatever method of energy clearing you’re going to use. An example of how I may slightly edit these intentions are, for example, saying: I set the intention for this shower/for this walk to cleanse, purify, and clear away…

When is the best time to cleanse?

There’s no right or wrong time to cleanse your energy. Pay attention to how you feel and where your thoughts are directed after interacting with people or doing things. This will show you what’s draining your energy or giving you energy (you’ll feel the difference). There are some instances where I find it necessary to do a cleansing, such as:

• After cleaning or organizing

• After being sick

• After you’ve had guests over

• When you get home from work

• If you’ve been around a lot of people (e.g.: at a concert/club, on a flight, shopping at a busy mall, in public transportation, etc.)

• If you’ve had an argument with someone

• If you’ve participated in or been around gossip

• If you’ve been consuming a lot of media (e.g.: scrolling on social media a long time, watching the news, etc.)

• Before going to sleep

• When you wake up if you’ve had nightmares or bad dreams

The key thing is not having any external or unwanted energies lingering in your energetic field and unintentionally bringing it into your space. But even if that happens, now you have a lot of techniques at your disposal to remove those energies.

I know this was a lot of information to take in but feel free to come back and revisit this whenever you need to! Find what works for you by experimenting and trying new things. Follow your intuition and do things that feel right for you.