6 Ways I Cleanse My Energy

Whenever I’m feeling strange—sad or scared or angry or exhausted—for no discernable reason, I know my energy’s been contaminated or depleted. This can happen anywhere, anyhow—maybe I’ve been in a crowd, or around a toxic person (alive or dead), or in a location that feels particularly heavy, or my own thoughts or actions have lowered my vibration. Whatever the case, these are the six practices that I turn to for both proactively protecting against and clearing away bad vibes—perhaps they’ll come in handy for you, too. Even better, they can all be adapted to cleanse your living space. Partake as often as needed!

For Yourself: Burn a responsibly sourced dried herb bundle (piñon pine is pictured above) or incense, and fan the smoke over yourself from head to toe. If you’re doing this inside, make sure to open the windows so the negative energy is carried out with the smoke. Stay away from white sage and Palo Santo, as these are part of sacred Native rituals, and refer to this practice as “smoke cleansing” instead of “smudging,” as the latter terminology culturally appropriates from our Indigenous friends.

For Your Home: Light your cleansing herb or incense of choice, open all the windows, cabinets, and closet doors, and fan the smoke inside every space and corner. That includes under your bed, in your shower, inside drawers, etc. Leave everything open until the smoke dissipates. I like to make up an intention to repeat while I’m doing this—it can be anything you like. “Only the highest good lives here,” or “This space is filled with light, love, and healing energy,” etc.

For Yourself: Source a large container of salt—I like a 50/50 Himalayan/Epsom salt mix, and Magnesium flakes are great too. An important (and incredibly depressing) note: 90% of sea salt contains microplastics; I’ve ceased using and eating it. You can scrub down your whole body in the shower, but if you’re pressed for time, just do your hands and feet—those are the appendages that interact with the most energy on a daily basis.

For Your Home: Sprinkle salt on your rugs (you can even mix in a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a scent boost), leave it for an hour or two, then vaccum it up—the salt will absorb negative energy and help purify your space. You can also put bowls of salt in the corners of any room that feels particularly heavy—leave them there for at least a day, then dispose of the salt (don’t throw it outside; it harms grass and wildlife).

For Yourself: Use moon water, herb-infused water, crystal water, essential oil water—anything goes. Get witchy and research the spiritual and medicinal properties of the herbs and oils to customize your brew (rosemary is an amazingly versatile herb that can stand in for just about anything if you energize it with an intention). Put your mixture in a spray bottle and mist it on yourself, or use it to wash your hands and feet.

For Your Home: Add any of the above waters to your all-purpose cleaning solution bottle for an energy-balancing surface cleaner (I like to do this with herbs that have protective and boundary reinforcing properties—rosemary, sage, cedar, nettle). You can also wash your walls and doorframes with Florida Water, a floral-citrus scented cologne that’s been used for cleansing since 1808.

For Yourself: Ring a bell, snap, clap your hands, bang pots and pans—any sharp sound that interrupts the vibrations around you will help reset and clear your energy. 

For Your Home: Walk through your space making noise with one of the above items, and concentrate on spots that feel particularly dark or heavy. If you’ve been having nightmares, for example, make a ruckus over and around your bed. My mediumship teacher told me she lights small piles of gunpowder to cleanse antiques and particularly low-vibration spaces. I’ve never taken it that far (and, uh, proceed at your own risk…)

For Yourself: Walk in a patch of grass (with bare feet, if possible) or just spend some time standing or sitting in nature. Get quiet and visualize roots growing out of the bottom of your feet deep into the earth, traveling all the way into its core; imagine its bright molten light traveling back up through those roots into your feet and up through your body from your toes to the top of your head.

For Your Home: You can do the same thing as above in your living space to reassert that where you dwell is also a healing, protective part of your daily experience. Open a window or two to let the fresh air in, walk barefoot through your home, and stand or sit next to a window to practice the rooting meditation.

For Yourself: Dance, sing, shake, jump—any kind of movement will break up negative energy and help lift yours.

For Your Home: Similar to the sound cleanse, moving intentionally through the rooms of your home will spread your higher vibration to every corner.