Top 3 Benefits of Burning Palo Santo Sticks

Palo Santo is derived from South America and is commonly used in purification rituals. It’s name in English translates as “holy stick” and its’ use has been adapted by many cultures and traditions.

When burned, Palo Santo gives off a warming, nurturing scent with a hint of citrus. Its soft aroma brings peace to many, and the wood itself carries a high frequency that benefits us physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Palo Santo was originally used by the indigenous Incan peoples along the west coast of South America.

They favored its’ high frequency in which it had the ability to not only cleanse the energies of the persons or space of interest, but also to replace the cleansed energies with uplifting, positive energies.

When we are surrounded by positive energies, we energetically invite other positive energies to join us - making us magnets for goodness.

Below are 3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BURN PALO SANTO and how it can improve your daily life:
 

1. Palo Santo is a wonderful smudging agent, warding off any negative, residual energies that may try to enter your personal space. This goes for our very own field of energy that surrounds our bodies - also known as the aura - as well as a physical space; like our homes, cars, or offices.
    

2. Crystals can also be cleansed with Palo Santo’s powerful smoke, returning them to their most organic and beneficial states. It’s important to keep your crystals cleansed on a regular basis so you can get the most out of their high-vibin’ frequencies. 
    

3. Completing a smudging ritual with Palo Santo before bed and once you’ve woken up is especially beneficial, allowing for a great night’s rest and a lovely day ahead.
   
   I’ve even used Palo Santo to (very carefully) smudge my clothing prior to getting dressed before an important meeting or interview, to bring in extra confidence and positive energy.

Oh, and one of my absolute favorite ways to use Palo Santo is for travel.

Traveling is a time of rest, adventures, inspiration, + more, but it can also be exhausting when you’re hopping from airports to hotel rooms filled with all kinds of energy.

I absolutely love being able to smudge on-the-go so I can keep the positive energy flowin’ and rid myself or my hotel room of any negative energy that I may have picked up along the way.

Also, burning Palo Santo serves as a repellent for bugs and mosquitoes and is great for camping or traveling in bug-centric areas around the world.

This sacred wood is used in rituals by both beginners and seasoned spiritual practitioners, and is overall such a blessing!

Remember to stay safe and mindful while lighting your Palo Santo over an open flame, and always make sure the flame is completely extinguished before you begin smudging + experiencing all the magical benefits of Palo Santo’s smoke.

We recommend using a lighter when lighting this rather strong piece of holy wood.

Palo Santo smudge sticks often have to be re-lit during your smudging practices and do not continue to burn for much longer after you’ve finished smudging -- contrary to most sage bundles which can burn for longer periods of time.

Once you’ve finished smudging, you can simply lay it in an abalone shell until it burns out, or you can manually extinguish the stick in a fireproof bowl or abalone shell similar to the ones included in our Maha Living kits.

Maha Living’s Palo Santo is ethically harvested from Peru (which means it is only taken from fallen branches or twigs), and we truly hope you love it as much as we do!



Written by Chandler Westphal
Inspired by the teachings of Jennifer Montero