Picture this: You’ve styled your space to a tee, carefully considering decor and color scheme from top to bottom. You take a step back to admire your handiwork, fully expecting to kick back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But there’s one final step you should consider to make sure that the “feel good” part of “look good, feel good” applies to your finished digs.

We’re talking about energy clearing with sage and palo santo to banish negativity and really bring home the good vibes. There’s science behind the spirituality, too: When burned, sage smoke releases ions that change the composition of the air and have been linked to positive mood boosts. In addition to being an excellent stress-reliever, burning sage can be a powerful spiritual ritual and self-care practice.

We turned to magazine editor and music journalist-turned-acupuncturist and herbalist Giselle Wasfie to find out exactly how to sage your home, plus the best way and time to burn it, how to store your sage, and why it works — on yourself, your living space and even your phone.

BURNING SAGE IS IS A POWERFUL RITUAL

The ritual of sage burning has its roots in Native American tradition. Today, people burn sage and other holy herbs to cleanse a space or environment of negative energy, to generate wisdom and clarity, and to promote healing. Intention is everything with this ritual, so before you light up, ask yourself what you’re trying to purify and/or heal from or release — in your space and in yourself.

SAGE AND MUGWORT AND CEDAR, OH MY

White sage is a fairly common variety used for space clearing, but you can also use bundles of cedar or herbs like mugwort. Whatever material you choose, it’s really about intention. Ideally, look for a source that harvests its herbs ethically and responsibly to enhance your practice (like the white sage bundle we sell from California-based brand Juniper Ridge).

HOW TO SAGE YOUR HOME 101

Light one end of the wand. Carefully allow the flame to go out so that the tips of the dried leaves are smoldering slowly, and let the smoke billow up. You can blow on the end to release more smoke and fan the smolder, but keep your face far away (at least two feet), because it’s typical for little sparks of ash to break off, and you don’t want them flying in your face.

Start to waft around your space and through your different rooms with your intention in mind. Starting in one corner and “pushing” energy toward the door can be a good way to release bad vibes. Pay special attention to wafting in corners and near mirrors, as well as high-traffic areas like hallways and doorways. Also, pay extra attention to windows.

You can get expressive here with your waving, but always remain conscious of the fact that you’re holding a burning object. Also, keep an eye out for those fallen ashes and put them out immediately. Use an abalone shell or other fireproof dish to catch those ashes as you go.

STORE YOUR SAGE SAFELY

After clearing and cleansing, extinguish your sage stick by gently pressing it into the abalone shell or a clay dish, glass bowl or ashtray. You can also allow it to burn out on its own. Some people like to wait 20-30 minutes to allow the sage smoke to reach maximum potency. Then, open any windows and your front door to let all of that stuck energy out.

FINISH WITH INCENSE OR PALO SANTO

Now that you’ve cleared the energy and created a new, pure space, infuse it with your own positive thoughts and intentions. Burning your favorite incense or palo santo wood is an excellent way to do this; between sage’s cleansing powers and the healing, uplifting properties of palo santo, they really are a dynamic duo. “Plus, your neighbors are sure to think you’re interesting!” Giselle says.

For more scents and incense stick options, check out our collection of unique candles and home fragrances.