Rather, they speak to His Creation as manifested in nature, represented by each direction. From Native American Healing in Gary Null s Natural Living . Smudging Smudging is a common practice among Native Americans for the cleansing of energy through the burning of sage , tobacco, and sweetgrass . It is a gift from the Creator, and one of the great smells for reminding us of the mountains and the open air. Sage is the cleanest smell of the desert, and is also given to us by the Creator.
Tobacco is yet another gift.
Our thoughts and prayers are carried on its smoke. It is a visual representation of our thoughts and prayers being carried, more so because it carries the two great smells of the mountain and desert. The smudging itself is performed by mixing the sweetgrass , sage , and tobacco in a bowl, usually an abalone shell, burning the ingredients, and then blowing or fanning the smoke over a person. Often, an eagle feather fan is used, as Native Americans believe that the prayers and thoughts contained in the smoke are carried to the Creator on the wings of eagles, which fly the highest and are in direct communication with the Creator. Smudging plays a central role in traditional healing ceremonies because it is believed that once negative energies are cleared out, a sense of peace and relaxation takes over, putting spiritual difficulties to rest.