How to Cleanse Your Energy Field with a Sage Smudge Stick

How to Cleanse Your Energy Field with a Sage Smudge Stick



Sage is an aromatic plant that has been used for centuries to bless, heal and cleanse people, objects and space. The aromatic smoke of a burning bundle of sage, called a smudge stick, can be used to "wash" outside energies from the energy field that surrounds ones physical body. This can be done before a special event or when entering a sacred space, such as home. Learn here how to work with a smudge stick effectively.







Things You'll Need:





Sage smudge stick, any variety




Large Feather (optional)




Lighter or matches




Bowl or other container to catch ashes and to extinguish sage







Cleansing yourself with sage smoke




1


Take a few deep breaths and focus yourself. Light the end of the stick over a bowl or container, holding the flame until the leaves catch fire. Gently blow out the flames. The stick should be smoking now.





2


Using a feather or your hand, begin to direct the smoke around your body. There is no "right" way to do this, so just follow your inner guidance, or start from the bottom up. Direct the smoke to your feet and then move up towards your heart.





3


Say a prayer, state an intention or call in any spirit guides or helpers, asking them to help "clear" you. Continue directing the smoke around the front, back and sides of your body.





4


Take your time. When you are cleansing your upper body, circle the sage stick around your head. Direct the smoke over the top over your crown.





5


When you feel complete, extinguish the sage stick by gently pushing the end of the stick into a burn-proof container. You can use sand in the container to help snuff the stick out.








Tips & Warnings










Cleansing with sage is a ceremony. Make it special. Be in a quiet space or turn soft music on - do whatever is special to you. This time is for you!








Be sure to use the container to catch smoldering embers, to protect carpet and other surfaces.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2302185_cleanse-energy-field-sage-smudge.html

How to Cleanse With a Raw Food Diet

How to Cleanse With a Raw Food Diet



A raw food diet, unlike other forms of cleansing, can be performed for a single day or for an entire lifetime. Raw foods are full of living enzymes that help your body in digestion, elimination and absorption, ensuring a thorough cleansing of your entire body as well as a supply of all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. A few tips can get you started.









1


Dive right in. Unlike other cleansing diets which require that you take a few days beforehand to eliminate meats, fats, sugars and other foods, a raw food diet can be started today with no problems. A raw food diet may be mentally difficult, as you will miss cooked foods; however, detox is gentle and does not require preparation.





2


Choose fresh, organic produce to aid in cleansing. The fruits and vegetables that you eat are only as good as the soil they are grown in, and pesticides and fertilizers destroy the vitamin and mineral nutrients in the soil. Additionally, waxes and other chemicals defeat the purpose of your raw food diet by introducing harmful chemicals into your body.





3


Make sure that you get plenty of fat and protein in your diet. Healthy fats can be found in avocados, nuts, seeds and vegetables oils. The best raw food sources of protein include nutritional yeast, sprouted beans, grains and seeds and raw nuts and nut butters.





4


Get creative with your raw food recipes, creating a variety of salads, dressings and desserts. There are many great resources online which offer simple recipes and gourmet entrees.





5


Select a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and raw grains to ensure that you get a balance of all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. This is a great time to try items you have never dared to try before, such as jicama or agave.





6


Leave the peel on whenever possible, as the majority of nutrients in fruits and veggies are found near the surface. Most items, such as cucumber, carrot and jicama can simply be scrubbed and eaten.





7


Warm things up if you begin to crave hot foods. You can make raw soups, heating in a double boiler; however, do not heat foods higher than 103 degrees Fahrenheit or they will no longer be raw. Additionally, you might try a food dehydrator to make breads, crackers and even pizza to liven up your cleansing diet.








Tips & Warnings










If you choose a cleansing raw food diet for longer than two weeks, take a B vitamin complex as well as B12 in a sublingual form, as B vitamins are most commonly found in meats and animal products.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2273749_do-raw-food-cleansing-diet.html

How to Cleanse to Stop Sugar Cravings

How to Cleanse to Stop Sugar Cravings



Because of the amount of sugar and processed foods in the typical American diet, it's easy to become addicted to the taste of sugar and the feeling it gives you. You can stop your sugar cravings, though, with a full-body cleanse. The longer you avoid sugar, the less intense your cravings are.







Before Your Cleanse




1


Determine why you crave sugar. The best way to do this is through observation. Before you try to eliminate your cravings with a cleanse, carry a notebook with you for at least a week. Whenever a craving strikes, record the time, how you feel, what you're doing and exactly what you crave. If you give in to your craving, record the emotional and physical sensations.





2


Review your notes at the end of the week for more insight into your sugar cravings. Categorize your cravings as motivated primarily by emotions, the physical effect of sugar or primarily hunger.





3


Realize that if you crave sugar to satisfy emotional cravings, you need to replace eating sugary foods with a positive activity. Without this, even a cleanse can't make your sugar cravings go away.





4


Understand that you must replace the physical effect of sugar with another physical boost to your body after your cleanse. Sugar raises serotonin levels-something that exercise can do as well and with a more sustained effect.





5


Plan to choose healthier options or eat small amounts more often if you turn to sugar to satisfy hunger. Eating four to six meals a day after your cleanse can keep your hunger in check so you don't give in to sugar cravings.





6


Rid yourself of all sugary products before you start your cleanse, and let everyone in your household know that you won't be eating sugar during the cleanse. If they must have sugary foods, ask them to keep the foods out of sight.



Cleanse to Stop Your Cravings




1


Choose a whole-body cleanse rather than one that's specific to a certain organ. Sugar cravings are systemic, so you want to treat your entire body to rid yourself of them.





2


Consider whether you should follow a cleanse that includes sugars. The Master Cleanse, for example, is an excellent whole-body cleanse that can stop your sugar cravings. However, on this cleanse, you mix lemon juice, cayenne and maple syrup to drink a few times each day. If you're afraid that you won't be able to control your use of the syrup, you shouldn't choose this cleanse.





3


Go on a juice fast to cleanse your body and give your digestion a break. If you choose a juice fast, stick with vegetable juices rather than fruit juices. Fruit juices contain much more sugar then vegetable juices and may support your sugar cravings rather than stop them.





4


Use a detoxifying diet as the basis of your cleanse. A cleanse doesn't have to be restrictive. Instead, it can be a time for you to develop good eating habits that can carry you through the rest of your life. Cut out meat, dairy and processed foods and fill up on complex carbohydrates and whole foods.





5


Stay on your cleanse for at least 3 days and up to a month, depending upon the method you choose, for the best results.








Tips & Warnings










Although sugary, processed foods probably won't appeal to you as much after your cleanse, stay away from sugars and fruit juices on the days after your cleanse. If your sugar cravings are habit, it can be easy to fall back into them.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2239470_cleanse-stop-sugar-cravings.html