Here's how to get that "yuck" feeling out of your house so you can relax again...

Have you ever had the feeling that your house was violated by some negative energy? Maybe there was a big argument? Or, maybe you had a visitor over that was particularly unpleasant? When that person finally leaves, you lock your door, let out an audible "ugh," and then a shiver runs down your spine.

The leftover feeling is weird but it's something to really be conscious of. Negative energy can permeate a space, affect your mood, and activate negative momentum in your home. Your house is a sacred space. It's the space you go to decompress, feel safe and comforted so managing the energy is really important. The good thing is, you're not stuck with bad juju wants it comes in. When negative experiences or people leave behind an icky residue you can rely on a calming sage ritual to remove it.

The practice of using sage to cleanse energy is known as "smudging" and is a purifying smoke bath that melts away negative energy and low vibrations. The smoke created from the sage fills your space and releases a large number of negative ions. As the smoke filters away the plant spirit of the sage remove the negative energy with it. Here is a step by step cleansing ritual that you can follow:

1. To begin your smudging practice, open your front door, back door, and windows. Light your sage stick and safely burn it above an abalone shell.

Let the sage stick burn for a few seconds and allow the smoke to begin wafting.

2. Using a peacock feather or the sage stick itself, waft the sage smoke from the top of your head down to your feet.

3. Walk through your home with the sage stick and say these words aloud "plant spirit of the sage, please remove and release any negative energy from this space."

4. Once you've walked through all the rooms in your home and directed the negative energy out of your home, place the sage stick back in the abalone shell to snuff itself out.

5. After your smudging ritual is complete, reset the intention of your home by saying, "I allow feelings of peace, love, comfort, and inspiration to flow through this space" and imagine a white light filling every crevice of your home.

You will want to do a sage cleanse when you move into a new apartment or purchase a home. Even if your dwelling is brand new a sage cleanse can help remove any residual energy from movers, you, or your belongings so that you can set the intentions of how your home should feel. Additionally, do a sage cleanse if an argument has occurred, if you've had a visitor over who was angry or depressed,if you've been feeling depressed, or anytime the air in your home feels stagnate and stale.