Palo Santo smudging

Palo santo (Bursera graveolens) is tree which is used thousands of years for ritual smudging.

Palo Santo perfumes the interior with a pleasantly sweet scent, which has soothing and relaxing effects. The wood has a sweet coconut, resinous woody scent with subtle tones of exotic fruit.

Palo Santo is a natural aromatic ingredient used to make incense and incense sticks. The ancient Incas believed that it brought spiritual purification and relaxation, freed our souls from devilish thoughts, and prevented misfortune and other unfortunate events. The scent of Palo Santo is sweet, delicate, soothing, relaxing, warm and full of energy. It is traditionally used during Ayahuasca ceremonies.

Palo Santo aromatic smoke is used whenever you need to cleanse the area or people thoroughly, to repel negative forces, fatigue caused by nervous exhaustion and to calm down.

Main effect of Palo Santo is protection of ritual space and people. Good spirits use the smoke as clothes which they can dress.

We use Palo Santo smudging before every Ayahuasca ceremony, to prepare space in our maloca and to protect people.

It has antidepressive, pain relieving, immune enhancing effect and also anti-proliferative effect for various cancer illness (like breast tumor f.e.).

See also: Chemical composition and anti-proliferative properties of Bursera graveolens essential oil

The Palo Santo project (Nature and Culture International)

Palo Santo trees are often overharvested so you can see here example of sustainable project from Ecuador:

The Tumbesian dry forest is home to numerous endemic species – or species found nowhere else on the planet – but is as endangered as the Amazon rainforest.

For decades, this spectacular landscape in southern Ecuador has been threatened by land clearing and unsustainable agricultural practices such as unregulated cattle grazing and biofuel crops. However, the native Palo Santo tree has become a mechanism for conservation by providing a much needed source of income to a rural population with limited resources. For generations, harvesting the tree’s valuable oil was accomplished through deforestation.

Source: https://natureandculture.org/our-process/sustainable-development/the-palo-santo-project/