[SWEETGRASS] symbolizes kindness- as this plant only bends when walked upon and never breaks – may we too remember that if injustices are done upon us may we hold kindness in our hearts and not react with hostility.

What is smudging?

DEFINITION: smoke created from burning medicinal or sacred plants

TRADITION: Smudging is a ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts of a person or place. There are four elements involved in a smudge:

• The container, traditionally a shell representing water, is the first element.
• The four sacred plants (cedar, sage, sweetgrass, tobacco), gifts from mother earth, represent the second element.
• The fire produced from lighting the sacred plants represents the third element.
• The smoke produced from the fire represents air, the fourth element

Smudging can also ease tension, lift your mood, and relieve stress.