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Palo Santo: Uses, Benefits and How To Use
Palo Santo, or “holy wood” in Spanish, is a sacred tree used for centuries by people in South America. This natural wood has many special properties, including an uplifting aroma and powerful medicinal benefits. Palo Santo can be a great tool for those looking to bring peace and balance into their lives. In this guide, we’ll explore the unique qualities of Palo Santo and how to use it to promote relaxation and clear negative energy safely. Whether you’re new to Palo Santo or have been using it for years, this article will provide valuable insights on making the most out of this amazing natural resource.
What is Palo Santo?
Palo Santo is a tree native to South America and has been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes by the region’s indigenous people for centuries. It is most commonly burned as incense, with the smoke being believed to carry away negative energy or promote relaxation. Native Americans also used palo santo to treat a wide range of ailments, from colds and flu to arthritis. Nowadays, palo santo is becoming increasingly popular among those looking to bring natural remedies into their lives.
Ancient Traditions
Palo santo is not only a natural remedy but also a spiritual one. The use of palo santo has been part of indigenous cultures in South America for centuries. Native people believed that palo santo attracts positive energy while clearing away negative energies and restoring environmental balance. It was used as an offering to the gods and a way of connecting with nature and the spiritual realms. Even today, palo santo is used in many ancient rituals and ceremonies in South America.
Responsible and Sustainable harvesting
Local regulations in the Amazon rainforest strictly prohibit logging of palo santo trees. These holy specimens must be allowed to rest on the forest floor for a few years before being harvested. Additionally, it is forbidden to cut them down; only after natural death will harvesting become permissible. Though this practice was initially enforced purely for environmental purposes, spiritually, it’s also imperative – we cannot gain access to its benefits unless we treat the tree with respect and harvest it sustainably. Palo Santo’s essential oils and healing properties develop over the years on the forest floor following its natural death. Through this process, palo santo gains incredible power to purify, attract positive energy, heal, and emit a captivating scent. To ensure that people don’t deplete the population of this generous spirit any further than necessary, every fallen tree is replaced with a seedling to rejuvenate both palo santo populations and biodiversity itself.
Palo santo diversity
Palo Santo can be used in various forms, either as incense, wood chips or even oil. Burning palo santo is probably the most popular way of using it and works best to promote relaxation and clear the air of negative energy. It’s important to note that palo santo burning should always be done with respect and with the intention of bringing balance into your life. Palo santo wood chips can be added to a potpourri, sprinkled on the surface as natural air fresheners or burned in a heatproof bowl. In comparison, palo santo oil can be used in a diffuser for aromatherapy or topically mixed with a carrier oil for massage or skincare.
Aroma and Aromatic benefits of Palo Santo
The aroma of palo santo has been described as a mix between pine, mint and lemon. The smell is uplifting and helps create a sense of peace and balance in the environment it is used in. It is believed that palo santo can help clear negative energy from a space or person and provide an overall feeling of relaxation. Palo santo is rich in limonene, a natural terpene found in citrus peels with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also contains compounds such as alpha-pinene and beta-caryophyllene, making palo santo an excellent natural remedy for stress relief and to promote healthy sleep. All these compounds are released when palo santo is burned, providing a pleasant and relaxing aroma.
Medicinal Benefits of Palo Santo
In addition to its calming aroma, palo santo has powerful medicinal properties due to the presence of natural compounds such as terpenes and limonoids. Studies have shown that palo santo can help reduce inflammation, fight bacteria and fungus, relieve pain, and even act as a natural insect repellent. It may also help boost the immune system and improve respiratory health, and it can help with coughs, colds and allergies (1).
How to choose Palo Santo?
When deciding on palo santo, make sure you’re getting it from a reliable source. Selecting responsibly and sustainably-harvested palo santo sticks and chips are the way to go. These are classified as either “premium” or “1st grade” and 2nd grade; 1st Grade wood stands out in terms of its distinct aroma, purification qualities, positive energy emanation and healing properties. Furthermore, it tends to be more aged than other grades of wood, which may not have the ideal moisture levels for an effective smouldering or ignition process. However, whichever palo santo you choose to use, it will bring balance and peace into your life. Be sure to respect palo santo as a sacred tree by using it with intention and gratefulness.
How to use Palo Santo safely and effectively
It is important to note that palo santo should always be used with respect and care. When burning palo santo, make sure you do so in a well-ventilated area and never leave it unattended. Also, palo santo should always be burned in a heatproof container and never directly onto an open flame. It’s important to keep in mind that the smoke should not be inhaled directly. It is better to light the palo santo and then move away from the smoke. Palo santo oil should be mixed with a carrier oil such as coconut or jojoba before being applied topically to ensure it is not too strong for the skin.
If you are looking to start your Smudging journey, take a look at our Palo Santo Smudging Kit with Real Marble Dish. Our sets come with a bundle of palo santo sticks, a heatproof dish, and safety matches in a glass jar – everything you need for this amazing self-care ritual.
Palo santo is a sacred tree that has been used for centuries by people in South America to bring balance and peace into their lives. It has a beautiful, uplifting aroma, and it’s believed that it helps clear the air of negative energy while providing relaxation and calming effects. Additionally, palo santo contains powerful medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal benefits. When used responsibly and respectfully, palo santo can be a special natural resource for improving physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about palo santo! We hope you have found this article helpful. Enjoy!
